Aria walked to the center of the courtyard where all the students had gathered, waiting for her.
It was different from yesterday.
No murmurs, no arguments—only silence. Every eye was on her.
Aria smiled faintly. She brought her palms together in a respectful bow.
"Thank you for coming. This proves that you have the heart to work hard for our school, and I am happy to see it," she said warmly.
At that moment, the girl who had accused her the day before—claiming Aria had destroyed KHSS—stepped forward.
She, too, joined her palms and bowed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You're working hard for our school. I was late to understand it, but now I'm ready to work hard too."
The weight lifted from Aria's chest. Confidence surged through her veins. For the first time, she felt no obstacles standing in her way. Now, her only goal was to prove to Zorvath that he was wrong.
A proud smile touched her lips. She turned to the students.
"Batch leaders—come with me." She pointed toward a classroom, the one assigned to Batch Five. Then, raising her voice, she continued, "Everyone else, return to your classes."
Without hesitation, the crowd shifted. Aria began walking toward the room, and behind her, the six leaders followed—Danvy, Mirzad, Rithul, Lolan, Ruby, and Leo. Seven figures in total, stepping into what would soon become the heart of KHSS's next chapter.
Aria was the first to step into the classroom assigned to Batch Five. Danvy followed close behind.
The moment Aria saw her, she couldn't hold back her excitement. She rushed over, grabbed Danvy's hands, and bounced lightly on her feet.
"They listened to me!" she said in the cutest voice she could muster, eyes sparkling.
Danvy only smiled faintly, watching her with an unreadable expression. For a fleeting second, Aria looked like the most adorable child in the world.
Then Mirzand and Leo entered. They both smirked.
"Oh? Our great leader has turned into a little baby now," Leo teased.
Aria instantly dropped Danvy's hands and spun back around, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Rithul, Ruby, and Lolan entered one after another. Leo crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.
"They listened to you because of Zorvath's power," he said coolly.
Aria snapped her head toward him, pride flashing across her face.
"No. They listened to me because they believe in me. That's my power. What does it have to do with that stupid rowdy boy?"
Mirzand, Rithul, and Leo exchanged silent smiles at her fiery reply.
Before Aria could say more, Ruby swept forward and wrapped her in a soft hug.
"Congrats. You did a nice job," Ruby said, her voice warm and sweet.
Aria's heart swelled. At least someone was openly supporting her.
Lolan chimed in with a gentle nod. "Yes, it's completely your talent. Zorvath just challenged you because he believed you couldn't do it. But you proved him wrong. You did great, Aria."
Her chest tightened with gratitude. Ruby and Lolan's support felt like solid ground under her feet. She glanced at Danvy—but, as always, Danvy remained still, her face unreadable.
Finally, Danvy spoke, her voice cold and direct. "So why did you call us here?"
Aria straightened, forcing her excitement down, and pulled a book from her bag. Flipping through the pages quickly, she gestured toward the desks.
"Yeah, yeah—sit, sit. Come on."
One by one, the leaders settled down, their eyes fixed on her, waiting to hear what she would say next.
Aria cleared her throat, trying to sound steady as everyone settled down. She stood at the front, neat and tidy as always—her uniform ironed sharp, hair tied cleanly, not a thread out of place.
"Yeah, the thing I called you all here for," she began, her voice carrying just enough weight to quiet the air, "is to remind us of our situation. We don't have teachers. We don't have study materials. The chairman promised me help, but after everything… he only managed to bring five or six pairs of books. That's it. We have to adjust."
The leaders exchanged glances.
"But this one week—" Aria leaned forward, her palms flat on the desk in front of her, eyes shining, "we can't waste it. We won't pressure the students too much, but each of you needs to start teaching basics to your batch. When I checked their test papers, I saw it clearly—some of them don't even know what we consider simple. But we do. So let's share what we know."
She paused, her expression softening. "If you hit a problem, Rahan sir said we can bring him doubts. If you don't know something—don't panic. You're students too. Just learn alongside them. Don't pressure yourselves. Don't pressure them. Just grow."
The room was silent. For once, even Leo's lips weren't moving.
Aria straightened, her voice lifting again. "From today, every student must bring at least one thing to class—a piece of paper, a pen, anything. No excuses. And for today, we'll have class until afternoon only. After lunch…" Her smile widened, eyes glowing with excitement. "…we're reopening the sports area. You batch leaders will be responsible for guiding your groups there. Let them play. Let them breathe. KHSS is coming back alive."
Her words hung in the air like sparks.
Ruby—dressed in her pastel cardigan dotted with small heart-shaped pins, a pink hairband perched cutely on her head—clapped her hands softly. "That's so sweet, Aria! You're amazing. Everyone will love this plan." She leaned closer, hugging Aria's arm with her usual sweetness.
Lolan—his shirt half unbuttoned at the top, trying too hard to look casual—jumped in quickly. "She's right. You're brilliant, Aria. Honestly, this idea—it's pure talent. Only you could think of this." His eyes lingered a little too long, searching for her approval.
Aria laughed lightly, brushing it off.
At the back, Mirzand adjusted the heavy gold chain around his neck. His fingers played with the rings stacked across both hands, his shirt unbuttoned halfway to reveal a polished pendant glinting against his chest. His style was flashy, loud, but his voice, when he finally spoke, was calm. "It's ambitious. But… workable. If we push them too hard, they'll break. You're right—basics first."
Danvy leaned against her chair, arms folded, her jacket hanging loosely over her shoulders. Her ponytail was tied low, casual. "Fine," she muttered in her tomboy drawl. "Basics, sports. We'll see how it goes." She didn't say more—just gave Aria a nod that felt heavier than words.
Rithul, quiet and thoughtful, finally spoke. He wore his uniform properly, sleeves rolled up neatly, looking far more serious than the others. "She's correct. Sharing knowledge will work. Each student has gaps—we can fill them if we cooperate. If everyone agrees, I'll make a structure for lessons."
Leo stretched back in his chair, grinning. His shirt collar was open, tie loose, giving him a carefree, mischievous look. "Forget lessons," he said lazily, eyes sliding toward Aria. "I'll do whatever the queen of KHSS commands. You just point, and I'll follow."
"Leo!" Ruby pouted, swatting his arm.
Aria rolled her eyes but couldn't help a small laugh. "Stop flirting and start working."
The leaders' voices overlapped—agreement, teasing, curiosity. And in the middle of it all, Aria stood steady, her tidy frame glowing with a new kind of pride. For the first time, KHSS didn't feel like a sinking ship. It felt alive, and it was because of her.