the death of a bachelor

seven | snoop

The tense atmosphere settled over the four students in the pool. Reiju wrapped the towel tighter as Lorenzo scoffed at her. He cursed in Spanish and stomped to the door.

On the other hand, Irina's eyebrows furrowed before her expression turned into glee. The blonde-haired girl clasped her hands together as she squealed. "This is great!"

Reiju blinked. She eyed Dion, only to find him looking at her. Her cheek immediately ached in response to his stormy gaze. She returned his glare.

"Suit yourself." Dion buttoned his black jacket and sauntered to the exit.

"Well, then... I don't know how you will manage graduation rites with your own group but..." Irina grinned, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Her voice was a notch higher as she spoke. "I'm looking forward to fighting you, Reiju!"

Irina went towards the exit with a spring on her step.

Reiju rolled her eyes. "What a bunch of lunatics."

In the book, it was explained that graduation rites were a battle royale between different student groups. During the whole school year, students polished their skills hoping it would be enough to survive.

But there is one sure way to live. It was to join the clans with the highest winning rates.

And she just rejected those clans.

"Ah, mendokusai..." Reiju sighed, feeling the ache all over her body. This wasn't worth it at all.

"Did you regret it?" She turned and saw Maggie walking towards her. Her red pumps echoed in the expansive dome. The short girl had her big curls in a ponytail. "You shouldn't have done it."

She scoffed. "Sorry to disappoint but I was literally on the brink of death. Forgive me for making an insane decision!"

Maggie shot her a wry look. "Let's get you to the infirmary. You can't miss curfew."

Reiju stood up. Her clothes were drenched, sticking to her like a second skin. Water dripped from her body as she trailed after Maggie.

"What are you even doing here?"

"I was curious," she answered before a sigh escaped her red lips. "I thought you needed saving."

"I never needed saving."

The infirmary was another small building beside the training grounds. It had a rectangular shape with green vegetation in front. The line of plants extended towards the entrance of the greenhouse to its right.

They entered, moving past the wall of medical charts. Maggie pushed Reiju to the doctor's office. She caught sight of the doctor's name. Lena Corpuz. The latter's eyebrow arched when a pretty woman welcomed their sight. She looked up from her desk, shoving the documents haphazardly into a brown envelope.

"Doc! Can we have first aid?" Maggie didn't wait for a reply and went for the medicine cabinet.

The clinic was small. Eye charts and height measurements were on the white wall. Reiju sat on the empty white bed at the corner. Her worn-out body was tired that she was tempted to doze off.

"No. You can't do sleep yet." The doctor handed her a simple shirt and sweat pants, smiling brightly. "Change into this."

Reiju snatched the clothes. The woman's voice sounded familiar. "Why are you smiling?"

The doc's face fell. She tucked an errant brown hair against her ear. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. How about the fact that students are always on the verge of dying here and yet you're fucking smiling?" Reiju smirked at the shamed look on the doctor's face. "Or that other thing... when a teacher got killed? Have you heard about it?"

Maggie set the kit on the bedside table. "Don't mind her, doc. She's rude."

"It's the truth." Reiju scoffed and planted her feet on the cold floor. She started to change when a knock came before someone spoke.

"Lena, did you take a look at it?"

She turned, seeing Professor Shah. His attention was on the doctor.

"Rohan? It's late!"

Rohan?

Reiju racked her brain of where she had heard that name. It was night. With Yami and...

Tch.

"You...?"

She met the professor's wide-eyed stare, daring him to say anything in her presence. She couldn't explain it. But she was annoyed now that she knew he was Yami's lackey. She felt foolish for ever thanking him.

"Oh, it's Rohan. Do you need the doctor?" Horrified looks flew in her direction as Maggie covertly elbowed her. She ignored it, dropping her wet uniform on the floor. "Go talk. Don't mind us."

There was an awkward silence as Reiju dried her hair, exposing the body art on her back.

Lena cleared her throat. "Well, then..."

The door closed. Maggie let out a loud sigh. "You're crazy. How can you call Professor Shah by his first name?"

"I don't care." She donned on the dry clothes. Her gaze zeroed in on the crumpled papers. She rushed towards it.

"Reiju! Oh my god!"

She shushed her, reading the papers. It was the late Professor Huxley's medical history. Reiju went through it finally reaching a written observation. Strangulation marks. Head trauma. Abrasions.

A smell of urine?

"Reiju!"

"Shut up or I'll kill you."

Reiju shuffled the papers and saw some sort of timeline. Starting from 1948. Then, 1958. Every ten years... Just after the second world war.

A murder after ten years...

It was the doctor's voice she had heard by the statue. Had Lena found a connection?

The doorknob turned and she dropped the documents on purpose. Reiju kneeled down, acting as if she was cleaning the mess.

Professor Shah helped her.

What?

She stared at him as he arranged the papers in a pile. "Is this yours?"

The man cast her a glance, lips tight. He put the papers in a folder.

"It's yours, right?" she asked when they stood straight.

"And?" he muttered. His amber eyes were probing for an answer.

Reiju hid the smirk that was about to take over her face. How lucky she was to find a person with the same goals as her. Though the person in question would surely disagree.

Kuso! Why did he need to be Yami's minion?

She remained indifferent despite his question. "Nothing. It's just commendable how hardworking you are."

"What?"

"Don't worry, Professor." She beamed at him. "It's our secret."

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