—

  —

  A week had passed since the in-class voting. As I approached the classroom, I noticed a familiar figure waiting by the door, clearly hoping to run into either Hazel or me.

  Seeing me, he straightened up.

  “Sullivan, you're here early,” I remarked.

  “I wanted to get started as soon as possible. I accept your request to join the election team as secretary,” he said, extending his hand.

  “Welcome to the team,” I replied, shaking his hand.

  “So what now?” he asked.

  “We need a member from Class 3,” I responded, taking a small step back and resting against the wall.

  “That'll be tricky since Cohen has barred all recruitment,” he noted, crossing his arms thoughtfully.

  “When did you find this out?” I asked.

  “Just so you are aware, I’m very close with Tomiko,” Sullivan said with a hint of pride.

  “I see. Tell me about her,” I prompted.

  “What's there to say except that she is an awesome and capable individual?” He replied, smiling slightly.

  “How about meeting her yourself?” he suggested.

  “A meeting with Tomiko,” I mused. It seemed reasonable and could offer insight.

  “You have a plan to recruit a Class 3 member?” Sullivan asked, steering the conversation back.

  “Hazel has that covered,” I said, half expecting to see Hazel pop up at any second as I glanced down the hallway. I didn't have all the details, but I trusted Hazel's resourcefulness.

  Pleased, Sullivan nodded. “Alright, I have to head back to class.”

  “Before you go, I need your number,” I said, taking out my phone.

  We exchanged numbers quickly. With a final nod, he walked away, his footsteps echoing softly.

  —

  —

  After completing a few assignments and a quick study session,

  “Who is it?” I groaned, rolling over, hoping the visitor would leave. Instead, the person kept banging against the door like a megalomaniac.

  “God damn it,” I muttered as I slouched out of bed, my footsteps heavy with reluctance. The incessant knocking continued. I had a rough idea of who it was by this point.

  “Can you stop?” I said as I opened the door, only to have Kailey push her way in without hesitation.

  “Marcus, can you believe what happened at school today?” She exclaimed, ignoring my question.

  “No, I can’t. Maybe if you tell me, I’ll have an opinion,” I replied dryly, watching as she plopped onto my bed.

  “Alright, so there’s this girl, Queen. We don’t really talk—just different friend groups. Anyway, yesterday she suddenly told me that some guy she knows is into me,” Kailey blurted out.

  “Hold on,” I interrupted, raising a hand. “Is this about romance?”

  “Yes. I don’t want to talk about it with anyone in class. Usually, I’d tell Riley or Noah, but with the time zone difference, it’s a hassle. So, you’re the next best option,” she clarified.

  I checked my phone—just past eight, meaning it was about 7 a.m. back home.

  “Wow, I feel honoured to be on your love-talk list,” I said sarcastically.

  She grabbed my pillow and flung it at my face. “Shut up, okay? Let me continue. Right now, I don’t even know who the guy is.”

  “So, you want me to help you figure it out?” I leaned against the doorframe.

  “What? No, I can do that on my own. And again, shut up,” she shot back, rolling her eyes.

  I let her continue, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, facing her.

  “I didn’t want to talk about this with classmates so it wouldn’t spread to him. Then Queen mentioned that one of her friends has a crush on the same guy. Can you see where I’m going with this, Marcus?” Kailey exclaimed, making wild gestures and messing up my bed even more.

  “You’re happy because you’re in the perfect position to cause drama,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

  “That. And I’m caught in a love triangle. I have the power to determine its outcome,” she replied, her eyes gleaming with wicked delight.

  I shook my head as she burst into laughter, sounding like an unhinged sociopath. Amused, I pulled out my phone and recorded her manic moment.

  “Can you stop recording me?” She giggled, trying to cover her face.

  “Just admit you don’t want your friends to see you like this,” I said, putting the phone aside after getting what I needed.

  “Maybe,” she muttered. “Anyway, any ideas on how I can make this juicy?” She picked up the pillow she had thrown, clutching it firmly. “I could say I like him and actually steal him away from Queen’s friend.”

  “Are you some kind of supervillain? Stop that,” I said, arching an eyebrow.

  “Any suggestions on what I should do?” she asked again, eyes full of mischief.

  “Don’t do anything crazy that’ll lead to trouble,” I warned.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “But that would be boring. I could stretch this out for as long as possible. This is so good!” she exclaimed, laughing and kicking her legs in delight as wild ideas ran through her head.

  “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Congrats on winning the nomination for student council president,” Kailey added casually.

  “So, you only just remembered,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

  “Are you hurt? Huh? Sorry, okay?” She teased with a pout before sticking out her tongue. I scoffed and moved to sit at my desk instead of beside her.

  “I did say I’d help you campaign in the junior levels, so leave that to me,” she grinned, giving me a thumbs-up.

  “If you say so. Now, is that all you came here for?” I asked, crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair.

  “You want to kick me out that badly? What an older brother you are,” she said mockingly, standing up and heading for the door.

  “That’s right, you haven’t spoken to Dad since we arrived, have you? He said you should call once a week,” she added, turning back.

  “He can be a worrywart sometimes. I’ll call him later,” I murmured, running a hand through my hair. Although it was reasonable that he would want me to call, he could have called me himself if he was really that concerned.

  Kailey sighed and stepped out.

  “KAILEY, COME BACK AND CLOSE THE DOOR!” I shouted, but my demon of a sister had already disappeared down the hallway, leaving it wide open.

  Muttering under my breath, I got up to close it. I’d get her back for this, no doubt. As I returned to my bed, I couldn’t help but wonder what chaos her love triangle drama would bring. Life with Kailey was never boring, that was for sure.

  —

  —

  I waited in the green area, the cold winter air nipping at my cheeks. Drumming my fingers on the wooden table, I scanned the sparse surroundings. Finally, Hazel emerged from the pathway, walking briskly toward us.

  “Always late, Hazel,” I teased.

  She rolled her eyes but smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Got held up, that's all.” Her breath was visible in the cold air as she turned to Sullivan and extended a hand. “Great to have you on the team.”

  “The pleasure is mine,” Sullivan replied, shaking her hand firmly. “Now then, you called a meeting, but we’re still down a member.”

  “That's what this meeting is about,” Hazel stated as she took a seat and took a folder out of her bag. “I found a potential candidate.” With a hint of excitement, she placed the folder on the table and looked up into my eyes.

  Wait, she actually made documentation for this? I glanced at Sullivan, but he didn’t seem surprised. Was I the only one who found this odd?

  “That must have been difficult,” Sullivan remarked, leaning in.

  “It was,” Hazel admitted, flipping open the folder. “Her name is Harley Sherman. In terms of academic ranking, she is in the bottom half, and I am not exactly sure about her skills, but she is the only one I could strike up a conversation with this past week.”

  “So Cohen's strategy is very effective,” I remarked, annoyance creeping into my voice. Hazel nodded solemnly.

  “I hate to admit it, but yes. There’s no strict deadline for forming teams, but the sooner, the better,” she said, tapping the folder.

  “We’re meeting her now, then?” I asked, starting to stand.

  “No, that’s the issue,” Hazel said, stopping me. “We have to wait until next week.”

  “Next week?” Sullivan echoed, his expression darkening into a frown.

  “Yep,” Hazel sighed. “She’s in the tennis club, and they have a three-day tournament at Katsushika. They leave tomorrow. She asked us to wait until she’s back and rested before talking to her.”

  “Disappointing. How did your conversation with her go?” I asked. Hazel took a deep breath before recounting her story.

  “I first spoke to her in the library the day after in-class voting began,” Hazel began.

  “Are you sure Cohen didn’t plant her there?” I asked.

  “No, I’ve seen her there often,” Hazel reassured me. “I approached her when she wasn’t busy and asked about her books. At first, she seemed uncomfortable, but she eventually opened up.” She rested her hand on her face, recalling the moment.

  “Since then, I’ve been visiting the library daily to chat with her—mostly about books and movies, nothing school-related.” Her approach was simple but clever.

  “Yesterday, she caught me off guard and asked if I was only talking to her to recruit her. I told her I appreciated her company but also saw her as a potential candidate. That’s when she said we could talk more after she returns.” Hazel paused.

  “What do you think?” She glanced at Sullivan and me.

  “The fact that she’s open to talking is a good sign,” Sullivan said, drumming his fingers on the table.

  “Plus, her reaction to the matter does seem genuine,” I added.

  “Exactly. She doesn’t seem like Cohen planted her,” Hazel said.

  “So, what’s the consensus?” Sullivan asked, glancing between us.

  “We recruit her,” I said firmly.

  “I’ve already decided,” Hazel nodded. “Sullivan?”

  “I agree,” he confirmed.

  “Alright. Let us know as soon as she returns,” I told Hazel, who nodded.

  “If there’s nothing else, we’re done here,” I said, standing up. Hazel and Sullivan gathered their things, and we exchanged goodbyes. I watched as they disappeared into the bustling campus.

  —

  —

  Monday. My phone buzzed as I got ready for school. One glance at the caller ID told me what to expect.

  “Hey, Dad,” I said, putting him on speaker while buttoning my shirt.

  “Kiddo, how have you been? It's been some time,” he said in his deep, familiar voice. Through the phone, I could practically hear the sneer on his face.

  “I’m great, Dad. And yeah, I know I haven’t been the best at keeping in touch,” I admitted.

  “At least you’re aware of that,” he laughed. “Like gosh, kid, your old man misses you.”

  “I’m sorry, I really am,” I said, brushing lint off my sleeve.

  “I probably called at a bad time, huh?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’m getting ready for class.”

  “I see. Then I’ll make it quick—I won’t be able to come for Kailey’s birthday,” he said, surprising me.

  “Why though?” I asked, pausing.

  “Let’s just say work has me tied up,” he sighed.

  “I see. Have you told her yet?”

  “No, not yet.”

  I knew Kailey would be disappointed—she adored Dad. On March 28th, she would turn thirteen, and for her age, she was surprisingly mature.

  “I got her an early gift to soften the blow—tickets to Universal Studios for both of you,” he said.

  “Damn, thanks. She’ll love it,” I said, grinning.

  Dad laughed, clearly pleased with himself. “That should satisfy her for now. Now, how have you been?”

  “You already asked that,” I chuckled.

  “Marcus?” he said, his voice more serious.

  “I’m running for student council president,” I shared.

  “That’s wonderful!” he exclaimed.

  “Why are you acting all surprised? I’m sure Kailey already told you about it,” I remarked, rolling my eyes.

  “Well, yeah, but it’s good hearing it from you,” he admitted.

  “I was going to lecture you about the unnecessary need for repetition, but I’m going to spare you this time,” I smirked.

  “Thank you, my humble son,” he joked, and we both laughed.

  “Dad, I have to go,” I said, grabbing my bag.

  “Alright, but call more often and update me on your campaign,” he reminded me.

  “I will, no promises,” I said, hanging up.

  Hearing his voice was nice. I knew I should call more, but for some reason, that kind of connection never seemed to happen with us. With Mom, though…

  I stopped myself from going down that road and packed my things.

  Opening the door, I bumped into Ozawa, who was heading out as well.

  “Morning, Marcus,” he said, adjusting his backpack.

  “Morning, Chikao,” I said as I closed my door, addressing him by his first name. As we walked down the hallway, memories from the weekend resurfaced.

  Near the academic section entrance, we spotted Diya and Hazel.

  “Marcus. And Chikao?” Diya said, a hint of confusion in her voice. Of course, she would be on a first-name basis with him.

  “If you're confused, the thing is, we are both neighbours,” Chikao swiftly clarified.

  “Oh, that makes sense,” she said, accepting his explanation.

  I glanced over to Hazel, who waved at me. I responded with a nod.

  As we walked together, Hazel and I naturally fell behind Diya and Chikao as we got closer to the academic area, giving us a chance to talk privately.

  “I’m always surprised by how many people Diya knows,” Hazel remarked with an unchanging expression.

  “Jealous someone might steal your best friend?” I teased, nudging her.

  “Not at all. It’s just exhausting stopping every few steps so she can greet people,” Hazel sighed, and then her expression grew serious. “Anyways, Harley’s back. She texted me to meet in the library after school. I’m inviting you too.”

  “I’ll text Sullivan,” I said, reaching for my phone.

  “No need. I already did—he hasn’t responded yet,” she said, looking troubled.

  “Alright then,” I said, pocketing my phone.

  Chikao and Diya stopped ahead, waiting for us to catch up.

  “This is where I leave you,” Chikao said, pointing to the Year 12 building.

  “Great bumping into you, Chikao,” Diya said cheerfully. He waved at Hazel, who returned the gesture, and I nodded goodbye before he headed off.

  The three of us—Diya, Hazel, and I—continued toward our building. As Diya chatted excitedly about her latest project, Hazel and I exchanged a knowing glance, already planning our strategy for the meeting with Harley.