--
Ivy stepped back, eyes wide, staring at Maria as if she'd seen a ghost.
Maria tilted her head, lips curling into a calm smile.
"You look pale. Are you okay?" she asked sweetly.
Ivy blinked, forcing a weak smile. "I'm fine," she murmured, returning to her seat.
Just then, the class monitor turned her glare toward Maria.
"Ivy, it's good you're back. Some people have been trying to take your place as the school queen," she sneered.
Ivy frowned, confused. They had never spoken much.
"Don't joke Kira that is just a title and it doesn't matter who take it as far it didn't bring up a dispute over titles and taking it seriously it will look like I think I'm above everyone ivy said softly
"Hey, Kira, back off!" a boy shouted.
"Do you really think Ivy cares about stupid titles like that? That's why she's our goddess! She and Maria are finally close again—why ruin that?"
"So this is her real face I thought the class monitors never put her mouth in topic like this," a girl whispered.
"No wonder her crush doesn't like her. Disgusting."
"Cause he has seen her through character "
"You all act like saints," Kira snapped. "When Maria made that bet with me, weren't you all mocking her? And now you pretend to be holy? How do you even know if the person you worship isn't the biggest fake of all?" She threw Ivy a mocking glance before walking away.
Ivy clenched her fists under the table, glaring at Kira.
---
Break Time
"Ivy, is it true? A director wants to turn your story into a movie?" a girl asked, eyes shining with excitement.
Ivy blushed and nodded modestly.
"Well… I don't think it's a big deal. But yes, a famous director picked up my novel. It means more people will get to read it, and that makes me happy."
"Eiiiih! Ivy, you're amazing!"
"I wish I had a tiny bit of your brain," another girl sighed dramatically.
Maria tilted her head lazily, resting her chin on her hand. Her voice rang out like a sweet melody:
"Oh, Ivy… which novel did the director pick?"
The class fell silent. Someone muttered, "Wow… Maria is so pretty…"
"Too bad she made that bet with Kira," someone whispered.
"She's going to lose. Kira will make her life hell."
Ivy glanced between Maria and Kira, then smiled smugly.
"The novel is White Moonlight. It's about a love that seems impossible, but in the end… love prevails."
The class erupted with praise.
"A classic!"
"It's going to be a hit!"
"Only Ivy can write something so touching!"
"Ivy write this in a reading platform before and it made big wave now it is going to be turned into a film wow"
Maria chuckled quietly and took a sip of her drink.
That novel? She wrote it. And it wasn't even finished.
It was never about love. The plot twisted into a psychological spiral that ended in madness and she turned it to a romance film does she think adding some like at the end and a little bit of romace will make it okay tsk just imagining a serial killer film with romance where they is not meant to be .
This was going to be fun.
Ivy, watching Maria from the corner of her eye, clenched her fist. What is she laughing at?
Meanwhile, the classmates started gossiping about the masked girl online.
"She can sing, dance, design—and all her designs are trending in top fashion houses!"
"She might even be signed internationally!"
Maria scrolled through her phone, unfazed.
---
Later That Day
After break, the students returned to class. Ivy slipped into an empty room to make a phone call. As she walked out, she ran into Chris—and fell right into his arms.
Maria stepped out of the restroom and froze.
There they were. Chris and Ivy—hugging.
Chris bent down to pick up a kitten.
"Isn't it cute?"
"It's adorable," Ivy smiled softly. "You raised it well, Brother Chris."
He smiled faintly.
"I'll be going now," she said, stepping away. As she turned the corner, she giggled to herself.
Poor Maria, she thought.
She must've seen that. Even if she denies it, she still likes Chris. But if she's stupid enough to still have hope in Mike… she'll die without a grave.
Chris silently watched Ivy's back disappear down the hallway, then looked down at the cat and carried it upstairs.
---
Outside the Classroom
Ivy bumped into Kira and offered her a smile.
"Tsk. What a fake," Kira said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I saw everything."
Ivy stopped, her face paling as she turned slowly. Kira was looking at her with an amused smirk.
"Just imagining what the school would think if they saw what just happened and how you acted the moment you saw Maria "
Ivy glares at her.
"It is going to be fun I have a lot of fun watching your little show Kira said mockingly
Ivy chuckled darkly and stepped closer.
"Are you threatening me? What if you did tell? All I have to do is cry, and boom, you're gone."
She grabbed Kira's chin.
"I hate it when I have to show people my true character. So don't ever test me again. Treat me with respect… or I'll destroy you."
Kira's eyes widened in shock.
"Tsk. Look at you. You made me mad and have seen the real me bitch ," Ivy hissed—and slapped her across the face then she dragged ivy button ripping her shirt open.
Kira snapped, grabbing Ivy's hair and yanking it hard.
Ivy sobbed, then slapped herself several times, stunning Kira.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kira shouted, trying to pull away.
But Ivy screamed—loudly—and pushed herself to the ground.
A scream echoed through the hall.
Students rushed out of their classrooms to the scene: Ivy sprawled at the foot of the stairs, blood trickling down her lip, Kira standing with her arm still outstretched.
"What did you do to her?!" someone cried.
A boy rushed forward and slapped Kira across the face so hard she tumbled down the stairs.
The school bully scooped Ivy up in his arms.
"I leave school for one week and come back to this? How dare you hurt Ivy!" he roared
Kira screamed, stunned and humiliated as she sat on the cold ground. Her lips trembled, wanting to speak, but Ivy got there first.
"Don't shout at her, please," Ivy said weakly, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and her hand trembled as she clutched her stomach. "It was my fault… I shouldn't have come out and interrupted them. I saw Kira and Chris… doing shameless things… I didn't expect her to get so angry… and push me." She coughed delicately, just enough to make everyone's heart seize.
Maria leaned against the wall, arms folded. Disgust curled on her lips.
Tsk. Scum and bitch. They really do fit each other so well,she is putting the blame on Chris and ivy when it was her hugging Chris she thought.
Chris stood at the top of the stairs, expression unreadable. looking at the scene quitely everyone stare at him quitely his expression was calm as if he didn't hear them talking about him ,ivy went pale and bite her lip .
Brother Chris she said softly making him look at her Then, with elegant detachment, he walked down the stairs—ignoring the chaos behind him. The students parted like the Red Sea.
A teacher came rushing after him, praising him for registering for the national academic competition. The teacher smiled brightly… until they saw Kira on the ground the school bully carrying ivy . Their brows furrowed as they prepared to scold someone, but Chris was already walking away. The teacher, clearly starstruck, followed after him without another word.
Silence returned to the hallway. All eyes turned to Ivy… then to Kira… and back to each other.
A boy spoke first, "Wait… Chris would never do that. He's not like that."
"Yeah," another chimed in, "It must've been Kira… trying to seduce him or something."
The tide shifted violently. Words turned sharp. Students began throwing leftover snacks, juice boxes, and rolled-up papers at Kira. Ivy, seeing the reaction, fainted gracefully into the arms of the school bully who had rushed to her side.
"You thought you could touch the school god?" the bully spat at Kira. "He won't even spare you a glance Maria chase after him fr year and wasn't accepted and you think you a toad will . I'll deal with you later."
Maria watched it all with a detached expression.
So predictable. Always the same script. Even if they saw Chris kissing a girl, they'd find a way to blame her. If he stole something or slept with a married woman, they'd still worship him. It's that cursed charm of his… the kind that makes people feel guilty for hating him. And the worst part? He knows it.
She turned on her heel and walked away.
---
That Evening – Maria's Home
The house was suffocatingly still. Her father sat slouched on the couch, eyes empty as he stared at the ceiling. Her mother sobbed quietly into a handkerchief, and her grandmother sat still in her chair, silent as stone. No one even noticed Maria walk in.
Good. She preferred it that way.
She climbed the stairs to her room, locked the door, and sat at her desk. She opened her laptop. The glow from the screen reflected off her eyes—cold and determined.
She checked her messages. Jake hadn't replied about the gun yet.
Strange, she thought. He's usually eager to chat.
Shrugging, she put on her mask—black and red, feathered at the sides, elegant like a phantom dancer—and opened her live-streaming platform.
This time, she went live.
The screen lit up with thousands of fans flooding in. As the music started, Maria began to dance—fluid, hypnotic movements that left everyone in awe. Her white flowing sleeves spun like smoke in the wind, and her masked gaze pierced through the screen. Then, she sang.
But not with her usual voice.
She altered her tone—light and airy, like a tragic spirit floating through ancient ruins. It was a voice full of sorrow, beauty, and grace, sending shivers down the spine of every viewer. The lyrics spoke of a bird trapped in a cage, who still chose to sing every day… hoping someone would understand.
The views skyrocketed—100,000… 500,000… 1,000,000.
The chat exploded with admiration:
> "Is she even real??"
"The mask girl is a goddess!"
"I swear she's better than most celebrities!"
"Her voice… I'm crying."
"Please release this song officially!!"
Maria ended the stream with a soft "Thank you," in that altered, haunting voice, and the screen faded to black.
She leaned back in her chair, pulling off her mask slowly. Her fingers brushed a bead of sweat from her brow.
A message popped up on her screen.
Jake:
Got it. The gun's secure. I'll send you the time and place to meet soon. Be ready.
Maria stared at the message for a long moment… then sighed, closed her laptop, and finally crawled into bed.
---