Chapter 57: THE BLACK CAT’S PLAN

That morning was still very dark when Kai opened his eyes. The sky outside his apartment window was still black—no stars, no moon, just thick darkness. Even the sun hadn’t shown any sign of rising. The air inside the apartment felt cold, much colder than usual. Haaah... Kai let out a soft sigh, his breath forming a small cloud in the air.

He sat on his old sofa, feeling the springs poking into his back. Creeeak... The sofa creaked softly. Kai rubbed his face with both hands, trying to chase away the remaining drowsiness. He’d only slept about three hours—not because he stayed up late, but because he was too excited. Hff... He sighed again, then stood up.

Tap... tap... tap... His footsteps were soft on the cold wooden floor. He walked toward the small bathroom at the end of the room. Cold water flowed from the old rusted faucet, and Kai washed his face several times until the drowsiness completely disappeared. Sss... Water flowed in the sink, wetting the already cracked floor. He brushed his teeth quickly, then looked at the mirror—his face was still a little pale, his hair still messy, but his eyes were already wide open.

He walked to the wardrobe in the corner of the room. Creeeak... The wardrobe door opened. Inside, the clothes he’d prepared last night were neatly arranged—a black t-shirt, long gray training pants, and a thin dark-colored jacket. He put them on quickly, then grabbed a large black backpack that was already fully packed—tent, sleeping bag, change of clothes, toiletries, and several other items. THUD! He lifted the backpack onto his back.

Before leaving, he glanced toward the desk in the corner of the room. There, lay an old revolver—a revolver he hadn’t touched in months. Hff... Kai stared at the revolver for a moment, then looked away. He didn’t need it. Not anymore.

Creeeak... The apartment door opened. The cold morning air greeted him. Kai stepped out, closed the door softly, then walked down the stairs. Tap... tap... tap... His footsteps echoed in the silent hallway. Outside, the morning dew was still very thick—clinging to the wild grass, dripping from the leaves, creating a thin mist that covered the streets.

Whoosh... The morning breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of wet earth and leaves. The atmosphere was still very quiet—only the sound of crickets remaining from the night, and occasionally the sound of birds starting to wake up. Kai walked toward the parking area next to his apartment—a small garage with a rusted tin roof.

Inside that garage, several cars were visible, covered with tarps. There was a sedan, a pickup truck, and several other cars. Kai stopped in front of the third car. Swoosh... He pulled the tarp covering the car. Dust flew into the air. Hff... Kai waved his hand, cleaning the dust from his face.

The car he chose was a black mini bus—a car big enough to hold up to eighteen people. The car looked luxurious, with a body that was still shiny despite being a little dusty. Click... Kai opened the car door and put his backpack inside. He sat in the driver’s seat, inserted the key, and started the engine. Vroom... The car’s engine sounded smooth, not noisy. Kai smiled slightly. This car was indeed a good car.

Tap... tap... tap... He pressed the gas pedal, and the car started moving out of the garage.

In Front of the School

The sky was still dark when Kai arrived in front of the school gate. He parked his car near the gate, then got out. Clack... The car door closed. The morning air was still cold, and dew still clung to the grass around the school. Kai walked to the car’s trunk, took out a thermos and some equipment to make coffee. He placed everything on the car’s hood, then started making coffee.

Ssss... Hot water flowed from the thermos into the cup. The warm, bitter aroma of coffee spread in the morning air. Kai sipped his coffee slowly, feeling its warmth spreading down his throat. Haaah... He let out a satisfied sigh. He enjoyed the peace of that morning—the sound of birds starting to chirp, the sound of the wind blowing gently, and the calming aroma of coffee.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps was heard. Tap... tap... tap... The sound was soft, almost inaudible. Kai turned toward the source of the sound.

From behind the morning mist, a woman appeared in a long black Gothic Lolita-style dress. Her round hat covered part of her face, and in her hand, she carried a black umbrella—even though there was no rain. Lydia.

"Good morning, Mr. Kai," Lydia greeted, her voice soft. She stopped beside Kai, a faint smile on her face.

Kai smiled, lowering his coffee cup. "Good morning, Ms. Lydia. You came early."

Lydia nodded. "I couldn’t sleep. Too excited." She looked at the coffee in Kai’s hand. "You made coffee?"

"Yes," Kai said. "Want a cup?"

Lydia smiled. "Sure."

Kai poured coffee into the second cup—the cup he’d brought from his apartment. Ssss... The coffee aroma spread again. Lydia received the cup with her slender hands, then sipped it slowly. Haaah...

"The coffee is good," Lydia said.

"Thank you," Kai replied. "I usually make my own coffee. Not too strong, not too bitter."

Lydia looked at Kai with a calm gaze. "Do you always wake up this early?"

"Not always," Kai answered. "But if there’s an important event, I usually wake up earlier. I don’t like being late."

Lydia smiled. "You’re a disciplined person."

"Not really," Kai said. "I just... don’t like disappointing people."

They sat on the car’s hood, enjoying their respective coffees. The morning atmosphere was still quiet—only the sound of birds, the sound of wind, and occasionally the sound of passing vehicles in the distance.

"Ms. Lydia," Kai said, breaking the silence. "Aren’t you cold? Your dress looks thin."

Lydia looked at her black dress. "No. I’m used to cold air."

Kai nodded. He didn’t ask further.

"Mr. Kai," Lydia said. "Are you ready for this trip? I heard the journey is quite far."

"Ready enough," Kai answered. "I’ve prepared everything. Car, equipment, food. Just need to leave."

Lydia smiled. "You’re a prepared person."

"Because I don’t want anyone to be lacking," Kai said. "The kids will definitely be happy if everything is ready."

Lydia looked at Kai with a deeper gaze. "You really care about them."

Kai nodded. "They’re my students. It’s only natural that I care."

They returned to enjoying their respective coffees, occasionally chatting about small things—about the weather, about the trip they were about to take, about the place they were going to visit.

Suddenly, the sound of shouting was heard from a distance. "MR. KAAAAIIIII!"

Kai lifted his head. In the distance, Mira could be seen running toward them, her hands waving enthusiastically. Her shoulder-length brown hair swayed following her movements.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Mira ran fast.

Behind Mira, other students appeared. Ella, still sleepy—her eyes half-closed, and she could only resign herself as Mira pulled her hand. Tap... tap... tap... Ella’s unenthusiastic footsteps were heard softly. Rin walked firmly, her eyes already wide open. Iris followed with her mysterious smile. Luna walked calmly, although her eyes were still half-closed. Nora stood upright, showing no signs of drowsiness. Aria bit her nails, her eyes darting restlessly. Eve had already opened her laptop while walking—somehow she could do it. Fay walked at the very back, hugging her doll tightly. Katrin, Maya, Sera, Rina, Irene, and Liliana also came—they all came.

Mira reached Kai with panting breath. Haaah... haaah... "Mr... Kai...!" She pointed at the car behind Kai. "I-that... whose car is that?!"

Kai turned toward his car, then back at Mira. "That’s the car we’re going to use."

HAAAH! Mira opened her mouth wide. "This car?! For all of us?!"

"Yes," Kai said.

Mira ran toward the car, her eyes sparkling. Tap! Tap! Tap! She circled the car, observing every detail. "This car is so luxurious! Mira has never ridden a car like this!"

Kai smiled slightly. "This car is borrowed from my friend. I’m just borrowing it for this trip."

"Your friend has a car like this?!" Mira still couldn’t believe it.

Lydia, standing beside Kai, looked at the car with the same gaze. "This is my first time seeing a car like this," she said. "Where did your friend buy it?"

Kai shook his head. "He didn’t buy it. He made it himself. He bought a used car, then modified it again."

Lydia put on an understanding face. "No wonder I’ve never seen a car like this. This car is... unique."

The other students also surrounded the car enthusiastically. Rin tapped the car body with her finger. Tok... tok... tok... "How can the car be like this?" she asked. "This is like a car from the movies."

"My friend really likes modifying cars," Kai said. "He has his own workshop."

Ella, still sleepy, just stood beside the car, leaning her body against the car body. Haaah... She let out a long sigh. "The car is soft," she murmured softly.

Kai looked at his students arriving. He was a little surprised. "You came this early? Isn’t the meeting point at 7:30?"

Ella lifted her head, her eyes still half-closed. "We... we came earlier. Because... because we were too excited."

Mira nodded quickly. "Yes! Mira couldn’t sleep! Mira woke up at 4 AM! Mira immediately showered! Mira immediately came here!"

Rin added, "I also woke up at 4. I even had breakfast."

Iris smiled mysteriously. "I woke up at 3. I wanted to see the sunrise on the trip."

Kai laughed softly. Ha ha ha... "Turns out you’re more excited than me."

Iris added, "Seems like you’re more excited than all of us. You’re already here, and even made coffee."

Everyone there laughed. Ha ha ha... Their laughter echoed in the quiet morning.

Kai raised his hand. "Alright, since you’re all here, we’ll leave earlier than planned."

CHEERS! The students cheered with joy.

On the Trip

Vroom... The car sped along the still-empty highway. Inside, the students sat in their respective seats—some in front, some in back. Kai sat in the driver’s seat, with Lydia beside him. In the back, Mira and Rin sat together, occasionally laughing and joking. Ella sat calmly, her eyes still a little sleepy. Iris sat casually, the mysterious smile on her face. Luna sat near the window, watching the passing scenery. Nora sat upright, her arms crossed. Aria sat restlessly, occasionally biting her nails. Eve sat with her laptop, her fingers dancing across the keyboard. Fay sat in the corner, hugging her doll. Katrin, Maya, Sera, Rina, Irene, and Liliana also sat in their respective seats.

In the middle of the trip, Eve lifted her head. "Mr. Kai," she said, her voice flat. "What kind of place are we going to visit?"

Kai glanced briefly. "The place is very beautiful. In the middle of it there’s a lake, and there’s also a mountain view. We can see the sunrise and sunset there. The air is fresh, and the atmosphere is calm."

Hearing that, Luna, who was usually silent, suddenly lifted her head. Her half-closed eyes were now wide open. "Really, Sir? We’re going to a place like that?"

"Yes," Kai answered. "We’re all going there. There are also many tourist spots and culinary places there. There’s also a hot spring bathing place."

HAAAH! Rin, sitting in the back, immediately shouted with joy. "HOT SPRINGS?! I love hot springs! I always go to hot springs every month!"

Nora nodded. "I like it too. Hot water can make the body relax."

"We have to try all the pools!" Rin exclaimed.

"Don’t forget to bring towels," Rina said, pushing her glasses up.

"I’ll bring a camera," Iris said.

"I’ll bring books," Luna said, her voice more enthusiastic than usual.

Kai smiled hearing all that. He looked toward the rearview mirror, seeing his students who were enthusiastic. They were all smiling, laughing, and chatting with each other. The atmosphere inside the car was warm, far from the cold impression usually seen at school.

In the very back seat, Lydia sat calmly. A small smile on her face. Her eyes looked out the window, but her thoughts drifted somewhere else.