Nova knocked on the instructor's door, and a voice immediately invited her in. Kaelen was seated, flipping through some documents. When he noticed Nova, he stood, grinning.
'What's up with him?'
Deliberately leaving the door wide open, Nova walked towards his desk.
"Where are you going? Sit there." Kaelen pointed at the couch with his thumb.
Nova stared at him, wondering how long this lecture would drag out. It was the third time that week she'd arrived late for school, so she hoped he wouldn't write a letter to her parents.
She sat on the green couch on the other side of the room, and afterwards, Kaelen went to close the door.
Even though it was a necessary step to avoid distraction, her body cringed at the thought of sitting in a closed room with a man. She frowned, rubbing her upper arm.
Witches aren't real, but as she stared icily at him, her gaze fixed on him as he moved, Kaelen suddenly hunched and began groaning. She was startled, but the next second, a flicker of dark satisfaction warmed her chest. She deliberately twisted her facial features, cooing, "Are you okay? Is it a backache?"
When Kaelen confirmed it was a backache, Nova went over. "I might be doing something unnecessary," she said, stooping.
"No. Much needed."
Kaelen wrapped his arm around Nova's shoulders, causing her neck to tighten. A surge of cold rushed through her skin as she wondered what kind of an adult he was, to be so forward with a female student. Either way, Nova planned to guide him to the couch and disappear from the office. This was the end of her meeting with Kaelen.
The moment she started moving, she felt Kaelen's hand gradually advancing to her cleavage.
'What?'
Nova immediately stopped and stared into the space for three seconds. Was she dealing with a lecher? Maybe she was simply too sensitive.
A second later, she resumed walking. Yet, the hand touched her cleavage once more. This wasn't something she could brush off as coincidence. She came to an abrupt halt and grabbed his arm, her hand trembling.
'I'll give you something more exciting than that.'
Tightly, she clenched her other hand into a fist. She thought that if she placed it well to his chin, it'd lead to a system crash, was a perfect discipline for a lecherous man.
As she was about to swing it, three series of bright light abruptly illuminated the vicinity. It was disorienting. Nova quickly pushed Kaelen away. When she squinted at the hallway, she saw a blonde girl standing and pointing her phone at them. She had a scornful smile, her eyes sharp and malicious, which immediately set a red flag in Nova. Nova recognized her as Orlyssa, a fellow second-year in a different class, known primarily for always being with boys. Nova adjusted her blazer before speaking. "What was that for? You think there was something inappropriate going on here?"
"Think? I'm not stupid." Orlyssa replied, brushing her bangs.
Nova bit her lip. As expected, Orlyssa had a dirty mind. It was incredibly difficult to convince a person whose mind was wired for lewd thoughts that a fire hydrant was just a fire hydrant. Since it was Kaelen who landed Nova into this situation, she shot daggers at him.
Kaelen picked up this overwhelming cue, responding to Orlyssa, "Are you sure you saw what you think you saw? Sometimes our eyes play tricks on us, especially when we're stressed about upcoming exams."
'Useless.' Nova audibly clicked her tongue, shooting Kaelen a side glance. She wondered whether that was the best an average adult could come up with.
Orlyssa ignored Kaelen and kept her gaze fixed on Nova. "Just picture the chaos when these photos hit the forum: 'Teacher getting with a student.'"
Nova glared at Orlyssa, growling, "What is your problem? We've never even had a spat." Since enrolling at this school, she had spent most of her time in solitary. It was infuriating that someone could simply show up from nowhere and threaten her peace. If Orlyssa posted the photo she took on the school forum, it'd definitely damage Nova's image with teachers, students, and her parents. Moreover, she might be expelled. The distance between Nova and Orlyssa was barely two metres. To prevent all this, Nova had to snatch the phone from Orlyssa. She unclenched her fist, then slightly leaned forward. However, it seemed like Orlyssa saw through her, since she followed up, "Calm down. Your real trouble hasn't even started."
Saying this, Orlyssa returned the phone to her blazer's pocket, before adding, "We'll chat after school. I'll be waiting by the gate this evening." As though satisfied, she walked away with a slow gait. For some reason, the way Orlyssa walked made a flush crawl up Nova's neck. Was she doing it deliberately?
Kaelen marched back to his desk. "Celeste, your tardiness is a conversation for later. As for this little show, don't concern yourself. Kids her age often say things just for effect. She was bluffing."
Nova clicked her tongue and left the office.
Her face had turned red, so she took a detour to the washroom to splash water on her face before returning to the classroom.