5: Targeted

A group of students huddled together with a book and papers at the middle. Each of them held a pen in different ink colors. They were talking seriously as if what they were discussing was something critical.

For students, it was something critical to them. They would have another exam after the major examination that happened last week. Teachers made an excuse such as orienting their students about the 1^st Term individual evaluation or class rating evaluation.

[Note: Critical but easy as a piece of cake]

Shameful may it be to use the run-around answer students often used; they could only use it to shut up the students. They won’t be able to know or guess the real answer from them anyway.

That was the reason why “almost” all students were studying so hard that they didn’t care anymore even if they go bald.

This time was the only time they really studied hard and would do everything for a classmate that was behind the class to catch up. Only the “class rankings” ignite their true passion in studying in this school.

But not all plans would go their way, like now…

“Friends, I hope you remember all the things I have just told you.” The girl sighed in disappointment although there was no reason to be disappointed. “But I believe what I predicted will most likely happen. Ha… I already impart you all the knowledge I have in this malfunctioning brain of mine.”

Her classmates in front of her looked at each other with confused and astonished gazes. They all had the same thought, “We were supposed to teach you because you always drag down our class rankings.”

But instead, they shut their mouths and nodded slowly.

“Hmph! Who the hell drags the ranking down? I know what you all are thinking…” she mumbled while walking towards her seat.

“Alek is really a psychopath. Tsk, tsk.”

“What can we do though? We are supposed to help her increase her score. I don’t even know how she’s able to stay in this school when those students whose rank is a little higher than hers were eliminated.”

“Her charm seems to be limitless; almost all teachers love her.”

“I do admit that I also like her. Isn’t it the reason why we are helping her?”

“Well…”

The person they were talking to was ignorant of what they were discussing.

Alek Cider absentmindedly stared at the unwritten whiteboard. Suddenly, she pried open her bag and tore the covers of her notebooks. She put it beside her and got a clean piece of paper. 

She drew something like a machine, but not really a machine. There were so many rectangular and cylinder shapes. She kept on scribbling like a mad person.

Her classmates were shocked. They just discovered how talented Alek Cider was when it comes to artmaking.

As for what the truth is, they were only nil right.

They watch her scribble until the teacher arrived. They went back to their respective seats and greeted the teacher, “Good Morning!”

The thunderous greeting woke up Alek Cider from her madness. She stood up and almost fell, but she immediately regained her composure as she greeted, “Happy Birthday Teacher!”

Her voice was like a bell ringing in an isolated church, with no people or animals in the surrounding.

“Pfft!”

“HAHAHA!”

The whole class and even the teacher laughed harmoniously. Tears welled up at the edge of their eyes. Some even arched while holding their stomachs and some wiped the tears that were welling up in their eyes.

Alek Cider looked at them with a confused expression. Should she laugh because they were also laughing?

Before Alek Cider could decide whether she should laugh unceremoniously like them or stay silent, their teacher suddenly warned a cough indicating them to stop laughing.

“Alright, Class. We are already eight minutes behind the schedule.” The teacher said with a wide grin on her face. Her cherry-coloured cheeks formed a cute, circular bump on her face—highlighting the beauty of a middle-aged woman.

Although she still had not enough of the warm atmosphere earlier. She could not hinder the test for the sake of chatting. After all, she was still a professional educator.

“Let us all be quick. Put your things here in front except for your pen. Scratch paper would be provided so don’t leave any papers on your table. Then, arrange yourselves to start here. All odds this row, all evens this row and continuously.” She directed solemnly. Her friendly ambiance turned solemn.

The students felt alerted and almost all of them thought, “Did the other class start already?”

They quickly moved. A Series of uniformly chaotic footsteps and dragging of chairs resounded in the whole class. They seemed to reach the same consensus: distract the other class through the noise.

A Series of grumbling could be heard from other rooms. The source of the disarray had satisfied look on their faces.

After tricking each other, a grave atmosphere befell them.

Golden Night Hotel, Yolo City District 13 Suburbs.

A group of strange men exuded a fierce aura. Anger, displeasure, and disappointment showed on their faces.

News of the annihilation of the Tiger Skin Team from the slums arrived in their ears. They were disappointed in themselves for thinking that Tiger Skin Team was doing good there. District 13 and the slums are only a few kilometers away, but they were oblivious of their state.

Only when they sent a messenger just a while ago did they know of such matter. The poor messenger was beaten half-death but could not even utter a single word of displeasure. He was lucky enough to have a second life after this.

“Did they find us?” asked the man who was wearing a large furry coat.

“I cannot conclude that it’s them. They may have come to this city, but it would take them time for them to lock one of our teams unless there is an informant.” The thin man answered. His face was blurred due to the thick smoke dancing in front of him. He wanted to cough but chose to inhale it.

“Informant…” He breathed in smoke and puffed it out. He tried to picture out possibilities before a tragedy befell on the Tiger Skin Team. “No one was left from that team. They are doing best compared to all these morons I am with, yet they still got annihilated. Tell me, if an informant existed, who could possibly assume that position.”

He scrutinized each of the morons present. Later, he locked his eyes on the person who was trying to lower his presence as much as possible.

When their Captain’s eyes locked into him, he shivered. What? Is he suspecting me to be an informant? He dared to doubt my loyalty to our Regime!

He glared sharply at the man. It was so unacceptable to be doubted when he was the most hardworking compared to them.

“It is not him,” he concluded. “Anyone suspicious in the slums?”

“Yes, Captain!” The messenger’s body relaxed. He eagerly reported his observations during the times when he entered and exit the slums. “There was a peculiar girl student in that place. A week before the said annihilation, she becomes capable of purchasing a mansion which they are living in right now with a few of the orphans born in the slums. I don’t have that many evidence but Tigre once merrily chatted with me and his team members about a delicate, frail girl who he happened to meet most of the time. He said meeting her is a destiny.”

Laughter rang out in the room. “HAHAHA! That guy believes in destiny. Right! It is his destiny to meet that girl who also ended his life.”

“Margo!” He called out a name and pointed the messenger.

A person clads in a bright white cloak that covered his face bowed before unleashing a katana-like sword. When he was done with his job, he bowed and disappeared from the group.

In a mere second, the headless body of the messenger lost its life. The head fell from the air as it rolled to the feet of a subordinate.

The eyes of the owner of the head were full of terror and disbelief. Even death could not vanish what he felt at that moment.

“Search for that girl and kill her immediately as you can!”