Left behind

"Lei, let's eat lunch together," Xie proposed.

"Sure," Lei answered, "but first let me tidy this up."

Class President Lei Lee is arranging the leftover IB, placing everything in a single box and labeling it. So meticulous, and that's why no one disagreed when they voted for her for class president; they all thought to be a class president was a pain in the ass.

"Let me help you," Xie said, offering a hand.

"Thanks, get those," Lei says, pointing to another box containing three IB. 

When they had finished sealing the box, someone asked Lei, "Class President, do we have class tomorrow?"

"Oh?, Yes, I thought everyone already knew?" Lei puzzledly asked.

"Hehehe, I was late the week before last week," the student said, ashamed.

"What do you mean late? We had perfect attendance the week before last week, I would've known," Lei remarked, even more puzzled.

But Xie interjected, "Loyd is one of those idiots who rush outside just before class begins, chasing a scrap of paper. To be precise, the entire Class G, as well as four idiots in our class. Tsk, men are all idiots. Come on, Lei, ignore him. I'm hungry, so let's eat.."

"Wait, but tomorrow is Saturday!!" shouted Loyd as Xie dragged Lei out of the room. 

◇

"It's really nice to eat lunch a little early; we don't even have to stand in line," Xie said as she ate her salad.

Lei simply nodded at her while eating fried chicken, thinking, 'Even if everyone eats together, I doubt a line for vegetable salad will form.'

Xie continues to speak while eating, while Lei quietly nods. Though it may appear as such, Lei is truly paying attention to anything Xie is saying.

They've been friends since they were kids, and their friendship has stood the test of time. In Lei's opinion, she is a true friend.

But then Xie made a puzzled expression. So Lei asks, "Is there something wrong?"

"I'm getting a lot of messages from my followers... they... they never message spam me; they wouldn't dare," Xie responded, feeling something was awry.

Lei curiously asked, "What are they saying?"

Xie just handed over her phone to Lei for her to read.

…

(My Goddess Xie Xie, please tell me you're safe 🙏)

(Ow, Goddess Xie forgive me, please tell me you're not gone.)

…

(Goddess Xie, I would end my life. Without you here, life is not worth living...)

…

Lei felt the hair on her neck stand up as she read the messages from Xie's social media follower. 'I see why Xie despises men now.'

"Here, I shouldn't have asked. Ha-ha-ha," Lei laughed dryly as she handed back the phone.

However, Xie is nowhere to be seen.

"Xie?"

Lei looks left and right, wondering about where Xie went.

Ps... Pssh! Pssh! Pssh! The sound of shattering glass startled Lei, causing her attention to be drawn to the source of the sound.

She sees a broken plate and glass on the floor, but no one is around the vicinity of it. 

'Strange…'

She notices plates on the table that still have food on them. She notices the same thing when she glances in the opposite direction. 'But people were eating here just a second ago,' she reasoned.

'What is going on?'

She suddenly stands up, on the verge of freaking out. But then a student walks into the mess hall. It's Loyd.

"Class President! They're all gone!" exclaimed Loyd.

But, to Lei's surprise, after Loyd said this, he also vanished, leaving Lei stunned.

'This can't possibly be happening…'

Lei's feet begin to wobble uncontrollably as she begins to lose consciousness. 

As she collapses, someone catches her and asks, "Oy, oy, you okay? I just wanted to ask you something."

◇

Ken is strolling down the corridor, muttering, "Tsk, I get back at them, just wait."

Ken was the one who used the IB for the demonstration. He is currently on his way to the staff room. He wanted to do it as soon as possible, and he reasoned that if he started now, he might be done before 10 p.m. 

"You! Point me in the direction of the staff room," he says to a nearby student.

"That way," the student said.

"Good, I thank you." Ken thanked the student and hurried in the direction he wanted to go before he missed it.

"Dude! Not that way!" shouts the student, but he's already too far away to hear.

'Tsk, did they expand the school yet again?' Ken pondered as he came to a halt, undecided whether to move left or right. 'Tsu… I just chose one, and perhaps I'll find someone to ask there.'

'I had no idea we had so many restrooms, or are they just camouflaged to appear that way? I'm going to check it out and overcome this school's system, maybe I'll find a secret here,' Ken reasoned.

"Occupied." 

Ken attempted to storm inside one of the cubicles. 

"Man! I said occupied. Can't you see the red color on the nob?" shouted someone inside.

"Is this a toilet?" Ken inquired.

"It is! Are you for real? Just give me some respect man, I'm taking a shit and can't concentrate!" 

"Okay, Okay. Chill!" said Ken.

'Wrong one, I suppose,' he thought. 

He exited the restroom and, after a few turns, located another restroom. 

"Not again.., occupied."

"You again?" asked Ken.

"You?! For God's sake, cut the crap man; if you're going to take a shit, the other cubicle is free!"

'Is this some kind of code? There's no way I'll find the same individual in a different location and taking a dump at that.' 

"Fuh~ you won't fool me, I don't know any code, but I know brute force always works," Ken remarked, feeling motivated.

"Damn! Man! Stop! As if I'm fooling you! I'm gonna beat your ass after I'm done here." 

Ken continues to slam and kick the cubicle door. Inside the cubicle, the man curses and cusses. Then he started begging. Someone even came into the restroom and heard the pleas, causing the individual to turn around and not be involved.

"Please, code, right? I have codes to give. Here is my phone, take it. It's all in there."

The man slides his phone to the floor.

"You should have done it from the start," Ken grumbled.

'Fuh~ discovered yet another school secret. I had a good harvest. I should continue searching for the staff room.'

As Ken continues his search for the staff room, he notices that he can't find a student to question anymore. 'Has the class already ended? Tsk, guess it's time to use a compass.'

Ken goes north, as shown by the compass. He climbs on windows, ignoring obstacles along the way. 

'Oh, there's still a student who hasn't gone home. Lucky.' 

As he was going to ask the lady, she collapsed, leaving Ken with no choice but to catch her. 

"Oy, oy, you okay? I just wanted to ask you something." Ken inquired..

'Ho~ she's very beautiful.'