Chapter 160: An Absurd Story
Chapter 158
"So, in other words, there is no feasible way to mess with the CCTV footage?"
"Huh? Mess with the CCTV footage?" A voice suddenly repeated from behind, causing the three boys to stiffen instantly as they slowly turned toward the source of the interruption.
****
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The rhythmic sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the now-quiet classroom.
The trio remained frozen in fear, their bodies moving in unison as they pivoted to see exactly who had overheard their incriminating conversation.
Their hands were clenched tightly across their laps, and they collectively held their breath, waiting to see who was closing in on their position.
’Depending on how this specific situation unfolds, I might have to silence them forever,’
Kai thought, a grim, lethal expression settling over his features.
He blinked for a second as the weight of that dark thought fully crossed his mind.
’... Am I—am I truly turning into one of them already?’
"Did I hear you three correctly?" the voice repeated, and now the boys were staring directly at the individual who had just intercepted their private dialogue.
With chestnut-brown hair cascading down her back, nervous dark eyes, and a gentle expression resting on her smooth, beautiful face, the boys quickly realized they recognized this person.
"Uh... Choey?" Kai blurted out, staring at the girl who paused the moment she heard his words.
"It’s Chloe," she corrected him, a prominent frown marring her forehead.
Then, turning her inquisitive gaze toward the others, her expression shifted into a scowl.
"You want to mess with the security footage? Why is that? What exactly did the three of you do?"
Ray clenched his jaw tightly as his eyes rapidly scanned the perimeter of the room.
Apart from the four of them, the entire lecture hall was totally empty, meaning no one else had heard the girl’s pointed questions.
This was a massive relief on Ray’s part.
Even though he had technically assisted the girl by convincing Kai to train her in the nuances of her ability, he didn’t know her well enough to trust her with a secret of this magnitude.
Humans were predictably fickle like that.
It was nearly impossible to determine what they would or would not do when pushed.
Whether you had rendered them a significant favor in the past or helped them out of a bind, many would still find a convenient way to backstab you.
It seemed to be woven into their very nature.
Unless someone found a situation personally advantageous, there was no guarantee they would maintain a silence.
Aside from seeing the perpetrators punished, a person could likely claim a substantial reward from the Corps itself for turning them in.
While the other two boys were likely contemplating exactly how they would silence the girl to protect their secret, Van was the quickest to react.
His mind spun at a frantic pace, instantly concocting a plausible way out of this mess.
"Sssssh," he cautioned, placing a trembling finger over his lips to signal for quiet.
Turning to scan the room one more time and even going so far as to peep out the window to ensure no one else was eavesdropping from the hallway, he heaved a heavy sigh.
Then, he pointed a finger directly at Ray and spoke.
"It’s all his fault. I warned him repeatedly and tried my best to caution him, but he simply wouldn’t listen to reason. Even Kai urged him to stop, and now, we have ended up in this disastrous situation."
Ray and Kai both lifted their eyebrows in total confusion at what the boy was saying.
What was currently going on in that tech-obsessed mind of his?
They were well aware of how sharp his intellect could be, so they chose not to interrupt, simply allowing Van to "cook" his story.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t accidentally burn them all while he was at it.
"Meaning? What exactly did they do?" Chloe asked, her brow raised in suspicion as she glanced back and forth between Ray and Kai.
Van took in a deep, shaky breath, then exhaled sharply as if preparing to confess a great sin.
"So, here is what happened: Yesterday, Ray was suddenly excited about something, so he was on his way to the tech aspect class to show me. On the way there, he decided to pause in a hallway to finally test it out before showing me."
Chloe stared at him with a silent, questioning look, wondering exactly what this situation was about.
Van, noticing her skepticism, quickly doubled down on the explanation before any passersby could overhear their conversation.
"You might be wondering what he was testing; well, this fool decided he would transform in that hallway into his werewolf form. He wanted to prove a point that werewolves had dih’s"
....
Ray froze.
His mouth hung open at the absurd accusation looming over his head.
Beside him, Kai’s frame stiffened as he fought back a chuckle.
His cheeks puffed up and his eyes grew moist; he was clearly struggling with everything he had not to burst into raucous laughter.
"What?" Chloe uttered, a look of pure disbelief washing over her face.
"I don’t understand. Why would he do something so incredibly stupid? That’s just crazy."
Van nodded along solemnly, playing the part of the weary friend perfectly.
"I told him the exact same thing! But Kai here made a bet with him. Kai insisted that werewolves lacked certain... masculine traits. In order to prove him wrong, Ray decided to transform right there in the hallway on his way to show me the proof."
Chloe lifted an eyebrow at the glaring contradiction in the story.
"Hold on. Why would he show you instead of Kai?"
Van rubbed his temples, then allowed a fake, embarrassed blush to creep onto his face.
"Uh... it’s because they forced me to be the witness of this absurd wager. I was the one holding the money until a winner could be officially declared."
Chloe stared at the trio, her eyes gliding from Van to the silent Kai, and finally to Ray, who was now bright red with genuine embarrassment.
’I will skin you, you absolute bastard!’ Ray fumed inwardly, casting a lethal glare at Van and then at the trembling Kai.
Kai wasn’t shaking out of fear, but from the sheer physical effort of containing his erupting laughter.
In fact, the strain had turned his entire face a deep shade of crimson.
Chloe rubbed her temples, deep in thought as she processed the ridiculous story.
’What else should I have expected from a bunch of fifteen-year-old boys?’ she groaned inwardly.
’Even though one is a powerful meta and the other is a werewolf—which still surprises me that one exists in the modern world—they are still just kids at heart. I’m young too, but I would never do something so completely absurd. Ugh... boys.’
As the mental image formed, Chloe’s own face suddenly turned a shade of red that rivaled a ripe tomato.
She shook her head violently to clear her thoughts.
’No, no, no! That is not what I should be thinking about. Damn it!’
Van, meanwhile, waited with bated breath, wondering if Chloe had actually bought the fabrication.
He had been able to confidently mention Ray’s werewolf status since she was one of the few who had witnessed his full transformation back in the Gate.
However, the absurdity of the "bet" was a gamble; he had concocted the tale on the spot without much forethought.
’Hopefully, she takes the bait...’
A long sigh escaped Chloe’s lips as she shook her head in lingering disbelief.
"Fine. Now I see exactly why you would want to mess with the footage. It would be social suicide. I won’t tell anyone about this, but under one condition."
The boys lifted their eyebrows in expectation, waiting for her to drop the hammer.
"How much?" Kai asked, his gaze narrowing.
"Huh?" Chloe frowned for a moment before shaking her head dismissively.
"I don’t want your money."
Ray tilted his head slightly, his embarrassment momentarily replaced by curiosity.
"Then? What is it that you want?"
Chloe cleared her throat, squaring her shoulders before laying down her ultimatum.
"... I want to join you all on this mission to clear the footage."