Chapter 24: The Quiet Deception

After a while, the new period teacher began his lesson, his gaze never quite landing on Evan. Peter, with his voice that carried like a loudspeaker, had already informed every teacher about the new student in Section-A, advising them not to investigate, as he had already handled it himself. He shared the fabricated story that Rick had concocted about Evan, painting a convenient narrative.

Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived, and the final school bell rang. The joy on the students' faces was palpable, especially since the math teacher had skipped class, even though he was technically present at school.

James and Evan quickly packed their bags, exited the classroom, and made their way down the stairs to the ground floor, ready to leave the school building.

Students from every class were leaving with their friends, while some lingered, chatting and packing their bags.

"So, now that school's out and we're free, why don't we all head to the game parlor?" James suggested, glancing at Evan, who was walking beside him, observing the bustling students and teachers organizing things or keeping the mischief-makers in check.

"No, I think we should study at home today. Don't you remember? Sir Peter is administering the test tomorrow, and you're on the list of students," Evan reminded, recalling the day's events.

"Yeah, but I've got my ultimate cheat code," James replied confidently, his grin widening. "No one would ever suspect it. With it, I'll ace the exam."

Evan, puzzled, didn't fully grasp James's words but understood the gesture—he was referring to Rey, who had obtained the test paper. Rey had agreed to share it with James after a little bribe in the form of some in-game items.

Rey had his conditions: James could only answer half the questions correctly and needed to ensure the cheat sheet didn't attract any attention, as getting caught would doom them both. This arrangement was possible because Peter, often lax in his duties, tended to use the same test papers across multiple sections and had been printing them for years, a fact James had capitalized on. With Peter as Rey's homeroom teacher, and James's class following theirs, they had found a way to cheat the system.

But Evan didn't want to get involved in this. He preferred not to meddle in James's plan and declined the invitation to the game parlor, instead opting to study and fill in the gaps in his syllabus.

After some insistence, James and Evan both agreed to go their separate ways, parting ways after the discussion.

Alone, Evan took out his phone and opened the map to navigate his way home.

The map showed his current location and the route to his building. After following the directions, Evan found himself on a familiar road, one that he could navigate without the map in the future.

Turning off his phone screen, he walked, taking mental notes of the route to make it easier to remember, so he wouldn't need the map every day.

A few minor difficulties aside, he eventually arrived at his building. However, as he approached his aunt's apartment, he noticed the door was slightly ajar. Curious, he walked closer to check if something was amiss.

Inside, he found his aunt, Rossy, deeply engrossed in watching TV on the sofa. She didn't notice Evan as he entered.

"Aunt, what are you doing?" Evan asked, startling Rossy, who almost fell off the sofa.

"Oh, Evan, you nearly gave me a heart attack! How did you get in?" she asked, her breath still shaky.

"I just came from school and noticed your door was open. I thought something might have happened, so I came to check," he explained, gesturing to the door.

"Oh, sorry, Evan. I must have forgotten to close it. I got caught up watching TV. So, tell me, how was your first day at school?" she asked, turning off the TV as she prepared to head to the kitchen.

"It was fine. I met some friends I made yesterday who also study there. It was kind of fun, nothing too special," he replied as he sat down next to her on the sofa.

"Alright, if you say so. Your timing's perfect. Go freshen up quickly and come back for lunch. Jason and I thought you'd be late from school," Rossy said as she headed to the kitchen.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes," Evan replied, heading toward his apartment to change.

Just as he reached his floor, he saw the girl who lived next door—the one he had seen earlier that morning.

She was standing outside, waiting for someone, perhaps him. Thinking it might be important, Evan decided to approach her, not wanting to be avoidant if something was wrong.

He walked towards his door, preparing for whatever was about to happen—and indeed, it did.

The girl spotted him and quickly approached, fearful of missing him again.

"Hey, wait! I wanted to talk to you about something," she said, causing Evan, who would usually avoid confrontation, to pause and turn toward her.

"What is it, miss? I don't believe we're acquainted," he replied, gripping his door handle, ready to retreat if needed.

"Oh, it's just that I wanted to apologize for yesterday and today. My boyfriend is quite impulsive and protective. He worries that other guys living nearby might... well, you understand. That's why he's been trying to secure the apartment next to mine. But his actions made things complicated, and I'm really sorry for any inconvenience caused," she explained, bowing deeply with a remorseful expression.

Evan realized then that his decision to wait was correct. The misunderstanding was now cleared up, and he wouldn't have to avoid them anymore. He could live normally until he decided to move out.

"No need to apologize. I wasn't aware of the situation and mistook him for a troublemaker. But rest assured, I've already forgotten about it. You both don't need to worry about me interfering with your relationship, so tell him not to be concerned," Evan responded before entering his apartment.

The girl, satisfied with his words, walked away and made a phone call to her boyfriend.

"Hello, darling. You know the man who lives next to me—the one who ran off this morning? Well, I just spoke with him, and I've successfully earned his trust. The first part of the plan is done. Now, I just need to move on to the next step," she said, a hint of satisfaction in her voice.

Laughter echoed from the other end of the line.

"Good work, darling. He fell for it like a fly to honey. But don't get too carried away. Keep things subtle, alright? And get him out of the building quickly. I've already made plans to take care of that," he said, his voice laced with a sinister edge.

As the girl entered her apartment and closed the door behind her, little did they know that someone was listening in—Jason, part-time detective and Evan's close friend. He had overheard the conversation and recorded it, already planning his next move. He didn't have all the proof yet, but he was determined to get more.

To be Continued...