Song Dedication:

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"Do you like him, Scarlett?"

She stands in front of the entrance to the music room. She whimpers upon adjusting the patch (for relieving muscle pain) underneath her jacket. Her thoughts ring back to the conversation with Maverick again.

"I..." She sighs.

He keeps his brows raised.

"I do not. I just want to help him."

"With what? You're acting like his mum! Why does he get this treatment just because he's new? He can adjust by himself, he has friends."

"It's not that."

"Then what is?"

"You won't- I can't tell you, now. Please, rick. I'll tell you when the time comes." She takes another sip, gets up, and goes to search for Ella.

"Yes, let's go. We got this!" She speaks to herself before entering the room. Elijah, now sitting near the window looking at the moon, turns back. He wasn't expecting anyone, let alone her.

"How are you here...again?"

"You want me to leave? I can-"

"No, no. That's not what I meant." He stands up. "Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?"

"Yeah but they said it's nothing serious. See? I have patches on, the pain will leave within a week. And I have things to attend to later. I've already been missing for an hour. The ceremony will keep going for at least four more hours."

"Damn. What do they even do? This school...keeps surprising me."

"I know, right?" She comes near him. "The juniors will start performing soon. I really am looking forward to their part; that's the most exciting part every year, you know, our seniors used to tell us how they waited so many years to watch our performances! I can finally feel them."

"Did you perform?"

"Obviously! It's a must. There's no excuse, even for introverts." She looks at him.

"Not something I'd prefer."

"I know. Let's sit."

She sits down, looks at the moon. He sits beside her.

"What did you perform?"

"No! We're not going down that lane. It was a disaster!"

"It makes me more curious now." He grins.

She smiles upon the sudden realization of his curiosity about her.

"Well, let past remain the past. You tell me, how did you manage to escape the search team?"

"I was among them. That's how."

"Huh?"

"I have read enough crime books to know how to camouflage within the crowd. You just act like them, no one even noticed that Elijah suddenly appeared because one, I took off my mask and cap, and two, they didn't know or even expect it to be me."

"Oooh. Makes sense."

He nods, "And then, I was called by the music room!"

"What? Like a magical spell?"

"I don't believe in all that but yeah, can explain it like that maybe."

She looks at him.
"Guess it's my karma."

"What?" He asks.

"This." She points to her shoulder. "This is what I get for biting your hand. How is it now?"

"Oh, no, don't worry about that. It's almost healed completely. And I'm definitely not rabies positive."

They share a hearty laugh.

"By the way, about what you said earlier..."

"Hmm?"

"About you creating troubles for both of us and being a bother?" He looks at her, their eyes meet. Elijah acts oblivious to his pounding heart and averts his gaze. "That's not the case." He coughs.

"Huh? I don't understand."

"You...you're not a bother."

"You're not a bother." The words echo louder in her head than her rising heartbeat. "Oh."

He looks at her again. "Oh?"

"Um, yeah?"

"Oh."

"Oh."

A moment of awkward silence floats in the air.

"Oh and also, I apologize for calling you that earlier. It's your nickname given by your friends. Things like that are personal. I would be repulsed if someone invaded my space like tha-"

"It's fine. A dear friend of mine gave me that name once. After he left, there was no one to call me by that, so I made my brother and other friends learn that cause I missed him."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Can you- can you stop saying sorry? It's annoying to hear."

"Oh, I'm sorry- Okay, I'll try not to."

They smile, but something doesn't feel right to Elijah. "Wait a minute. Why am I...why are we talking like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I hate you. No, I dislike you. You ruined my precious face, the scar is still there. You bit my hand. You annoy me so much, not the other way around. How-" His brows furrow into a deep V.

"Are you on drugs or something?"

"What?!"

"Why would you utter complete nonsense like that right after assuring me that I'm not a bother? And what about my shoulder, ha? Who did this?!"

He gulps and looks away.

"See? You can't even argue with me."

"I absolutely believe- I'm quite sure actually, that no one can argue with you." He taunts her.

"Cool, I shall take pride in that."

He rolls his eyes. She notices it, it brings back memories for her. She smiles to herself.

"Anyway, shouldn't you be with your parents? They must be looking for you."

He sighs. "I don't want to go. I'm tired."

"Of what?"

"Just...tired. Let them enjoy the show. I'll go later. I just want to be here for some more minutes."

"Okay, then tell me something about the piano. How do you play so well?"

"My mom had me learn it at a young age, but eventually cut it off due to the fear of it hampering my studies. I never got over it, so I secretly still play sometimes."

Her eyes soften up. "I'm proud of you."

"Huh?"

"I'm proud of you, Elijah. You're doing good. Don't give up on your dreams."

They stare at each other for a while, he asks, "What about you? You really seem to love football."

"Yes, I do. Immensely! My love for soccer runs so deep that I can go without sweets for days but not the ball!"

He chuckles. "So you love sweets as well."

"Yes, I do. You know, someday, I wish to play at an international level, and have those huge crowds cheering me on as I lead my team to victory. I want to be able to create history someday, you know how those mobs go crazy over Ronaldo, Messi?"

He keeps listening. She asks, "You...do know who I'm talking about, right?"

"Yes, I'm quite a fan myself, I like it enough to know to call it football and not soccer."

"No, Elijah, we are not going to fight over this!"

"That's very American of you."

"Look who's talking! As if you're not half one yourself?"

"Alright, alright." He laughs. "Go on, Ronaldo...Messi?"

She squints at him.

"Yeah, so I want to make it really really huge someday! I want people to call out my name when I score a goal. I want to look after my team members like family. I want to build connections worldwide, with different people coming from different backgrounds and stories and want to play with them."

He's unaware of the curls at the corners of his lips on seeing the sheer light in her eyes. If the moon were to compete, its brightness will fall short of her shine.

"I can see you making it someday."

"You do?"

"Yes, after becoming the recipient of your supposed goal, I knew this girl is crazy enough to force her way into victory by any means."

"Elijah!"

"Sorry, sorry!" The room gets filled with loud laughters. Her heart melts a little. Just like old times.

"Thank you." He mumbles.

"What?"

"Thank you. I...don't really have people to talk to. I also, don't kind of, like people..." He scratches his head.

"That's very visible, yes."

"Yes, and I don't know why but even though I started out with hating you, I- it feels good now...to talk to you, someone, in general. Someone that I can maybe tell things to."

Her heart starts swelling. "Thanks for saying that. I hope we can be friends someday."

Friends... "Hmm, maybe."

"Oh yay! Slaayyy, Queen!!!"

"What in the world?!"

"I said 'slay queen'. Why?"

"Don't. I do not like that obnoxious language. I abhor it. It's a taint on literature and today's language in general. I don't know the roots of such blasphemous wordings but I will file a case in future against its creators and the fools who keep spreading this disease! All legal adults should stand united against this felony." He catches his breath.

"Whoa, that's a lot now! What, have you like prepared a thesis on your dislike for Gen-Z lanaguge?"

"Do not call it Gen-Z. I absolutely refuse to being called as a Gen-Z otherwise."

"Well guess what? It is Gen-Z. Also, you may not have realised it yet and I'm surprised why you haven't but...Elijah, you're so Gen-Z coded!"

"Oh, my ears!" He slams his ears shut with his hands.

"Oh, be for real for real, Elijah! Fax no printer, Elijah! Ate and left no crumbs, Elijah!"

"Oh dear lord!!!"

She has the time of her life teasing him. But she knows they are getting late and will be questioned by the authorities if found together like that.

"Okay, I apologize this time, haha. Sorry. Let's go now."

She stands up, he looks up.

"To the auditorium. Let's go, you don't wanna be punished on an occasion like this."

He rolls his eyes at her guts and stands up, but his weak posture has become the villain for the start of their misery. He stumbles and falls on her. Even though she handles the fall and keeps both of them still stood up, she starts to feel warmth on her neck.

His lips are on her neck; pressed, to be precise.

A chill runs down both of their spines but they aren't even ready for the next one.

"There you are!" Areum's voice reverberates in the room.

The doors fly open and there stand Mr. & Mrs. Zaniston along with the principal.

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A/N: Ah, shit. Here we go! What next? 🤭