Even in the classroom, our seats were somehow farther apart. I wanted to know him better after that incident earlier, I wanted to uncover his true personality. As I kept observing him during homeroom, I noticed some little details about how he behaved, and just as I suspected, Gabriel was more interesting than I initially thought.
It was already lunchtime when I found myself walking or rather, touring around Lucian Academy, trying to familiarize myself with the directions to avoid getting lost. I came across a staff member placing a sheet of paper on the bulletin board before leaving. I walked closer to take a look, and to my surprise, it turned out to be the academic ranking. My eyes widened as I saw my name at the top, right beside Seb's. It was the first time I officially got the first place. I was excited and happy at the same time, so I immediately texted Seb about the results. He congratulated me.
I hummed as I made my way toward the third building, a structure filled with empty rooms, most of which seemed to be used by school clubs. I entered the second room on the first floor. Judging by the galaxies and stars painted on the walls, it looked like it had once been an astronomy room. It had no furniture except for a long desk placed by the window. The janitor must have still been cleaning the room regularly despite its lack of use, because there wasn't a single speck of dust inside.
I opened the window, letting the fresh breeze rush in. I sat on the desk, feeling the wind on my skin while admiring the view. The third building was situated near the academy's garden, which was clearly visible through the window. The flowers were also perfectly bloomed and freshly watered under the sun.
Ring.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Seb was calling. I answered and asked why he was calling me.
"Looks like the grandson of the Headmaster has some kind of business with us." he said over the phone.
"What..? you mean Gabriel Lee?" I replied, confused about what he was talking about.
"Yup. According to Isaac, looks like he's been going around the academy asking students about our whereabouts."
A smile slowly grew on my lips, seeming amused. "Did he already see you?" I asked, leaning my head against the window, becoming intrigued by the situation.
"No. I'm at the rooftop. Locked the doors so no one could come in."
I chuckled. "Then that means.. He's already on his way to me?" I asked, humming.
"Yeah, why do you sound so happy about it?" he asked, clearly confused.
"Nothing lol." I replied simply. "Gotta go now." I added.
"Be careful, Lucas. You don't know what is going happen." he warned.
"Alright, alright. I will" I said before ending the call. Is he my dad or what..?
I hummed contentedly, slipping my phone back into my pocket and gazing outside. I had a strong feeling that the reason Gabriel was looking for Seb and me was connected to the ranking results that got posted earlier. I might not have known him very well yet, but I'd gotten a gist of his personality from the incident earlier that morning. And I am 100% certain that he would soon come looking for me here after asking around.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside the door. Earlier, I had noticed that no students were hanging around the third building, so the approaching footsteps could only belong to one person, Gabriel Lee.
The door burst open.
I turned my head toward it, feigning confusion. There stood Gabriel Lee, gripping the door handle and breathing slightly heavily probably from running around in this vast Academy in search of me and Seb. I nearly smiled. Let's keep playing the confused card and see what happens.
"Do you need something?" I asked, tilting my head and raising an eyebrow.
He didn't respond instead he just stared at me, with a slightly surprised expression on his face. I broke the silence, still acting clueless and trying to lead a conversation.
"You're Lee Jaewhi, right?"
He flinched slightly and continued staring at me. This time there was something else in his eyes something like fear or unease.
I couldn't help but smile in amusement. I stood from the desk and began walking toward him. With each step, the space between us shrank. He tried to back away to maintain distance, but I was already standing right in front of him.
He was a bit shorter than me and it was the first time I'd seen him this up close, and the details of his face were more striking than I expected more than on screen. He looked at me with clear confusion and a touch of nervousness. My smile widened, and I leaned in closer.
His features were even more striking from this distance. Long, blond lashes that looked like a girl's; a small mole under his right eye; pale, light eyebrows; and a scent that oddly reminded me of milk. His nose was straight, his lips a soft pink, and his messy light-blonde hair curled slightly at the ends. He looked both feminine and masculine—delicate, yet undeniably sharp. Is that what you call an androgynous beauty..?
"Are you not?" I asked again, my smile deepening, then he finally answered. After 3 questions I asked, he finally answered to one.
"I am."
I thought to myself, should I try provoking him? I smirked.
"I don't know why you've been going out of your way looking for me and Seb all over this huge school, but don't wear yourself out. I wouldn't want you to be exhausted from all that running..." I hummed, lifting his fringe that covered his eyes and twirling it between my fingers with a playful smile.
His eyes narrowed. His brows furrowed. He looked like he'd just snapped.
My eyes widened. Before I could retreat, his hand gripped my collar and yanked me closer. Out of reflex, I grabbed his wrist tightly, suddenly caught off guard by his aggression.
"Listen here, you imbecile," his voice harsh and biting. "Have your parents ever taught you how to know your place? Just because you earned first place by God knows how you cheated, doesn't mean you get to act this fucking cocky. You understand me?"
I was speechless. I hadn't even realized my grip on his wrist had tightened in response.
He pulled his hand back and scoffed arrogantly.
Even though I had provoked him on purpose, I couldn't deny that getting caught off guard like that irritated me. I fixed my collar and smiled at him again with a hint of furiousness.
"Fuck off," he said, raising his middle finger at me with a smirk before storming out and slamming the door behind him.
I stood alone in the room, stunned. A second passed before I placed a hand over my mouth—and laughed. I had never been humiliated like this in my entire life.
Gabriel Lee. He was nothing like the image I'd seen online. Those rumors surrounding him were true after all. I guess people with good looks really do tend to have hidden secrets buried beneath their face.
Ring.
My phone vibrated again. I took it out and answered Seb's call.
"Yo Seb, guess what..? I just got cursed out." I said with a huge grin.
"…What?!" he replied, his voice rising slightly in volume.
"You see, I tried provoking him first to see how he'd react, but I ended up getting cursed out instead," I explained, giggling.
"Why do you actually sound so happy about it—" he started.
"I'm not," I cut him off. "I'm very pissed off right now, Seb. I've never felt humiliation like this ever before."
"…Okay…?" he responded, clearly confused, but he didn't press further.
But one thing still confused me more than anything else.
Why was Gabriel so upset and bothered about the results… It's not like his family require him to have good grades.