Chapter 52: MEET IN CLASS IX

Kai and Lydia walked along the corridor toward Class IX-9. The atmosphere around them started getting busy with students changing classes, some of them pausing for a moment to stare at Lydia with curiosity. Her black Gothic Lolita-style dress looked very contrasting with the simple school uniforms, making her the center of attention wherever she stepped. Some students whispered among themselves, pointing at Lydia with wide eyes. A female student with short hair almost bumped into her friend because she was too focused on staring at Lydia.

Tok... tok... tok... Their footsteps echoed on the ceramic floor.

"So, where are we going next, Mr. Kai?" Lydia asked in a smooth voice, her sharp eyes looking at Kai from beneath her round hat. "Is there any other place I need to know about?"

Kai glanced briefly, then looked forward again. "We’re going to Class IX-9. That’s the class I teach. There you’ll also meet the students who will be our shared responsibility."

Lydia didn’t answer, just followed Kai with graceful steps. Throughout the journey, she observed every corner of the corridor carefully—the bulletin boards on the walls, the ornamental plants in the corners, even the small graffiti on the walls that others might not notice. Her sharp eyes moved quickly, as if recording every detail she saw.

Upon arriving in front of Class IX-9’s door, Kai stopped and turned to Lydia. "Ms. Lydia, I’d like you to wait outside for a moment. I’ll introduce you to my students. They’ll be shocked if a new teacher suddenly appears without warning, and I don’t want them to panic or get too excited before I have a chance to explain."

Lydia smiled, a smile that was unreadable—too perfect, too calm for someone who was in this environment for the first time. "Of course, Mr. Kai. I’ll wait here. I won’t go anywhere."

Kai nodded, then opened the classroom door and entered. CREAK! The door opened with a creaking sound that had become characteristic of that old classroom.

As soon as Kai entered, all the students immediately turned toward him. Ella, sitting in the front row, immediately stood up from her seat, her voice firm as usual. "Stand! Greet the teacher!"

CREAK! CREAK! CREAK! The sound of chairs being pushed back was heard in unison. All the students stood up with neat and coordinated movements—a habit that had formed since Ella became class president. Even Fay, who usually daydreamed, also stood up, although her eyes were still staring blankly at the wall.

"Good morning, Sir!" they exclaimed in unison, their voices echoing in the not-too-large room. Mira’s voice was the loudest, while Luna’s voice was almost inaudible.

Kai smiled, raising his hand slightly. "Good morning, everyone. Please sit down."

CREAK! CREAK! CREAK! They sat back down with equally neat movements. Some of them were still looking at Kai with curiosity, because they could tell that something was different about their teacher today—something behind his eyes, something that made them wonder.

Kai walked to the front of the class and placed his things on the teacher’s desk. He looked at his students with a smile he couldn’t hide. "Today we’re going to—"

"Mr. Kai!" Iris cut in from the back row, her hand already raised high. The mysterious smile on her face made Kai feel uncomfortable. "Where have you been? You’re already two hours late from teaching time! We were starting to get worried, you know."

Kai blinked, slightly surprised by Iris’s question. "I—"

"Yes, Sir!" Mira continued from the second row, her eyes sparkling with curiosity she couldn’t contain. "Mira has been impatient to study since earlier! Where have you been? Mira even thought you were sick or something!"

"I—" Kai tried again.

Rin, sitting beside Mira, added in a sharp voice, "You’re never late, Sir. What’s wrong? Is there a problem? Don’t tell me you ran into trouble on the way?"

"No, there’s no problem," Kai said quickly. "I was just—"

"We were worried, Sir," Aria cut in from the front row, her voice soft and slightly trembling. "I-I... we didn’t know where you were. So we..."

"Worried," Nora continued in a flat voice, but her eyes showed she was also worried.

"I—" Kai sighed.

Ella, who usually defended Kai, was silent this time. She looked down, her eyes staring at the notebook in front of her without moving. No words came out of her mouth. Her usually firm, ready-to-write fingers were now still on the desk, like she was holding something back.

Luna, sitting in the corner, was just staring out the window as usual. But her eyes weren’t really focused on the view outside—she was listening. Nora sat with her back straight, her pale blue eyes looking at Kai with a flat expression. Aria was biting her nails restlessly, her eyes darting back and forth. Eve had already opened her laptop, her fingers dancing across the keyboard at high speed. And Fay—Fay sat in the corner with a doll on her lap, her eyes staring blankly at the wall. Her small hands hugged the doll tightly, as usual.

Kai sighed. Haaah... He looked at his students, who were all staring at him with curiosity. "Alright, I’ll explain. But first—"

"Mr. Kai!" Iris cut in again, the mysterious smile on her face widening. "You haven’t answered my question! Where have you been? Don’t tell me you met someone interesting?"

"Iris, quiet down," Kai said, his voice starting to firm. "I’m trying to explain."

But Iris didn’t give up. "You brought someone, didn’t you? I heard footsteps outside. High heels, I think. A woman, right?"

Mira immediately turned toward the door. "Eh, there’s really someone outside? Who, Sir? Is she pretty?"

"I—" Kai tried again, but Rin had already cut in.

"Don’t tell me you brought a girlfriend?" Rin asked in a half-joking, half-serious tone. "If so, you should introduce her!"

"I don’t—" Kai felt his head starting to spin.

"A girlfriend?" Mira exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Mr. Kai has a girlfriend?! Who?! Mira wants to see!"

"Quiet, Mira!" Kai finally managed to raise his voice.

All the students immediately fell silent. They looked at Kai with wide eyes—they rarely saw Kai angry.

Kai realized he couldn’t avoid it any longer. He took a deep breath, then looked at his students seriously. "Alright, I’m going to introduce someone to you. But you have to stay calm and not make a ruckus. This is a new teacher who will be my assistant."

"A new teacher?" Rin blinked, her curiosity growing. "Who, Sir?"

"Just bring her in, Sir!" Rin exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "We’re curious!"

Haaah... Kai sighed again, then turned to the door. "Ms. Lydia, please come in."

All eyes were on the door. CREAK! The door opened slowly, and Lydia stepped in gracefully. Her long black dress fluttered softly, and her round hat added a mysterious touch to her appearance. A faint smile adorned her face, and her sharp eyes moved quickly observing every corner of the room. Under the classroom lights, her black dress sparkled, and the silver accessories on her neck and hands reflected the light.

HAAAH! All the students were surprised. Some of them opened their mouths, others just stayed silent with wide eyes. Mira even dropped her pen—CLACK!—because she was too surprised. Rin, who was usually stubborn, was now silent, her eyes not blinking. Even Luna, who usually stared out the window, now looked forward.

"Good morning, everyone," Lydia greeted in a smooth voice. "My name is Lydia Obsidian. I will be an assistant teacher in this class. I will also be Mr. Kai’s new assistant. Please guide me."

Whispers started to be heard among the students.

"Cool..." Mira whispered softly, her eyes sparkling.

"Beautiful..." Rin added, her eyes not blinking.

"Elegant," Katrin said softly.

"Like a noble..." Maya added.

"Why is she dressed like that?" Aria asked in a trembling voice, her eyes darting restlessly.

"I like her style," Iris said with a mysterious smile.

Kai stepped forward. "Ms. Lydia will help me in teaching. She will also be part of this class. So, I hope you can accept her well."

Lydia stepped forward one step, her smile still on her face. "I understand you must have many questions. Please ask anything you want to know about me. There are no wrong questions."

Iris immediately raised her hand quickly, even before Kai had a chance to give permission. "Ms. Lydia, may I ask?"

Lydia smiled. "Of course."

Iris stood up from her seat, her eyes sparkling with the mischievousness that had become her trademark. "Are you Mr. Kai’s mistress?"

HAAAH! All the students were shocked. Some of them covered their mouths with their hands, others stared at Iris with disbelieving expressions. Mira even choked on her own saliva. GULP!

"Iris!" Ella finally spoke up, her voice firm and sharp. "You can’t ask that! That’s rude!"

But Iris didn’t care. "I already got permission from Ms. Lydia to ask anything, Ella. She said there are no wrong questions."

Mira, sitting beside Rin, also stood up, her face a little red. "Mira also wants to ask! Ms. Lydia, have you always been with Mr. Kai? Mira also wants to be with Mr. Kai! Mira wants to be his assistant too!"

"You guys..." Ella sighed long, frustrated.

Sera raised her hand firmly, not wanting to be left out. "Ms. Lydia, do you have previous teaching experience? Or is this your first time?"

Rina, sitting beside Sera, also added in a calm but firm voice, "And what are your qualifications as a teacher? Where did you graduate from?"

"I also want to ask!" Katrin called from the back, her eyes sparkling. "Do you like naughty students? Because we’re all naughty!"

"Me too!" Maya added softly, but clearly audible. "Are you... are you kind? Do you want to be friends with us?"

"Ms. Lydia, have you ever met Mr. Kai before?" Aria asked in a trembling voice, her fingers biting her nails restlessly.

"Me too!" Irene exclaimed, hopping in place, unable to contain her energy. "Do you like sports? Do you like volleyball? Do you want to play volleyball with us?"

Liliana, sitting calmly, finally spoke up, her voice soft but clear. "Ms. Lydia, what made you interested in becoming a teacher here? Is there a special reason?"

Kai, hearing all those strange questions, started feeling his head spin. Haaah... He massaged his temples with his fingers. "You guys... I can’t believe you’re all asking like this."

But Lydia just laughed softly while covering her mouth with her fingertips. "Hahaha... interesting students. Truly, I’ve never met students like you before."

She stepped forward one more step, her eyes looking at all the students one by one with a warm gaze. "Alright, I’ll answer all your questions with pleasure."

She started answering one by one in a calm and clear voice. "First, I’m not anyone’s mistress. I’m here to work, not for other things. Second, I’m not always with Mr. Kai. I just met him for the first time today. Third, I have teaching experience at several previous schools. Fourth, I graduated from a well-known university with a degree in education. Fifth, I like naughty students—because they’re usually the smartest and most honest. Sixth, I am a kind person—at least I try to be kind. Seventh, I just met Mr. Kai for the first time. And eighth, I like sports, especially those that require concentration like archery and fencing."

Silence. The classroom atmosphere became quiet. All the students seemed impressed by Lydia’s straightforward, clear, and confident answers. Even Mira, who was usually chatty, was now silent, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"Any other questions?" Lydia asked, her smile still on her face.

Iris raised her hand again. Kai, seeing that, immediately wanted to reprimand her, but Lydia stopped him with a subtle hand gesture.

"Go ahead," Lydia said.

But Iris didn’t ask. "I... I’m sorry, Ms. Lydia. I shouldn’t have asked like that earlier. I was just curious, but I didn’t mean to insult you."

Mira also looked down, her face flushed. "Mira also apologizes, Ma’am. Mira didn’t mean anything bad. Mira just... Mira just likes Mr. Kai, so Mira was jealous."

Rin sighed. "I also apologize. I was just following along."

"Me too," Sera said.

"Me too," Rina added.

One by one, the other students also apologized. Ella sighed in relief, her eyes looking at Lydia with respect. Even Luna, who was usually silent, nodded slightly as a sign of apology.

Lydia smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling. "You don’t need to apologize. I’m actually happy that you were willing to ask. That means you care and want to get to know me better. If there’s anything else you want to ask, don’t hesitate. I’m here to help you."

All the students smiled, the atmosphere in the classroom starting to thaw. Mira was even already planning to invite Lydia to the cafeteria later.

But Lydia noticed that one student didn’t react at all. A girl with pale blonde hair sat in the corner of the room, hugging a doll on her lap. Her eyes were empty, staring at the wall as if nothing was happening around her. She didn’t look at Lydia, didn’t look at her friends, didn’t look at anyone. Only the doll she held tightly—a pink doll with tattered clothes, as if it was very old and often hugged.

Lydia walked toward that girl. Tok... tok... tok... Her footsteps were soft, almost inaudible amid the crowd. She stopped right in front of Fay’s desk, bending down slightly so she could look at the girl’s face.

"Hello," Lydia greeted in a gentle voice, as softly as possible so as not to startle her. "What’s your name?"

Fay didn’t answer. Her eyes remained staring blankly at the wall. Her small hands held the doll tightly, as if the doll was the only thing she trusted in this world. Her white fingers gripped the doll’s fabric tightly, almost turning white.

"Hello," Lydia tried again, her voice growing softer. "I’m Lydia. Nice to meet you. May I know your name?"

Fay still didn’t answer. No reaction at all. No blink, no head movement, no change in expression.

Lydia tried for the third time, "May I sit beside you?"

Fay remained silent. As if Lydia wasn’t there in front of her.

Kai, seeing that, immediately called out to Fay. "Fay."

Hearing Kai’s voice, Fay lifted her head slowly. Her movements were slow, like waking up from a long sleep. Her empty eyes moved toward Kai, then back to the doll on her lap. No words came out of her mouth, only an empty gaze that was hard to read.

Kai approached and stood beside Lydia. "Fay, this is Ms. Lydia. She’s a new teacher here. Try to greet her."

Fay was still silent. Her eyes stared at Lydia without blinking, but there was no expression on her face. She was like a living statue—there, but not fully present.

Lydia smiled, unfazed. "It’s okay. We can get to know each other slowly. No need to rush."

Fay looked down again at her doll, completely ignoring Lydia.

Kai sighed. "Sorry, Ms. Lydia. Fay is like that. She needs time to get to know new people. She also rarely speaks with people she just met."

Lydia nodded. "It’s okay. I understand."

She walked back to the front of the class, and Kai continued the lesson as usual. That day, Kai taught about literature—about poetry and metaphors. He explained patiently, giving easy-to-understand examples. "So, a metaphor is like when we say ’my heart is broken’ when we’re sad. The heart isn’t really broken, but those words describe our feelings more strongly."

Lydia sat at the back, observing carefully. Her eyes moved quickly, noting every detail—the way Kai taught, the way the students responded, the way they interacted with each other. She noticed how Mira and Iris threw paper balls at each other, how Rin tapped the desk with her fingers, how Ella took notes neatly, and how Fay remained silent with her doll.

Whoosh! A paper ball flew from Mira’s hand toward Iris. Thud! The ball hit Iris’s head.

"Iris, please—" Mira smiled mischievously.

Iris retaliated with another paper ball. Whoosh! The ball landed precisely on Mira’s desk.

Kai, seeing that, just shook his head. "Mira, Iris, focus."

"Sorry, Sir!" they exclaimed in unison, although their smiles didn’t disappear.

Lydia smiled slightly seeing that interaction. There was warmth among these students, something she couldn’t explain.

DING! DING! DING! The break bell rang.

Iris immediately stood up and walked toward Lydia with quick steps. "Ms. Lydia, I want to apologize again. I really didn’t mean to insult you earlier. I just... I often act without thinking. Would you like to join me to the cafeteria? My treat."

Lydia blinked, slightly surprised. "The cafeteria?"

"Yes!" Mira continued from behind, already standing beside Iris with an enthusiastic face. "Mira also wants to come! We all want to treat Ms. Lydia! As an apology!"

"Me too," Rin said, walking closer with firm steps. "I’m coming."

"All of us," Ella added, smiling. "We want to get to know you better."

Lydia smiled, unable to refuse their offer. "Alright, I’ll come."

They all walked out of the classroom with enthusiasm. Tap... tap... tap... Their footsteps echoed in the corridor. The sounds of laughter and conversation started to be heard among them.

"Ms. Lydia, do you like spicy food?" Mira asked.

"It depends," Lydia answered. "If it’s too spicy, I can’t handle it."

"Then you should try the spicy noodles at the cafeteria!" Mira exclaimed. "They’re delicious!"

"Mira, don’t force Ms. Lydia," Ella said. "She might get burned."

"But they’re delicious, Ella!" Mira replied.

In the classroom, only Kai and Fay remained. Kai sat at the teacher’s desk, letting out a long sigh. Haaah... He started writing the daily report in his notebook. Scratch... scratch... The sound of the pen on paper. The atmosphere in the classroom felt quiet without the other students. Only the sound of wind from the open window—whoosh...—and occasionally birds from outside.

Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps approaching. Tap... tap... tap...

Kai lifted his head and saw Fay standing in front of him. The blonde girl hugged her doll tightly, her eyes looking at Kai with an empty expression. Under the afternoon sunlight coming through the window, her blonde hair looked golden, and her pale blue eyes looked like glass.

"Fay?" Kai greeted softly, putting down his pen. "What’s wrong?"

Fay didn’t answer. She just stood silently, staring at Kai with her empty eyes. Then, slowly, she approached Kai’s ear. So close that Kai could feel her warm breath on his ear.

Haaah...

A small voice came out of Fay’s mouth, almost inaudible.

"That woman... is dangerous."

Kai froze. His eyes widened. "What?"

But Fay had already stepped back, returning to her original position. She stared at Kai with the same expression—empty, unreadable. Then she turned and walked back to her desk, sitting quietly while hugging her doll.

Kai was still silent, digesting Fay’s words. His heart beat faster. "That woman is dangerous."

Haaah... Kai let out a long sigh, trying to calm himself. His eyes looked toward the door, where Lydia and the other students had gone.

"What do you mean, Fay?" Kai whispered softly, his voice almost inaudible.

But Fay didn’t answer. She just sat silently, hugging her doll tightly, as if nothing had happened. Her empty eyes stared at the wall, and a small smile appeared on her lips—a smile that couldn’t be read, a smile that made Kai even more curious.