1 Chapter 1

7:00

"Students are not allowed to practise any courses outside of class."

The Principal looked down at the hundreds of students assembled before him in The Hall in crimson suits. Beside him stood the vice-principal along with several other professors. This special assembly was called after The Principal blew a fuse from finding out about the recent group study. A couple of students were caught practising courses outside of school premises without a teacher supervising.

It wasn't actually that big of a deal— just a bit of tutoring. Not something that would warrant a three-hour long lecture.

Because of said lecture, Knox had to stand on stage for the entirety of the assembly with the rest of the Disciplinary Committee.

In addition, he was bored out of his mind from listening to The Principal's lecture.

The worst part about listening to a lecture? It's trying not to yawn.

There's just something so inherently dull about a highly aggrieved and disappointed stream of words.

"You may leave now. Let this be the last time."

Which is what he said before. But it's not like it actually worked. Well to be fair -

"You can get of the stage now, you know", he heard someone say.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Sorry, I'll get off now— " His internal musings seemed to have blocked the way. While Knox was getting off the stage, a girl (No, she's not our heroine. We don't have one.) was waiting for him with a stack of papers.

Ah. The start of all clichés.

"Selena, do you need something?" Of course she does; she wouldn't be here otherwise.

"Professor Eugene wanted you to meet him in the staff room. While you're going there, could you please deliver these permission slips to our class in-charge?"

"Sure"

This is definitely going somewhere, it always does.

7:14

Professor Eugene probably wants to know all the 'details' which led to The Principal's three-hour long ultimatum. And Knox, as head of the disciplinary committee, had been given the honour of filling him in.

"Knox, are you aware of what led to this sudden assembly? It seems us teachers will be informed later, but I would prefer to know now so as to be prepared for when The Principal fills us in. It's always better to be prepared, you know."

Yes Professor Eugene, you're always prepared.

"I'm sorry Professor. Even the disciplinary committee isn't aware of the details."

Which wasn't true; Knox just didn't want to tell him; it wasn't worth it.

"Oh, that's too bad - are those the permission slips? You can leave them here; I've been left in charge this time."

"Thank you, Professor."

And now he has to go back to class, where a more annoying Eugene waits for him.

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7:20

"Knox! You know something, don't you? Tell me." This idiot didn't even greet him.

"I just entered the class, Stephen. Let me sit first" Knox sighed, looking at his only friend (god that sounds so melodramatic). It wasn't that he was unpopular; quite the opposite actually.

It's just that not many people seemed to have a presence here....

He took his seat in the front, by the window. Knox decided he would ignore his friend's brazen request. The whole situation didn't warrant such interest. It was The Principal's obsession with keeping everything under wraps that piqued their interest.

The only ones who knew what happened that day were the members of the disciplinary committee, The Principal, and the ones involved. Everyone else only knew that some people were taking after-school revisions a bit too seriously.

"The sheer number of times this has happened in the past few months is kind of strange you know." Stephen remarked from behind Knox. Knox thought so too, but the same thing had happened a few years ago, so he didn't care.

"It'll stop after a while, don't worry."

"It will? I was kinda hoping it doesn't…it keeps the mornings interesting."

For him, perhaps. Knox, on the other hand, had to stand for hours on stage whenever the mornings were interesting.

"It's going to be Professor Morgan's class now. Instead of chit-chatting, you should probably start your homework before he gets here."

"Well, how do you know I haven't done it already?"

"Is that so? What was the homework then?"

"….."

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On the other side of the class were a group of boys…one with much more presence that the others...

But he'll come into picture a little later. For now, Selena, the brunette sitting by the door, will be the one pushing the plot forward.

That and the fact that Knox was on cleaning duty that day.