Chapter 6 || Shopping for Supplies

Chapter 6: 6 || Shopping for Supplies

The classroom buzzed with life.

Students slowly began leaving in groups, conversations growing louder now that the tension from earlier had faded.

Lily remained seated.

Her hands were pressed tightly together on her lap, fingers trembling faintly against each other. Her head stayed lowered.

’Everyone already forgot...’

Her eyes slowly drifted across the classroom.

People were laughing.Talking. Planning where to go.

It almost looked normal. Like blood had never touched the floor.

Lily’s gaze slowly lowered toward the exact spot where Ben’s body had been dragged away earlier that morning.

Her chest tightened.

’...Ben,’ she whispered softly.

Not far away, Ivy laughed quietly at something Sena had shown her on her phone.

The sound made Lily look up.

Ivy noticed immediately. Their eyes met for only a second.

Lily quickly lowered her head again.

Ivy stared at her for a moment longer.

Then Sena suddenly pushed her phone closer."Look at this, Ivy."

Ivy’s attention shifted away naturally, but Lily still felt cold for some reason.

...

At the cafeteria

The place was crowded enough to feel noisy but not chaotic.

Students occupied almost every table, some drinking coffee while others argued loudly over food portions and rankings.

The smell of coffee and baked snacks lingered warmly in the air.

At a quieter corner table near the windows, Aria sat alone.

A cup of coffee rested in front of her while a thick book lay beside it neatly.

She stared at her phone screen.

[2,000 Bronze Stars have been credited to your account.]

"If we’re expected to work part-time..." she murmured quietly, "...then this must be some kind of advance payment."

She tapped another notification on her phone which revealed her master named... Cassian Vale.

She locked her phone and slipped it into her jacket pocket.

Then she picked up her book again and continued reading while sipping calmly from her coffee as if the world around her barely existed.

...

Outside the mall, students moved in and out through the sliding glass doors in groups.

Some carried white bags. Others looked lost already.

Code, Ken, Torin, and Caden stepped outside holding white shopping bags.

Caden raised his bag proudly."I officially have enough food to survive one full week."

Torin slowly pulled a tiny cupcake from his own bag and stared at it with disappointment.

"...Miss 11 wasn’t joking."

Ken looked over. "About what?"

Torin raised the cupcake higher. "This thing is microscopic."

Ken crossed his arms seriously. "Wrong mindset."

Torin blinked. "Excuse me?"

"It’s better to have five small cupcakes than one large cupcake for the same price."

Torin stared at him."...That is the most poor-person logic I’ve ever heard."

Ken pointed aggressively. "What does that mean?!"

"Nothing."

"You definitely meant something."

Caden laughed so hard he almost dropped his bag.

Sccrrrkkkk.

The group turned to see Code casually sipping from his plastic cup of Fitz Blast.

Code froze when he noticed everyone staring at him.

He slowly put his lips to the straw and took another sip of his soda, never taking his eyes off the group.

"God, we need to get ourselves that soda," Caden said.

Ken nodded.

Torin tapped his chin."Which section did you get it from again?"

Code withdrew his lips."It was—"

Caden didn’t even wait for him to finish before he took off into the mall.

He waved back at them."No need Code. I’ll find it myself."

Code stared at him, then went back to sipping his soda.

Ken pointed at it."Is... Is it really that good?"

Code nodded.

Torin and Ken glanced at each other before racing back to the mall.

"We’ll be right back. "

Code watched them enter the mall, while he enjoyed his soda.

’It’s really tasty. I hope I don’t get addicted to it.’

Beep.

His phone vibrated.

Code shifted his shopping bag to his wrist, reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

A single message stared back at him.

[Do you like shopping?] — Crimson Petal

The afternoon wind blew softly past him.

Code simply stared at the screen. No expression. No reaction.

’...Shopping, huh...? Weirdo.’

He slipped the phone away and continued enjoying his soda while he watched a group of students walking ahead.

At that same moment, four girls walked past nearby.

Meira. Sena. Neela. And Ivy.

Their voices blended together softly as they laughed about something.

Meira walked closest to him, her hair swaying lightly behind her.

For a brief second... within the moving group, someone’s lips curved into the faintest smile.

Then the moment passed.

The girls continued walking normally.

Code slowly turned his head, watching their backs disappear further down the path and towards the mall.

Two seconds.Three, then he quietly looked away again.

...

A few minutes later—

Code had finished his soda.

His right hand was buried in his pocket while his left hand held his shopping bag.

He stared up at the clouds.

Birds flew above casting a shadow on his face briefly.

"We’re back," Caden announced.

Caden, Torin, and Ken returned with their sodas.

Caden, who had two in his hands, shoved one toward Code proudly.

Code froze.

"Here. I thought you might need a refill." Caden said.

Code accepted it. "Thanks."

Torin rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry for making you wait."

"It’s fine."

Code glanced down at the soda.

’Yup. I’m going to get addicted to it.’

He immediately began sipping from the straw.

Ken took a sip from his cup. "So where do we go next?"

Caden tapped his chin dramatically. "There are still many things I wish to experience financially."

Bam.

Torin smacked him lightly on the head."You’re going to make us poor again."

"Ow!" Caden rubbed his head. "Violence isn’t necessary."

Code suddenly spoke."Can I ask something?"

The three looked at him immediately.

Caden nodded. "Go ahead."

Code stared ahead quietly instead of looking at them. "...Were any of you close with Ben?"

The atmosphere changed slightly.

Torin answered first. "Close...? No, not really. We only met recently."

Ken nodded slowly. "Most of us only got acquainted on the bus."

Caden lowered his drink a little. "If anyone was actually close to him... it’s probably Lily."

Torin and Ken looked toward him.

"What?" Caden frowned. "She was the only one who looked genuinely hurt after he died."

Torin looked down slightly. "Yeah..."

He exhaled slowly. "We weren’t close enough to completely break down over it. But what happened to him was still messed up."

Silence lingered briefly.

Then—Sccrrrkkkk.

Code and Caden drew their straws.

Ken stared at them in disbelief.

Torin slowly turned.

Code stopped. "Sorry."

Caden continued sipping noisily.

"...You could at least give the dead guy one minute of silence," Torin said.

Caden looked offended. "But I was thirsty."

Ken buried his face into his hand.

Code checked the time on his watch. "We should head back."

Torin nodded. "Yeah. We’re done here anyway."

The group walked back towards the class.

Code sipped his soda as he walked quietly in the middle.

’Our part-time jobs start soon...’ he murmured softly.

...

By evening, students began leaving the classroom.

The sunset light spilled orange across the classroom.

Bags zipped. Chairs moved. Conversations echoed everywhere.

Code picked up his bag and walked toward the back door.

Caden, Torin, and Ken followed alongside him.

Torin glanced over. "What room are you in, Code?"

The door slid shut behind them.

Code answered."Room 9."

"Oh." Torin nodded. "That’s kinda far from us."

"I’m in room 12," he added.

"14," Ken said.

Caden suddenly started giggling to himself.

The others stopped walking.

Caden remained standing there smiling proudly.

Torin blinked. "What now?"

Caden rubbed his nose smugly. "Looks like I’m the closest person to Code after all."

Code looked at him silently.

Caden proudly raised his phone."Room 6."

Ken stared blankly. "That’s three rooms before his."

Torin immediately turned around. "I genuinely thought he was about to say something meaningful."

The two walked off.

"Wait—!" Caden ran after them dramatically."Distance is emotional too!"

Beep.

Their phones vibrated again.

Everyone stopped.

A message appeared simultaneously.

[All students are to gather at the locker room immediately.]

Caden frowned. "I thought classes were over."

Torin looked at the message again. "This probably has something to do with the part-time jobs."

Ken already started walking. "Then let’s go."

Code quietly slipped his phone into his pocket.

Torin pressed the elevator button.

Ding.

The door slid open.

Together, the four entered the elevator.

The doors slid shut.

...

At the Locker Room — 6:00 PM

The locker room was crowded with boys from Class D.

Voices echoed loudly across the room. Some students leaned against lockers.

Others complained openly.

Ashir scoffed from the side. "We were told to gather here and nobody’s even here."

Juro adjusted his glasses calmly. "It would appear whoever summoned us is late."

Riven stepped forward slightly. "Everyone calm down. I’m sure there’s a rea—"

A large blue translucent screen suddenly flickered into existence behind him.

Everyone froze.

Riven immediately stepped forward and joined the rest of the students.

The screen glitched once.

Then twice.

It stabilized, revealing the upper half of a man, the image cutting off around his torso.

He wore a smooth, pale-white mask with an almost human face. Its narrow eyes curved upward, framed by raised eyebrows that gave it a permanently amused expression.

But the most noticeable feature was its huge black smile, stretching unnaturally across the lower half of the mask.

White hair was slicked back from his forehead, with a few loose strands falling beside the mask.

He wore a formal black suit over a dark gray shirt and black tie, with white gloves covering his hands.

The entire room straightened instinctively.

The masked man placed a gloved hand against his chest and bowed his head lightly.

"Good evening, everyone."

His voice was smooth and gentlemanly, with a playful edge.