Chapter 77 : Office
Mika hurried down the stairs, her heels clicking against the polished floor with a sense of urgency. But the moment her eyes caught a group of students chatting by the corridor, her pace shifted. She straightened her posture, adjusted the fall of her coat, and adopted a composed demeanor. Her expression cooled into its usual unreadable calm, and with grace, she passed the students without a single flicker of emotion.
Upon entering her office, she closed the door quietly behind her and exhaled. The tension in her shoulders eased just a bit. Dropping her bag onto the chair, she walked over to the wide desk near the window, which was already stacked with half-graded assignments and administrative documents. She sat down with a faint sigh and pulled the first folder towards herself, deciding to use the brief window of solitude to catch up on paperwork. As her pen began to glide across the page, her mind shifted back to the events of the morning but she pushed the thoughts away. She had things to do.
Meanwhile, up on the rooftop, Eiden and his friends had just finished eating and chatting beneath the clear midday sky. Laughter and idle banter still lingered in the air as they stood up one by one, brushing off crumbs and emptying juice cartons. After parting ways with casual waves and muttered "See you later," they each made their way back to their respective classes.
Eiden stretched his arms lazily as he descended the stairs, stomach full and brain mildly awake. Back in the classroom, time passed without drama. The lecture was long, but tolerable, and soon the class ended without incident.
As he stepped out into the hallway, Eiden noticed a familiar figure standing just ahead Sasha. She was clutching a large stack of papers, awkwardly balancing them against her chest like they were about to tip at any second. Her brow was slightly furrowed, and she looked a little lost.
Curious, Eiden began to walk toward her, but just as he did, another girl beat him to it. Crysty. "Sasha, let’s go to karaoke after this!" Crysty said brightly, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.
Sasha nodded, but her gaze dropped to the stack of papers in her arms. "Sure, but the thing is... Crysty, where was Miss Mika’s office again?" Crysty blinked and then smacked her own forehead. "Seriously? You mean you’ve been carrying those papers around without knowing where you’re supposed to take them?"
Sasha laughed sheepishly. "I just realized I had no idea where her office was." Crysty groaned. "Why didn’t you tell her that earlier?"
"I thought I’d remember! But now..." Sasha trailed off, looking helpless. Crysty shrugged. "Well, great. I don’t know where it is either."
At that moment, Eiden’s voice chimed in casually, "I know where it is." Both girls turned in surprise, not having noticed him approach.