ESS Ch 3

Ah. I let out a short breath and froze. My father looked at me while drinking red wine. I wished the wine would linger in his mouth for as long as possible, but he quickly swallowed the red liquid and opened his mouth.

“Terry Tyler.”

My eyes widened at the name I had forgotten for a while. Moreover, it was a name I never thought would come out of my father’s mouth.

“You won’t have to see him anymore.”

“…….”

“I cut off his support. He won’t be able to return to Erratum until you graduate.”

“…Wh, why?”

“Why, you ask?”

My father’s eyebrows slanted. I spoke, cautiously observing his expression.

“Ye-yes, he was wrong, but he didn’t do anything that bad to me. Besides, he’s already being bullied at school. I think that’s enough punishment….”

“Oh, Dani.”

My father looked at me with pity in his eyes. I knew how bad a sign that look was.

My father beckoned me to come closer. I got up from my seat and hesitantly approached him. I could feel Nanny Anna looking at me with concern from afar.

I slowly knelt down in front of my father. The moment I looked up at him with fearful eyes, a large hand grabbed my chin and forced my head up as high as it could go.

“Ugh….”

“Dani, who delivers judgment for sins?”

“Fa-father, you do.”

Despite giving the correct answer, my father didn’t loosen his grip on my chin. I felt as if my whole body was being crushed against the corner of the giant cross hanging behind him.

My father stared into my eyes with a cold expression.

“Your response was wrong in two ways. First, you couldn’t control your anger and publicly humiliated him. Second, you didn’t immediately inform me that you were insulted.”

“…….”

“If something similar happens in the future, smile first. Smile as kindly as possible so that no one notices your feelings. And then, what you have to do is tell me the name of the person who insulted you. Do you understand?”

“Ye-yes…. I’m sorry.”

“Never judge yourself. I’ve never given you that authority.”

“…I’m sorry.”

I nodded like a doll. My body trembled like an aspen leaf, and my palms were drenched in sweat. My father released my chin and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Also, break the habit of apologizing recklessly.”

“…I’m, I’m really sorry, that’s why I’m apologizing.”

“You apologize because you’re sorry? Apologies are made when they absolutely have to be made.”

“Ugh….”

My father lightly trod on my knees with his boots and asked,

“Now, Dani. What are you going to say now that I’ve gone this far? You’ve already used up all your ‘I’m sorrys,’ so what are you going to say now? Are you going to crawl on the floor?”

“Ugh….”

“Now you see? How easily you’ve been throwing apologies around.”

My father’s foot returned to its place, and I nodded, holding back tears. My knees, pressed against the marble floor, felt bruised, but I was more afraid of the consequences if I showed any sign of pain.

“You have to distinguish between three things: things you have to say, things you can say, and things you shouldn’t say.”

My father continued his meal slowly as he spoke.

“People who say what they want are foolish. People who blurt out the truth because they want to reveal their ‘true selves’ are even more foolish.”

“…….”

“A truly clever person knows how to adapt appropriately to the situation. Like a chameleon.”

“Yes….”

I clenched my fists to suppress my trembling and nodded with the most obedient face I could muster. Red meat was being sucked into my father’s dark mouth.

I waited on my knees until he finished his meal. I missed my sister, Bo, and I felt sorry for my nanny, who must have been watching all of this.

Only when my father slowly swallowed the last piece of meat did he ask another question.

“I heard you were choosing a friend to help you with your school life. How did that go?”

“Ah….”

Exhausted, my mind was blank. Even then, fear gripped me that I might be punished if I said the wrong thing.

“…I-it’s decided.”

I impulsively blurted out a name.

“Remington Howard. He’s my buddy.”

Regret washed over me the moment I uttered that name, but I was too afraid in that moment to process such feelings in detail. I wanted to get out of the situation quickly and I didn’t want my father to think there was any more trouble with my school life.

“Julia Howard’s son?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Not a bad choice.”

My father muttered with satisfaction and sipped his wine. I was relieved, but at the same time, the thought that Remington was remembered as Julia Howard’s son, just as I was remembered somewhere as Henry Roderson’s daughter, weighed heavily on my shoulders.

Even after that, I remained kneeling and listened to my father’s lecture for a long time. The lecture continued until my father completely emptied a bottle of wine, and only after Anna cautiously intervened was I able to get up. Perhaps because I had been kneeling for so long, my body swayed like a winter branch when I stood up.

“Oh, my poor young miss….”

Anna, who came to the room, massaged my legs and sobbed for a long time. I wrapped my hand around her hand and smiled faintly.

“It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

But my smile made Anna’s face crumple even more.

“Don’t lie. Your knees are bruised!”

“It’s not that big. No one will look at me that closely. It’s fine.”

“It’s not because I’m worried about others seeing it, it’s because I’m worried about you!”

Anna wrapped my head in her arms and stroked my back.

“Miss, are you taking your medicine properly?”

“Of course.”

“Oh dear, you poor thing….”

She murmured those words several times. Poor, poor, poor. I didn’t care whether I was pitiful or not. The important thing was that her voice, murmuring like that, sounded so sad. I hated it when someone was saddened because of me.

“I’m sorry, Anna.”

“For what?”

“You’re upset because of me. I’m sorry for making you upset.”

“Don’t say that.”

Anna hugged me tighter. A warm, milky scent emanated from her embrace. I stayed in her arms for a long time.

The nanny gave me another pill, and only after watching me swallow it completely did she leave the room.

In the darkened room, I lay in bed and looked up at the wooden cross hanging on the ceiling. I thought of Remington and wrapped my arms around my bruised knees. A stinging pain spread beneath my warm palms.

“A truly clever person knows how to adapt appropriately to the situation. Like a chameleon.”

I thought about chameleons until I fell asleep. The chameleon clinging to the rock was dark gray, but when it moved to the leaf, it quickly turned green, and the chameleon that crawled onto the flower bed shimmered in five colors.

So what is a chameleon’s true color? Does a chameleon know its true color?

The bruises on my knees hadn’t faded by the end of the weekend. Anna had packed my bag with ointment, but I never took them out. No one would scrutinize me that closely anyway.

“Is it still valid? Your offer to be my buddy.”

When I nervously made the call, Remington didn’t sound happy or surprised. He just answered in an indifferent voice, “See you at the east gate at 4.”

We went to the principal’s office together, and I apologized to the principal, just as he had advised.

“I think I was stressed being in a new place. I’ll try to adapt with Remington’s help from now on.”

The principal smiled with satisfaction at my words and crossed out two lines on his notepad. This time, I was certain the words were “maladjusted.” Relief brought a smile to my face. But when I glanced at Remington, his face was indifferent.

After we left the principal’s office, he spoke in a businesslike tone, as if reciting a manual.

“It would be good to have lunch together every Monday and Thursday. That’s when the teachers make rounds in the cafeteria to assess peer relationships.”

Annoyed eyes, but a sincere attitude.

The gap he showed was strange.

“Thank you for helping me.”

I said awkwardly. Remington frowned as if he had heard an unpleasant word.

“I’m not helping you.”

He finished his sentence and turned around. As if he couldn’t spare me any more of his time.

…Right. What did I expect from him?

I rolled my eyes and paused in the hallway for a moment, when Remington stopped and looked back at me again.

“Why are your knees like that?”

“…Huh?”

I was momentarily stunned and asked back like a fool. I hadn’t expected him to notice the bruises on my knees. The bruises were small and faint, hardly noticeable unless looked at closely.

Remington, still with a displeased expression, said to me,

“Either wear pants or cover it up with makeup. It’s perfect for other people to make up weird stories.”

“Oh, okay….”

I nodded in a daze. Remington clicked his tongue softly and turned around again. I stared blankly at his broad, receding back and looked down at my knees again.

I wondered if Remington knew.

That no one else in Erratum had asked me about my knees.

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️

Just as Remington had suggested, I ended up having lunch with him every Monday and Thursday. I’m still not sure if that was the right choice. What’s certain is that it threw me into even more intense scrutiny.

“I’m so jealous, Remington. Having a girl as your buddy. Why does the principal favor you so much?”

“You thief. Are you taking Roderson too?”

Every boy who passed by threw a playful remark at Remington. I wanted to hide as much as possible, but Remington seemed unconcerned.

“Don’t interrupt. Can’t you see we’re on a date?”

He took my pork chop and put it on my tray, then playfully snapped at the people around us. It was like adding fuel to the fire of their interest. The boys cheered and stamped their feet. The cafeteria floor vibrated with a thump, thump.

Hoping Eleanor wouldn’t see this, I slipped away through the cheering crowd. But as I tried to move to a secluded spot, Cassie sidled up to me.

“What’s going on, Dani?”

“Hi, Cat. What’s up?”

“Again. Again. Pretending you don’t know.”

Cassie lightly rolled her eyes and nudged my shoulder.

“Tell me, Dani. Did Remington ask you to be his buddy first? Or did you ask him?”

Her eyes were sly and inquisitive, like a reporter’s. Even though I knew it was impossible, I quickly checked if she was holding a recorder in her hand.

“The principal suggested it first. Remington and I accepted it.”

“What?”

Cassie, surprised for some reason, covered her mouth and rolled her eyes.

“Really? The principal?”

“He said he had no choice. I heard all the other girls refused.”

“Oh, that….”

“It’s okay. I’m not blaming anyone. It’s true that I make people uncomfortable.”

“Dani, wait! There’s something you don’t know.”

Cassie urgently grabbed me as I turned to leave. But the moment she was about to say something, a large hand lightly gripped my shoulder and interrupted the conversation.

“Hi, Cat. Do you have some business with my buddy?”

Remington stepped between Cassie and me like a guardian.

He pronounced the word “buddy” sweetly, as if it were a nickname like “my honey” or “my baby.”

I looked up at him with a disgusted expression, but unlike me, Cassie couldn’t hide the upturn of her lips.

“Wow, hi, Remington? You know my name?”

“Of course, Cat. I also know that it’s about time for you to head to Latin class. I was about to take Dani there, is that alright?”

“Of course. Absolutely!”

Cassie’s eyes sparkled as she looked back and forth between me and Remington.

This is so awkward….

I turned my back and left Remington behind. But I didn’t get far before my forearm was grabbed.

“Not that way.”

The moment a hand slipped under my armpit, I was so startled I almost dropped my tray. I felt as if electricity was running through my body.

“Don’t touch me.”

I reflexively brushed his hand away. Then, wondering if I had overreacted, I quickly added an apology.

“…Sorry. I was a bit harsh just now.”

Remington snorted indifferently at my words.

“Be consistent. If you’re consistently rude, people might think you lack manners, but if you’re this inconsistent, you just seem crazy.”

He led me to a two-seater by the window. It was a good spot, separated from the other students yet still moderately visible.

“How’s the seat?”

“Um, well, it’s good.”

I nodded with an awkward face. I could still feel his touch under my armpit. It was a strange feeling. My toes, curled up inside my tight shoes, refused to uncurl.

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️

Remington and I met only on Mondays and Thursdays. He asked if I wanted to have meals together on other days as well, but I declined, and Remington didn’t ask twice.

Remington spent most of his time with Eleanor and others, and I spent most of my time alone.

Even when we happened to run into each other in the hallway, we only exchanged brief glances. Neither of us greeted each other boisterously. We were just two people who had lunch together twice a week. That was all.

I was convinced we would never become close, but I was wrong. As time went by, my conversations with Remington became more natural, and I even started to feel more comfortable around him.

“How can you eat a meat pie without any sauce?”

A sauce cup was placed on the table in front of me with a thud. I looked up to see Remington sitting down with an annoyed expression.

“Thanks for getting it for me.”

“Don’t say I ‘got it for you.’ It’s creepy.”

Remington grumbled, but he opened the lid of the sauce cup and pushed it towards me so it would be easier to eat. Despite his grumpy words, he had a soldier-like side to him that wanted to perfectly fulfill any task he undertook.

“Sometimes you seem like an older brother.”

“Get it yourself next time. I have no intention of being your older brother.”

He had said something similar last week when he brought me the knife I had forgotten. He always says things like that.

As we continued having meals together, I learned more and more about Remington.

That he was two years older than me.

That he was not only a member of the student council but also participated in numerous club activities like rugby, newspaper, and Model UN.

That he had never lost his top rank since entering the school, that he rarely slept more than five hours a day, and that he was a picky eater.

He never finished more than half of his food. Today, too, there was a lot of food left on his plate. The meat pie even looked untouched.

“Why aren’t you eating it? The meat pie is delicious.”

“It’s not my style.”

It might not have been to his taste, but it was incredibly delicious to me. My father wanted me to eat as little meat as possible, so I couldn’t even imagine having a meal like this at home.

Knowing it was unladylike, I cut the pie with my knife and immediately stabbed a chunk of meat with my fork, shoving it into my mouth. As I was eating heartily, it was too quiet in front of me. I looked up and made eye contact with Remington, who was staring at me.

“…….”

He was looking at me with a condescending gaze, like a grumpy tycoon reluctantly offering a meal to a beggar. Perhaps because of that look, the glass of water in his hand looked like a sophisticated wine glass.

A wave of embarrassment washed over me. I slowly straightened my posture, and a napkin was offered to me.

“Here.”

He tapped the left side of his lips, as if indicating I should wipe it. I instinctively took the napkin and wiped my lips, and pie crumbs came off on the white surface.

If it were possible to die of shame, I would already be a ghost. If my father had seen this, I might have been beaten until I bled.

“…I showed you an unsightly side of me.”

“Just be aware of it.”

He said indifferently, putting the fork back in my hand.

“Eat quickly. Lunch break is only 30 minutes.”

The pie was too fantastic to put down just because I was embarrassed. I ate his portion as well with gusto.

While I was eating the pie, Remington rested his chin on his hand and watched me. I felt like I might choke under his intense gaze, but I think I would have disliked it even more if he had looked away. It was strange.

“I can’t eat anymore. I’m full.”

It was the moment I put down my fork. Remington’s eyebrows shot up, and I felt a cold liquid pouring over my head. Sticky juice ran down my face, and the sweet scent of orange filled my nose.

“Oh my, Janine! How could you spill juice on Roderson!”

Eleanor’s refined voice rang out above me. I slowly opened my eyes with difficulty. The juice stung my eyes.

“Sorry, Roderson. This child is a freshman, she doesn’t know any better. She must have thought this was a trash can. Apologize quickly, Janine!”

“I-I’m so sorry….”

A girl named Janine hurriedly handed me a napkin and bowed her head in apology. Eleanor was smiling, and I felt the surrounding gazes converging on us again. A headache surged. Remington, still resting his chin on his hand, looked at Eleanor indifferently.

“Are you alright, Roderson?”

Eleanor spoke, anticipating my reaction. I looked up at her for a moment. Her high-arched golden eyebrows, her mischievous green eyes observing my reaction, the corners of her red lips pulled up tightly.

At that moment, I think I had a thought. That maybe I was about to be hunted. If I made even the slightest wrong move.

“Never judge yourself. I’ve never given you that authority.”

I repeated my father’s words several times in my head. Eleanor’s father was the president of Fortenge. She’s different from Terry. I had to calm down.

“Your hand must have been very slippery.”

I wiped my cheek with a napkin and smiled at Janine. Little Janine, not knowing what to do, kept reaching out and retracting her hand towards my face.

“Oh, I, that…. I’m really, really sorry.”

“It’s okay. Could you get me some wet wipes?”

“Yes! I’ll be right back!”

Janine, having found an excuse to leave this place, quickly turned around with a much brighter face.

At the same time, Eleanor’s lips twisted in dissatisfaction. She irritably pulled the chair next to me. A screech, an unpleasant sound, echoed through the cafeteria. Eleanor sat next to me, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at me.

It was then that Remington, who had been watching us impassively, frowned. He asked Eleanor in a dry voice,

“What are you doing, El?”

“I feel bad for Roderson. Her hair is a mess because of me.”

Eleanor said, picking up my long hair with two fingers as if it were dirty trash.

“Are you really okay? Your hair is so damp?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

I answered as politely as possible. Eleanor scoffed.

“Roderson’s generosity is impressive. Or have you still not broken the habit of saying ‘yes, yes’ like a servant?”

My hair gently scattered from Eleanor’s fingertips. I heard Remington sigh softly from across the table. He crossed his arms and looked out the window. He clearly seemed to find this situation troublesome.

Eleanor ignored Remington and focused solely on me. She stared intently at my face, her chin resting on her hand.

“You’re from Strawberry Hill, right?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re using a single room, aren’t you?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Everyone except seniors are in shared rooms. At least double rooms. There are no exceptions for anyone. You’re not going to say you didn’t know, are you?”

“…I didn’t know. Really.”

It was true. I looked at Eleanor with a surprised expression, trying to show my innocence as much as possible, but she just gave a wry smile.

“Seeing as you always wear white socks, you seem to know and follow Erratum’s rules better than anyone else, but you didn’t know the most basic dormitory rule?”

Eleanor leaned back and looked me up and down mockingly as she spoke.

“Move now that you know. Rules are there to be followed.”

“I wasn’t assigned a single room because I wanted one. I think the school must have made an exception…. Ugh.”

Before I could finish speaking, my hair was grabbed. Eleanor gripped my hair tightly and pulled it back with all her might, forcing my neck to bend completely backward. A sharp pain shot through the back of my head.

“You’re really clueless. You don’t know the dormitory rules, you don’t know whose seat this is.”

Eleanor whispered, suppressing her anger.

The room immediately buzzed, and Remington, who had been looking out the window with a bored expression, turned his head a beat late to look at me.

He glanced once at Eleanor’s hand gripping my hair, and then once at my face. He showed no surprise. His gaze was so predictable, so bored, as if he were watching a tedious play.

Eleanor’s gaze was completely fixed on me. She didn’t seem to care what expression her Remington made, or how people whispered about us. Perhaps she had never cared. About the gazes of others.

“Dana Roderson, everyone is equal at Erratum. As the dormitory representative of Strawberry Hill, I can’t allow you to be the only one enjoying special privileges.”

Eleanor declared firmly, twisting and tightening her grip on my hair.

“The principal has made many exceptions for you, but I can’t do the same. If you want to claim that you deserve different rights than others, you’ll have to prove you’re a student worthy of them.”

“…….”

“And for an adopted child, pretending to be so noble is quite pathetic. A fake can never become real, you know?”

Eleanor said, her face barely concealing a sneer. Yet, her eyes darted around anxiously, as if she wanted to confirm whether her attack had landed properly.

Perfect blonde hair, jewel-like green eyes. Eleanor’s face belonged to a perfect “original.”

At that moment, I thought of Daniel. How could I not think of him, watching this rich girl, with hands that must have touched only the finest things in the world, getting so worked up over grabbing my hair?

When I laughed, Eleanor’s long eyelashes fluttered.

“…You’re laughing?”

She let go of my hair and raised her hand. If Eleanor hit me, things would actually turn in my favor. Good riddance. Thinking that, I squeezed my eyes shut, but I didn’t feel any pain on my cheek.

…What? I opened my eyelids to see a large hand gripping Eleanor’s wrist. It was Remington’s.

“Don’t make a big deal out of this, El.”

Remington said in a dry voice. His eyes were as calm as they had been before. But a considerable force emanated from the hand gripping Eleanor’s wrist. Eleanor’s face was now flushed crimson. She looked as if she was about to burst into tears out of frustration.

“Remi…. Are you taking this girl’s side right now?”

“Even for you, this is a violation of school rules. As you said, school rules apply to everyone without exception.”

His incredibly calm voice recited the regulations matter-of-factly. Only then did Eleanor’s hand fall limply. Remington then straightened his posture, which had been leaning towards us, and let out a small sigh.

“Let’s go.”

Remington gestured with his chin, as if telling me to get up. I gathered my things and followed him. Eleanor was no longer looking at me, only glaring sharply at Remington.

“Why are you doing this? You said you hated her too! You said you were annoyed to have to take on this troublesome task!”

“That’s a different matter.”

“Would you have shown such kindness if Roderson was ugly?”

“Yes. I would have. She’s my buddy.”

Remington answered slowly as he gathered his things. Judging by his tone, there was no hint of a desire to resolve this situation, but his attitude was at least closer to my side than Eleanor’s.

Remington whispered something in Eleanor’s ear as he got up, and upon hearing his words, Eleanor, suppressing her anger, abruptly stood up and stormed out of the cafeteria. The other students, who had been watching us from the corner of their eyes, also started murmuring and resumed their meals.

Remington shook his head as if tired and walked ahead. I hurried after him.

“Thank you for helping me.”

Instead of answering, Remington took the tray from my hand and offered me a tissue.

“At least wipe your face with this.”

“Oh, thanks.”

I wiped the remaining juice from my cheeks and stood next to him as he cleared the tray.

“I hope I haven’t caused any trouble between you and your girlfriend.”

“Who said I have a girlfriend?”

“Weren’t you going out with Eleanor?”

“Eleanor is the principal’s daughter.”

Remington replied, dumping the remaining contents of the tray into the trash can all at once. Eleanor is the principal’s daughter? I didn’t understand the context of that sudden remark. Was he telling me to be more careful because she was the principal’s daughter?

However, the strange disillusionment I sensed in Remington’s expression as he said those words left a strong impression on me.

A face full of vitality and confidence.

An aloof and bored face.

Which of the two was closer to the real Remington? How much longer would I have to observe him to find out the truth? But I didn’t want to get to know him that well.

“I’ll get going now. I need to change my uniform.”

As I turned to leave, Remington glanced at me. His eyes narrowed immediately, and he grabbed my chin with a click of his tongue.

“What are you doing?”

“Wait a second.”

He held my chin steady with one hand and pulled out some tissues from the wall dispenser with the other. Remington’s face tilted slightly. He gently rubbed and wiped the side of my lips.

“You must really love meat pie.”

He teased, then handed me the tissue covered in meat pie crumbs. My face paled with embarrassment, and Remington, smiling with satisfaction, turned away.

…I wanted to die.

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️

I moved rooms. Now that I knew the single room was a privilege just for me, I couldn’t pretend I didn’t know. I also didn’t want to give Eleanor any ammunition against me.

The dorm supervisor was worried about me. She asked me several times if I was being bullied, and I replied that I just wanted to follow the same rules as the other students.

The new room assignment was processed quickly. Fortunately, there was a student who wanted to share a room with me.

But room 710. I sighed the moment I saw that number. I didn’t like high places. To be precise, I didn’t like the elevator that took you to those high places….

I lingered in front of the elevator, its giant mouth gaping open, and eventually opted for the stairs. By the time I struggled up to the 7th floor carrying two large suitcases, sweat was dripping from my forehead.

“Hi, Dani! Oh my… did you walk up here?”

Surprised, her purple lipstick-covered lips formed a small “o.”

It was Cassie. Relieved that it wasn’t Eleanor, I smiled at her.

“Hi, Cat. I prefer the stairs. Could you take my suitcase if you don’t mind?”

“Of course!”

Cassie immediately grabbed the suitcase and pulled it into the room. She was so quick and efficient, it felt like I should tip her.

“Dani, do you know how surprised and happy I was to hear you were giving up your single room and looking for a roommate?”

Cassie said as she placed the suitcase in the middle of the room.

“I really hate having a room to myself, and I was so worried because I couldn’t find a roommate easily. But to have this opportunity to share a room with Roderson… I’ll never forget this.”

“Thank you. I’m glad to be roommates with you too. But the room interior….”

I looked around the room with a bewildered expression.

A beautiful view of the vast artificial lake and dark forest seen through the large window, indigo wallpaper on all four sides and a checkerboard floor pattern, a snow-white bed, and a wooden cross hanging on the ceiling, level with where the pillows lay.

“Oh, it’s the same as your room, right?”

Cassie grinned.

“As soon as it was decided you were moving into my room, your father had my room redecorated like this. I was so surprised when the workers suddenly showed up.”

“…Really?”

I gave an awkward laugh. Just how much did my father know about my school life?

“I’m so jealous, Dani! To have lived in such a beautiful room. If you had seen my previous room, you might have run out of here immediately.”

Cassie burst into hearty laughter.

I toppled the large suitcase, as big as myself, onto the floor to unpack. It made a loud thud, but Cassie, unconcerned, squatted down next to me.

“Do you want help unpacking? Can I touch your things?”

“It’s okay. I can do it myself.”

“Okay. Data entry complete. You don’t like other people touching your belongings.”

Cassie’s dewdrop-like eyes blinked rapidly. She spoke as if she were about to take out a notepad and jot it down.

“It’s not that, I just thought you might be tired. This is my job anyway. I can do it.”

“Okay. Additional data entry complete. Dislikes receiving help.”

Cassie laughed mischievously, raising both hands and standing up as if to indicate she would leave me alone. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Cat, do you observe everyone like this?”

“Only the people whose information could be worth money.”

Cassie, who had climbed onto the bed at some point, lay on her stomach like a well-fed puppy and looked at me. She was a strange girl. It seemed she wasn’t just selling pills.

I left the open suitcase and turned to face Cassie.

“How can information be worth money?”

“Why wouldn’t it be worth money, Princess? Information can be bought and sold, so it’s worth money.”

“I mean, I’m curious who buys information about us and why.”

“If you’re curious, it’s 20 dollars.”

I wasn’t sure if she was joking or serious, so I just stared at her, and Cassie held out her hand, prompting me.

“Dani, aren’t you curious?”

“Oh, yeah, hold on.”

I rummaged through my wallet and placed two bills in Cassie’s palm. Cassie’s hand, as she grabbed the bills saying, “Good,” was as swift as an eagle’s.

Cassie gave me the answer like a vending machine.

“There are two types of people who actively seek me out to buy information about someone. Those who really like someone, or those who really hate someone. The former want to know everything they can, and the latter want to mess with them.”

“So, are there also people who acquire information passively?”

“Of course. The kids who come to me first asking for information are only about 10% of my clients. Most of them… I approach first. I collect information in advance, then find the people most likely to want that information, and dangle the bait. Then the clients take the bait. It’s like fishing.”

Cassie’s eyes suddenly gleamed slyly. She swung her feet in the air from her prone position and asked me,

“Dani, do you know why all the girls refused to be your buddy?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m uncomfortable to be around.”

“That’s not it. It’s an opportunity to add another line to their student records, so why would they refuse? Especially Roderson. There’s a different reason, Dani.”

“…A different reason?”

The moment I asked back, Cassie smoothly held out her hand.

“This information is 100 dollars.”

As if possessed, I smoothly placed 100 dollars in Cassie’s palm. Cassie’s hand grasped the bills with satisfaction.

“The reason is… because of Eleanor.”

She whispered to me with a solemn expression, as if sharing a secret.

“Eleanor told all the girls to refuse being your buddy. And I think I know why. It must be because of what happened in the boys’ lounge of Udolpho House.”

“What happened there?”

“Sorry. This is a bit expensive. I have to pay a commission to my informant.”

“Okay. Whatever it takes.”

I pulled out a handful of bills from my wallet and handed them to Cassie. After checking the amount, Cassie politely transformed, kneeling neatly on the bed.

“Dani, you’re a bold one, aren’t you? I like you even more. By the way, Eleanor also bought this information from me for about this much. I’m telling you this for free.”

Cassie gave me a thumbs-up and winked. She cleared her throat, preparing to tell a long story.

“Ahem, I heard this from Jun. Keep in mind that he’s not the type to exaggerate.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“There’s a regular vote among the boys in the Udolpho House dormitory. They discuss who they think is the most attractive girl. But as you know, Remington isn’t the type to participate in such a silly vote, right? Honestly, it’s a bit childish. Anyway, Remington wasn’t participating in the conversation and was just reading a book. Why does he always read books everywhere? Anyway, when your name came up, Remington looked at them for the first time. With a look of subtle interest. So Jun said,

‘What, Remington. Are you interested in Dani too?’

And Remington said,

‘Not entirely not.’”

“The real kicker is what he said after that.”

‘She’s pretty. And annoying.’

“Then he even voted for you. The boys’ lounge was in an uproar because of this. That guy, who usually just reluctantly writes down Eleanor’s name! Doesn’t Eleanor have a right to be furious?”

Purple lips spilled out the words in an increasingly excited voice. Cassie even grabbed my hand and exclaimed,

“Remington must be in love with you, Dani!”

I just gave an awkward laugh. I only regretted that I couldn’t tell Cassie about Remington’s atrocious behavior.

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️

Adolescence was a time when all emotions ran high.

A time when it was easy to be fascinated by anything, to be easily broken by what fascinated you, to hunt others, and to be reassured and feel safe only after being covered in the blood of your prey.

Fascination, collapse, hunting….

I didn’t want any of that, but it wasn’t something I could control.

Eleanor started using her underclassmen to blatantly harass me. Stealing my notes and throwing them in the trash, putting strange notes in my locker, making sure no other girls would partner with me in class. They were simple tactics you’d see in old movies.

Did Eleanor think I would burst into tears and run to my father, begging him to transfer me again? But compared to my fear of my father, Eleanor was at the level of a bobcat, and I had no intention of running away.

I continued having lunch with Remington as scheduled. It felt awkward to call him a friend, but we maintained a relatively close relationship, not quite close enough to be called strangers.

“Aren’t you even going to ask if I’m okay?”

“Should I?”

Remington asked back, cutting his broccoli. Even after seeing my ripped bag, he hadn’t said a word. That jerk….

“Why don’t you show some concern? It’s not entirely unrelated to you.”

“I don’t want to get caught up in annoying fights. I have a lot of other things to worry about.”

“Oh, really?”

I wished I could show Cassie the Remington sitting in front of me right now. I regretted that I couldn’t show her how annoying his expression was, how much he didn’t want to get involved in my affairs.