The infirmary smelled like antiseptic and silence.
Rufus lay unconscious on one of the beds, his face bruised badly, nose wrapped, cuts scattered across his body.
Machines beeped softly beside him.
The atmosphere felt suffocating.
Nobody joked.
Nobody smiled.
Not even Marco.
Anastasia sat beside Rufus holding his hand tightly.
Her eyes were swollen red.
Maria stood nearby hugging herself quietly, guilt eating at her alive.
Hugo sat on another bed with a sad face while Misheal patted his back.
Marco leaned against the wall unusually silent.
Sonia beside him.
Esmeralda stood near the window.
And Andre
sat calmly in the corner.
Suddenly Anastasia spoke.
Softly.
"…I should've stopped him sooner."
Nobody answered.
She looked down at her unconscious brother.
"…I knew he was getting obsessed."
A tear rolled down her face.
"…But I ignored it."
Maria clenched her fists painfully.
"…This is my fault too."
Hugo immediately looked up.
"…No."
Maria laughed weakly through tears.
"…I helped create this mess."
Her voice cracked.
"…I should have stopped the fight before it happened."
Silence filled the infirmary again.
Then Marco finally looked toward Andre.
"…Bro say something."
Andre lifted his eyes slowly.
"…About what?"
That answer alone irritated everyone slightly.
Marco frowned.
"…Rufus almost got beaten to death."
Andre leaned back slightly.
"…And?"
The room froze slightly.
Even Esmeralda turned fully toward him now.
Hugo narrowed his eyes.
"…You seriously don't care?"
Andre answered calmly.
"…What does it look like."
That line hit hard.
Very hard.
Anastasia stared at him in disbelief.
"…You watched everything calmly."
Andre looked directly at her.
"…Panicking wouldn't heal him."
Silence.
Cold silence.
She slowly stood up now.
Anger replacing grief.
"…Why didn't you stop them?"
Everyone looked at Andre.
Waiting.
Andre's face remained emotionless.
"…If you remember vividly, he was already beaten into a pulp before we got there."
The answer stunned the room.
Maria looked hurt.
Marco looked uncomfortable.
Even Hugo didn't know what to say immediately.
Anastasia stared at him like she no longer recognized him.
"…That's heartless."
Andre shrugged lightly.
"…Reality usually is."
Esmeralda hadn't spoken once.
But now.
she couldn't stop staring at Andre.
Because this side of him felt different.
Not cruel.
Worse.
Detached.
Like violence genuinely didn't move him emotionally anymore.
And that scared her slightly.
Later
Rufus slowly regained consciousness.
Groaning weakly.
Anastasia immediately grabbed his hand.
"…Rufus."
Maria stepped closer too.
But the moment Rufus saw her—
his expression hardened.
"…You."
Maria's face tightened instantly.
"…What?"
Rufus laughed painfully.
"…Everything went wrong because of you."
Maria looked like she got slapped.
"…Excuse me?"
Rufus slowly pushed himself up despite the pain.
"…You couldn't even fake one simple relationship properly."
Maria's eyes watered instantly.
"…I was actually trying!"
Rufus scoffed bitterly.
"…Trying?"
A pause.
"…You are a failure even at trying."
Silence.
That one sentence destroyed her completely.
Maria stepped back slowly.
Unable to answer.
Rufus looked away bitterly.
"…And I never got Esmeralda."
The room became painfully quiet.
Two broken people finally realizing neither of them truly mattered to the other.
Outside the Infirmary
Esmeralda found Andre alone outside the infirmary building.
As Marco and the others left without him.
Esmeralda approached slowly.
"…Do violent things scare you?"
Andre didn't look at her immediately.
"…Not anymore."
The answer sent a strange chill through her.
She leaned beside him quietly.
"…You really didn't care what happened in there?"
Andre finally looked toward the sunset.
"…I cared."
Esmeralda frowned.
"…Could've fooled me."
Andre's expression didn't change.
"…People make choices."
A pause.
"…Then suffer consequences."
She stared at him carefully now.
"…I really don't know anything about you."
Andre chuckled faintly.
Humorless.
"…You will wish not to."
Then suddenly
far across campus
students started cheering loudly.
Cars arriving.
People leaving.
Midterm break officially beginning.
Marco's voice echoed somewhere in the distance:
"…ONE WEEK OF FREEDOM!"
Even Hugo laughed weakly somewhere nearby.
But the mood wasn't the same anymore.
Something had changed.
The group could feel it.
Esmeralda slowly reached for Andre's hand.
Just lightly.
Testing him.
Andre looked down at her fingers touching his.
Then at her.
"…What?"
Esmeralda shook her head softly.
"…Nothing."
But inside
she was unsettled.
Because the more she got closer to Andre
the more she realized:
there was something frighteningly empty inside him.
And somehow
that only made her want to understand him more.
Next day.
Dimitri Mansion
The next morning carried a strange calmness.
After everything that happened yesterday
the silence felt unnatural.
Andre stepped out of the taxi slowly and looked up.
Then up again.
And somehow.
the mansion still kept going.
"…Holy shit."
The Dimitri mansion stood like something stolen from a billionaire magazine cover.
Massive white walls.
Black iron gates taller than most buildings.
Luxury cars lined neatly beside a fountain large enough to embarrass hotels.
Andre adjusted his bag slightly and walked toward the gate.
Immediately
two guards stopped him.
One huge.
One even bigger.
"…State your business."
Andre blinked once.
"…Uh… Esmeralda invited me."
The guards exchanged looks instantly.
One scoffed slightly.
"…Esmeralda..... what a joke."
Andre sighed softly.
"…Cool. Then tell her Andre is here."
The guard folded his arms.
"…Young man, return back."
Andre stared at him for a second.
"…You could've just said no normally."
The second guard looked like he was about to laugh but held it in.
Suddenly
the mansion doors burst open.
One of the maids hurried toward the gate quickly.
"…Wait wait wait!"
She reached the guards breathing slightly hard.
Then leaned close and whispered something into one guard's ear.
Immediately
the man's eyes widened.
"…THIS is Andre?"
The maid nodded quickly.
The guard straightened instantly.
"…Our apologies sir."
Andre blinked slowly.
"…Sir?"
The gate opened immediately.
The guards even stepped aside respectfully.
Andre walked in cautiously.
"…What exactly did she tell you people about me?"
The maid tried hiding her smile.
"…Nothing you should worry about sir."
Inside the Mansion
Andre stepped deeper into the Mansion.
And immediately got overwhelmed.
The place was ridiculous.
The floors literally reflected light.
Huge chandeliers hung from ceilings high enough to fit clouds.
Paintings everywhere.
Expensive decorations.
A staircase so wide it looked royal.
Andre turned slowly.
"…This place is huge?"
The maid giggled softly.
"…You get used to it."
Andre looked at a golden statue nearby.
"…Hmmmm."
The maid leading him suddenly stopped.
"…Please wait here. I'll inform Madam Esmeralda."
Andre nodded.
The moment she left
other maids nearby immediately started whispering.
"…So that's him?"
"…He's actually handsome."
"…Ma'am really has good taste."
"…Look at his shoulders."
"…And the face too."
"…No wonder Madam Esmeralda smiles at everybody now."
One maid stepped closer pretending to clean a vase while staring shamelessly at him.
"…So sir, are you really Madam's boyfriend?"
Andre nearly choked.
"…What?"
Another maid joined immediately.
"…We heard she came back with your clothes last time."
Andre looked horrified.
"…WHO GAVE YOU THAT INFORMATION?"
The maids burst into laughter.
One whispered loudly:
"…Even the chef knows."
Andre covered his face briefly as he chuckled.
"…You guys are hilarious."
One of them smiled politely.
"…We don't usually see her bring people here."
A pause.
"…Especially not like this."
Andre raised a brow.
"…Like what?"
They exchanged a glance.
Then one of them said softly:
"…Comfortably."
Andre leaned slightly against the wall.
"…She doesn't bring friends around?"
The maid shook her head.
"…Not really."
Another added:
"…I don't think she has any she doesn't talk to people."
A small pause.
"…Or smile that much."
Andre Registers That
He didn't say anything immediately.
But that information
Landed.
Quietly
Then suddenly
footsteps thundered from upstairs.
Andre looked up.
And froze slightly.
Esmeralda was rushing down the staircase barefoot.
Wearing an oversized hoodie and shorts.
Hair messy.
Looking like she ran the moment she heard he arrived.
The second she saw him
her entire face lit up instantly.
"…ANDRE!"
Before he could react
she ran straight into him and hugged him tightly.
The impact nearly pushed him backward.
Andre blinked in surprise.
"…Damn—"
She buried her face against him happily.
"…You actually came."
Behind them
the maids LOST THEIR MINDS.
"…SHE HUGGED HIM!"
"…OH MY GOD!"
"…THIS IS REAL!"
"…MADAM IS IN LOVE!"
Esmeralda's eyes widened instantly.
She turned sharply toward them.
"…DON'T YOU PEOPLE HAVE WORK TO DO?!"
The maids scattered immediately like criminals escaping a raid.
One nearly slipped running away.
Another grabbed two others while screaming laughing.
Within seconds
the hallway became empty.
Silent.
Esmeralda sighed dramatically.
"…Idiots."
Then she looked back at Andre
still hugging him slightly.
And realized something.
"…Wait."
Andre raised an eyebrow.
"…What?"
She slowly stepped back now.
Cheeks slightly pink.
"…I didn't look stupid right?"
Andre smirked faintly.
"…What does it change."
Esmeralda pointed at him immediately.
"…Don't play Mr nice with me ."
But the smile on her face betrayed her completely.