Chapter 32 || Clair de Lune

Chapter 32: 32 || Clair de Lune

Aria looked across the table at Code and Ivy.

"Well? What do you want to talk about?"

Ivy leaned forward, resting her elbows lightly on the table. Her voice took on its usual sweetness.

"I just wanted to clear up the misunderstanding about what you saw yesterday. Code isn’t that kind of person. Believe me."

Aria’s eyes narrowed.

"He isn’t? Really? Then how do you explain finding you in his room without any clothes on?"

Ivy let out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of her neck.

"That was just a coincidence! You see, my shower wasn’t working properly, and the plumbing had gone bad, so—"

"Then you should’ve called maintenance," Aria interrupted.

"I know, but..." Ivy’s smile faltered. "I couldn’t remember where I’d put my phone."

Aria fell silent.

Code watched her from across the table, his expression unreadable.

A few seconds passed.

Ivy shifted in her seat.

"Aria...?"

Aria exhaled through her nose, her voice calm but cutting.

"Pathetic."

Ivy blinked. "Huh?"

"You claim your shower wasn’t working and you couldn’t find your phone to call maintenance," Aria said, folding her arms. "Is that your excuse?"

"Y-yes. That’s everything."

Aria leaned forward, fixing Ivy with a cold stare.

"Then answer me this. Why didn’t you go to one of the other girls’ rooms? You have plenty of friends who would’ve gladly let you use their bathrooms."

She paused, allowing the question to settle.

"But instead, you went to Code’s room. Why?"

Ivy’s fingers tightened around the edge of her skirt.

"What’s so special about his room, Ivy?" Aria continued. "Is his bathroom more luxurious? Is his bed more comfortable?"

Her gaze shifted toward Code.

"Or is it just..."

She let the pause linger.

"...him?"

Code sighed inwardly.

’This was a complete waste of time.’

"W-well..." Ivy struggled to find her words. "It’s not like that."

Aria wasn’t interested in hearing another excuse.

"The real reason you went to Code’s room wasn’t to take a shower, was it? You wanted to see him. To spend time with him."

She leaned back slightly.

"Isn’t that right, Ivy?"

Ivy’s hands curled into fists in her lap.

Her hair slipped forward, veiling her face. For a moment, she offered no response.

Code watched her quietly.

Then, beneath the curtain of her hair, Ivy’s lips slowly curved into a small smile.

"Your silence tells me everything," Aria said, mistaking the pause for an admission. "I was right."

She turned toward Code.

"And you. Are you just going to sit there without saying anything?"

Code let out another inward sigh.

’Great. I kept quiet to avoid getting dragged into this, and now I’m the target.’

"I..."

"You don’t need to speak." Aria raised a hand to stop him. "If I let you, you’ll only come up with more lies to cover for your accomplice."

She looked between him and Ivy.

"Your girlfriend."

"She isn’t my girlfriend," Code corrected flatly.

Aria didn’t even acknowledge his response.

Her attention returned to Ivy, and the last trace of patience disappeared from her face.

"You’re nothing but a characterless, shameful girl."

Ivy remained still.

Aria glanced at her watch before standing up from her seat.

"I’d better get to class. I believe that’s everything you wanted to say."

She picked up her book and walked towards the counter.

After paying through her phone, she walked out if the café without another word.

For a while, neither Code nor Ivy spoke.

The sounds of the café continued around them, but their table had fallen quiet.

Code turned toward Ivy.

She was still sitting with her head lowered, her hands resting in her lap.

"Hey, Ivy," he said quietly. "Are you okay?"

Ivy finally lifted her head.

A soft, almost serene smile settled on her face.

"I’m fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." Code glanced briefly in the direction Aria had gone. "Considering everything she just said..."

Ivy gave a light shrug.

"I don’t hold anything against her, neither do i take offense at anything she says, and I never will. Her words mean nothing to me."

Code studied her for a moment before giving a small nod.

"I see."

"Anyway!" Ivy stood, brushing down her clothes. "We’d better get to class before Mr. 12 gets angry with us."

"Right," Code murmured.

Code stood up and they both left the café together.

For several steps, neither said anything. Their footsteps echoed softly along the corridor until Ivy finally broke the silence.

"Sorry."

Code kept walking.

"What for?"

"I said I was going to clear up the misunderstanding between you and Aria," Ivy explained, lowering her gaze. "But I think I only made things worse."

She puffed out her cheeks.

"Who knew Grumpy Aria would be so difficult?"

Code glanced at her.

"Was she really that difficult, or were you the one making things difficult for her?"

Ivy blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"If you’d wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, you should’ve told her the truth instead of making up such a petty lie."

Ivy stared at him for a moment.

Then she gave a quiet chuckle.

"Heh..."

She tilted her head, her smile returning.

"You’re wrong, Code. I wasn’t lying. Everything I told her was the truth."

Code said nothing.

Ivy clasped her hands behind her back as they continued down the corridor.

"If we’d spent a little more time together, that misunderstanding she had would’ve eventually become reality."

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

"Which means..."

Her smile widened.

"Time was the real enemy."

"I doubt that," Code replied.

They reached the elevator on the fifth floor. Ivy pressed the button, then turned to him while they waited.

"Anyway, putting that aside, what would you like me to prepare for dinner?"

Code gave her a blank look.

"We haven’t even finished class, and you’re already talking about dinner."

"Of course!"

Ivy smirked as the elevator indicator lit up.

"You know what they say."

The doors slid open with a soft chime.

She stepped inside, turning to face him.

"Strike while the iron is hot."

Code followed her into the elevator.

Ivy tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Actually, I have an idea. How about noodles?"

Ding.

The elevator doors slid shut, leaving the hallway empty.

...

The ballroom doors swung open, and the Grents filed inside, one after another, dressed in their part-time uniforms.

Their footsteps gradually slowed as they took in the room.

It was enormous.

Crystal chandeliers hung high above them, scattering warm light across the polished floor. Long tables had been arranged neatly along both sides of the ballroom, leaving the centre wide open.

Everything looked immaculate, from the gleaming floor to the carefully arranged furniture.

This hardly looked like a classroom.

It looked like somewhere students would gather for a formal banquet.

Then a melody drifted through the room.

Soft piano notes.

The students turned toward the sound.

At the far end of the ballroom, Code 12 sat behind a grand piano, dressed in his usual butler uniform. His back was straight, his shoulders relaxed, and his hands rested over the keys.

His fingers moved with quiet precision.

Each note flowed into the next, forming a gentle melody that spread through the spacious room. The music was delicate and unhurried, its soft harmonies filling the silence without disturbing it.

For a moment, the students simply stood there and listened.

Even Caden had stopped walking.

"He’s playing the piano?" he whispered, staring at the man behind the instrument.

Torin glanced at him. "Looks like it."

Juro adjusted his collar, studying the scene with an air of consideration.

"Perhaps this is part of the course."

Ken turned toward him.

"Since when does learning how to serve involve piano lessons?"

Riven watched Code 12 for a moment before answering.

"Since he started playing, I suppose. I’m sure there’s a reason."

Caden’s shoulders drooped.

"Please don’t tell me this is actually part of the course."

Nobody answered him.

The piano continued.

Code 12 didn’t glance in their direction. His attention remained on the keys, his fingers moving steadily across the ivory and black surfaces.

His expression was obscured by his mask.

He wasn’t performing with exaggerated gestures or trying to draw attention to himself. He simply sat upright and played, as though the presence of an audience made no difference to him.

The melody carried on, filling the ballroom with a strange sense of calm.

Aria entered with the others, her gaze moving briefly across the room before settling on the pianist.

She said nothing.

Code walked in beside her, his hands hanging loosely at his sides.

He looked toward the grand piano.

’Clair de Lune.’

He recognised the piece almost immediately.

The familiar melody unfolded before him, each note rising and falling with a quiet elegance. His half-lidded eyes remained fixed on the pianist, though his expression gave little away.

Then he yawned.

’At least someone knows how to make good use of his time.’

"He’s pretty good," Ken murmured, his attention still on the piano.

Nobody disagreed.

The music continued for several more moments.

The melody seemed to soften as Code 12 moved toward its conclusion. His fingers glided over the keys, drawing out the final phrases with careful control.

One note followed another.

The last few notes lingered in the air, their resonance spreading through the ballroom before gradually fading into silence.

Code 12’s fingers came to rest.

For a brief moment, nobody moved.

Then—

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Ivy was the first to applaud, bringing her hands together enthusiastically.

A few students joined her.

Then more.

Soon, applause rippled through the ballroom, growing until the room echoed with the sound of clapping hands.

Code 12 lifted his fingers from the keys and rose from the piano bench.

He stood beside the instrument, brought his right hand neatly to the front of his torso, and bowed his head.

The applause continued.

After a few seconds, he straightened.

Gradually, the clapping died away, leaving the ballroom quiet once more.

Code 12 looked over the assembled students.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice carrying clearly through the spacious room. "It’s a pleasure to have you here today."

He paused, allowing his gaze to travel across the rows of Grents.

Then he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Now... Let’s begin."