Chapter 73: TRUE FEELINGS

Ella furrowed her brow. "What do you mean, Ma’am?"

Ms. Lydia didn’t answer right away. She looked at her students one by one. Her gaze was calm, but there was something in her eyes that was hard to read.

"Ella," Ms. Lydia finally said. "We can’t go back there."

HAAH! Ella’s eyes widened. "What?"

"We can’t go back there," Ms. Lydia repeated. Her voice remained calm, but firm.

"Wait," Rin said. She stepped forward. "What do you mean, Ma’am? We can’t go back there?"

"Yes," Ms. Lydia answered. "We have to go straight home. To each of your houses."

HAAH! Rin clenched her fists. KREK! "What do you mean, Ma’am?! We can’t leave Mr. Kai!"

"I know," Ms. Lydia said. "But that’s exactly the reason we can’t go back."

"What?!" Rin grew angrier. "So you want us to just run away? Leave Mr. Kai fighting for us?"

"Rin," Ella called. Her voice was soft.

"No, Ella!" Rin turned to Ella. Her eyes were red. "This woman is crazy! She wants us to run while Mr. Kai is back there! She wants us to be safe while Mr. Kai might already be dead!"

"Rin!" Ella snapped.

"No!" Rin turned to Ms. Lydia again. "Ms. Lydia! Mr. Kai saved us! He saved me! He saved Nora! He saved all of us! And now you want us to leave him?!"

Ms. Lydia looked at Rin calmly. "I know you’re angry," she said. "I understand. But you need to listen to me."

"Listen?!" Rin laughed bitterly. "Ha! I don’t want to listen to anything from you! You don’t understand! You’re not Mr. Kai’s student! You’re not part of our class! You’re just an assistant! You don’t know what Mr. Kai has done for us!"

"Rin!" Ella snapped again. "Enough!"

Rin fell silent. Haaah... Her breath was heavy. Her eyes were still fixed on Ms. Lydia with anger.

Ella turned to Ms. Lydia. "Ma’am," she said. Her voice was soft. "Why did you say that?"

Ms. Lydia took a long breath. Haaah... She looked at her students one by one. She saw Ella, firm. She saw Rin, angry. She saw Mira, confused. She saw Luna, quiet. She saw Nora, alert. She saw Iris, sharp. She saw Eve, analytical. She saw Aria, afraid. And she saw Fay, empty.

"Listen," Ms. Lydia said. "I know you want to go back. I know you want to pick up Mr. Kai. But you have to think clearly."

"Think clearly?!" Rin grew angry again. "What is there to think about?! Mr. Kai is in danger!"

"That’s exactly it," Ms. Lydia said. "If we go back now, we’ll waste Mr. Kai’s effort."

HAAH! Everyone was shocked.

"What do you mean, Ma’am?" Ella asked.

"Mr. Kai is fighting to give us time," Ms. Lydia said. "He’s fighting so we can escape. He’s fighting so we can survive. If we go back now, we’ll walk right back into danger. We’ll be captured. And Mr. Kai will fight even harder to save us. He’ll be exhausted. He’ll lose. And that’s the same as betraying his sacrifice."

Hmm... Rin fell silent. Her hands were still clenched, but her anger was starting to fade. She knew Ms. Lydia was right. She knew. But her heart couldn’t accept it.

"But, Ma’am..." Mira said. Her voice was soft. Her eyes were glistening. "We can’t just leave Mr. Kai like that..."

"I know," Ms. Lydia said. "I know you care about Mr. Kai very much. But I have an obligation. I promised Mr. Kai that I would protect you. I promised I would take you home safely. That’s my duty. And I won’t betray my promise."

Hmm... Everyone fell silent. They looked down. They knew Ms. Lydia was right. They knew. But it still felt wrong.

Ella lifted her head. She looked at Ms. Lydia. Her eyes were sharp. "Ma’am," she said. "I understand what you’re saying. I understand your duty. I understand Mr. Kai’s sacrifice."

Ms. Lydia looked at Ella.

"But I can’t," Ella continued. "I can’t leave Mr. Kai."

Ms. Lydia opened her mouth to speak, but Ella raised her hand.

"Wait, Ma’am," Ella said. "I’m not finished."

Ms. Lydia fell silent.

Ella took a breath. Haaah... She looked at her friends. She saw Rin, still angry. She saw Mira, crying. She saw Luna, quiet. She saw Nora, alert. She saw Iris, sharp. She saw Eve, analytical. She saw Aria, afraid. And she saw Fay, empty.

"Mr. Kai isn’t just a teacher to us," Ella said. Her voice was soft, but firm. "He’s our savior."

Hmm... Ms. Lydia looked at Ella.

"Before Mr. Kai came," Ella continued. "We were just unwanted students. We were just a cast-off class. We were just children without hope. But Mr. Kai... Mr. Kai changed everything."

Ella paused for a moment. Haaah... She looked at the sky that was starting to change color.

"Because of Mr. Kai," Ella said. "We could have fun. We could join competitions. We could feel what it means to be students. We could make our mothers proud. We could smile. We could laugh. We could live."

Ella turned to Ms. Lydia. Her eyes were glistening.

"If we leave Mr. Kai alone," Ella said. "How do we face tomorrow? How do we face our mothers? How do we face ourselves?"

Hmm... Ms. Lydia didn’t answer.

Ella stepped forward. She reached for Ms. Lydia’s hand that was gripping her shoulder. She gently removed it.

"Ma’am," Ella said. "If you don’t want to take us, that’s fine. We’ll go on our own. We’ll pick up Mr. Kai ourselves."

HAAH! Everyone turned to Ella.

"Ella!" Rin exclaimed.

"We’ll walk if we have to," Ella said. She looked at her friends. "We’ll pick up Mr. Kai. We’ll bring him home. Together."

"Yes!" Rin exclaimed. She stepped forward. "I’m in!"

"Me too," Nora said.

"Me too," Mira said. She wiped her tears.

"Me too," Luna said.

"Me too," Iris said.

"Me too," Eve said.

"M-me too," Aria said.

Fay just nodded. But that nod was enough.

Hmm... Ms. Lydia looked at them. For a long time. She saw determination in their eyes. She saw resolve in their hearts. She saw something she couldn’t deny.

Haaah... Ms. Lydia let out a long breath. Then she smiled. A sincere smile. A smile rarely seen on her face.

"So that’s what Kai means to you," Ms. Lydia said. Her voice was soft.

Ella nodded. "Yes, Ma’am."

Ms. Lydia extended her hand. She gently stroked Ella’s head. "Alright," she said. "Let’s go pick up Kai. Let’s bring that man home."

HAAH! Everyone cheered.

"YEAY!" Mira exclaimed. She hopped lightly. She immediately hugged Ms. Lydia. "Thank you, Ma’am!"

Ms. Lydia laughed softly. "Alright, alright," she said. "Quickly get into the car. We don’t have much time."

Tap... tap... tap... They all ran toward the car. Mira released her hug. Ms. Lydia opened the driver’s door. She sat in the driver’s seat. Ella sat beside her. The others sat in the back.

Ms. Lydia inserted the key. CLACK! She started the engine. Vroom... The engine came alive.

"Everyone ready?" Ms. Lydia asked.

"Ready!" they exclaimed in unison.

Ms. Lydia pressed the gas pedal. Vroom... The car sped forward. Toward Kai’s location.

Elsewhere, Kai walked unsteadily among the trees. Haaah... haaah... His breath was heavy. His whole body ached. The wounds on his body were still bleeding—drip... drip...—dripping onto the ground. He wanted to stop. He wanted to sit. He wanted to rest. But he couldn’t.

Hmm... He had to find Lydia. He had to find his students. He had to make sure they were safe. He was very worried. Very worried. Every passing second felt like a needle piercing his heart. He didn’t know what had happened to them. He didn’t know if they were safe. He didn’t know if they were still alive.

Suddenly—

"Uuugh..."

Kai stopped his steps. His eyes narrowed. Hmm... That sound—a groan. From behind the trees. Kai immediately crouched. Tap... tap... He hid behind a large tree. He peeked.

Hmm... It turned out the sound came from the man he had thrown a knife at on the stage earlier. The man lay on the ground—holding his blood-soaked shoulder. Drip... His face was pale. His breath was heavy. Haaah... haaah...

Kai observed the man for a moment. Hmm... He was tired. Very tired. But he couldn’t let the man go. He had to know—what their purpose was. He had to know—who sent them. He had to know—why they kidnapped his students. He had to know—why they wanted to kill him.

Tap... tap... tap... Kai ran toward the man—even though his whole body felt exhausted, he was still fast enough. HAAH! The man was startled. He tried to back away. But Kai was already in front of him. THUD! Kai punched the man’s face.

"AAH!" The man screamed. THWACK! He fell to the ground.

Kai stood over him. His eyes were cold. "What’s your purpose?" he asked. His voice was hoarse.

The man shook his head. "I-I don’t know anything... I was just ordered by someone..."

"Who is that person?" Kai asked.

"I-I don’t know..." the man answered. "I really don’t know who he is..."

THUD! Kai punched the man’s face again. "Don’t lie."

"I’m not lying!" the man exclaimed. He started crying. Hiks... "I really don’t know who he is! All I know... she’s a woman dressed all in black!"

Hmm... Kai furrowed his brow. A woman dressed all in black. Who?

"Please... let me go..." the man begged. Hiks... "I have a daughter... If I don’t come home... my daughter will be lonely..."

Hmm... Kai fell silent. He looked at the man—for a long time. He saw fear in the man’s eyes. He saw tears flowing down his cheeks. He saw... honesty.

Haaah... Kai let out a breath. He stepped back. "Go," he said.

HAAH! The man was shocked. "R-really?"

"Go," Kai repeated. "Before I change my mind."

The man got up—with difficulty. He looked at Kai—with a gaze full of gratitude. "Thank you... thank you so much..."

But before leaving—the man put his hand into his pocket. Kai immediately became alert. Tap... tap... He prepared himself. But what the man took out wasn’t a weapon. A small object. A gas bomb.

Kai furrowed his brow. "What is that?"

"This... this is a gas bomb," the man said. "But this gas has a special effect. To disrupt the memories of anyone who inhales it."

HAAH! Kai’s eyes widened.

"This smoke bomb will be used to alter the memories of the people involved in this incident," the man continued. "And you... you’ll definitely need it."

He handed the object to Kai. Kai received it—with slightly trembling hands.

The man immediately ran away. Tap... tap... tap... He disappeared among the trees.

Kai just stood there. He stared at the object in his hand. Hmm... He thought about—whether he should use it or not. Haaah...