They were all bracing themselves, eager to watch as the poor kid was trampled, but things didn't go quite as they had expected.
Loud gasps rippled through the room at Kai's bold declaration of war against Arlo. Arlo, one of the three princes of the Academy and ranked third, was a second-generation rich kid—the second son of Minister Achio, who had donated a third of the Academy's funds. Now, this wealthy heir was being challenged not just by a newcomer but by a poor scholarship student.
This was unheard of and would surely make headlines for the week. The principal of the Academy was merely a figurehead, and the students at the top of the social hierarchy were the true power brokers, like mini-heads of the Academy themselves.
Arlo stood in disbelief at what had just unfolded, but one thing was undeniable: this scholarship student had guts! He can't be held, but hold him in both admiration and disdain.
"So, you've got guts, huh?" Arlo sneered, flashing a devilish smirk. But Kai remained silent, not even acknowledging him. Instead, his attention was caught by the person who had been staring at him just before Arlo.
He had short, shiny, jet-black hair, a perfectly balanced facial structure that complemented his slightly pointed nose, and piercing, obsidian eyes. He appeared Asian, though there was an undeniable American influence in his features. Kai had never seen anyone so handsome, yet so distasteful.
Realizing he had once again been ignored, Arlo's face soured as he watched his newfound rival.
"So now you're ignoring me?" Arlo growled, his teeth gritted and fists clenched.
The tension in the air thickened, and it was clear the situation was escalating quickly. Before it could spiral further, the teacher stepped in.
"All right, Student Johnson, please refrain from any insulting actions or words. This is your first warning, and I hope it will be your last," the teacher said solemnly, giving Kai a stern look.
Kai, unbothered, simply smiled lightly and nodded in acknowledgment. Arlo, however, seemed to relish in seeing Kai's apparent 'discomfort'.
'So that's how it is?' Kai thought, his expression shifting to one of amusement as he locked eyes with the teacher.
"Okay, elites, as some of you may already know, I'm Ms. Shaniqua Mythena, your homeroom teacher for the entire year. I hope to have a pleasant and not an eventful year," she continued, breaking the brief moment of tension.
And just like that, the first class of the day passed by in a blur, the clock ticking away, and soon, it was time for the second lesson.
****
'RING! RING!' The sharp sound of two bells echoed through the room, signaling that it was time for the next class.
'How dare you treat me like this? Just you wait,' Arlo thought, his mind filled with vengeful plans.
Kai stood to walk out for his next class, but just as he took a step, he was suddenly shoved back into his seat.
"What are you doing?" Kai asked, his tone cold.
"Sit down. I'll explain later," Shawn replied in a hushed voice. Kai watched, growing more frustrated with every passing second, as Shawn went over to appease Arlo and the other 'princes'.
It was clear that Shawn was doing everything he could to stay in their good graces, and Kai's patience was wearing thin.
But what caught Kai's attention was that no one moved to leave for the next class. It was as if everyone was waiting for some kind of signal, even after the teacher had officially dismissed them.
'What nonsense is this now?' Kai thought, observing how everything unfolded. After about ten minutes, the handsome guy who had been sitting in front of Arlo finally stood up.
"Khai*, you ready?" Arlo asked, also rising from his seat.
"Hmm," Khai responded, his eyes drifting to the opposite side of the classroom. He lingered for a moment, and as if he was being ignored or dismissed, he simply turned and exited the room.
As Khai, Arlo, and two other boys left, the rest of the class suddenly began moving toward the door.
'What's going on?' Kai thought, utterly perplexed and dumbstruck by the situation. Standing up from his chair, he was once again forced to sit back down.
"What now?" Kai questioned, his brows furrowed as he stared at the six students, who surrounded him.
"We need to talk, Mr. Backbone," said a boy with freckles. Still perplexed and now annoyed, Kai sat down and listened to what they had to say.
"There are five rules to follow as a scholarship student:
1. Don't ever overstep your place when dealing with the rich.
2. Don't ever mess with the three princes and the King of this school. You won't be the only one to suffer, and we don't want to go down with you.
3. Stay clear of Saphia and Lisa. Don't go near them—if they go right, you go left. But especially stay away from Saphia.
4. Be mindful of the top bosses of the school. Don't mess up. We don't want to go down with you like—ahem.
5. And finally, follow all the rules from rule one and remember them all. Don't break them—not even one!" Shawn warned Kai.
"Eee? But aren't all these rules just about students like us?" Kai questioned, looking at the others around him, who seemed to be scholarship students as well.
"Shhh! How dare you! Do want to infuriate His Highness?" Shawn hissed. "When calling the top students' names, we don't refer to them as 'us', lowlife. Lion, let him know what happens if he ever offends not only the top students but especially the rich ones."
Kai was yet again dumbstruck. He could hardly believe his ears. He almost wanted to pinch himself for a reality check. But he was forced to listen closely, as Shawn was getting closer to revealing a secret.
"Well, there was a transfer student by the name of Knox Marithias. He was a handful. He didn't fear any of the rich kids, almost like you, and he was even close with Saphia, the untouchable Queen," Lion whispered dramatically, as if telling a ghost story.
"But we all know what happened to him in the end," another boy chimed in.
"What happened?" Kai interjected, mimicking their dramatic tone.
"He was kill—" the boy began but was soon cut off.
"Shhhhh! Roy, do you want to be next?!" Shawn snapped, his voice loud but hushed. Roy froze, his face paling as he quickly glanced around.
"So, wasn't...Knox's death investigated?" Kai asked, playing the role of an ignorant, naive boy.
"The police said they did investigate. But we know that's just BS. Who dares to implicate the top bosses of this academy? Who knows if they didn't pay them off? "But enough about the past. Just stay clear of the rich kids until you leave. You could try to curry favors, and you won't lose later on," the boy with freckles added.
"OK. I understand. Is it time for class?" Kai asked yet again with a blank expression, as if what he had heard wasn't frightening enough and he couldn't care less.
Seeing his dismissive attitude, the scholarship students felt a sudden chill run down their spines.
*******
Please to comment if you believe the characters names Khai and Kai would be of confusion.
Khai - Shorten for Khalil - Male Lead
Kai - Main Character.