Mr. Arcturus stared at the flame, his composure slipping just for a moment as he desperately tried to formulate a plan. His heart rate picked up as his thoughts raced a mile a minute. He knew how dangerous fire could be, and the thought of the student being harmed by it sent a chill down his spine. He wanted to shout, to rush over and take the folder from her, but the words wouldn’t come.

He desperately wanted to stop her, to protect her from the potential danger, but he was also aware of his own limitations. He knew that if he rushed forward and tried to snatch the folder from her, he might just end up causing more harm than good. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution, but the flickering flame consumed all of his attention.

The girl's expression grew smug as she brought the flame closer to the folder. Mr. Arcturus watched in stunned silence, his calm demeanor shaken momentarily. However, he quickly composed himself, determined not to show any hint of his anxiety or worry in front of the girl. 

He took a step forward. "Oh, dear. No-" he said firmly, but the girl only laughed.

Ignoring Mr. Arcturus' warning, the student continued to giggle at his obvious distress. She took the folder even closer to the flame, so close that the corners of the folder were just beginning to singe. The orange glow of the flame cast an eerie light over her face, highlighting the amusement in her eyes as she watched the folder slowly burn. Mr. Arcturus gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to lunge forward and snatch the folder from her grasp.

Mr. Arcturus watched the student's actions calmly, his annoyance evident only in the slight furrowing of his brow. Mr. Arcturus watched the student's actions with a mix of annoyance and resignation. He could tell that she was just testing his limits and trying to get a reaction out of him, but deep down, he also knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. As he observed her bring the folder closer and closer to the flame, singeing the edges of the paper, a pang of worry flared up within him. However, he quickly suppressed it, reminding himself that if she was willing to go to such lengths to tease him, she likely had a handle on the situation and was fully aware of the risks she was taking. Despite his initial impulse to stop her, he knew that interfering would only give her the satisfaction she was seeking, so he forced himself to remain still and watch her actions. He silently reminded himself that this was all just a game to her, and that she wouldn't let herself get truly hurt in the process. Nonetheless, it took all of his will power to stand there calmly and not lunge forward to seize the folder from her hands.

The student sneered as she noticed the tension in his shoulders. "Not so calm now, are you?" she taunted, hoping to get a reaction out of him. Mr. Arcturus didn't respond, his expression remaining impassive as he focused his attention on the folder being held in the student's grasp.

The student's smirk faltered slightly, realizing that her attempts to rile him up were not having the desired effect.

As the flame made contact with the top corner of the folder, it ignited in a quick, bright flash. The student chuckled, her amusement growing as she watched it burn.

Zora’s deep voice sliced through the clamor in the room, its authoritative tone leaving no room for argument. "Ansel," he said firmly, his gaze fixed on the student, "that's enough."

Ansel spun around to glare at Zora, her expression clearly showing her annoyance at being interrupted. "And what makes you think you can tell me to stop?" she retorted, her words coming out in a sharp tone. She crossed her arms defiantly, her eyes narrowing as she regarded him with a mixture of irritation and defiance.

Ansel met Zora's steady gaze with a glare, her initial irritation faltering under the weight of his calm and authoritative presence. After a moment, she let out a frustrated exhale, mumbling a reluctant, "Tsk, Party bummer," before standing abruptly and stomping out of the room in a show of faking confidence.

Initially, the teacher saw Zora as a typical high school student, albeit one who stood out for his intelligence and charisma. But as he watched the class, he began to notice something unusual. Zora's words seemed to exert a magnetic influence, directing the actions and behavior of his peers. It was as if he were an invisible puppeteer, with the class moving according to his will. Despite this observation, the teacher couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling, sensing that there was something hidden beneath Zora's influence. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. There was a unique aura about Zora, a mysterious quality that made him different from his classmates. The teacher tried to dismiss it as exceptional leadership, but a lingering doubt remained. Watching Zora interact with his classmates, he noticed the peculiar glances they often gave him during their move. It was as if they were anticipating something, their eyes on him with a mix of respect and slight apprehension.

Mr. Arcturus tried to ignore the nagging feeling of unease, dismissing it as mere overthinking. He tried to rationalize Zora's influence as nothing more than exceptional leadership skills, telling himself that he was reading too much into the situation. However, Mr. Arcturus couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity stirring within him. There was something about Zora's influence that piqued his interest, and despite his earlier attempts to dismiss it as overthinking, he found himself drawn to uncovering more about the boy. Nonetheless, with a resolute nod, he chose to brush off the nagging doubt and focus on observing the class. 

The teacher stood there for a moment, holding the remains of the burnt folder, his shoulders slumped with disappointment. The realization that his work was destroyed settled heavy on his shoulders. However, as he looked at the charred black remains of the files, his demeanor instantly relaxed as he recalled that he had multiple physical copies of the portfolio files. While it was still a bummer that this one had been destroyed, he took some solace in knowing that his essential documents still existed. He was just upset about it because his primary concern wasn't the loss of the documents themselves but rather the wasted ink on the printed files. 

With a clear purpose in mind, a group of ten girls, including Ansel, got to work. They began by shifting the chairs, maneuvering them along the edges of the room to create a sizable empty space in the center, as if they were preparing the stage for an intimate performance.

As if anticipating something exhilarating, one of Herus' friends, seemingly anticipating something thrilling, couldn't hold back a wide grin that spread across his face. His eyes darted towards Herus, who stood up after extinguishing his cigarette on the floor.

Herus met the gaze of Mr. Arcturus with a keen intensity, his eyes locked on the teacher as if trying to read his thoughts. "Yes, I've been waiting for this moment too," he confirmed, his expression hardening.

Herus directed a contemptuous glance at Zora who stood among the crowd. "Thanks to this damn 'four eyes,'" his words laced with disdain. The five students, including Herus and his friends, along with the two female classmates, moved toward the storage room, presumably for a specific purpose.