The King's Mandate: Anomalous System

In the end, Elena didn't say anything about her bullying to her parents, nor she reported to the school.

She knew the school wouldn't do anything. But later she heard that those four girls got suspended.

Virza was stabbed in the back on the spinal cord.

Her T3 and T4 from the thoracic vertebrae, along with her thoracic nerves, got damaged, and she is unable to walk anymore.

Elena still didn't know that, but she heard a rumor going around in the school saying, 'Virza tried to commit suicide and failed.'

Elena knew that wasn't the truth, but she couldn't say anything.

Elena went to school earlier than usual for some reason. 

There was only one reason, and that was to ask those girls not to school for some days, or Das will harm them. But she was worrying for nothing.

The classes started, and as time passed by, they ended one by one.

Lunch break started, but Elena wasn't excited this time.

Das was noticing her acting strange but didn't try to approach her.

In the end, Elena didn't go to the canteen nor ate anything.

Lunch break ended, and the classes soon started.

Hours later, all the classes ended, and everyone went home.

Das went to the counseling room, unlike always going to the classroom, and waited for Elena to come there.

Both Das and Elena were already informed by Samuel to start their lessons in the counselling from now on.

About thirty passed by, but Elena didn't come.

Das waited for some more minutes before checking his phone.

'Where is she?' Das thought as he leaned back on his chair.

'Is she still angry about yelling at her yesterday?'

'Should I apologize?'

Das grabbed his phone and opened Elena's contact.

'What should I say though?'

He took a deep breath and started typing something.

[Look, I was in a bad mood yesterday. I am sorry for yelling at you. I promise I will never yell at you again or make you cry. Please come back]

'Will this do?'

He was about to send the message, but his thumb stopped right before the 'send' mark.

'Why do I care?' Das thought as he tried to ask for a reason.

'I don't understand. Why am I so worried about it? So what if she doesn't come? It has nothing to do with me. Maybe she just wants to fail?'

Das clenched his fist and muttered, "Here is this feeling again."

'What's wrong with me? Why am I being so indecisive?'

'I realized yesterday that I want her to advance the semester with me, but why?'

Das started tapping his finger on the desk as he looked at the message he typed.

'If… if by chance she advances her grade, then she won't need me anymore.'

'We won't talk with each other, not see each other.'

"We will be on our ways," Das muttered.

'But if she doesn't advance the grade, she will get expelled sooner or later. There is nothing I can do if that happens. Forget about talking with her, if she gets expelled, I won't be able to see her.'

'And if she advances, I would at least be able to see her.'

"Huh? Wait"

'What is wrong with me? Why do I care about seeing her?'

'Argh! This is getting annoying.'

He gritted his teeth and said, "Ever since I met her, both my mind and heart has stopped functioning properly. It's like she has taken control over them.'

"What I am feeling right now is dark," he whispered.

'I feel like I am being enveloped by dark, and I just keep falling into darkness. I can't feel my body, but I can feel the pleasure.'

'I feel good. I feel like I am alive. I don't know what this feeling is, but I know it's making me feel alive.'

"I know this feeling is dangerous, but it's the type of danger I am willing to take"

Das smiled and said, "The feeling is gone now."

'Is it because I have accepted this feeling?'

Das took a deep breath and deleted the message he typed.

'Why should I apologize? That's not like me. I will just message her and ask her to come here at once.'

[Come to the counseling room at once, or I will kidnap you and torture you with hard math problems]

He moved his thumb to send the message.

As he was about to send, he noticed his thumb getting red for some reason.

'What is this?'

A small cut appeared on Das' thumb. 

Das got startled and ended up pressing the call button as he jolted out from the chair.

Das hadn't realized he had called Elena.

He looked at his thumb again, but there was no cut, and the redness was nowhere to be seen.

'Why does it feel like this has happened before too?'

Ring Ring~

The phone rang.

"Huh?"

'What's with the ringtone? I haven't set a ring--'

Das immediately glanced at the closed door and said, "It's coming from outside."

He checked his phone and saw he had called Elena.

Without ending the call, Das slowly moved to the door and opened it.

Elena was sitting outside the room with her head curled up on her knees.

Das ended the call and said, "How long have you been sitting here?"

Elena slowly looked up at Das but said nothing.

"What's with that face? Say something"

Elena looked down and curled up again.

Das sighed and took out his phone as he sent the message he typed.

Elena opened the message and looked up at Das.

"Come in," said Das.

"You should stop talking with me."

'If you stay with me, something like yesterday will happen again.'

Das crouched and bumped his fist on Elena's head as he said, "What's up with that? If you don't come in on the count of three, then I am really going to kidnap you."

'Why is he acting like nothing happened yesterday?' Elena thought as she tried to figure out what was happening.

"Did you…" Elena tried to say something but stopped.

Das flicked his finger on Elena's finger and said, "What was that?"

"Aren't you angry about yesterday?" questioned Elena.

'He was so angry yesterday. But he… doesn't look angry now.'

"Of course I am angry," answered Das.

Elena gulped down as she thought, 'He is still angry?'

'But why was he angry? It's not like he sees me more than friends anyway…. Does he even see me as his friend in the first place?'

"But…" Das scratched his cheek and said, "I guess I am not angry anymore."

"Huh?"

Elena was confused. She didn't know that Das doesn't remember anything about yesterday.

"Why?" asked Elena.

'Is this because they are suspended now?'

"What do you mean by why? Do you want me to stay angry or what?"

"..."

"What's with that face? And I noticed you were acting strange all day. You didn't even eat anything during the lunch break, right? Aren't you hungry? I see you getting hungry every other hour."

Elena was dumbfounded by what Das just said now.

'W-W-wh-what?! He was looking at me all day? No-- he said I always see you… does that mean he was looking at me all the time?! Wh-why? I didn't know he was looking at me. Oh shit--! What should I do?!'

"Are you okay? Your face is going red."

"Why… were you watching… me?" Elena muttered.

"Why do you ask. Well, that's because… because…" Das stared at Elena and said, "Why was I watching you?"

"Don't ask me!"

'Aah. What a letdown. I thought he was looking at me because….'

Das sighed and patted Elena as he said, "I don't know what you are worried about, but if you are worried about yesterday, then don't worry. I am not angry anymore. In fact, I should thank you."

"Thank… me?"

"Yeah, you called my mom to pick me up, right?"

There was a silence for about a minute before Elena opened her mouth to say something.

"I…"

'I didn't call his mom. It was teacher Sam'

Das flicked his finger on Elena's forehead again and said, "What's with you today? You are getting lost in your thoughts every other minute."

Elena covered her forehead and said, "Stop doing that"

"Doing what?"

Elena squinted her eyebrows and moved her hand to flick Das' forehead. But before she could do that, Das flicked Elena's forehead.

Elena glared at Das with tears in her eyes and yelled, "I will punch you."

Das smirked as he backed off a little and said, "Try it."

"I will really do it."

Das backed up a little more and said, "Go ahead and try it."

"Why are you backing off?"

"That's just your imagination."

Das let out a wide smile as he laughed and said, "I am glad you are back to normal."

Elena's face flushed a little as she thought, 'This is the first time I have seen him smile.'

"Come on, get up," said Das.

Elena stood up and asked, "What were you talking about a while ago?"

"Oh! My mom said you called her because I had fallen asleep on the desk when you came back."

"..."

'Did aunt really say that? Does that mean Das doesn't remember anything?'

Das moved his hand to flick Elena's forehead again, but Elena grabbed his hand and flicked Das' forehead.

Das smiled a little and said, "Now, every time you get lost in your dreams, I will flick your forehead."

Das entered the room and said, "Come on now, we are behind the scheduled."

Elena grabbed her bag and followed Das.

"We didn't do anything yesterday, so we will cover it up today."

Elena nodded.

"But we will go home early today," added Das.

"Why?"

"You didn't eat anything during the lunch break. You must be hungry, and you can't focus with an empty stomach."

"..."

'What's going on? Why is he being so kind today?'

"Maybe we will drop by at your favorite cafe on our way home?"

"Really?!"

"Yeah"

'Is this a dream? I can't believe this is happening.'

'Until now, it felt like there was a wall between Das and me, but now it feels like the wall is gone now.'

Elena looked at Das as she grinned and said, "Thanks."

'Maybe we can be a little closer now?'