Cursed Love (Geminifourth)

CHAPTER 11: Are you hurt?

I sat quietly in class, going over the script for our presentation. My eyes flicked to the clock—only ten minutes left before class officially started. Still, there was no sign of Gemini. He was supposed to present first, followed by the explanation of the project.

I was just practicing, when I noticed the other group members also rehearsing, anticipating questions from the teacher.

"Fourth, can you try call him?" Winny asked, his voice tight with anxiety as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with a tissue. "I’ve already called him a dozen times, but he’s not picking up."

I sighed and dialed his number, but like before, there was no response. One minute left before the bell. The anxiety in the group was palpable. "Okay, guys," Winny whispered, sounding defeated, "I’ll present if I have to"

The class was buzzing with chatter and last-minute preparations. My heart started pounding faster as the bell finally rang. "Where is he?" I muttered to myself, feeling the weight of the moment bearing down on me.

Just then, our chemistry teacher walked into the room. "Good morning, class," he greeted. Everyone responded in unison, except for me. My eyes were glued to the door.

"Students, I’ll give you an extra five minutes after I call out attendance," he announced, setting his notebook on the desk and starting to call roll. When he reached Gemini’s name, I whispered, "Absent."

The first group went up to present while the rest of us sat on the benches, feeling helpless. "Next group!" the teacher called. We exchanged nervous glances before standing and dragging our project to the front of the room.

Just as we were about to begin, the door swung open. "Sir, may I come in?" a voice panted.

Gemini. Finally

A wide grin spread across my face as he hurried to the front, breathless. "Oh, thank God," I whispered under my breath.

The teacher gave him a quick scolding before letting him join us. Gemini dumped his bag on the table and took his place beside me, still catching his breath. I placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering, "You got this."

He ignored.

He's still struggling to breathe, but within seconds he straightened up and began the presentation. To my surprise, he spoke confidently, not a hint of nerves. I watched in awe as he explained the project perfectly.

I’d thought he wouldn’t be able to speak in front of so many people, but here he was, proving me wrong.

Winny nudged me, snapping me out of my thoughts. It was my turn now. Gemini stepped back, his face unreadable, and I took a deep breath, moving forward to present my part.

After what felt like hours, the presentation was finally over, and the class was dismissed. Students breathed sighs of relief and chatting as they scattered to relax before the next teacher arrived.

I glanced over at Gemini. He was slumped over his desk, head down as if trying to catch up on some sleep.

That's when I noticed something strange—a bruise, faint but visible, along his arm near his veins. Before I could react, he shifted slightly, and I caught a glimpse of his forehead. There was a deeper bruise there, half-hidden beneath his hair. My stomach twisted at the sight. What had happened to him?

Just then, another teacher walked in. "Your regular teacher is out today," she said. "You’re free to do what you want, but keep the noise down."

The class erupted into soft chatter, students whispering and playing games. But my attention was still fixed on Gemini. He hadn’t moved, still resting his head on the desk.

I wanted to ask him about the bruises, but he was asleep—or pretending to be? I slowly leaned in, carefully brushing his hair aside. The bruise on his forehead was worse than I thought, deep and dark.

Worried, I sat back and tried to focus on something else, pulling out my phone to watch a drama. But as I watched the scene unfold, where the main lead fell into the arms of the female lead, a memory flashed in my mind—the way Gemini and I had fallen into each other not long ago.

The rest of the class was wrapped up in their own conversations and activities, but here I was, lost in my thoughts. Neither Gemini nor I said a word.

After a while, Gemini stirred again, yawning deeply as he stretched and placed his hands on the table, as though trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. As he shifted, I noticed something new—a faint scar running along the side of his neck.

My breath caught in my throat. Before I could even think, the words escaped my lips.

"What happened to you?"

He looked up at me, his eyes cold and distant. "What?" His voice was low, almost a whisper, but there was a chill in it that made me shiver.

"Uh..." I stammered, trying to think of something to say to explain my question. His coldness caught me off guard, and I found myself licking my lips nervously. Before I could recover, Winny turned around, his gaze landing on Gemini’s bruises.

"Bro, did you fight someone? Or is that a... hickey?" Winny joked, chuckling quietly.

Our group shared a soft laugh, but the sound barely registered. My eyes stayed on Gemini. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. "Where did this come from?" I asked again, my voice more serious this time.

Gemini sighed, barely lifting his head to acknowledge me. "I don’t know," he muttered, his tone detached, as though the conversation wasn’t worth his energy. He clearly wasn’t interested in talking, and I could tell pushing him further would be useless.

A few minutes passed in silence, but I couldn’t help myself. I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice. "You can tell me. I’m not gonna judge," I offered, hoping my words would reach him.

But he didn’t respond. He just sat there, head resting on his arms, pouting slightly as if retreating into himself. I bit back a soft chuckle. He’s cute but so rude sometimes.

Then, out of nowhere, he stood up, the legs of his chair scraping against the floor. "May I go to the washroom?" he asked the teacher.

The teacher nodded, and Gemini walked out of the classroom. Something inside me snapped—I had to know what was going on. Without thinking, I followed him.

"Hey, wait!" I called after him as he moved down the hallway.

He stopped, turning slightly to glance over his shoulder. "When are you gonna stop minding other people’s business?" he asked, his voice sharp.

Ignoring the sting in his tone, I caught up to him. "Tell me where those bruises came from," I insisted, trying to sound firm but not pushy.

He stopped walking, turning fully to face me this time. "What are you going to do if I don’t tell you?" His voice was icy, the challenge clear in his eyes.

"Make your voice softer, huh" I shot back, rolling my eyes as I crossed my arms in front of him. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"What do you want?" he finally asked, his tone softer now. We had stopped near the canteen, the faint chatter of students in the background. There was something in his eyes—something hidden, as if he wanted to say a thousand things but couldn’t bring himself to.

"Tell me," I pressed.

"Tell you what?" he responded, still dodging the question.

"These bruises," I said, my voice firmer.

But just as he was about to reply, a loud thud broke the moment. A boy had tripped and fallen down the nearby stairs. Instinctively, I rushed over with the others. "Are you okay?" I asked, helping him to his feet. The boy nodded, a little shaken but unhurt.

I smiled, relieved, but when I turned back, Gemini was gone. I looked around, scanning the area, but he had vanished. My shoulders slumped as the disappointment crept in. I walked back to the classroom, feeling defeated.

(Like bro why you have to help him🙄go and fucking ask Gemini!)