The back door Luke had slammed shut in a hurry was still swaying a little, and then the wind pushed it until it clicked fully closed.
The classroom went quiet again, and the last sunlight reflected onto the floor and cut it into blocks of light and shadow.
It felt like three different traces were still hanging in the air: Lina's fast, angry breathing, Jasper's heavy breaths from shame, and Luke's clean, faint scent.
Seraphina straightened up and walked to the window, and she used the glass that showed a blurry reflection to fix her spotless uniform collar.
She made sure every fold was flat the way it should be.
"Perfect"
She walked out of the classroom that had just served as her little stage.
The hallway was empty and dim, and the heels of her black Mary Jane shoes tapped the floor in a crisp rhythm.
It almost sounded like the final beat at the end of a show.
Her phone had been vibrating nonstop, so she took it out and glanced at the screen.
Unread message badges stacked up in layers, and they kept popping in like they were racing each other.
All kinds of men sent concern, and the way they wrote was humble like dogs begging for scraps.
"Seraphina, I heard Leo from Class 8 is bothering you again. Are you okay?"
"Love, are you in a bad mood today? I ordered your favorite dessert."
"Are you free tonight? I know a new French restaurant."
…
A few besties also messaged the group chat, and it was the usual stuff about some new salon or some so-called socialite gathering, asking her to go waste time with them.
She scrolled with her thumb and skimmed those boring lines packed with flattery and desire, but none of it actually stayed in her head.
She picked a few chats that looked acceptable and replied, just for show.
To the basketball team guy, she sent a cute cat sticker.
I'm a bit tired today, thanks for checking on me~
To the rich kid whose family did real estate, she added:
Bad timing, I already have plans tonight. Next time.
To her friends, she sent a selfie she had taken on purpose under perfect lighting, and she wrote:
Something came up at school. You girls go have fun first.
As for the rest, she left them on read like stones dropped into the sea.
When she finished, Seraphina locked her phone.
The dark screen reflected her smiling face.
So boring.
These easy-to-get favors were boring, and those women who only filled their empty lives with luxury brands and gossip were boring too.
Their lives were like plain water loaded with too much sweetener, and all that was left was the sickly sweetness.
Today's little drama was way more fun.
To be honest, the moment that stupid Lina blocked her in the hallway, Seraphina's expectations for the show dropped to almost zero.
She already knew how it would go, step by step.
Lina would lose it, Jasper would panic, and Seraphina would guide him a little until that pathetic guilt beat his loyalty to his girlfriend.
Then the two would blow up, and they would split ugly.
The script was old and stale.
Seraphina didn't even feel like giving it more facial expressions.
If she had to rate it, she'd give it a three, and that was being generous.
But once Luke got involved, everything took a turn.
He switched from total panic to total calm in a clean snap, and then he tore the whole mess apart with clear, layered points while he controlled the pace.
He barged in like an actor who didn't follow the script, and he forced the ending to change in a way Seraphina never expected.
Because he showed up, this cheap fight that was only about jealousy and possessiveness suddenly turned into a clash of logic and being decent.
She watched Lina's face twist as she wanted to argue but couldn't, and she watched Jasper's stupid look as his thoughts got exposed and he couldn't stand himself.
Yeah.
That did entertain her.
So the final score could go from a three to a nine.
A few streetlights on the main campus road were already on, and they gave off a hazy yellow glow.
The night wind lifted Seraphina's smooth hair, and her sharp side profile was pretty enough to make passing guys miss a heartbeat.
"Sera!"
Jasper ran over, panting, and he called out in a rush.
"Wait up, Sera."
She stopped walking.
Jasper rushed up in front of her, still breathing hard, and sweat was stuck on his forehead while that eager, boot-licking look showed on his face.
A bright red mark stood out on his left cheek, and the outline of five fingers was clear.
Oh?
Looks like he got slapped plenty after he chased her.
Seraphina's eyes moved off his swollen face, and a quick hint of amusement flashed.
"Jasper? Why are you… your face…"
Her voice was full of fake concern and worry.
Jasper's chest kept heaving from the sprint, but he didn't care about his face. Instead, he announced it loud like he was presenting a prize.
"I broke up with her! Sera! Me and Lina, we're done for good! I told her… I told her I like you!"
Hmm. His follow-through was decent.
Seraphina looked at him as he practically begged for praise, and her perfect smile stayed locked in place.
She tilted her head and spoke in the softest, sweetest voice she could make.
"Is that so?"
Her voice sounded sweet like honey, but it hit like poison.
"So you handled the trouble that made me mad?"
"Yeah! I handled it!" He nodded hard, and his eyes were full of hope.
Hope for what?
For her to be surprised?
For her to hug him?
For them to finally be together out in the open?
Seraphina took a small step back.
"Then tell me, what use is a guy who can't even calm down his own girlfriend, and who needs to let her smear other classmates just to dump her jealousy?"
As she spoke, her long lashes curled up thick, and she looked like a pretty demon acting innocent.
"What use is he?"
Jasper's hopeful face froze.
The excitement turned into a mask that looked ridiculous.
He couldn't understand what he just heard, and he couldn't accept it either.
"W-what… what do you mean? Sera, what are you saying?"
"I mean."
Seraphina kept smiling, and her syrupy voice stayed sweet enough to make legs go weak.
"I don't have patience for toys once I'm bored of them."
"Listen, if you don't want my family's bodyguards to break your legs and throw you out of Mistvale city, then try not to talk to me too much from now on, okay~"
She finished with that last knife, and then she turned around and walked off.
The wind carried the scent from her hair tips as it brushed past, and it felt like silent mockery.
She walked away with light steps while she hummed some little tune, and then her blue-and-white uniform back melted into the deeper darkness by the school gate like she had never been there.
Jasper stood under the streetlight like an idiot, and the night wind only made him feel colder and colder.
The swollen cheek that had been slapped numb finally started throbbing with sharp, late pain.
…
Seraphina's mood wasn't as easy as the tune she hummed.
Breaking couples up was just a game she used to kill boredom.
She liked watching lovers who swore they were unbreakable, and she liked seeing how they cracked and showed the weakest, ugliest parts once she got involved.
She enjoyed the thrill of being the other woman, and she enjoyed watching solid relationships split open under her influence.
But Jasper and Lina had zero challenge.
She only smiled at him a couple extra times and handed him a few bottles of water, and he was already restless and desperate to slip his girlfriend's leash.
Compared to the model couple she split up in senior year, this one took almost half the time.
Boring.
No satisfaction at all.
When she reached the school gate, a black Bentley was already parked at the curb.
The driver saw her right away, got out, and opened the back door for her with respect.
The car moved smoothly through the city's evening rush.
Outside the window, neon lights were just coming on, and the streets were bright with color.
Seraphina leaned into the soft leather seat, and her thoughts drifted back to that thin boy with the black-framed glasses.
If last time, when he used that sharp logic in class to chase off Leo, it could still be explained as a coward blurting out something smart under extreme fear, then fine. That could be luck.
Once could be an accident.
But what about today?
Under pressure from two idiots throwing accusations at him, he first played the part of a panicking bumpkin who couldn't speak straight.
Then, when he realized he couldn't leave and they kept pushing him, he switched right away into a calm judge with sharp words.
After they left, he switched back again with zero awkwardness, and he ran off from her with a red face like a clumsy idiot.
Could that still be an accident?
No way.
That acting was good.
It was smooth, and it was believable.
It was so good that even she got fooled.
Seraphina had never run into something this new before.
No matter how men tried to pretend, their eyes, their desire, and those stupid little thoughts always showed, and she could see through them at a glance.
To Seraphina, they were all books laid open, filled with obvious words.
But Luke…
He was a locked book, and the pages were written in a code she couldn't read.
Still~
Her fingertips tapped the window without her noticing.
Outside, the city's neon pulled long streaks of light across her eyes.
Seraphina's smile turned real, and it turned dangerous.
The cold logic he used to fight back and the timid acting he used to hide were clearly two different systems.
One was offense, and one was defense.
Did he really think he could erase everything just by switching back to defense the moment the attack ended?
Too naive.
No matter how well he hid it, he would slip sooner or later.
"Hehehe…. I finally grabbed your tail"