Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 20

Past - 3

Third Party's POV:

In the employees' parking lot of Westwood Academy, five mischievous boys held their spray bottles filled with colorful paint, stifling their laughter as they gazed at their handiwork on the teacher's car. The vehicle now displayed an array of vibrant colors, turning it into an unconventional work of art.

"Who's over there?" A man's sharp and authoritative voice disrupted the boys' painting session. They halted their movements, holding the multi-colored paint spray bottles in hands.

Their eyes met, and without exchanging words, they understood what they needed to do – run.

The boys swiftly dispersed in different directions, taking the evidence with them.

Meanwhile, in the parking lot, chaos ensued as the angry owner of the vandalized car expressed his frustration. "What the hell!!!" His shouts echoed through the area.

Among the five running figures, Sven Neve Damaris made his way to the secret parking area where his motorbike was hidden. He had to retrieve it and make a quick escape.

As he sprinted across the courtyard, taking a sharp turn, he came face to face with a girl heading in the opposite direction. With no time to react, he braced himself to catch her in his arms, but what happened next was entirely unexpected.

The girl skillfully sidestepped him, avoiding a direct collision, as their shoulders brushed briefly.

"Sorry," she called out without looking back, continuing her hurried escape. Sven halted, stunned by her actions.

He turned to watch her retreating form, a perplexed expression on his face. This was an opposite departure from his usual encounters with girls. In his world, they intentionally bumped into him for a chance to strike up a conversation. Yet, this girl hadn't even spared him a glance.

The sound of approaching footsteps reminded him of his need to escape. Shaking off thoughts of the girl, he hastily left the scene.

After successfully retrieving his motorbike, Sven rode out of the school grounds and onto the main road. His mind was consumed by thoughts of his next mission, involving another teacher.

At a red traffic signal, Sven casually glanced around the area and noticed the same girl from earlier pedaling her bicycle along a nearby cycle path. She stopped at a playground, wore a grey hoodie with mask and started collecting mud. He couldn't help but be curious about her actions.

'Is she playing with mud? What is she, three years old?' His thoughts reflected his surprise.

When she packed her bag and hopped back on her cycle, Sven couldn't help the curiosity out of his head to see what this girl was trying to do.

As the signal turned green, signaling "Go," his gaze remained fixed on her. His curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to discreetly follow her, ignoring the rules of the road. When she stopped again on a pathway, he quietly observed her from afar, fixing potholes with mud.

What?!

Sven's mouth hung open at her actions, his curiosity growing. 'Why didn't she simply report the issue to the local council?'

As he watched her clumsily fill the potholes with a focused and determined look on her cute face, an unintentional smile crept onto his face. The way she wiped away excess dirt and cleaned the area with her hands had an endearing quality to it.

However, when she suddenly pulled her hand back and blew on it, Sven's momentary concern spiked. "Is she stupid? This could hurt her," He muttered, unconsciously clenching his fists. Realizing his instinctive reaction, he forced himself to relax, pressing his lips into a thin line.