This Girl Is A Delinquent!, Vol. 3

Chapter 30: Seeing Eye To Eye

Silky threads of hair brushed against Ken's fingers as he supported his head with hands that had finally stopped shaking. Staring at his feet, he was unsure of the time. However, being late for class was the farthest thing from his mind at this particular moment. The swirling in his stomach held him in place as he tried to control his nerves. Confined to a bench within the school courtyard, a silent breeze beckoned him to reflect on earlier events.

Hours ago, he had rushed from the gymnasium with Sonya cradled in his arms. Compared to her usual self, this version of her was somehow lighter and more frail. Noticing her gently sealed eyes, he couldn't help but see the dark circles lingering beneath them. Heavy breaths escaped his throat as Ken clenched his teeth in self hatred. He wondered why he hadn't noticed her exhaustion before as his heart writhed in pain.

It took minutes to arrive at the nurse's office where Sonya was quickly removed from his care as the school nurse evaluated her. Ken found a small comfort in knowing that Astaril Academy employed trained medical staff should any of their students fall ill away from home. His comfort was brief as he was forced from the room and the last remnants of his adrenaline dissolved. Uncertainty bred fear as the distance created by the shut door of the office felt like he might as well be in a different world. Not that he hadn't already felt that way the past few weeks.

With no other options, he stood in place and awaited news of Sonya's condition. Yet, the information that he desperately sought would not have a chance to arrive. Not soon after, the distraught yells of a familiar feminine voice echoed from afar and made Ken jolt in surprise.

"WHERE IS SHE! I demand to know this instant!"

Ken saw two figures that he immediately recognized round the corner of the hallway in the distance. Wrapped in a maroon pencil skirt with matching suit jacket, Charlotte clacked her heels against the stone floor of the hall with impertinent authority. The receiver of her screams was none other than Miss Rose. To Ken's shock, his former teacher bowed her head respectfully and responded.

"My apologies, Ma'am. Perhaps we can be discreet so as not to disturb other students."

The scene was obscure to Ken as he had never seen Miss Rose behave so formally. Another example of the respect demanded by Sonya's family, he surmised while watching the exchange play out. Narrowing her eyes into what Ken could see was a dangerous display of animosity, Charlotte fought to keep her hands from clenching as she spoke.

"Are you not her homeroom teacher? Yet, you feel the need to push the problems of the school onto me?"

"That is not my intention. I want to ensure that your daughter's identity stays confidential-"

"That doesn't matter right now! Sonya is the sole heiress to the Astaril family, but more importantly, she is my only child! Her time here is supposed to be idyllic and filled with happy memories, not... like this... W-where is she! Where is my daughter?!"

The outburst couldn't have come at a more inopportune time as several of Sonya's classmates had just arrived from the gym and were within earshot. Staring at their homeroom teacher and the strange woman, their eyes widened while they stopped in their tracks. Despite her professional appearance, Charlotte's voice cracked with emotion as she finished her demands. The sight was in complete contrast to the composure that she had always displayed in Ken's presence. Noticing the growing audience, Miss Rose glanced at her students and back to Charlotte while her expression grew sorrowful.

"Yes, Ma'am. I understand, Sonya is in the nurse's office at the end of this... hallway."

Gesturing to the location, Miss Rose fell silent as both her and Charlotte sat eyes on Ken and he felt a shiver run down his spine. Yet, Charlotte only made a defeated scowl as the two women silently brushed past him and into the nurse's office. Reminiscent of Sonya, her mother's expression burned into his mind and made Ken's ankles start to feel weak as the severity of the situation threatened to bring him to his knees. Part of him wished that she had berated him or blamed him as he mindlessly sauntered down the hall.