Ms. Helena steps into the classroom. Everyone instantly quiets down. The sound of chairs screeeech against the floor echoes through the air.A few slanted rays of sunlight fall through the window, landing right on Skylar's desk. She and Sunny sit in the middle row, next to the window. At the far corner, Julian and Leo share a desk—the kind of place sunlight never reaches, just like Julian's permanently cold aura.
The air feels stretched tight. The ceiling fan creaks as it spins, chalk dust floats lazily around. No one dares to speak. The only sound is Ms. Helena's heels click click click across the tiled floor. She places both hands on her desk and says,"Alright! Today we're having a test."
The whole class replies in unison, "Yes, ma'am!"
Ms. Helena rummages through her bag. She sets down her lesson plan, books, pens, and finally pulls out a thick stack of papers. Walking down the aisle, she says in a firm tone,"Pass these down. No cheating. You have… half a period."
She claps her hands once—BOP!Instantly, every student lowers their head. Pens start scratching furiously across paper like a race against time—and intelligence. Some are confident. Some are terrified. But all are serious.
All except two.Skylar and Julian.
They already plotted this the night before."You act all tense, so Leo thinks it's a nightmare of a test. I'll take care of the rest."
Now, Skylar hides a grin, while Julian wears the most convincingly "suffering genius" face in the room.
"Ha… look at him. The top student acting like he's dying," Skylar murmurs, lips twitching upward.
You're gonna be so surprised later, Ms. Helena, she thinks, barely holding back a mischievous giggle.
And then—"Hehehe…"
Sunny turns and freezes. That smile—half angel, half demon—makes her spine tingle. She gulps, eyes darting around like she's searching for hidden explosives.
Oh no… Little Angel's planning something again, isn't she? she panics, accidentally scribbling the wrong line.
Ms. Helena notices. She coughs twice, "Ahem, ahem" and Sunny instantly straightens up, pretending to focus again.
Julian hears the "evil giggle," too. He's currently "working hard" on his paper, copying the confused looks of struggling classmates. He lowers his shoulders, frowns dramatically, and taps his pen as if solving the hardest question in history.
Inside, he's dying of laughter. Don't laugh. Don't laugh. You'll blow it. But really… can't believe I agreed to this childish stunt.He keeps his poker face, though the corner of his lips twitch slightly.
Julian's deskmate, Leo Dao, is shocked. Sweat drips down his temple.What the heck?! Is the test that hard? Even the class genius looks like he's dying!
He glances sideways. Julian still looks deadly serious.No way… is he actually struggling?
Panic floods in. Leo wipes his forehead, muttering under his breath, "Dear God, I just wanna pass this one…"
Because of that, he unconsciously mimics Julian's expression—tense, focused, tragic. To the rest of the class, the two of them look like they're battling the most brutal exam ever written.
Time flies. The test ends.
Ms. Helena personally walks around collecting papers. Students stretch, sigh, some even collapse onto their desks. Laughter and groans mix together.Noon sunlight spills through the window, glowing on the white notebooks.
Skylar tilts her head toward the back of the class. Julian catches her eye—his look says, All good?She winks and flashes a smug grin.
BANG!A ruler slams down. The room freezes.
Ms. Helena adjusts her glasses, eyes sharp as ice."Quiet. What's with all the noise?"
Silence falls.
She picks up a piece of chalk and says sternly,"Open your books. Turn to where we stopped last time."
Everyone obeys immediately. The fan hums softly above. Only her voice and the scratch of chalk and pens fill the room.
Then—Reng reng reng!
The bell screams, ending the class.
Ms. Helena gathers her things, pausing at the door to drop one last bomb:"I'll be checking your papers later. Let's see…"She thinks for a second. Everyone holds their breath."…maybe you'll get your results tomorrow."
The whole class gasps.Some groan, some wail. Then chaos returns. Laughter and chatter explode as students swarm out like bees escaping a hive.
Skylar leans back in her chair, stretches, and lets out a long sigh. "Whew… Class over at last."
At that moment, Julian and Leo walk over. Julian's lips curve slightly, eyes narrowing with a teasing glint. "So? Managed to survive?"
Skylar tilts her head, resting an elbow on the back of her chair, flashing a sly grin. "What do you think?"
"Easy, huh?" Julian replies smoothly.
What?! If it was easy, then why did you act like it was torture?! You made me panic for nothing!Leo shoots up from his seat, pointing straight at Julian with a look of total disbelief. "You—YOU LIAR!"
His voice is so loud that even students outside the classroom turn to look. The air tenses for a moment.
Without hesitation, Sunny smacks him across the face with a quick thwack! Everyone freezes. Leo clutches his cheek, completely stunned. The crowd instantly pretends to mind their own business.
"Quiet down already. What's with all the noise?" Sunny says coolly—almost too calmly.
Skylar waves a hand in front of Sunny's face, suspicious. Something's off.
Suddenly, Sunny blinks, eyes widening. When she sees Leo's dumbfounded face, panic hits. She scrambles through her bag, pulls out a water bottle, and shoves it into his hands. "S-sorry! I must've dozed off a little! You were so loud, I just—reacted!"
Leo pokes her forehead, smirking like he's uncovered a dark secret. "Ah-ha… so you did fall asleep in class. I'm totally telling Ms. Helena."
Sunny's jaw drops. "Wait—you're not actually mad at me?"
Leo just smiles and nods. Before Sunny can say anything else, Skylar swoops in, looping an arm around Sunny's neck. Her tone is lazy but decisive. "You two go buy drinks."
"Let's go, boss!" Leo cheerfully hooks his arm around Julian's shoulders.
Julian's expression drops. He shoves Leo off and punches him lightly in the stomach. "Talk all you want, but don't touch me."
Skylar snickers. "Wow. Your words and actions are so consistent."
Julian stays silent, glaring at her before grabbing Leo by the collar. "What do you want to drink?!"
Sunny doesn't answer right away. She just gives them a look so teasing it could peel paint. "Ooh~ someone's close."
Her tone is syrupy enough to make the whole class turn their heads.
Julian's ears redden. "What are you staring at?! Is this funny to you?!"
The class, of course, finds it very funny. A few even shout, "Don't be shy, man!"
That's all Leo needs to join the chaos. He throws an arm dramatically around Julian and coos, "It's okay, brooo~ Don't be shy. She's waiting, you know!"
THUD!
Julian slams him to the floor. Luckily, Leo keeps his balance and peeks up from behind Julian, calling out, "What do you girls want to drink?"
"Black coffee," Skylar replies instantly, then turns to Sunny. "You?"
"Uh… milk, I guess."
"Got it."
Leo drags Julian toward the door. Before leaving, Julian shoots the girls a cold glare. "Stop making things up." Then he yanks Leo out with him.
As soon as they're gone, Skylar grabs Sunny's hand, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Hoan Hoan! Look—I finally got a phone!"
Sunny gasps. "Whoa! Fancy! Who gave it to you? Don't tell me it's Ice!"
"No!" Skylar shakes her head furiously. "It's from Nathan Dang! You know, the bodyguard guy from last time!"
"Ohhh, him!" Sunny leans in, grinning. "Then let's add each other! I've got my phone right here!"
She whips it out, opens her QR code, and waves it proudly in front of Skylar's face. Skylar fumbles with the phone, scrolling everywhere but can't find where to scan.
Sunny sighs dramatically. "Move over, rookie." Then she shows her step by step—how to make an account, where to scan, how to find contacts, everything.
When they're finally done, Sunny asks, "Got it now?"
"Yup!" Skylar replies confidently.
Sunny beams, eyes twinkling like morning dew. She raises her phone and says playfully, "Then… would the lady like to add me as a friend?"
Skylar bursts out laughing. "Hahaha! Alright, your wish is my command." She scans the code successfully and cheers. "Ha! See? I'm a pro!"
Sunny rubs her head affectionately. "Good girl, good girl. You're the best."
At that moment, Leo and Julian return, setting the drinks on Sunny's desk. Julian eyes them curiously. "What's all the excitement about?"
"Add me!" Skylar says, shoving her phone right in his face, grinning from ear to ear.
Julian raises an eyebrow but doesn't argue. "That's it? Fine." He pulls out a sleek black phone from his pocket—obviously expensive.
"Ting! You are now friends with 'Skylar Trinh.'"
For a second, everyone freezes. Then chaos erupts.
"Whoa! That's so cool! Let me see!"
"Hands off," Julian says flatly, voice low and calm enough to shut them all up.
Leo immediately butts in, pushing Julian aside. "Hey, let me add you too!" Skylar happily agrees.
"I haven't added you either, Ice!" Sunny says.
Julian nods slightly and hands her his phone. She scans it, and within seconds, everyone's officially connected.
Then Leo suddenly yells, "What the heck! Your username's so simple!"
Skylar shrugs. "Yeah, keeping it simple. Now—let's make our group chat!"
Reng reng reng...
"Back to class! I'll make the group chat tonight," Sunny says. Skylar flashes an okay sign, while the two boys just nod and head back to their seats.
Mr. Loin opens the door and walks in. His face carries a mix of gentleness and strictness. He plants both hands on the desk and says loudly, "Everyone, back to your seats! Quiet!"
The class immediately returns to order. Once everything settles down, he continues, "Take out your books. Today we're studying..."
Teacher teaches, students listen. He assigns exercises, they work. He asks questions, they answer. Sunlight filters through the leaves outside, spilling across the desks and notebooks.
Class goes on like that— until the bell rings again at the end of the period.
A student from the next class knocks on the door of 10A1. Peeking inside, he asks, "Excuse me, is there a student named Skylar Trinh and Julian Jiang here?"
The chatter dies instantly. Skylar looks up at him, calm and steady. "Yes," she answers.
Julian steps forward. His gaze sharpens. "Who are you?" he asks coldly.
"I— I'm Kiel Sam," the boy stammers, clearly nervous under Julian's intimidating stare. "Ms. Helena asked for you two to come to the office. She said she wants to speak with you privately."
Skylar's eyes light up. Finally. The moment has come.
She grins. "Got it! We'll head there right now. Thanks for the message."
"You better hurry! She looked really angry!" Kiel warns.
Then he turns to leave, still wondering, Why do they look so happy about getting called to the office...?
Sunny pokes Skylar's arm, whispering, "Hey... you didn't do something again, did you?"
Skylar puts on her best innocent face, dodging Sunny's stare. "Who knows..."
Julian snorts, slipping both hands into his pockets. His face shows three parts helplessness, seven parts satisfaction. He looks Skylar straight in the eye and smirks. "Ha! Happy now? You've pissed her off. Let's go."
Then Skylar drops the line that makes everyone freeze. She looks at him with sparkling eyes, voice soft and trembling. "Suddenly... I feel kinda scared."
Julian gives her a look that screams are you serious right now? He steps closer, grabs the back of her collar, and tugs her forward. His tone turns teasing. "Really? You're the one who came up with this whole plan, and now you're scared?"
Skylar flails dramatically, arms waving. "B–But—!"
"No buts."
He keeps pulling her along as she struggles to break free. "Alright! I'm going! Let go already!!!"
Her voice echoes down the hallway, loud enough to make heads turn.
Back in the classroom, Sunny blinks. "Wow. That voice could wake the dead. But honestly, I bet this whole thing was Little Angel's idea. The Ice Prince just went along with it."
Leo nods. "Totally! But seriously, that's cruel— they didn't even invite us to 'play' with them!"
Snap! Sunny stands up and snaps her fingers in frustration. "Exactly! How evil!"
The golden noon sunlight pours through the windows, painting the hallway in a warm glow. Laughter and chatter ripple through the building.
Sunny and Leo stay seated, resting their chins on their hands as they look outside. Sunny sighs. "Who knows, maybe Ms. Helena will praise them tomorrow... for 'teamwork.'"
Leo chuckles. "Yeah, teamwork as in 'teaming up to drive her insane,' right?"
Both of them burst out laughing. Somewhere down the hallway, Skylar's voice still rings loud and clear—
"LET ME GOOO!"
Sunny sighs, shaking her head. "Seriously, that voice... sounds like a fire alarm."