Chapter 12:

Do you speak Japanese?

The Season When Flowers Bloom

Part I

"Man, seriously... you always drag me around like that,"

Khyle whines, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.

Renz keeps a steady, unbothered pace, looking straight ahead.

"You always go your own way without caring about anything or anyone else!"

Khyle throws his hands up, his voice sounding more defeated than angry.

"Do you have any idea how bad that looked back there?"

"And besides, I wasn't even trying to hit on her, you know?!"

Renz stops abruptly and turns around.

He stares at Khyle, quietly evaluating whether he is telling the truth or just making up excuses.

"Guhh... what are you doing?"

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Khyle awkwardly turns his head away, rubbing the back of his neck as a drop of cold sweat breaks on his temple.

"It's teacher's orders,"

Renz mutters dryly, turning back around and picking up his pace toward the faculty office.

When they reach the office, their homeroom teacher hands them a thick stack of documents.

"Please deliver these papers to Room 1B, it's on the far side of this building."

"They're currently in the middle of class, so just hand them directly to the teacher inside."

"Understood,"

Renz replies, taking half the stack while Khyle reluctantly grabs the rest.

As they step out of the faculty office and make their way down the corridor,

Khyle's slows his pace, staring anxiously at the classroom door plates as they pass by.

A nervous drop of sweat pricks his neck,

His knuckles turning white around the paper stack.

"Hey Renz..."

Khyle mutters, his voice dropping to a low, panicked whisper.

"Can't you just hand these over by yourself?"

"Room 1B is... well... her class."

"No. Teacher said to deliver them together."

"Bro, come on, have a heart!"

Khyle pleads, fidgeting nervously as they walk past classroom after classroom.

"If she sees me, it's going to be so awkward!"

A quiet moment passes between them as they turn the corner into the next hallway.

Seeing that Renz remains completely unbothered, Khyle decides to change topic.

A sly smirk returning to his face.

"So... back to what you said to Hana."

"What about it?"

"Man, I seriously didn't think you had it in you,"

Khyle chuckles, nudging Renz with his elbow

"Huh? What are you even talking about?"

Khyle clears his throat, dropping his voice into a deep, monotone impression.

"So about the stuff we talked about yesterday... let's go out this Sunday..."

He bursts into snickers.

"Pfft—!"

"Bro, you dropped a nuke on the whole classroom with that completely deadpan face!"

Renz shrugs it off, his expression remaining completely stoic.

Seeing Renz entirely unaffected,

Khyle's smirk vanishes, replaced by utter bewilderment.

"Huh, you're not blushing? are you serious back there?"

"Hmm? Yeah,"

Renz answers calmly.

"Our senior mentor couldn't make it this Saturday,"

"So she moved our session to Sunday instead. That's why I said we should do it on Sunday."

Khyle stops dead in his tracks, looking at Renz with deep, overwhelming empathy.

His voice fills with pure pity.

"Bro... I think you severely misunderstood how phrasing works.

"Huh?? I just wan't to finish our survey as soon as possible."

"..."

"Bro... I actually feel sorry for you now."

Renz blinks, giving him a blank, unimpressed look before turning back.

"You make no sense."

When they finally reach Room 1B, Khyle's steps grind to a complete halt.

In a sudden flash of panic, he spins around and dashes, attempting a desperate sprint back down the corridor.

Before he can even take three steps, Renz casually reaches out and snags him firmly by the shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Renz asks, his voice completely flat.

"Guhhhh!"

"My chronic I-can't-enter-Room-1B-or-I'll-die disease is acting up!"

Khyle groans frantically, clutching his gut with one hand while hugging the papers to his chest.

"Oh yeah?"

"Let me go! This situation is too much for me!"

"I think, I think I need to take a massive dump right in this exact moment!"

Renz ignores him.

Without letting go, he simply uses his momentum to pivot Khyle right back around,

"You can hold it for thirty seconds,"

"No!!"

Renz says, effectively blocking any path to escape.

"You're delivering the papers."

Before Khyle can even protest further, the classroom door unexpectedly rattles and slides open.

"Thank you, ma'am, I'm heading to the rest—"

The sentence cuts off mid-breath.

Standing right in the open doorway, mere inches away from him, is a girl holding a hall pass.

For a terrifying second, the entire corridor drops into absolute, dead silence.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Beatrice?"

A girl sitting near the front row whispers, turning in her seat with a puzzled look.

From behind the podium, the teacher looks up toward the doorway, equally bewildered by the sudden freeze.

"Is something the matter, Ms. Del Rosario?"

Khyle instantly freezes, his entire face drains of color.

Looking as though his soul is actively ascending into another realm right then and there.

"B-B-Beatric—"

"Uhmm... p-please excuse me..."

Swallowing hard against the suffocating tension, Beatrice keeps her head bowed low to break all eye contact.

Clutching her hall pass tightly against her chest, she slowly steps around Khyle.

hurrying down the corridor toward the restroom with swift, hesitant steps.

The moment she clears the doorway, the rest of the class notices Khyle standing at the threshold.

Instantly, a heavy wave of collective disappointment washes over Room 1B.

Heads drop, shoulders slump, and dramatic groans echo from every corner.

"Ugh... it's just the human trash bag,"

A guy in the front row groans, slumping all the way down into his desk.

"Man, I thought someone cool was coming in! Total disappointment."

Another student whines from the back.

"Cover your eyes, guys! It's the walking piece of filth!"

"Hey!!! What do you mean by walking piece of filth and human trash bag?!"

Khyle protests loudly, his voice cracking on the spot as his head snaps around the classroom.

"I'm delivering important documents here! Show some respect!"

From the back corner, a student leans back in his chair with a bored, unbothered expression.

"Shut up, 18-hour dynasty."

"Yeah!"

"Bro held down the fort for less time than a single shift at a convenience store before getting dumped lmao!"

Khyle's face flushes a deep red as he stammers out a response,

"Shut up!"

"I-it was a mutual decision based on scheduling conflicts, okay?!"

"Stop bringing that up!"

Standing near the podium, the female teacher shakes her head in complete disbelief at the chaotic noise levels.

Raising her voice, while repeatedly slamming her thick lesson binder onto the podium desk,

"Class! Settle down right now! That is enough—"

Her warnings are completely swallowed by the wall of laughter and loud banter.

Realizing she has lost total control of the room, she lets out a heavy, defeated sigh,

Sulking quietly behind her desk with a hopeless expression.

Right as she gives up, Renz steps through the door behind Khyle, carrying the remaining stack of documents.

The second he enters the room, the entire classroom falls dead silent.

The noise cuts off instantly as the girls' eyes widen in absolute awe,

"Here are the paperwork files from Ms. Beaumont, ma'am."

The female teacher stammers, taking the papers with a flustered smile.

"A-ah, yes! Thank you, Mr. San Diego,"

The room, which had been a deafening wall of loud banter just moments ago, remains completely frozen.

"Excuse us ma'am."

Renz says, giving a small, respectful nod.

He turns and heads for the exit,

Followed closely by Khyle, who gives the teacher one final, apologetic bow before sliding out the door.

"Sorry for our intrusion, ma'am."

The instant the door latches closed, the silence shatters.

"Oh my gosh, did you see his face?!"

"I swear, when he walked in, the room literally felt five degrees cooler,"

"His aura is so intimidating, I almost forgot how to breathe!"

"Honestly? I would gladly let him ignore me every single day if it means getting to look at him!"

The entire room explodes all at once into frantic shrieks, excited squeals, and chaotic whispers.

"Shhh! Class, quiet down!"

The teacher calls out, trying to restore the order once again while patting her cheeks.

"But ma'am, your face is completely red too!"

A student from the back row calls out.

The teacher flushes bright pink, coughing into her hand.

"Quiet! Back to page thirteen!"

Part II

I sit at a high table near the order counter while Sarah stands in line.

My brain is still in a complete daze, spinning in endless loops over Renz's words.

His cool voice echoes relentlessly in my head

"Hey, Hana."

"..."

"Hello?! Earth to Hana!"

"Huh? S-Sarah—!"

Sarah steps up to the table, looking visibly exhausted with dark shadows under her eyes.

"What food do you want? I'm ordering now."

"Uhmmm..."

I look up at the menu board, trying to regain my train of thought.

"I think I'll get the fettuccine Alfredo..."

"Okay, two Alfredo pastas and two iced teas, please,"

A minute later, Sarah returns to the table and slides into the seat across from me.

"They said our food should be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"Uhmm... Sarah?"

I lower my head, my cheeks burning with guilt.

"I'm really sorry about earlier... for spacing out and dragging you into all this."

Sarah lets out a long, heavy sigh, resting her chin in her hand.

"It's fine. Don't think too much about it."

"More importantly... tell me what actually happened!"

She leans across the table, her eyes narrowing with intense curiousity.

"What on earth went down between you two over the past few days??"

"For Renz to say something like that in front of the whole class?!"

"I-I don't know! I'm just as confused as you are!"

Sarah squints at me suspiciously.

"Huh? You sure you're not lying to me?"

"I promise! I swear!"

"I swear I am just as surprised as you were when he said it!"

Sarah falls silent for a few seconds,

Tapping her fingers in deep thought.

"Then there's only one way to find out."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Message him directly right now and demand a clarification,"

My mind instantly short-circuits.

Sweat breaks out across my forehead, my heart pounding wildly against my ribs.

"M-MESSAGE HIM DIRECTLY?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

At that exact moment, the cafeteria doors open.

My soul left me.

"Man, I'm seriously so glad we get to help out in the cafeteria today,"

Khyle says, stretching his arms with a wide grin.

"I wonder what high-end dish we get to taste-test first!"

Sarah's eyes instantly snap toward them.

Correcting her glasses, a dangerous, mischievous spark suddenly flashes in her face.

"Perfect timing."

"Wh-wait?! Sarah?? What are you talking about?!"

"Come on,"

Sarah says, grabbing my wrist firmly and pulling me out of my chair.

"W-WAIT—SARAHHH!"

I squeak, resisting with all my weight as she drags my trembling body straight toward them.

What the heck is this strength?!

I can't even pull back!

My heart leaps into my throat as we approach them.

Renz glances up, his eyes landing on us.

I'm dead—

Just as we are about to collide with them, Sarah suddenly veers to the right,

Dragging me straight past them toward the hallway doors.

Huh?

"I need to go to the bathroom!"

Sarah calls out, speeding up her pace until we burst through the double doors into the quiet hallway.

I let out a massive breath of relief, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

"SARAH! You dummy! What on earth was that for?!"

Sarah clutches her hands over her chest, panting heavily.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I got totally overwhelmed when I actually saw him up close!"

"I thought I was brave enough, but I panicked!"

She looks at me, her eyes filled with deep, newfound empathy.

"I completely understand why you freeze up around him now!"

Sarah pants, placing both of her hands on her cheeks.

"Up close, his presence is just... way too overwhelming."

"I don't know how you even manage to survive talking to him!"

"See? I told you I wasn't exaggerating..."

Sarah groans, running a hand through her hair before heading over to the sink.

Meanwhile, back at the cafeteria~

"Hey Renz— Isn't that your lovely girlfriend running away, and my ghostly partner dragging her?"

"..."

"What are you even talking about—"

"Anyone ordered two alfredo pasta?"

Suddenly, a voice near the counter calls out.

"This is strange, I was told to deliver to this table... Boss!"

"Hmm? Whats up?"

"There seem to be a mistake from the order."

"I see, then just return the plates here."

"Huh? But the one who ordered is still wasn't,"

"Sigh, this is why I don't like training newbies."

"..."

"Look, do you see anyone nearby?"

The staff looks around the cafeteria.

It was a vast empty hall.

"It's empty—"

"See? It happens all the time, so now that you know, get yourself back here!"

"Y-yes sir!"

"..."

"Did you hear that Renz?"

"Hear what?"

"It's our lucky day!"

After saying that, Khyle barged shamelessly into the kitchen,

Only to get kicked away, after startling the cleaning staff and the whole kitchen crew.

Part III

The afternoon period begins with our teacher writing a daunting, multi-step quadratic equation across the whiteboard.

"Now then, Is there anyone who would like to try solving this problem on the board?"

Khyle instantly shoots his hand high into the air.

A smug, overly confident grin plastered across his face.

Completely ignoring Khyle's waving arm, he continues scanning the rest of the room.

"Anyone other than Mr. Alcaraz and Mr. San Diego?"

The room goes dead silent.

All students face down, quietly calculating.

His eyes linger near the front row,

"Ms. Konoe."

"Eh??"

I gasp, my eyes widening in sheer horror.

"Please step up and answer the question on the board,"

Panicking inside, I force myself to stand up, my legs feeling like jelly as I walk toward the front of the classroom.

It's okay...

The problem is much simpler this time,

I can do this.

factor out the leading coefficient first, then divide by two and square it...

I take the marker from his desk and turn to face the board.

However, the moment I start writing, my mind goes completely blank.

The silence behind me suddenly feels heavy and suffocating.

Dark, imaginary voices begin echoing, sharp whispers from my classmates wishing for me to fail.

Feeling dozens of intense stares burning into my back, judging my every movement.

My hand freezes mid-air, trembling as sweat trickles down my neck.

"I see... thank you, Ms. Konoe."

"Mr. San Diego, please assist her up at the board."

While I stand there spacing out, a tall figure approaches from my side.

"Renz— uhmm..."

"The marker,"

Renz says softly, his voice calm.

"Y-yes!"

Renz steps up to the board,

His broad shoulders completely shadowing me from the view of the rest of the class.

With swift, effortless strokes, he fills in the remaining variables and solves the complex equation within seconds.

"Done,"

He turns his head slightly, looking down at me.

"You forgot to factor out the negative sign before dividing the middle coefficient."

"If you don't factor it out first, the parabola opens in the wrong direction."

"Y-yes... thank you,"

I whisper, a hot blush instantly rushing across my face.

Without another word, he turns and casually walks back toward his desk.

"Wait... did Renz just explain a problem to her?!"

"Right?! He usually just solves it, and walks away!"

"Is it just me, or was his voice way gentler than usual?"

"No way... he literally never talks to anyone unless he has to!"

Trying my absolute best to ignore the burning stares and chaotic murmurs,

I bow my head low and hurry back to my seat, burying my glowing red face in my arms.

BRRRRRING!

"Why is Mayu-nee taking so long..."

By now, Sarah and the rest of my classmates have long since left for home,

Leaving the main lobby and the surrounding corridors completely still.

As I sit on the wide marble steps at the lower entrance, my phone vibrates.

[Hana-ojousama, I am so sorry! Something urgent has just come up on my end, so I won't be able to pick you up today.]

[Sir Thomas is also unavailable due to business meetings, but I have already contacted Madam.]

[She is on her way to get you now.]

I let out a soft sigh, slipping my phone back into my pocket.

"Guess it can't be helped... I'll just wait by the main gate."

Holding my bag close to my chest, I stand up from the marble steps and make my way across the quiet courtyard.

As I head toward the main entrance, I notice that a few lingering students are still scattered around the area,

Gathered in small groups near the benches and walkways.

Some of their uniforms are slightly different,

Are they student councils?

Getting closer to the exit, one particular figure near the edge of the courtyard catches my attention.

Standing near the tall iron gates, staring absently at the street, is a familiar tall figure.

"Renz..."

I whisper under my breath.

Unintentionally, the name slips out louder than I intended.

Renz turns his head, his dark eyes meeting mine as he hears his name.

He pauses for a moment before slowly walking over.

Awawawa, what should I do?!

"Hmm? Do you need something.. Konoe-san?"

"N-No, I'm..."

Huh? what did he just say?

"San?"

I repeat quietly, a subtle thump blooming in my chest.

"Yeah. You're Japanese, right?"

Renz asks, his voice calm.

"I was actually surprised by how fluent your English is, especially since you communicate so easily with the class."

"Most students here use English, but the majority are Western or local."

I stare at him, my breath catching in my throat.

The way he speaks, the calm demeanor, the subtle cadence of his voice...