Chapter 17: THE LITTLE DEVIL

Morning sunlight started sneaking in through the gaps in Iris’s curtains, pulling her out of a restless sleep. Iris opened her eyes slowly, feeling her body still tired even though she’d slept through the night. Her mind was still filled with everything that had happened last night—the voices outside, her mom begging, the angry debt collector, and Mr. Kai showing up to help.

Was that real? Iris thought as she sat up on the mattress. Was I dreaming? Or did all of that really happen?

She glanced at the clock on the wall—it was still early, earlier than she usually woke up. But she felt like she couldn’t sleep anymore, like something was pushing her to get up, like there was something she needed to do.

She got out of bed, her steps slow and heavy, and walked to the bathroom. She just brushed her teeth and washed her face—no time for a shower, no energy to do more than that. Cold water splashed across her face, making her feel a little fresher, a little more awake. She stared at the mirror—her face still looked tired, dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was a mess from not being brushed properly. She wanted to fix her hair, but she couldn’t find her mom. She searched every room in the apartment—her mom’s room was empty, the kitchen was empty, the living room was empty. No sign of her mom anywhere.

Where did Mom go? Iris thought, and a sense of anxiety started creeping into her chest. Is she okay? Is she—

Just as Iris was about to step outside to check, she suddenly heard a greeting from outside.

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning too, Mrs. Diana."

Iris, hearing Kai’s voice, instinctively glanced at the clock. It’s still too early for school, she thought. What is Mr. Kai doing here?

But then she remembered—Mr. Kai lives in the same apartment. He’s their neighbor. And he’d just greeted her mom.

For some reason, when Iris heard her mom’s conversation with Kai, she felt safe. Like there was someone who would protect this family, like there was someone who cared about them, like there was someone who would look after her mom.

Iris, who was busy eavesdropping, was suddenly startled by the loud sound of an alarm coming from somewhere. The sound broke the morning silence, making Iris jump and almost lose her balance.

"Whoops, sorry, Mrs. Diana. I have to go right away. Sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning."

Iris heard hurried footsteps, and she could picture Kai rushing off with a panicked expression. What is that teacher even thinking, bringing an alarm clock with him? Iris thought, a small smile starting to form on her face. He’s really strange. But... strange in a good way.

She thought this morning would be an interesting one. That there was something different, something new, something that made her want to smile.

After the conversation between her mom and Kai ended, Iris hurried to the dining table. She lifted the food cover, and inside, there was a pretty decent meal waiting—at least by Iris’s standards. Something she hadn’t seen in a long time, something that made her eyes go wide with surprise and delight.

There were two still-warm slices of bread, two fried eggs with slightly runny yolks, and two perfectly cooked strips of bacon, all accompanied by ketchup on the side of the plate. Iris stared at the food with sparkling eyes, and her stomach immediately growled with hunger.

This... this is for me? Iris thought. But this is too much. Is this portion for me, or for me and Mom?

She wanted to eat it, but she held herself back. She waited for her mom to come in, wanting to ask if this was really for her or if they’d eat together.

"Iris, hurry up and finish your breakfast. You don’t want to be late for school again, right?"

Iris turned and saw her mom walk in, her face still looking tired, but this time there was a smile on her lips—a smile she hadn’t seen in a long time.

"Mom, I want to ask, have you eaten?" Iris asked softly, not wanting to offend her mom.

"Ha, don’t worry about that. What matters is that you eat until you’re full." Her mom walked over to Iris and gently stroked her head, a warm and loving gesture.

"But Mom, there’s plenty of food here. Why don’t we just eat together?"

Hearing her daughter’s words, Iris’s mom knew that her daughter actually felt a little awkward about their life like this, especially looking back—they usually only ate plain bread and instant cup noodles, never anything like this.

"Don’t you worry," her mom answered, handing Iris her favorite sweet soy sauce. "Last night I got some extra money. So the money I’ve been saving all this time, we can use it for daily needs."

Hearing that answer, Iris knew exactly who had helped. She remembered Kai’s figure paying off her mom’s debt, helping them without asking for anything in return. Mr. Kai, she thought, and gratitude started filling her heart.

Finally, Iris decided to finish the meal. She ate elegantly, without rushing, like a girl who was used to good things even though her life wasn’t always good. She savored every bite, tasting flavors she hadn’t experienced in a long time, and it made her mom feel a little relieved seeing her daughter eat so heartily.

After breakfast, Iris quickly changed into her school uniform and headed out.

"I’m going to school now, Mom."

"Be careful on the way, Iris."

Iris stepped out of the apartment, and as she walked down the hallway, she saw Kai’s apartment door was already closed. Mr. Kai has already left, she thought. He must be at school by now.

She walked leisurely along the sidewalk, enjoying the fresh morning air. Her mind was still filled with everything that had happened last night and this morning, but this time, her feelings were different—calmer, safer, more hopeful.

Finally, Iris arrived at the gates of Phoenix Academy. She saw Kai standing by the gate, greeting the students as they arrived, with Leina beside him also smiling warmly.

So Mr. Kai is on duty today, Iris thought with a smile on her face. No wonder he looked in such a hurry this morning. He had to come early for duty.

Iris walked casually, her eyes fixed on Kai as he greeted a few other students. Her head was filled with all sorts of crazy ideas to tease her new teacher, to see his reactions, to mess around with the man who turned out to be her own neighbor.

"Good morning, Mr. Kai," Iris greeted in a sweet voice that she purposely made softer than usual.

"Good morning too, Iris," Kai replied with a smile—a smile that still felt stiff but more natural than before.

Iris, unable to resist the urge to tease Kai, leaned close to his ear and whispered, but loud enough for people nearby to hear.

"You were amazing that night," Iris whispered, and she could feel Kai’s body tense up slightly.

"What do you mean by that night?" Kai asked, his voice curious and a little uncomfortable.

Seeing Kai’s confused face, Iris wore a satisfied expression. He doesn’t know I saw everything. He doesn’t know I’m his neighbor. He doesn’t know I know about his mom.

She wanted to tease him again, wanted to add something that would confuse him even more, but suddenly she heard a girl’s voice she recognized—sharp and annoyed.

"Mr. Kai, what are you doing to your own student?"

Iris turned around and saw her classmate, Luna, looking a little upset. Luna’s face was red, her eyes glaring at Kai sharply, and there was something in her eyes that looked like jealousy.

Seeing that, Iris quickly hurried away, leaving Luna and Kai alone in an awkward situation. She walked fast toward the classroom, a smile still lingering on her face.

This is going to be an interesting day, Iris thought, and she couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

Inside Class IX-9, Iris sat at her desk in the third row from the middle, her eyes still sparkling with a smile she couldn’t hide. Her classmates started trickling in one by one, and a few of them looked at Iris with curiosity.

"Mira, did you see that earlier?" Iris whispered to Mira, who sat in front of her. "Mr. Kai is on duty today. He looked so stiff at the gate."

Mira turned around with a wide smile.

"Yeah, I saw. He’s still not used to being a teacher, huh? But I like him. He’s different from the other teachers."

"Yeah," Iris answered, and her eyes drifted back into a daydream. "He’s different."

When Kai walked into the classroom and started teaching literature, Iris tried to pay attention seriously. She wanted to see how her teacher taught, how he talked, how he moved. But her mind kept drifting back to last night—to the voices in the hallway, to her mom begging, to the angry debt collector, and to Kai showing up to help.

He’s really strange, Iris thought, but he’s kind. He helped Mom without asking for anything in return. He paid off Mom’s debt with his own money. He doesn’t know I’m her daughter. He doesn’t know I’m his student. He just... helped.

And when Kai started explaining about metaphors—about how words could have deeper meanings than what appeared on the surface—Iris felt something strange in her chest. Something like gratitude, but also embarrassment. I pretended to be sick, she thought, and he panicked. He carried me to the infirmary. He was worried about me.

She stared at Kai as he wrote on the blackboard, his broad and sturdy back, his hands moving with certainty. He doesn’t know I’m her daughter. He doesn’t know I’m his neighbor. He doesn’t know I saw everything last night.

And when it came time to pretend to be sick, Iris did it perfectly. She hung her head, clutched her stomach, and let out a soft whimper.

"Ouch... Mr. Kai..."

She watched Kai run toward her in a panic, saw his eyes widen with worry, heard his trembling voice. "Iris, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt?"

And when Kai carried her princess-style, Iris felt something strange in her chest—something like embarrassment, but also happiness. Her face flushed, and she could feel heat spreading throughout her whole body. This isn’t how I planned it, she thought. I just wanted a little attention. I didn’t expect him to carry me like this.

But deep inside, there was another feeling—a feeling that made her want Kai to keep carrying her, to keep caring about her, to keep being someone she could trust.

Maybe, Iris thought, maybe I don’t need to play games with him. Maybe I just need to... be honest.

Kai ran down the corridor with Iris still in his arms. Iris could feel Kai’s heart beating fast—not from exhaustion, but from panic. He’s really worried, Iris thought, and guilt started creeping into her chest. I just wanted a little attention. I didn’t expect him to panic this much.

But on the other hand, there was a warm feeling spreading through her chest—a feeling that made her want to be carried like this forever, a feeling that made her want Kai to keep caring about her, a feeling that made her feel safe in the arms of a man who turned out to be her own neighbor. He doesn’t know I’m her daughter. He doesn’t know I’m his neighbor. He doesn’t know I saw everything last night.

"Sir, I—" Iris whispered in a voice barely audible, her cheeks still red, her eyes looking down in embarrassment.

"Don’t talk, Iris!" Kai cut in with a panicked voice, his eyes still focused ahead, searching for the way to the infirmary. "Save your energy! We’re almost there! Don’t waste your energy talking!"

"But, Sir—"

"We’re almost at the infirmary! Reina will take care of you! She’s the best! She can save anyone! Trust me!"

Iris gave up. She closed her eyes, letting herself be carried by her strange new teacher, and prayed that no one would see her in this incredibly embarrassing situation. Her face was still red, and she could feel heat spreading through her entire body, from the tips of her hair to the tips of her toes. This isn’t how I planned it, Iris thought. I just wanted a little attention. I just wanted him to notice me. I didn’t expect him to carry me like this. I didn’t expect him to panic like this.

Finally, Kai reached the infirmary door, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly, sweat covering his entire face. He didn’t waste time knocking—he threw the door open so hard it banged against the wall with a loud crash that echoed through the room, making some bottles on the shelves rattle.

Inside the room, Reina was sitting behind the desk, reading a notebook with a serious expression, her eyes focused on pages filled with handwriting. The sound of the door slamming open startled her—so much so that she let out a strange noise, half-startled and half-annoyed, half-angry and half-amused. Her book almost fell from her hands, and she stared at Kai with wide eyes.

"KAI!" Reina shouted, her voice still sounding a little surprised, her hand clutching her chest like she was calming her pounding heart. "What the hell—why do you always come in like this?! Can’t you just knock?!"

"Reina! Iris has a stomach ache!" Kai cut in with a panicked voice, his eyes wide and sweat streaming down his forehead, dripping onto his cheeks. He was still carrying Iris, and he showed no signs of putting her down, like he was afraid that if he put her down, she’d disappear. "She said her stomach hurts! Like something’s stabbing her! I don’t know what to do—is this serious? Is she—"

Reina let out a long sigh, staring at Kai with an expression somewhere between annoyed and pitying, like a mother looking at her child who was too innocent for this world. She stood up from her chair, walked toward Kai with calm steps, and looked at Iris who was still being carried with a red face and closed eyes. Reina didn’t need to be a school principal to know that Iris wasn’t sick—she’d seen plenty of people fake illness on the battlefield, seen plenty of soldiers pretend to be injured to avoid combat, and this was one of the clearest, least convincing examples she’d ever seen.

"Lay her down on the bed," Reina said in a firm voice, pointing to one of the folding beds in the corner of the room. "Gently, don’t let her fall."

Quickly, Kai laid Iris down on the bed very gently—so gently that Iris barely felt the impact, like he was handling the most precious fragile item. He stared at Iris with worry, then looked at Reina with hope, his eyes full of questions he couldn’t voice.

"Alright," Reina said in a voice that was starting to calm down, picking up examination tools—a stethoscope and thermometer—from the table with efficient, practiced movements. "Now, you go back to class."

"But, Reina—" Kai tried to protest, stepping forward like he wanted to approach Iris again.

"Back to class, Kai."

Kai stared at Reina with an expression that showed he didn’t want to leave, that he wanted to stay here, that he wanted to make sure Iris was okay. His hand reached for Reina’s, trying to plead with his worried gaze. "But, Iris—she looked so sick—I can’t just leave her—"

Reina pushed Kai’s face—which was too close to hers—away with her hand, pushing him back gently but firmly, her warm palm touching Kai’s cheek. "She’s here with me, Kai. I can handle her. Don’t you trust me?"

Kai fell silent. His eyes stared at Reina, and for a moment, Iris saw something strange between them—something she couldn’t explain, something like a long-established connection, something that made her feel like she was intruding on a moment that should have been private.

"But... I’m worried," Kai said softly, still staring at Iris lying on the bed with a red face, her eyes shut tight like she was sleeping. "I don’t want—I don’t want to lose anyone else—"

"You don’t need to worry, Mr. Kai," Reina said, this time in a gentler tone, a voice that calmed Kai down a little, the same voice she used on the battlefield to calm panicking soldiers. "I’ll take care of her. She’ll be fine. Now, go back to class and continue your lesson. Later, after the break bell rings, come straight to my office. There’s something I want to talk to you about."

Kai nodded, not daring to argue. He glanced at Iris one more time—the girl was still lying there with her eyes closed—then turned and walked out of the infirmary with slow steps, closing the door gently behind him.

Inside the room, Reina let out a long sigh and stared at Iris with a disbelieving look, her eyes narrowing with an expression that showed she already knew everything.

"You know, Iris, if you want attention, there are better ways than pretending to be sick. Ways that don’t make you look stupid in front of your friends."

Iris opened her eyes, her face still red, her cheeks still warm.

"I-I wasn’t—"

"Enough," Reina cut in, her voice showing that she already knew everything, that she wasn’t fooled for a second. She sat down on the chair beside the bed, picked up the stethoscope, and pressed it against Iris’s chest. "Pretending to be sick won’t get you what you want, Iris. If you want attention, talk to the person you want it from. Don’t play games like this."

Iris fell silent. She felt like a little kid caught stealing candy. "I... I’m sorry, Ms. Reina."

"You don’t need to apologize to me." Reina removed the stethoscope and looked at Iris with a softer gaze. "But think about it, Iris. What do you really want? Attention? Recognition? Or do you just want to see other people’s reactions?"

Iris looked down, unable to answer. What do I want? she thought. What do I really want from Mr. Kai?

"I... I just want to know," Iris whispered softly. "I want to know if he’s really like what I saw. If he’s really a good person."

Reina smiled a small smile—a smile that made Iris feel calmer. "He is a good person, Iris. Maybe too good for his own world. But he’s also a complicated person. He has a past that wasn’t easy."

"I know," Iris said softly. "I... I saw him last night."

Reina blinked. "What do you mean?"

Iris bit her lip. She didn’t want to say too much—didn’t want to betray her mom, didn’t want to betray Kai. But she also wanted someone to understand. "I saw him helping my mom. I saw him paying off my mom’s debt. I saw him... being a hero without being asked."

Reina fell silent. Her eyes stared at Iris with an unreadable expression—a mix of curiosity, admiration, and something else. "Kai helped you?"

"Yes," Iris whispered. "He doesn’t know I’m her daughter. He doesn’t know I’m his neighbor. He just... helped."

Reina let out a long breath. "That’s how he is, Iris. He’s always been like that. He helps people without asking for anything in return. He sacrifices without expecting anything. That’s what makes him... special."

Iris stared at Reina, and she saw something in the woman’s eyes—something like the same feeling she herself had for Kai. She likes him too, Iris thought. She feels the same way.

"Ms. Reina," Iris said softly, "do you... like Mr. Kai?"

Reina fell silent. Her eyes widened a little, and for a moment, Iris saw vulnerability she’d never seen before. But then Reina smiled—a gentle, meaningful smile.

"That’s none of your business, Iris," Reina said softly. "But... yes. I like him. Have for a long time."

Iris didn’t know what to say. She just stared at Reina, feeling something strange in her chest—something like rivalry, but also understanding. We both like the same person, Iris thought. But she’s older, wiser, closer to him. I don’t stand a chance.

"I won’t take him from you," Iris said softly. "I just... I just want him to know I’m grateful to him. That’s all."

Reina smiled. "I know, Iris. I know."