Chapter 89: A SMALL SUGGESTION

Kai walked casually toward school. He wasn’t in a hurry, but he wasn’t slowing his pace either—he just walked at his usual rhythm, with his hands in his pockets and his eyes staring at the road ahead. The sun hadn’t reached the peak of the sky yet, but the morning activity was already busy enough. A vendor was arranging his goods in front of his stall—moving wooden boxes, stacking vegetables on the table, occasionally wiping his forehead with an already-dirty sleeve. Several students walked in groups with bags on their backs—they laughed, pushed each other, and occasionally stopped in front of a shop to buy something. A car passed with a long honk, and Kai stepped to the edge of the sidewalk to make way. He passed a newspaper boy tying a stack of newspapers onto his old bicycle, passed an old woman sweeping her yard with slow movements, and passed a small child running after a ball that had rolled into the street. Kai enjoyed that walk—not because he liked walking, but because he had no reason to rush.

He arrived at school when the gate was still closed. There was no one—no Leina, no students, no guard. Just him, with his bag on his shoulder and the gate key in his hand. He opened the gate—slowly, with the creaking sound of metal—and he stood there, at the post Leina usually occupied, with his hands in front and his eyes staring at the road.

Time passed. Students started arriving—one by one, then several, then many. A boy with messy hair walked past with a bicycle beside him. "Good morning, Mr. Kai." Kai nodded. "Morning." Two girls walked side by side chatting about math homework—"I don’t get number five"—"Same. Let’s ask Eve later"—and they greeted Kai almost at the same time. "Morning, Sir." Kai replied with a nod. Another boy walked while reading a book—almost bumping into the gate post—and Kai extended his hand to hold the boy’s shoulder before he actually crashed. "Careful." The boy lifted his head, smiled shyly, and walked in quickly. "S-sorry, Sir. Morning, Sir."

Leina appeared from the crowd of students—with quick steps, with a bag in her hand, with hair slightly messy from the wind. When she saw Kai, her face changed—there was guilt there, there was also relief. She approached Kai with breath still slightly heavy. "Mr. Kai," she said. "Sorry I’m late. I’m really sorry."

Kai turned. "It’s okay," he said. "But that’s unusual. You usually come earlier than this."

Leina nodded. She looked down for a moment—like she was searching for the right words—then she lifted her head again. "I had a fight with Reina yesterday," she said. "So I decided to stay at my parents’ house for a while."

Kai looked at her. He didn’t ask why they fought—he knew that wasn’t his business. He just put on an understanding face, nodded slightly, and looked back at the road. But Leina didn’t stop there.

"Reina scolded me," Leina continued. Her voice was a little softer now, like she was telling something that was still stuck in her chest. "Because I wanted to go somewhere with my friends. But Reina forbade it—she said it wasn’t a good place to visit."

Kai turned again. He couldn’t close his ears if Leina herself wanted to talk—so he followed along. "Where is that place?"

"I don’t know exactly where," Leina said. "What I’m sure of is, it’s still around this city."

"How many people?"

"Ten. There are ten of us in total."

Kai thought for a moment. Ten people—that was a fairly large number. If Leina went with nine friends, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. But Reina—Reina wasn’t someone who worried without reason. "The name of the place?" he asked.

Leina furrowed her brow—trying to remember. "I forgot the full name," she said. "But what I remember is, it’s called HV."

Kai had never heard that name. He nodded slightly, then looked at Leina again. "If you really want to go," he said, "leave a message or address with Reina. So she won’t worry."

Leina smiled. Her smile was wide—wider than usual—and her eyes sparkled. "You’re not forbidding me?" she asked.

"I’m no one to forbid you," Kai said. "I’m just giving a suggestion."

Leina nodded. She looked at Kai for a moment, then she added, "It’s a school reunion event. One of my friends is going abroad—and she’s my best friend. I really want to be there."

Kai looked at her. Then he stepped forward—a little—and he raised his hand. He patted Leina’s head gently, with careful movements, like he was soothing someone he considered important. "Go," he said. "If there’s a problem, I’ll handle it. Wherever you are, I’ll come."

Leina froze. Her face—which had been smiling—suddenly turned red. Red that crept from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, making her look like someone who had just received something she hadn’t expected. She looked down, trying to hide her face, but she didn’t move from her spot. She just stood there, with her head being patted by Kai, with her face growing redder, and with her heart beating faster than it should.

Suddenly—a voice. From the direction of the crowd of passing students. "Sui sui. Getting cozy so early in the morning." The voice was followed by small laughs—laughs that weren’t malicious, but enough to make Kai pull his hand back.

Kai stepped back—one step, two steps—and he looked at Leina with a slightly awkward expression. "Sorry," he said. "I didn’t mean—"

"It’s okay," Leina cut in. Her voice was a little shaky, but she smiled—even though her face was still red. "I don’t mind."

Kai nodded slightly. He returned to his post—standing upright, with his hands in front—and Leina stood beside him, even though her face was still red and her hands were still slightly trembling.

The group from Class IX arrived—Mira, Rin, Ella, Luna, Nora, Iris, Eve, Aria, and Fay—with cheerful steps and noisy voices. Mira hopped lightly in front, her hand pointing toward the gate. "Mr. Kai! Ms. Leina! Good morning!" Her voice was almost like a song.

"Good morning, Mira," Kai replied.

Rin raised her hand—half waving, half patting Mira’s shoulder. "Morning, Sir. Morning, Ms. Leina." She looked at Leina for a moment, then added, "Ms. Leina’s face is red. Are you sick?"

Leina blinked. "N-no. I’m fine."

Ella walked behind them, with a notebook in her hand and a bag on her shoulder. "Good morning, Mr. Kai. Good morning, Ms. Leina." She glanced toward Iris—who had already started leaning her body toward Leina—and she shook her head slowly.

Luna passed without a sound—just nodding slightly—and Nora followed with firm steps. "Morning," Nora said briefly.

Eve walked while pushing her glasses up, with her laptop in her bag. "Good morning. I’ve prepared the material for today. I’ve also calculated the possible questions that will come up in the exam later."

"Good," Kai said.

Aria nodded quickly—too quickly—and mumbled something unclear. "M-morning, Sir. Morning, Ma’am." Fay smiled faintly and waved her hand with a slow movement.

Iris—who was always curious—immediately noticed Leina’s face. She approached, leaned her body, and looked at Leina from bottom to top. Her eyes narrowed—like she was examining something. Then she turned toward Kai. "What did Mr. Kai do to Ms. Leina?" she asked. Her voice was full of teasing tone, with a mysterious smile that couldn’t be read.

Leina’s face—which had been slightly fading—suddenly turned red again. Kai let out a breath. "I didn’t do anything," he said. "I just gave a suggestion."

Leina nodded quickly. "Yes. Mr. Kai just gave a suggestion."

Iris narrowed her eyes—not believing it. "What suggestion? Until Ms. Leina’s face is that red?" She leaned her body closer—too close—and Leina stepped back a little, trying to avoid her.

"That’s none of your business, Iris," Ella said—but her voice wasn’t firm. There was a hint of amusement in it.

Iris opened her mouth to ask again, but Ella had already stepped forward and knocked Iris’s head—lightly, but enough to make Iris stop smiling. "Sorry, Mr. Kai. Sorry, Ms. Leina," Ella said. "We’re going in first."

She pulled Iris’s hand and walked into the school building. The others followed—Mira still smiling and waving, Rin shaking her head, Luna not saying anything, Nora nodding, Eve pushing her glasses up, Aria biting her nails, and Fay smiling faintly.

Kai stood at his post—upright, with his hands in front—and he watched the Class IX students still staring at him. They didn’t say anything. They just stared—with the same gaze, with the same expression. And Kai didn’t know what his mistake was. He only knew that that gaze—the gaze given by his nine students—was the gaze usually given to someone who had just made a fatal mistake.

The school bell rang—a long sound that echoed throughout the corridor, signaling that the lesson would begin soon. Kai closed the school gate—slowly, with the creaking sound of metal—and he turned to Leina. "I’m going to class first," he said. "There’s something I need to take from the teachers’ room."

Leina nodded. "Yes. I also have to go to the teachers’ room." She paused for a moment, then she added in a softer voice, "Thank you, Mr. Kai. For the suggestion."

Kai nodded. "Be careful, Ms. Leina."

He walked down the corridor that was starting to fill with students pouring into their respective classes. He passed several students who greeted him—"Morning, Sir"—and several teachers who nodded—"Morning, Mr. Kai." He entered the teachers’ room, placed his bag on the desk, took the textbook and attendance sheet, and he walked out of the teachers’ room—heading toward Class IX-9, toward his students who were already waiting.