Chapter: 1.2 “Little Cobra”

"Seren! You're finally here. I thought you'd text me after a while and say, 'I'm not coming today.' "

I raised my head and looked ahead at the familiar voice. Neoni is my best friend. She is standing at the front door of the class. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. I walked towards her at a normal pace.

"If that's the case, I would have messaged you an hour ago, Neo."

At the end of the speech I pulled some of Neoni's neck-length bob cut black hair. She was startled. She hissed. I have been doing this since the beginning of our friendship. Her neck-length hair attracted me. Because they have increased her beauty several times.

"Bitch."

Neoni disfigured her face and cursed me. I smiled widely before replying as we entered the classroom together.

"You're my agnate."

Neoni chuckled. Both of us sat side by side in the seats next to our classmates Dove and Alex. These two are my closest and second bestfriends after Neoni.

"Good morning, Dove and Alex." I greeted them with a smile.

Alex looked up at me before answering. He nodded his head with a friendly smile.

"Good morning, Seren." Alex's voice is warm and friendly.

I looked at Dove. Some changes are noticeable in her. I frowned. I leaned towards her. She hesitates to meet my gaze. Placing my hand on her arm, I chanted her name a second time.

"Dove, what's wrong? You're acting a little weird!"

I saw Dove lick and wet her lips with her tongue. She is worried about something. But she shook her head as a negative answer. She said in a soft voice‚

"No, nothing."

I slowly removed my hand. I didn't intend to impose any pressure on Dove. Because she's clearly reluctant to talk about her problem. I don't have time to think about others. I always prefer to focus on my own life rather than others. When the teacher entered the class, we paid attention to his lecture.

🥀

I ended up in the cafeteria‚ chatting and laughing with Alex and Neoni during the break time. I took a seat at a certain table and sighed. Neoni went to order food. Alex and I were sitting on the chair and facing each other. Alex is typing on his mobile. From his expression and smile, one can definitely tell that he is exchanging messages with her lover.

"Hey, Alex." I called out deliberately to disturb him. I was curious about something.

Alex looked up at me with his eyebrows stretched across his forehead. "Huh?"

"What happened to Dove? You guys are fine. But with me ‚ she's acting so…" Alex cut off my voice in the mid-sentence. I stopped talking and looked at his face for an answer.

"Actually, Seren…." Alex leaned forward in his chair. Placing the mobile upside down on the table, he connected his gaze with mine.

"Dove and Oliver... they're together now."

I was a bit surprised by Alex's answer. At first his answer was not convincing to me. I tried to read his expression. No, he's not kidding. My furrowed eyebrows went back to normal. I pressed both lips between my teeth and looked at my hand for a while. I‚ myself fail to understand my feelings now.

Oliver is my ex-boyfriend. We broke up a few months ago. He cheated on me. But I didn't know who was involved with him. With whom he cheated on me. After listening to Alex's response, am I wrong to think of Dove as the second person? She is my friend and knows almost...almost everything about me.

"Okay. It's all clear now."

A sigh spontaneously escaped from my inner body. I turned away from Alex to hide my expression. Looking to the right, Dove and Oliver came into my view. They were sitting together‚ speaking; maybe the same romantic talk that Oliver told me about.

I shook my head. As if all the negative thoughts and past were shook away from my brain. I'm not a girl who lives on the past, nor dies worrying about the future. I always love to live in the present, enjoy the present. Even the thought of this moment is past me after seconds. But in the case of studies, the whole matter is different.

"Pretty good. Her relationship with Oliver changed her behaviour towards me! Obviously." I muttered to myself under my breath.

🥀

'Haunting Adeline', a dark romance novel by HD Carlton, has been buzzing on social media. After dinner, I returned to my room and took out the first book of the same novel from the bookshelf. I lied down on the bed and started reading the book cheerfully. As the story progressed, I started to sink into the book.

Quiet room. A bright new moon has appeared in the sky. It will disappear after a while. But stars never disappeared from sky. With the windows and doors closed, all sound from the outside fails to enter my room.

Suddenly I heard the buzzing sound. It's coming from my phone. Some messages. Although‚ I ignored at first, but it drew my attention away from the book. I put a bookmark between the pages and closed the book and put it aside.

Stranger: Soon you will be transferred to my platinum cage, little cobra.

Same unknown number from last night. I read the third message from last night. After returning home, I was so tired that didn't pay attention to it at all. I forgot about the messages and got busy with my works. I read it today because he sent it again. But what does it mean by move to his cage? My eyelids automatically narrowed.

Stranger: I had no idea that my first and only three messages would capture your attention so easily.

"Yes, it attracted my attention. Can such a thrilling message be avoided? But strangely enough, I didn't remembered it at all until now."

I laughed to myself while talking to invisible and thin air. Because it's ridiculous. Such an weird message, yet I have no worries. Laughing softly, I started reading the next message.

Stranger: Congratulations ‚ Little Cobra. Both cheaters got their prizes.

After reading the new message, my heart beat suddenly increased. I stared blankly at the message with my wide open eyes. As if I've lost the power of thought and speech. As if my entire body gone numb.

" 'Both cheaters'? Dove and Oliver..."

I succeeded in pronouncing only five words. I didn't even dare to think about the rest. But how does this person know about them? No, it isn't okay to think about these things. Such threats are like thin air.

Stranger: No need to thank me. It was only the trailer. You are my most precious treasure, little cobra.

To be continued...