7:00 A.M.

First session started, each strand was assigned to each major subject.

Bryan and Helbram are in the same class and their subject is Calculus. Bryan listens carefully but he noticed Helbram's eerily quiet.

"Helbram's seriously quiet today. Did something happen yesterday?"

He wants to checks on him but a handsome-looking student scolds him.

"Hey four-eyed giant! Stop moving around!" He mocks. "I can't believe I get to sit behind a you!"

Bryan sits down. "Oh, I'm so sorry Fredrick."

Their lil interaction attracts the teacher's attention.

"What's ruckus all about? Mr. Hudson, you seemed to be yapping, do you have any question in regards to the topic?"

He flinched. "Nothing ma'am! Please continue."

The teacher continues, Bryan focused his attention to the lectures, and Fredrick glares at Bryan.

12:00 N.N.

At the canteen, Helbram's falling in line. Since it's taking longer, it gave him a chance to look around, in search of Stella but then–

"Helbram! I can't believe you're taking lunch here!"

Bryan excitedly said and Helbram hid his scavenging eyes.

"Oh? Bryan, you done ordering?"

He nods. "Yeah. But don't worry, there are 10 more people left and you're good!" He cheers him and Helbram looked ahead.

"Oh yeah, ten more to go." He muttered.

"I'll wait for ya!"

Bryan paused.

"Anyway, why're you taking your lunch here? I barely see you eating here."

Helbram's thinking.

"Well, I overslept so-- yeah. No more explanation."

Bryan's shocked. "Wait what? You haven't eaten since morning?"

Helbram raised a brow and Bryan whistles.

"Bro's stomach is built different." He expressed. "Anyways Helbram, it's your turn."

Helbram flinched.

"Oh, sorry! My bad."

Helbram starts ordering his food.

Later...

He swiped his ID and the total amount spent is reflected on the screen. Helbram's face slightly contorted.

"Hey? Why a long face?" Bryan asks.

Helbram took the scanner and direct it to his Jewel-like ID.

"My goal's not to spend my allowance for a month. But– *sigh* I always mess up."

They start moving.

"Hey, cheer up! I could lend mine if you want."

Helbram gasp. "No! It's yours and I don't want anybody's treats, okay?"

Helbram walks in front. "

That money is yours and mine is mine."

"Come on, I just want to treat you sometimes. We're best buds! We should– "

Suddenly, Bryan and Helbram caught the attention of Fredrick. So, this handsome bhoi intentionally put his feet to trip Bryan, and he fell for it, resulting to spill his food to Helbram. The ruckus caught the crowd's attention and it's his time to shine.

"Aaww!! My toe! It hurts!" He wallows in pain, pretentiously. "Watch where you're going, four-eyed giant!" He comforts himself and so is the girls around him.

"Oh no! Fredrick, let us take you to the Infirmary." Girl(1) said.

"Look what you did, Bryan?! You spilled your food to your friend and stepped on Fredrick's feet! Apologize!" Girl(2) rants.

Bryan searches where his eyeglass is and trying to stand. Fredrick badly wants to bully him but—for the sake of protecting his perfect image, he lets his buddies do it for him.

"Didn't you hear what she said? Apologize damn it!" Buddy(1) kicked him and Bryan fell on his knees.

"Come on, apologize!" Buddy(2) angrily said.

Fredrick's buddies worked together to beat Bryan and then Helbram stepped in.

"That's enough!" He said. "Your aggression means nothing if that scum leader of yours faked his pain."

This angered Fredrick. "What... did you... just say?"

He stood up and faces Helbram but the boy's not afraid.

"I know you intentionally trip Bryan, you moron." Helbram gave him the look. "Culprit try'na act a victim disgust me."

Helbram fetched Bryan's eyeglasses and gave it to him.

"Let's go Bryan. Don't bother apologizing to that bastard." He then helped him get up. "He should be the one who'll apologize."

Helbram fetched his food and so they headed to the table where they can eat peacefully.

Just then, Rose arrived.

"Oh, Hel? Bryan? What's wrong with you two?"

She sits right next to Helbram. 

Helbram takes a look on her and noticed that Rose's chest flattened.

"Did she put bandages to restrain the size of her chest, again?" Helbram looks concerned. "I guess she's back on being her Lesbian era."

"Fredrick told me that I stepped on his feet and spilled my lunch at Helbram, so– "

Helbram clicked his teeth. "Shut up! He did that on purpose! Everything's all his fault."

Helbram's surprisingly aggressive today.

"Woah, calm down Helbram." She calms him. "Why are you impulsive today?"

Helbram looked and stare at her. Rose felt awkward and Helbram look away.

"Bryan, I'm sorry that you spilled your food. You can have mine instead." He scratches his cheeks. "I know it's not that expensive but you can have it as my compensation."

Bryan shakes his hands.

"Oh no, it's okay Helbram! I can order a new one! Like you said, you spend it with your money, so it's you who'll gonna enjoy it." He wipes his eyeglass and put it back.

"In other words, you don't want others to treat you." He smiles. "So, don't worry about me."

Helbram pushed his food tray to Bryan and bring out his lunchbox.

"Wait... I thought you– ?"

"I'm sorry I lied okay?" He apologized. "I just came here to– "

Just then, he glanced at Rose and looked at Bryan again.

"Just like that."

Bryan looks puzzled.

"I see." He sighs. "You just want to try eating at the canteen first time, eh?"

He looks at Rose. "Anyway Rose, I'm surprised that we– !" He saw Rose hair is back to usual.

"Wait... what happened to your long hair? Did you cut it last night?"

Rose touched her new hair.

"Yeah." And she laughs.

"I'll miss your long hair." He mumbles.

Little did they know that Fredrick's been eyeing on Helbram and his peers.

"So, those were his circle of friends. Interesting."

"Anyway, since I didn't expect to see you here. I'm going to report my daily findings about the Abomination."

Helbram rolled his eyes. "Oh my! Here we go again." He sighs and eat his lunchbox.

Rose grabbed her notebook entitled 'Abomination Findings' and show her new intel.

"Look! I just found a new information about the Abomination's location." She points out the location. "These are just rumoring but it's worth a shot. It says that there's a famous villa of the Bourgeois Family at the Northern Empire. Ahead, there's an old cemetery that's been around– hmm... it says it's been a long time. Some says that the cemetery started when the Northern Empire risen."

"Now, that's what I call facts." He smiled but Bryan didn't.

"Many myth busters investigated that place since it's one of the oldest places on Earth and some speculated that: It's where the Abomination is sealed."

Helbram raised his brow. "Hey, hey! Wait a minute! I thought this 'monster' is sealed within a castle." He crosses his arms. "Don't tell me those self-proclaimed hypocrites gonna disturb the dead now? Pft! Talking about loss of hope." Helbram mocks and Rose didn't respond.

"Anyways, that's all the information I've collected from the articles in regards to the Abomination."

"Oh? Is it safe to say that you're one of the people in that group or whatsoever?" Helbram's still chewing his food. Rose didn't speak further. "And— how many of those hypocrites hunting that monster? 10 thousand? Millions?"

Rose felt embarrassed. "Only few and it's safe to say it's around 10 of them eager to find the truth."

Helbram points his fork. "Lemme guess, you're the 10th member, eh?"

Her face is reddening due to embarrassment. "Yes."

Helbram's about to choke and quickly grabbed Bryan's tumbler.

"Seriously, 10? That's like— a group of morons believing onto something that was made in fraud!" Helbram's bursting in laugher but Rose slam her hand, halting Helbram.

"It doesn't matter! The lesser the people, the greater to hear!"

Helbram sees her determination, making him sigh.

"Look, if this abomination is true, and the 10 of you manage to find it, what will happen next?"

Rose halt.

"Is proving its existence the only thing that you guys ever think about?" He gulped his food. "Have you guys ever think of what's gonna happen afterwards?"

Rose didn't speak.

"I agree." Bryan agrees. "If this myth is proven to be true, what comes after? We can't just– 'Hey! I busted the myth! Yey!' thing. What if this monster poses worldwide threat? A pandemonium? If so, how will humans survive?" Bryan said.

"We don't know who are responsible of sealing that monster, if it was real. Perhaps they're aware about the threat it brings that's why they decided to seal it? Who knows?"

Helbram crosses his arms. "I agree."

"Which is why– " Bryan is interrupted by Rose.

"Curiosity leads to truth!" She pouts, daring to argue, especially when it comes to beliefs.

"What?" Helbram looked shocked. "What are you talking about?" He put his spoon on his lunchbox.

"Curiosity creates pathways to the unknown,"

Suddenly, Helbram's heart pulsates heavily. It struck him and his eye became lifeless. Surprisingly, his voice starts sounding eerie and his right eye faintly glows.

"—leading to scientific breakthrough. But stupidity leads to.... ruin."

Just as he speaks, a throbbing chest pain occurs. He fell on the table, surprising Rose and Bryan.

"Helbram!"

Bryan stood up and sit right next to him.

"What happened bro? You suddenly collapsed!"

"I'm fine." Helbram reassures. "This is nothing. Get used to it."

Rose pushed his cheeks. "You– don't give us that reaction! You frighten us, you know?"

Helbram touched his chest and take a breath. "I'm sorry."

Bryan and Rose felt relieved but, in Helbram's thoughts, – it's not.

"What the heck is that?" He wondered. "It feels like – I'm transcended into something I can't explain." He massages his chest. "Anyway, it's great I'm back though."

"Hel, if that reaction triggered something I said, I'm sorry." Helbram looked at her. "I just– took our rivalry seriously, to the point I don't want to admit defeat when someone knocks sense to it." Her thumbs were doing fidget motion.

"I'm sorry."

Helbram and Bryan exchanged look.

"It's okay." He reassures. "I understand one's belief stands firm no matter what."

He looks at her. "Anyway, are you still gonna fight for it?" He let out a smirk. "I'm sure you will."

Rose felt hopeful. "Yeah, I will." She checks the time and it's already 1 P.M. so she clears her throat and stood up.

"It was nice chatting with you. But I think it's time for me to go. Duty calls."

Bryan smiled. "Oh, the SSC Pres. Stuff."

"May the Nativity Deity bless you on your duties, Rose." Helbram smiled and Rose left, passing Fredrick and his buddies. The boy seemed interested and decided to ask his homies.

"Hey, who's fembhoi? He seems close to that nerd."

Buddy(3) looks surprised. "Fembhoi? What the heck dude! That's a girl!" They all laugh except Frederick.

"Huh? That beautiful guy is a woman?"

"Yes! She's Rose, your classmate!"

Fredrick flinched. "Wait– what??! That's Rose?! I hardly recognize her in that hairstyle."

He expressed and one of his buddies starts teasing. "Well, I heard she's a Lesbian in the past. I thought she turned to a new leaf when she's in Senior High but guess what? She's back at it again!" Buddy(1) laughs as he explains. "She must've fell in love to another women. What a waste of beauty though."

Frederick gone quiet.

"Hey, she may be a lesbian but we can't deny she's a beauty. Heh! Do you- happen to like her?"

Buddy(1) teases and Fredrick didn't speak and Buddy(2) observes Frederick.

"He sure does!" He agrees. "After all, who wouldn't? Everyone has a crush on SSC President! Be it men, women, and others in-between!" *clears throat* "Despite being Lesbian, out of LGBTQ people here in our campus, she's the most gentle, soft-spoken, kind-hearted lesbian you could ever met! It makes me wonder if she just wants to join that community so men like us won't go chasing after her."

Buddy(1&3) nods their head. "Agreed"

Fredrick rubs his chin and noticed that the bond Rose and Helbram is quite different. So, he let out a smile.

"I think I know how to revenge on that nerd." he wondered.