The following day, there was a tense atmosphere in Kaeso's classroom. Half of the students did not come to the lessons. Recognizing the rest of them in the corridors was much easier during the breaks. Each one was changing direction whenever they saw Kaeso slip by unnoticed. Observing those bizarre scenes, Kaeso could hardly hold back from laughing. For three days, each was the same. Unfortunately, all the fun Kaeso had was ruined by the teachers. Suspecting that something terrible may have happened, they insisted students give them the answers. 

Viewing teachers' deduction abilities, Kaeso estimated that getting to the bottom of the matter would take them at least a month. But, during one meeting organized to solve the problem, everything was ruined with just one glare. The question, if anyone is intimidated, was asked again. 

"You don't have to be scared of anything. We are here to help you. We won't let anyone get hurt, and the person threatening you will be punished." The teacher still tried to convince students.

Kaeso was bored with the topic and began to spend this time productively. Finally, with the peace in the classroom, it was possible to focus entirely on the sketches and develop ideas for future projects. However, the peace did not last too long. In the middle of the meeting, he realized it was too quiet. Raising his head, he saw the blurred face of a girl turned in his way. She immediately looked back forward when seeing Kaeso noticing her. He knew what it meant; with this small gesture, she exposed him.

"Fuck."

"Kaeso, maybe you have something to say?"

"I haven't had so much fun for a long time." Kaeso announced, not hiding the satisfaction. There was no need to pretend. The best solution was to be on the square with the teacher. 

"I want to see you at my office at the end of today's classes."

"Yes, miss!" He answered with enthusiasm.

—-------------------------------------------

"At the end of today's classes" did not mean the end of Kaeso's classes. He needed to wait until the teacher finished hers, which in the case of Miss… was the ninth lesson hour, conducted until around 4 pm. Therefore, Kaeso was forced to stay at school for two more hours. After informing Adam that he would be late for work, Kaeso decided not to waste time and get a nap. He only needed to find the right place. When he only had the occasion in the summer, Kaeso used to go on the school's roof and rest there. Eating lunch outdoors and smoking without worrying if other students would spot him was much more pleasant. Even though sleeping on the bare ground was uncomfortable, Kaeso quickly got used to it. Any inconveniences were rewarded by the sunlight, enveloping him with warmth. Being at heights somehow made Kaeso feel calmer and laid back. 

Whenever the idea of ending it all came into his mind, the thought of stepping off the roof edge appeared before his eyes. During a stressful situation or breakdown, it was the most likely to find Kaeso somewhere high above others' heads. 

Unfortunately, the cold weather made it impossible to rest outside today. Kaeso had to find a different place to nestle up for a few hours. He chose the cleaning staff's third-floor premises. It would seem like a perfect place to rest, but for Kaeso, it was too quiet. He could not stand the silence in the long run because it meant staying alone with the thoughts swirling in his mind. Usually, he could muffle them by focusing on painting, sketching, or planning new projects. Generally speaking, creative activities. The last resort was music when the previous options did not bring the desired effect. 

Alas, Kaeso was too stressed out to focus on doing anything productive, and he could not use the Walkman because he forgot to take the cassette with him today. Fortunately, tired after the whole day filled with lessons, he fell asleep just as he had planned.

He woke up lying on the sofa in a much brighter room filled with the smell of medicines and cleaning products. Still sleepy, Kaeso forced himself to get up and look around. Someone was lying on the bed next to the window in a white, bright room he found himself in. The song playing in his headphones was "Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town" by Pearl Jam.

The curtain separating the area where a bed was located from the rest of the room partially covered it. With each step toward it, Kaesos were becoming heavier and heavier, as if his body was trying to stop him from approaching it. Also, the air around him was drastically changing, devouring. Standing right before the bed, Keaso needed to rest for a few seconds because the world around him started to spin. Losing touch with reality, Kaeso grabbed the curtain to regain balance. Immediately, everything got back to order. Putting both hands on it, Kaeso clung to it, terrified that there would not be able to stay straight after letting it go.  

Slowly, Kaeso pulled the rough material aside. There was a dose of excitement and fear accompanying him each second of this move. He had no idea what to expect.

The face of the person lying in bed was covered with scars and bruises. It was so swollen that Kaeso could not recognize who it belonged to. However, he was sure that it was someone he used to know. He had to look at the inner side of HER forearm to check if it was true. He found there a tattoo with dates, which were vital to her. After turning her hand upwards and pulling up the sleeve, he saw there was a tattoo with dates, which were crucial for her. Three dates, resembling three different persons. 

"No, no, no…"