The woman had a large mole on her face, covering a noticeable portion of her cheek.
Ava slowly turned her head.
Her smile was extremely polite.
"Aunty Big Mole," she said sweetly.
"Is that how you became a dishwasher? No—sorry, a cleaner in this school? Because you wasted your future?"
The kitchen slowly went quiet.
Ava continued washing a plate calmly.
"Instead of studying, it seems the beatings your parents gave you only ruined your looks."
She tilted her head slightly as if thinking deeply.
"I was wondering how a parent could give birth to an ogre."
"Oh… so that's why."
"You got your look from all the beatings."
She sighed dramatically.
"But don't worry. I won't end up like you."
"Unlike someone with poor parents who couldn't enjoy life and ended up as a salted fish working in a kitchen…"
"I can enjoy my life."
"So keep your advice for your own children."
Her tone remained polite and calm, but every word was sharp enough to cut skin.
"You—!"
The woman slammed a bowl down.
"How dare you, rude child! I'll beat you!"
"Don't you have respect? Calling me Mole Lady when you have a mole too!"
Another female chief, who was calmly cutting vegetables nearby already use to the two arguing, glanced over.
"Well… hers isn't covering half her face like yours, is it?"
The kitchen fell silent again.
Ava slowly lifted a knife.
Then she stabbed it into the wooden counter.
THUNK.
The sound made the woman swallow her next words.
Ava smiled sweetly.
"Respect is earned."
"If you give me shit, I don't care if you're an adult, elder, teen, or child."
"I'll give you the same energy back."
"So keep your disappointment and lectures for someone who actually needs them."
"Got it?"
The woman said nothing.
Ava simply turned around and continued washing dishes like nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, Matthew had reached the boys' dormitory building.
The dormitory was modern and well maintained, like everything else in the expensive private school.
His room was on the third floor.
When he opened the door, a spacious dorm room greeted him.
It was designed for eight students.
Two bunk beds stood near the balcony windows, allowing sunlight to pour into that side of the room. Between those beds were two tall wooden wardrobes for storage.
Across from them were two more bunk beds facing the first pair. Another two wardrobes stood between them as well.
Each bed had a small desk and chair beside it, along with a reading lamp.
The floor was polished wood, clean enough to reflect light from the windows. The air smelled faintly of laundry detergent and fresh air.
The balcony doors were slightly open, letting in a cool breeze.
Everything was neat.
Matthew walked toward one of the empty beds and placed his bag down.
He unpacked quietly, arranging his belongings neatly inside the wardrobe.
Just as he finished, the dorm door suddenly opened.
Two boys walked in.
The moment one of them saw Matthew, he froze.
"Wow," the boy muttered.
"A new dorm member."
Then he leaned closer to his friend and whispered loudly,
"Fuck… this one is hot. I almost turned gay."
His friend immediately elbowed him.
"Idiot."
Then he smiled politely.
"Don't mind him."
"My name is Jay."
He pointed at his friend.
"And this idiot is Rick."
Rick raised a hand casually.
"There are five more roommates," Jay continued.
"Felix."
"Philip."
"Big V—that's just his nickname."
"Little Green, because he dyed his hair green his real name is kai."
"And Baldy… well, that one explains itself but he isn't real bald just unique for having low cut his name is Derek."
Matthew nodded slightly.
"I'm Matthew."
"I'm a half-time student."
Rick suddenly clapped his hands.
"Why don't we celebrate the new roommate?"
"I'm starving anyway."
"Let's go to the cafeteria. It's on me."
He looked at Matthew expectantly.
Matthew thought for a moment.
He was actually hungry.
"Sure."
When the school bell rang for break time, students immediately flooded toward the cafeteria.
The cafeteria was huge—large enough to hold hundreds of students at once.
Long rows of tables filled the center of the hall, while the buffet counters stretched across one entire wall.
The smell of food filled the air.
Students chatted loudly, laughed, argued, and lined up to grab their meals.
Meanwhile…
Behind the serving counter, Ava was working.
Or rather…
Pretending to work.
She lazily served food with a bored expression, not even bothering to look up at most students.
"Next."
"Next."
"Next."
She placed food on trays half-heartedly while ignoring complaints.
Rick and Jay finally reached the buffet line with Matthew.
"Order whatever you want," Rick said generously.
"I'll pay."
Ava grabbed a tray without even looking up.
Then suddenly—
She looked up.
Her eyes instantly sparkled
.
"Handsome!"
Her voice became sweet.
"You're here!"
Matthew blinked crazy girl he thought.
"You must have finished packing your room," Ava continued warmly.
"You must be tired. School life is stressful—you need lots of energy."
Before anyone could react, Ava started loading his tray with food.
And not just any food.
The best dishes.
The expensive ones.
The ones usually saved for evening study meals.
Matthew looked at the mountain of food.
"I can't finish this, and—"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Ava suddenly raised her hand dramatically.
"Don't worry!"
"I'll pay!"
She puffed her chest proudly.
"What kind of girl would I be if I let the guy pay?"
The cafeteria suddenly went silent.
Dozens of students turned their heads.
Everyone was staring at Ava.
Ava ignored them.
Matthew quietly took the tray and walked away to find a seat.
Meanwhile…
Rick and Jay stood there like statues.
Their brains had completely stopped processing what just happened.
Slowly, they turned toward Ava.
"…What?"
Ava's sweet smile instantly disappeared.
"What are you staring at?" she snapped.
"Order your food and get lost."
Rick and Jay's lips twitched.
They silently ordered their food.
Behind the counter, one of the male chiefs leaned toward Ava.
He lowered his voice.
"Crush?" he asked.
Ava nodded confidently.
The man looked toward Matthew.
"That one doesn't seem easy to get."
Ava smirked.
"Tsk."
"The harder it is…"
"The better."
She placed another tray down.
"When I finally date him, it will feel like eating the first strawberry you planted and nurtured yourself."
"Sweet."
"Perfect."
The chief shook his head slowly.
Then he silently lit an imaginary candle.
"For that poor guy."
"Hey dude… how do you know her?" Rick asked, leaning forward across the table with curiosity written all over his face.
Matthew looked up from his food slowly. His expression stayed calm, almost indifferent.
"I don't know her," he said.
Rick and Jay immediately exchanged looks.
Rick raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so."
"If you don't know her, why did she buy you food?" he continued, pointing at Matthew's tray with his chopsticks. "And look at this—yours is way better than ours."
Matthew glanced down at the food briefly before calmly taking another bite.
"I said I don't know her," he repeated, his voice steady.
"She was the one who followed me around and acted like my tour guide for the school."
He swallowed before adding lazily,
"Maybe she's trying to act like the good student she claimed she is."
Jay suddenly choked on his drink before letting out a laugh.
"Good student?"
"Ava?"
He shook his head in disbelief.
"Those two things shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence."
Rick nodded immediately, rubbing his arms as if he had goosebumps.
"Seriously. That gave me chills."
Matthew lifted one eyebrow slightly at their reactions.
Rick leaned forward again, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Maybe she has a crush on you."
He shrugged dramatically.
"I don't blame her though."
Then he winked.
"Even I'm starting to fall for you."
Matthew rolled his eyes and continued eating.
Jay snorted.
"You should stay away from her though," he said, resting his elbow on the table.
"She's basically the biggest troublemaker in this school."
Rick nodded enthusiastically.
"One week, thousands of problems."
Jay continued, lowering his voice like he was telling a scary story.
"Sometimes she acts like the devil."
"And don't be fooled by her face," Rick added quickly. "She looks delicate, but her hands are like iron."
Jay crossed his arms.
"She doesn't follow rules either."
"I heard she once made the principal cry because of her mouth."
Rick laughed loudly.
"That's why everyone here made a pact."
"Better get beaten by Ava than listen to her insults."
Matthew blinked once at the sudden flood of information.
"I see," he said calmly.
Then he went back to eating as if the conversation meant nothing to him.
Rick leaned back in his chair and stretched.
"Oh, and the funniest part?"
"She has a cousin who is the complete opposite of her."
Matthew looked up slightly.
"Really?"
Rick nodded.
"Yeah. Her cousin is basically the school princess."
"Sweet, gentle, polite… like an angel."
"Always helping people and doing good things for the school."
Matthew didn't reply.
He simply finished the rest of his food quietly.
Not far from them, inside the cafeteria kitchen…
Ava was standing by the sink, sleeves rolled up as she washed the last few plates.
Her movements were quick and practiced.
She had clearly done this many times before.
Every once in a while, she lifted her head and glanced toward the cafeteria hall.
Her eyes automatically found Matthew sitting at the table.
She watched him for a moment.
Then she sighed softly.
"Still have more punishment…" she muttered to herself.
When the cafeteria bell rang loudly, she finally untied her apron and removed the hairnet from her head.
Without looking back again, she left the cafeteria.
Later that afternoon…
Inside Grade 12 – Class 2, the classroom was filled with noisy chatter.
Some students were talking.
Some were on their phones.
Others were laughing loudly.
Then the classroom door suddenly opened.
The teacher walked in.
"Alright, quiet down."
The noise slowly faded.
"We have a new student today."
He turned toward the door.
"Please come in."
Matthew stepped inside the classroom.
The moment he entered, the room became silent.
Several students stared at him openly.
Some girls whispered to each other.
Matthew walked to the front of the classroom calmly, his posture straight and relaxed.
"Matthew Carter," he said simply.
His voice was quiet but clear.
After that, he didn't say anything else.
He just turned and walked toward an empty seat.
He chose a seat near the back.
Third row from the end.
By the window.
The middle seat.
He placed his bag down and sat there quietly, as if the curious stares around him didn't exist.
The teacher clapped his hands once, drawing the students' wandering attention back to the front.
"Okay. Now that I have everyone's attention."
He glanced briefly toward Matthew before looking back at the class.
"Everyone has already been introduced to the new student."
He placed one hand on the desk and continued in a serious tone.
"You are now in your final year of high school, so you need to study hard if you want to pass your final exams."
A few students sighed quietly.
The teacher ignored them and continued.
"And don't forget, you will also be representing our school in competitions."
He paused for a moment before adding,
"Our school doesn't focus only on academics."
"We also emphasize extracurricular activities."
"You will all be assigned to clubs and activities."
"And you must attend your extra classes and study sessions."
"No skipping."
"If you miss them, you will lose points."
He straightened his papers and nodded to himself.
"I've said my piece."
"See you later."
Without waiting for a response, the teacher turned and walked out of the classroom.
The moment the door closed, the quiet room instantly burst back into life.
Students began chatting again.
Chairs scraped against the floor.
Someone in the back started laughing loudly.
Matthew calmly opened his bag and took out his textbooks as if the noise around him didn't exist.
The boy sitting beside him suddenly leaned slightly toward him.
"Hi," he said with an easy smile. "I'm Felix."
Matthew turned his head to look at him.
Felix wore the same school uniform as everyone else, but unlike Matthew's neat appearance, his shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a black inner shirt underneath.
His tie hung loosely, and his relaxed posture made it clear he wasn't the type to strictly follow school rules.
Matthew studied him for a moment before asking calmly,
"Felix… do you stay in Dormitory Four, third floor?"
Felix blinked.
Then he slowly tilted his head in confusion.
"How do you know that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Are you a mind reader?"
Matthew calmly reached into his bag and pulled out another textbook.
"New roommate," he said simply.
Felix froze for a second.
Then realization hit him.
"Oh!"
Before he could continue speaking, another student suddenly walked up to the teacher's podium at the front of the classroom.
He tapped the microphone dramatically.
"Attention! Attention!"
Some students groaned.
"You all know me," he continued proudly. "I'm your class monitor."
"So listen carefully."
"If you want to pick a club, do it quickly."
"You need them for participation points."
He began counting on his fingers.
"We have the basketball team, swimming club, computer club, book club, dance club, singing club, art club, community club, cooking club, and many others."
He leaned casually against the podium.
"Oh—and for those of you who keep asking when you will be divided into science and art classes…"
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Just give up."
"Our school teaches both science and art subjects to everyone."
"Some students choose their future path because of peer pressure, some because of their parents, and some simply because they don't know what they want or lack of passion."
"So the school decided to cover both systems which may benefit you if you don't want to do science again you can write the art exam if you dont want art you can study science and it won't be hard as you would have already learn it too or you can write both ."
A few students muttered complaints under their breath.
The class monitor ignored them.
He stretched lazily and continued.
"And outside school clubs, we students also form our own student groups for fun."
"You know… to actually enjoy life instead of studying all the time."
He grinned mischievously.
The class monitor leaned against the podium, folding his arms as he looked around the noisy classroom.
"Oh, and there's something else you should all know."
He pointed lazily around the room.
"Students from the five classes don't exactly see eye to eye."
Some students chuckled knowingly.
"So watch what you say when you talk to people from other classes."
"And try to avoid fights."
He shrugged.
"Though we all know fights happen anyway."
He began counting on his fingers.
"Class One brags about having the brains and wealth."
"Class Two—that's us—brags that we're also smart, good with different languages, and some of us are even influencers."
Someone in the back raised their hand proudly while the class laughed.
The class monitor continued.
"Class Three calls themselves the art gods."
"They win talent shows and represent the school in art competitions."
"Class Four brags about sports."
"They're good at athletics and even science experiments."
He paused before smirking.
"And Class Five…"
"Well, we all know what Class Five brags about."
"Being the richest."
"Being the stars of every show."
"Throwing the best parties."
"Though I admit they're actually good at history too."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"And some of them even brag about meeting hybrids in other cities."
"Since hybrids are extremely rare in this city."
A few students murmured quietly at the word hybrid.
"They also brag about doing extreme sports and living their best lives outside school."
He shrugged dramatically.
"And honestly… we should all agree they do live pretty well."
Then he quickly added,
"And I'm definitely not saying this because I have a crush on their female class monitor who keeps avoiding me."
Several students burst out laughing.
"She doesn't like boys like you!" someone shouted from the back.
The class erupted with laughter.
The class monitor pointed accusingly toward the voice.
"Hey! Mind your business!"
More laughter followed.