Chapter 005.3: So Cold Part 2

[Mark, will you come with me this time? This Saturday?]

[I heard from Mae-chan she invited you to go somewhere with her. But you rejected her. Is this the reason why?]

[What? She invited me?]

Eh?

[Yes. Are you lying to me?]

[No! I don't remember her inviting me or anything]

Did Mae-chan lie to me? Hmm.

[She said she invited you though. But you rejected her]

[No. She didn't really invite me. And I rejected her because I'm busy]

[Busy? Yet you have the time to hang out with me]

[Well, I was busy for that]

[Hmm..]

[I've met some people Mark. They're good people. And they could help us to join into Shadenfreude through joining their gang]

[Is that so?]

[The person I met is a bronze rank— a core member Mark! And you know what's great?]

[Spill it]

[His eldest brother is an Iron rank! His the leader of their gang!]

[Ohh.. very nice]

[So it means being a core member will now be easy for us]

[Yay. That calls for the celebration then?]

[Yes. So you should come with me]

Mae-chan might have lied to me but I still promised her so....

[Very well. I'll come with you tomorrow]

[Oh really?! No taking your word back okay?]

[I wasn't joking at least. But I have a request in return]

[Okay? What is it?]

[I'll tell you on person. Let's meet by lunch]

[Wait no..]

[What?]

[I'm not at school today..]

[You weren't at school yesterday as well. You're skipping class? Does Lyn know?]

[Don't tell her Mark!]

I presses the volume button down and power button of my phone simultaneously.

<<Screenshot saved to /My Device/DCIM/Screenshots>>

[Hehh... I won't]

[I don't trust you for some reason]

[Then that's on you. Well goodbye]

[Ah okay! See you tomorrow]

I exited from our message window and tapped on Lyn's avatar.

Hmm..

Our last chat is her greetings for my birthday. And I just heart reacted on it.

[Hello Lyn]

It took a few minutes before she read my message.

[Hi Mark!]

[Hello]

[How strange, you're online. Is it the end of the world?]

[The world will not change whether I'm online or not]

[Hahaha! Unfortunately for you, our teacher mentioned something universal law of cause and effect. What you do no matter how insignificant it is influences the grand scheme of things]

[Well we're all part of the universe]

[Anyway, why'd you chat me after so long? My last chat to you is a birthday greeting few months ago. And before that, it's more greetings. And you didn't even reply at least ‘Thank you’. What are you? A‘gold’?]

[You sounds bitter. I'm only online because I'm bored and got nothing to do. Watching memes is fun. Back then, I was busy to be able to do this. Let me off please]

[Replying few words will not be that time consuming! How dare you leave me on read. And you're just a high-school student! What do you mean by busy?!]

[You say that but you doesn't chat me other than greetings as well]

[Why am I gonna chat a person who is offline?!]

[Why are you shouting? Nevermind that. It's not important]

[How dare you!]

[Fufufufu. I apologize for that then. Anyway, did Al go to school today?]

[Of course he did! Otherwise, dad will beat him]

[But he said he isn't in school today]

[Oh, because girls and boys go to separate classes in the morning. We'll meet again by the afternoon]

[Is their classroom out of the school campus?]

[Of course not!]

[But he said he isn't in school. Did you even read my message properly?]

[Ahh.. but oh. Wait. Why would he be out of school?]

[That's what I'm asking you! Wait I'll send you a screenshot]

<<Sending photo...>>

<<Sent>>

<<Seen 07:15 A.M>>

[What the...? He's skipping school? He wasn't at school yesterday morning as well?]

[You read the screenshot right?]

[That bastard! I'll scold him!]

[Don't be harsh on him okay?]

[Bye Mark!]

[Bye]

I giggled internally and not even a minute later—

[MARK! YOU BETRAYED ME!]

Al sent an angry message to me.

I turns off my phone.

Ma'am Iris is walking to our classroom. She's carrying a projector and a laptop with her.

This is an opportunity.

I walks towards ma'am.

“Good morning po ma'am Iris.”

“Where are you going Mr. Reverren? Class is about to begin.”

“I came to help you po ma'am. Those must be heavy.”

“Don't mind me. Kindly go back to your seat.”

She walks around me but I immediately blocks her way.

“Kindly step aside Mr. Reverren.”

“Let me help you po ma'am.”

“Is this your another ‘show of appreciation’ Mr. Reverren?”

“Ehh? I don't think so. I just saw you carrying this heavy things. I felt like I should help you.”

“I see. Take this then.”

She hands me the bag holding her projector.

Oh. This doesn't seem to be one of the school's projector. This is most likely hers.

But that make sense.

The number of teachers wanting to use PowerPoint overwhelms the total number of the projectors available.

So not everyone will be able to have one. Having her own projector would be the best choice.

Ma'am Iris rarely uses any visual guide, let alone a PowerPoint presentation. Usually, she only brings answer sheets and a pen with her.

She will just write on the blackboard with chalk to show us formulas and such.

She mostly teaches us orally after all.

So if she'll use a projector, it would mean she had things to show us which she can't draw or write herself.

Ma'am enters the room, and my classmates stands up to greet her.

““““Gooooood mo~rning ma'am Iris!””””

“Please take your seat.”

I put the projector on the table and then turned to her.

“Let me set this up for you ma'am.”

“You don't have to Mr. Reverren.

“But I wanted to po ma'am.”

“Alright thank you.”

“You're welcome po ma'am.”

Then I started setting up the projector while ma'am criticizes my classmates about the cleanliness of the room.

—10 minutes or so later.

“Before you start having your 30-item summarize test, can somebody solve this equation?”

I raises my right hand.

“Alright Mr. Reverren. Kindly solve this.”

I took the chalk from her hand and solved the problem for at most 3 minutes.

“Good. You answered it correctly.”

“Ohh praise me more fufufu.”

She ignores me turning to my classmates.

“Somebody solve problem number 3.”

“I'll do it again ma'am!”

“No Mr. Reverren. Please go back to your seat.”

Some of my classmates are giggling but immediately composes themselves.

“I'll try po ma'am!”

Rose stood up and volunteered.

“Why are you enthusiastic today?”

She came to the front and whispered to me.

“What? Is it wrong for me to be active?”

Rose humphed away and took the chalk holder from me.

—A moment later.

*RIIIIIII~IIIING~!!*

The school bell rings.

“Was the test so hard you can't finish it within thirty minutes?”

“Ma'am! I was long finished!”

“Please behave properly Mr. Reverren.”

“Alright.”

I sat down.

“Who's the prayer leader today? Kindly collect your class' worksheets and give it to me before lunch ends. I'll mark you all with zero points if you're late.”

“Okay po ma—”

“I'll do it po ma'am!”

I interrupted my classmate.

“You're not the prayer leader Mr. Reverren.”

“I am not indeed. But let me do it!”

She stares at me unblinkingly again.

“Alright. But if you're late, you're the only one who will get zero points.”

“Why? Do you assume po that I'll do something bad?”

“Because you're acting unusually Reverren.”

“He's right. Did you eat something that upset your brain?”

Oh hell.

“Goodbye class.”

““““!!!!””””

My classmates immediately stands up to see ma'am off.

““““Goo~ood bye ma'am Iris~””””

“What's with you today Reverren?”

“Are you perhaps showing off?”

They then questioned me.

“Mark-kun, did you perhaps anger ma'am Iris?”

Why'd you think that Mary?

““Hahahahaha!””

They laughed.

“That's what you get for teasing people, Reverren!”

“I didn't do anything to anger her.”