Mall

_17_ (Jace Dreice Scott's POV)

It's already Monday, they have classes at Red Fire Academy.

When I arrived at the Hanazono Mansion yesterday, Lavalee wasn't still there but she arrived at 2 AM this morning.

She barely had sleep but she insisted on going to school, so here we are.

We came late because the girls needed to run some errands which we didn't understand.

We were only able to attend the afternoon classes because we arrived at school during the last period of morning classes.

I never thought that this mission would make me learn how to manage our family business. My parents never forced me to study anything related to Business Management because they respect my decision to be a police officer.

I am currently seated behind Lavalee who's currently doodling. I kicked her chair and she turned around to mouth 'what' so I signaled her to listen to the professor. She rolled her eyes and looked in front.

Our next subject is Accounting then HRM then self-defense for the last class.

After the bell rang, I walked beside my comrades as we walk behind the girls, when suddenly sharp objects went flying in our direction.

Lavalee and Chelsea went backward so they hit us while Jess and Irene walked forward. We watched the two deflect the flying objects with the daggers they caught.

Wait. How can they do it so easily?

It's not a skill acquired very easily. It takes years and years of training.

"Ms. Jess!"

"Ms. Irene!"

Alpha and Lieutenant reacted and pulled the two, just after they finished deflecting the sharp objects.

"15 daggers and 3 shurikens, Ire, 13 daggers, and 5 shurikens, Jess. 28 daggers and 8 shurikens, they're underestimating you." Chelsea said and fixed her eyeglasses

Underestimating them?

Do they think this is still easy?

"I'll take it from here." Lavalee stepped in front then smirked and winked at me

Chelsea, Irene, and Jess picked up the dagger and the metal they called shuriken and gave it to Lavalee.

Our eyes widen when Lavalee threw them to where they came from too swiftly.

"Done," she snickered and walked ahead.

We saw seven men pinned to the wall using daggers and two girls pinned on the wall using the thing they call shuriken.

Where did they even get that name?

"How did you know where those things came from?" Alpha asked Lavalee

"Hunch," Lavalee answered and flipped her hair.

"What if you make a mistake?" Alpha asked

"Not likely," Jess said and shook her head while looking at Lavalee

"And besides it's already common at a school like this." Irene said and they walked ahead

What does she mean by that?

Already common? How did that become common?

Just what kind of school would treat throwing daggers and sharp objects then bringing guns common? Is this some kind of delinquent school?

But why would heiresses like them enroll in a school like this?

When we entered our next class, we were stunned to see the students holding different kinds of weapons. Some are even holding poisonous daggers. I mean we didn't see those on our first day here and now we're already seeing them.

Lavalee stepped forward making my eyes widen seeing her hand hit by a dagger.

"Tch, poisoned," Lavalee said and threw the dagger back to where it came from

What? I rushed to her and checked her wound.

"Don't worry about it," Lavalee said and took out a dagger

She sliced it on the wound and allowed the blood to flow out.

"Here," Chelsea handed a towel then the professor arrived

She looked in our direction and her eyes showed signs of confusion before sighing.

"Sit down," The professor said and didn't bother glancing at Lavalee again.

That's it?

What the fuck is wrong with this school?

"Excuse me, Ma'am, but Lav- Valerie's bleeding," Ethan said and the teacher seemed confused

"Do you need any help, Ms. Kan?" the professor asked and Lavalee shook her head

"I'm good," Lavalee replied so casually

"Does any of you have an idea how accountancy works?" the professor asked

Everyone was silent like they don't care but some are listening. Lavalee doesn't look like she even cares about the lesson.

"None?" she asked and roamed her eyes

"Do you want me to spice things up?" the professor asked and that thrilled the students making them shout out of joy.

"Draw!"

"Roulette!"

"Shooting!"

"Okay then. I'll draw from this bowl and if your name is picked, stand up. The one who can't answer will run 2 laps around that field during lunch break." She said and took out a fish bowl.

"Talia," She said and Chelsea stood up

"Accounting is one of the key functions for almost any business. It may be handled by a bookkeeper or an accountant at a small firm, or by sizable finance departments with dozens of employees at larger companies. The reports generated by various streams of accounting, such as cost accounting and managerial accounting, are invaluable in helping management make informed business decisions." Chelsea said and fixed her eyeglasses

"Very precise," The professor continued discussing the key takeaways in Accountancy.

After our classes, the girls we're discussing something in a distinct language.

None of us can even understand.

"Mall?" Jess asked which made the girls nodded

We went to the mall and separated ways.

"You know, you can just leave me. I don't need anyone to guard me." Lavalee said while we're looking at different dresses

"It's more dangerous. This is a public place." I answered

"Exactly, it's a public place so no one would dare target us here." She reasoned out

"I can't do that, Lavalee. I have a mission to fulfill." I said

"So do I, Jace. I have a very important mission to fulfill before going to Japatrein." She said and went to the dressing rooms so I sat on the couch

"What do you think?" she asked after going out

"You love fire," I commented which made her roll her eyes

"Obviously, my name means fire itself." She said and went back to the dressing room

She then went out wearing a fitted off-shoulder black dress.

"Black?" I asked and she nodded

"I think it contradicts my skin tone." She said and went inside the dressing room and went out again carrying the two dresses

After paying for it, she went to the bookstore.

And she looked for books on the shelves for almost half an hour, she's looking for something I don't know.

"What are you looking for?" I asked

"It's a book. The Wedding Planner's daughter." She replied and I reached for a book on the highest shelf

"This?" I asked and she nodded

She took it and paid for it, then we suddenly passed by a jewelry shop.

"What are we going to do here?" I asked her

"We're going to eat." She replied sarcastically

"Oh, really," I remarked

"Isn't it obvious? We're buying jewelry." She said and went to the counter to make specialized jewelry

"What are we going to write, Ma'am?" the woman asked

"Wait," She said and took a white paper from her purse

"Here," She said and placed it on the counter

I looked at it and studied what she wrote.

|Silver snowflakes bracelet – W.I.H.

|Silver hearts bracelet – S.F.A.H

|Silver Maple Leaves bracelet – A.W.H.

|Silver water droplets bracelet – A.R.K.

I don't know but the first and second set of letters we're quite familiar with me.

"And also I would like a pair of silver flower diamond earrings." She said and took out a check

"The total worth is 130 thousand pesos, Ma'am." The cashier said and Lavalee took out a card and the woman swiped it on their machine.

"Your signature, Ma'am." She said and Lavalee signed it

"What are those for?" I asked her the moment we're out of the jewelry store

"Gifts." She replied and opened her phone.

While we're walking she's on her phone, I'm quite surprised she isn't bumping into someone and she changes direction on her own.

"Do you know where this is located?" she asked and showed me a picture of a map

"Isn't that a map?" I asked

"Yeah, it is. I was looking for the location." She said and continued searching on the net until we got out of the mall.

"Bring me here, please," she said and showed me the location when we rode her car

"Okay," I said and started driving

While I'm driving I noticed that she's unusually quiet

"Problem?" I asked her and she shook her head

"No. It's just my birthday in three months." She replied

"You're already nineteen?" I asked her and she shook her head

"Turning eighteen, actually." She corrected

"Huh? I thought you're already eighteen?" I asked

"Turning eighteen, Jace," she replied

"Then I'm 5 years your senior," I said and we continued driving

"Can I play music?" she asked and I nodded

She opened the stereo and we heard that the song's just about to start.

"Why did you buy those pieces of jewelry?" I asked while the song's playing

"Those are for my sisters and their friends." She said

"What do those letters mean?" I asked her and she chuckled

"Irene and Jess told me that you don't talk to them, why do you talk to me a lot?" she asked which made me silent

"Hey, it's just a joke, don't take it seriously." She chuckled

"What letters do you mean?" she asked

"Ah, those," She said

"W.I.H. stands for Winter Icey Hanazono, S.F.A.H. Summer Freia Ayazaki Hanazono, A.W.H. Autumn Wendy Hiroshima, and A.R.K Aqualyn Rielle Kirigaya," she replied replied

"How about you?" I asked

"L.F.H. and Ni-sama's F.S.H." She replied

Why do those initials sound familiar to me?

"Eomma and Appa do that. They don't want our things to get mixed up so they always put our initials, in pendants and things." She said and I noticed a tear fell from her eye

She leaned on her seat while we're stuck in the traffic. She seems to be deep in thought.

"What mission was that?" I asked her when I remembered her saying she also has a mission

"It's about an heirloom thing. Eomma entrusted it to us but we lost it so I have to look for it." She replied

"I can help you if you need," I said and she chuckled