Eccentricity Merged with Chaos Makes it Fun

"Stop hiding."

Her palms started sweating. She could no longer feel her legs. She squeezed Ria's arm for support as the senior was also in the same predicament, paralyzed and not breathing.

The mouse squeaked, again.

Dear sun, dear Astrea, she prayed. She glared at the mouse who was staring back at her again, tilting its head. It was taunting her. Her gaze hardened, sending a message with just that. If you want to live then you better shut your mouth!

Adeleine's heated gaze faltered when she heard light flaps of paired wings. She peered outside again, seeing a black-feathered bird landed on the man's desk. She sighed in relief.

"Kaw!" The bird turned its head side-to-side as if he was inspecting him.

Dean Helios raised his hand, lightly petting the black bird's small head.

"Kaw!"

"Take this." He rolled the paper, tying it with a ribbon to its claws. He offered his arm to which the bird hopped on as they made their way and opened the glass window, which turned out to be a sliding door leading to a balcony instead.

"Dean, deary~" With a flirty tone, the other door burst open and Dean Helios turned to the intruder. He glowered, seeing the man walk in with a flutter of his eyelids.

"What do you need?" Dean Helios sat on his chair and intertwined his fingers on his lips, staring at the other sharply, warning the master that he should better not be wasting his time.

Adeleine sat there, awe-struck.

"Pssst, you're ogling. So, you like them pretty faces, huh?"

"Huh?" Adeleine held herself together and wiped her chin. "I'm not. He's just too beautiful."

"That is true. Master Rei is a first-year history master and everyone that sees him gets in a sort of daze."

"He's charming."

"Yeah! Charmed! Only a few who got used to it had the immunity."

"Oh, he has long hair," Adeleine whispered, pointing it out. Despite his wavy blond locks only reaching past half his neck.

"Ah, yeah," Ria agreed, "Letherians grow their hairs out really long even for men, but here in Adhelis Empire, that's not good. Men who don't trim their hair are seen as uneducated and unhygienic."

"I know that. You don't have to tell me. I'm not a child," she scoffed.

"Oop, hehe, sorry," she beamed, scratching her head, "I thought I might give you some background on things cause it's different from Letheria, aren't they?"

"Again, I am not from Letheria," she emphasized, although trying to keep her voice in a low tone. Ria, however, didn't seem to hear.

"Nothing really," he shrugged and pouted. "Am I not allowed to see my dear?"

He firmly replied, "I am not your dear."

"Hay, you didn't let me finish. I was gonna say dear friend," he teased, a smile curling the edge of his lips. "I didn't know you see me that way. We could, I guess," he said suggestively, "…Try it out."

Dean Helios scrunched his face in disgust. "Leave if you have no business. I am busy."

"I wouldn't mind dating a handsome and successful dean." He made his way towards the desk and his black robes fluttered with every move.

He raised the other's chin to meet his misty violets. "You have a clean face," he commented. "What's your age again? Fifty?"

The dean yanked back his head. His ocean blue eyes narrowed, warily eyeing the other's moves, discerning his motives.

"Still in your prime, huh?" he flashed a blinding smile that bounced off the dean when he scowled.

"That's none of your business. Now get out."

"Awww come on. Don't be so mean." He looked like a whining kid clinging to Helios' robe as the latter headed to the balcony to cool his head off. "Come on! Just a tiny bit of chance?"

The glass door muffled their voices as Rei closed it behind their back with him still pursuing the male. Both saw this as an opportunity.

"Shall we sneak out now-?" Ria bolted right out through the door while Adeleine wasn't even finished yet.

Her force created a clamor that shouldn't go unnoticeable. Two heads peeked from the balcony door. Adeleine was left there, shocked and betrayed.

At this point, she knew—she's on her own. She'll have to make a run for it.

She pulled up her coat over her head and ran, revealing herself in their line of sight in a wild flurry of red before she slammed the door. "You! Stop!" She heard the dean call after her.

Biting her lip in trepidation, a bead of sweat ran down the side of her face. That traitor of a tramp…

"Stop! Return here at once!" he yelled, puffing between breaths.

But she was already running down the hallways, why should she stop now? "Damn traitor, I won't forgive you," she cursed under her breath, chanting profanities of the person who dragged her in this mess but also threw her under the carriage.

"This stupid long robe!" She heard him curse.

She clutched her lapels tighter, hugging the coat tight around her head. She's the only letherian here. It'll be a dead giveaway if she revealed her hair.

She passed by numerous turns, randomly picking them, hoping that it wouldn't be a dead end. However, no matter how many twists she took, she couldn't lose her chaser hot on her tail, yelling that Astrea won't forgive her. Astrea already damned her, so why should she care?

She wouldn't be able to keep running endlessly like this; she should lose him someway or somehow.

The corridor arched, giving her the chance to be out of sight from the hunter, even for just a moment, one brief moment. There was a wooden door on the right. She hurriedly tugged on it, checking if it's locked, but it wouldn't open. Looking around, she spotted a window right across the door and peered down. It's not that high up when you look at it from below. It's just the second floor after all. But looking at the ground from above, she was having second thoughts.

She could hear his steps echoing down the hallway. Her heart thundered; she has no time for this. Throwing all of her doubts out of the window in a nearly literal sense, she grabbed the frame and hoisted her feet up, guiding herself outside. It's stupidly dangerous but, she doesn't have the patience to deal with another troublesome punishment.

No, no. Adeleine dared not to jump. Her heart wouldn't be able to take it. "It's okay," she reassured herself, "even if I fall, I won't die. I'll only fracture my balls- I mean, bones."

Her feet trod carefully the gaps on the wall outside, her body clinging like a starfish. She tried not to stray too far, just enough for her to hide.

She pressed her ears on the wall, focusing on the sounds. Her heart pounded against her chest in adrenaline and anticipation, in sync with the oncoming footsteps.

Her brows crossed. She heard another pair coming from the opposite direction, slow, steady, and paced, unlike her pursuer.

"Oh, dear celestials," she muttered under her ragged breathing. She had never felt so glad that she chose to risk herself. If she continued to run, she would have encountered whoever that person is. They would have discovered her identity and reported her to be suspicious. All her escape would have been for naught.

How did she offend the celestial to leave her such fate?

She leaned all of her weight on the wall, her leg feeling strained from the tip-toe she was forced to do. Trying not to look down, she shifted her focus instead to the sound coming from the window. Her arms were a bit sore from this uncomfortable position and not even a minute passed. She should have thought this through first. But on the other hand, she was left with no choice.

Even the twelve morning stars decided that she's not worth sparing any luck.

The two crossed paths and stopped right at the window. Dean Helios looked at the student from head to toe.

"Dean," the student spoke.

Her eyes widened. His voice sounded familiar.

"Have you passed by a student running here?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in skepticism. From the looks of it, this student could not be the one he was chasing a few moments ago. Clandes would not be using a lousy method of escape according to his better judgment.

Adeleine held her breath.

"No, sir."

The dean took note of his messy appearance. His silver hair stuck with indescribable things, not to mention the banana peel resting on his shoulder. And also…

"You smell." The unpleasant smell of dog crap overpowered his nose.

Clandes' eye twitched, but he remained courteous. "I'll be on my way, sir."

"Ah, yes."

Clandes walked past him while Dean Helios observed his calm state. He wondered how did he end up in an unsightly mash of nature. A blizzard must have been brewing inside his head if the dean knows his temperament correctly. He must have also avoided crowded places to protect his image. He's not the person, the dean concluded, the person he was chasing had a feminine physique.

Dean Helios gave the young man one last glance before he went on his way, blindly pursuing the eavesdropper, not knowing she was right under his nose, or more like the side of the window.

Adeleine released a sigh as their steps faded. Finally, it's over. It miraculously went well this time. Guess the stars may not favor her, but she still has fortune, at least.

She reached for the window frame with a strain of her aching muscles. But— "AH!" A head popped out from the window and startled her, resulting in her losing balance. Her mind went blank; her heart drummed erratically when gravity weighed her down. Fear taking over, her hand gripped the footing she used a while ago, praying for the last remaining bits of her sad pathetic life.

"Oh astrea, dear celestials." She looked down at her feet that dangling dangerously. This scene felt too familiar and it doesn't get any safer.

Her whole body screamed; her arm could no longer keep on.

"Help," she desperately croaked at the person above her. She's completely under their mercy. "Please-" she paused as she locked eyes with them. In an instant, the thought of letting go and breaking a knee crossed her mind. Well, at least it's better than being seen as utterly pathetic to this person.

Yes, she has pride and her pride is more important than her broken bones.

"Oh I thought it was a fly," he commented flatly. "It was a monkey instead."

A tick mark appeared on her forehead. Who cares about falling anyway? "It's not like I'll break my knee one hundred percent guarantee. It's just a possibility," she muttered under her breath.

"And the monkey talks as well," he rested his elbow on the frame, mocking her with a smile. His brilliant silver-white hair blinded her under the sun.

Talk about luck lesser than zero. It went down further to negative.

"What in nirvana is that smell?" Adeleine scrunched up her nose. Then she realized, "Oh, shit."

She bit her tongue when the word escaped her lips. She prepared to receive another lecture from the voice inside her head but, her heart briefly sank when she remembered.

Clandes stepped away. His eyes narrowed as he looked down on her, pissed. "Well if it isn't the garbage collector. What a coincidence. As you recall, you mistook me for a trashcan and dumped it on me."

"Did I though?" she snickered. Oops, she held her tongue in her mind. She's done it. But she can't help it! The retort was too perfect to let the opportunity pass.

He scowled.

"Wait, wait, it was an honest mistake! I swear!" The last thing she wanted is him yeeting her off.

"An honest mistake, was it?" he pressed on further, the wrinkles on his further got deeper.

At this point, there's no dawdling—both of her arms were at their limit.

"Please pull me up! I'm begging you!" As much as she joked around having broken bones is better, she doesn't want to experience it yet. Her body still hasn't fully recovered from the last duel's injuries.

Her other arm gave up and her remaining fingers slipped one by one while Clandes only watched her.

"Are you seriously gonna make me fall?" she hissed.

"Why not?"

"Is that your excuse?!" she roared. "Are you this petty?! I already told you the incident a while ago is not intentional, what more do you want from me to prove it? I might seriously break my neck here!"

Five seconds of heartbeat silence--she could no longer go on. She closed her eyes and let go.

But before she could plunge to the ground, he grabbed her arm. Confused, she looked up.

Half of his body was outside the window when he caught her. Despite the uncomfortable position and dead weight, he held a neutral face. Adeleine had a newfound respect for him.

Maybe, he's not so bad of a person she initially thought he was.

He pulled her up.

"Thank you-"

"Why would I help you?" he whispered to her ear. Time slowed when she saw him smile innocently bright but, behind the angelic appearance lies a petty devious bastard.

Shock swirled in her eyes when Clandes unclasped but before Adeleine descended the height, she clutched his sleeves tightly and pulled him down with her. "Wa-?" With half of his body out the window, he couldn't do anything from her force and he fell as well.

"What are you doing, you monkey?" he hollered against the wind. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"If you're not helping me, you're going down with me."

Clandes snarled, unable to retaliate. Instead of wasting time arguing, he made a lump of snow below them on a whim to break their fall. Two heads popped up from the pile of white and Clandes stomped over to her.

"You! You!" His teeth gnashed as he pointed at her, his brows meeting so close that a train could run past on it. His ruby eyes burned into two bloody pools. He was tongue-tied and stood there, shaking in pure rage.

"What? You dropped me," Adeleine pointed out, standing up to meet him eye to eye. But she tried to hold in her laugh, seeing how she looked down on him since she was taller. The top of his head only reached her ears.

"Weeeeee," a high-pitch shriek tore the sky before a heavy lump dropped on the pile of snow, spraying it all over the air. Adeleine blew her dark hair out of the way, unamused.

"Oh, wow, snow!" Ria grabbed an armful of it and threw it in the air. "OH RIGHT," she remembered, "I was about to save you!"

Adeleine glared at her. "You left me there, hanging!"

"Pffft, not hanging, silly," she playfully rolled her eyes.

"It. Is. Not. Funny."

Clandes made a sound of in-between a growl and an angry whine. His face tinge with red despite the dark color, trying not to explode. He wordlessly stomped away with a scowl.

"Oh, man, guess chill boy became chili today." Ria scratched her head as he watched him go grumbling. She turned to the girl and asked cheerfully, "That was fun. What are we gonna do next? Where's the mouse?"

Adeleine sharply inhaled, trying to keep herself calm as her blood boiled facing the traitor now. "Nothing. Because of you I lost the mouse." Her voice cut through ice while Ria internally winced at the tone. The letherian sharply turned her heels and walked away.