After Celine entered her new high school, she was astonished by the enormous number of students. The city's population was many times larger than that of the countryside, but she had never imagined that her school would be this crowded.
Amid the enormous crowd, Celine found it difficult to figure out where she was going, and she kept mixing up the places and paths. The school was extremely crowded, and she could not find her classroom, so she decided to look for an administrator or anyone who could guide her.
At this school, each age group wore uniforms in a different color from the others. This made it easy for Celine to identify students who were the same age as her. She approached one of the girls with a smile and asked:"
_Good morning, miss. I noticed that you're wearing the blue uniform, so I thought I'd ask you. Could you perhaps show me where Classroom 15 is?"
The girl gave her a mocking look and sneered:"
_What?! Are you sure you came to the wrong school? You're supposed to be going to elementary school, you idiot!! You can't even find a classroom, hahaha. Do you need 'Daddy's' help, little girl?"
Celine saw nothing funny about the situation. Besides, she was a new student here and had not attended the first year at this school like the others. Still, she preferred not to argue with someone like that.
However, the student continued mocking and laughing at her. Celine merely gave her a calm smile and was about to leave, but the girl grabbed her by the hand and stopped her.
Celine stared at her with a sharp look and said coldly:"
_Let go of me. I won't repeat myself."
The nasty student burst out laughing and replied mockingly:"
_Are you threatening me, you—"
Suddenly, a stern voice came from behind and interrupted her:"
_Carla Milstone, stop right there and leave the girl alone immediately."
The moment Carla recognized the voice, she became annoyed. She released Celine's hand and then hurried away to escape punishment.
Celine turned around to see who had spoken. It was a boy wearing the same uniform as the second-year students, just like her, with a golden badge pinned to his jacket. His features were refined and dignified, giving him an air of authority. His light brown hair shimmered under the sunlight, and his eyes, the same color as his hair, sparkled brightly.
The boy smiled and introduced himself:"
_Good morning. My name is Horselius Bryan, Head Boy. I'm a second-year student in Class Three. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss, and I apologize for what Carla did. Don't worry. She won't get away without being punished."
Celine felt relieved and introduced herself as well:"
_It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Celine Rosemond, a new student at this school. I'm also a second-year student in Class Three. Thank you for your help, Mr. Bryan—"
"Just call me Horselius," the boy interrupted with a smile.
Celine simply nodded while he continued speaking:"
_I'm glad we're in the same class, Celine. I look forward to studying with you."
_"Ah, haha, yes. Aaaah, by the way, could I ask you for... a favor?"
_"Go ahead. I'm the Head Boy, and my job is to guide the students and manage their behavior, so don't hesitate to ask me for anything."
_"Well... as you know, I'm new here... so... I don't know where to find our classroom."
_"Hahahaha, is that all? That's perfectly normal. Why do you look so nervous, as if you've committed a crime? Hahaha."
_"Actually... I asked that girl to show me the way, and her reaction was what you just saw."
_"Don't worry about it, Celine. That idiot was making fun of you over something like that?! What terrible manners. I'll make sure she learns her lesson. I promise."
_"Thank you for your kindness."
_"You're welcome. Come on, let's go to our classroom."
_"Okay."
Although what had happened was completely unexpected, Celine had ultimately met a kind boy. He was also the Head Boy, so no one would dare bother her while he was around.
As they walked, Horselius explained the school's principles and rules to her. He also gave her a brief tour, showing her the other classrooms and the places where they were located.
As they walked, everyone stared at them strangely. When Horselius noticed that Celine was becoming uncomfortable with the situation, he said with a laugh:"
_"Don't pay any attention to them. They don't know you, so they're acting like this. I'll introduce you to our classmates once the lesson starts."
He paused for a moment, then leaned closer to her ear and whispered:"
_Besides, it's not usually my habit to accompany girls on tours around the school."
Celine did not know how to respond to that. He winked at her, then continued talking about the school rules.
Only a few minutes later, the bell rang, and the two of them entered Classroom 15. Horselius asked Celine to sit beside him, but she found his behavior suspicious. When he realized what she was thinking, he burst out laughing:"
_Hahahaha, don't be afraid. I don't have any bad intentions, Celine. I was only joking with you when we were talking in the courtyard. But I wasn't lying about what I said. My deputy is usually the one who takes the girls around. You'll meet her soon. Girls always understand each other, so I chose a girl to be my deputy. When I'm not around, you can ask her for any help you need. Now, please, take a seat."
Celine sighed and replied:"
_You're a strange person."
_"You're the first person to ever say that to me. Hahaha."
_"You seem much more cheerful than serious, and yet everyone is afraid of you and respects you."
_"I simply do my job properly, that's all. I've always tried to put an end to violence in this school, but there are so many people like Carla in every class that it makes my job difficult. Aaaah, if only sneezing were true and there could be many more people like you in every class."
_"W-What?!"
_"Hahaha, don't let your imagination run wild. I meant sensible and level-headed people like you. I was impressed by how calmly you reacted to Carla's behavior today. You were truly wise."
_"Why do you talk as if I'm the only person in the world who acts like this?!"
_"I don't know about the world, but in this school, yes. The students are always either barbaric or have the brains of a sparrow."
_"I see you're having a hard time dealing with these students."
_"Aaaah, very much. That's why I'm glad a student like you came here. I hope we can become friends."
_"And I'm glad I met a kind boy like you."
Celine smiled broadly and sat beside him. That was the only moment since arriving at their new home when she had truly felt at ease.
When the teacher entered, Horselius informed him of the new developments, and the two of them introduced Celine to the rest of the students. Celine greeted them and returned to her seat without looking at their faces or their impressions of her.
When Horselius returned to his seat, he reassured her and told her that everything was fine.
The day passed quickly, filled with studying and conversations with Horselius. Some of the girls also wanted to get to know Celine. In the end, her first day passed without trouble.
Horselius was organizing the files of the new students, which contained their personal information, so he apologized to Celine for being unable to accompany her outside.
The girl shook her head.
_"It's okay. I can go out by myself. Thank you for everything you did for me today. Good night."
Horselius smiled and replied cheerfully:
_"It was a wonderful day. I'm glad I got to know you. Good night."
After Celine left, the boy returned to his work. As he sorted through the papers, he came across Celine's file. When he began reading it, his eyes fell upon her father's name: "Marcus Rosemond."
The young man thought for a moment.
'Marcus Rosemond... Marcus Rosemond... That name sounds familiar... Wait! Could he be that person?!'
Horselius rushed out of the classroom and ran outside. When his eyes fell upon Celine walking away, he followed her with his gaze until she approached a car.
Suddenly, a little girl got out of the car and hugged Celine.
Horselius was shocked by what he saw and muttered:"
_It's her... It's that little girl!"
He could hardly believe what he had seen. He tried to make out the driver's features, but he could not see him clearly. That did not matter, however. After seeing Lilia, he had already identified them.
_"So Celine is... Element B."
His expression darkened, and he quickly returned to the classroom. He locked the door behind him and took a deep breath.
_"My father must not find out about them, that is, if he doesn't already know."
He continued toward the desk where the files were kept and began searching through Celine's information.
_"Nothing is mentioned in the medical notes. It seems they kept the matter secret from the outside world. I didn't notice anyone nearby, but they may still be watching this family... I don't want anything to happen to Celine and her sister again... I have to make sure my father never finds out that she's here, no matter what..."
To be Continued...