Golden Melody (Editing)

Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Freshmen, Section 1 – 1:42 P.M.

Section 1 was the glittering top class of Wayne Academy.

A carefully curated mix of heirs, heiresses, prodigies, and the occasional outlier who somehow managed to survive among them. Here, overachieving wasn't just expected—it was a competitive sport.

Zatariel sat in the front row, posture perfect. His planner lay open beside his textbook, pen tapping against the page.

"Thyron, you can't solve it that way," he said calmly without even looking up.

Across the aisle, Thyron spun his pen on his fingers like a basketball.

"Still got the right answer," he replied lazily. "I just modified the formula."

Ms. Linarez took a slow sip of espresso, staring at the class.

"Why am I here again?" she muttered.

"To supervise," Zatariel offered.

"Barely."

Her gaze shifted toward the back row.

"Mr. Dom?" she called. "Are you at least pretending to be present today?"

Jayson didn't look up. He was scrolling through photos on his phone—city skylines, ocean waves, a blurry picture of Asha asleep on the plane with her mouth open.

"Sure," he murmured.

Across the room, Asha blew a pink bubble with her gum while typing something under her desk.

If I were a poem, she wrote, you'd be the line I reread at 2 A.M.

She grinned to herself.

Then— Knock knock.

The classroom door opened.

A girl stood there from Section 8. Jecca.

She looked like she wished she were anywhere else.

"Excuse me... Is Jayson Dom here?"

Zatariel raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

The girl shifted awkwardly.

"We... um... brought Miexha to the clinic."

Jayson froze.

Then he stood up so fast his chair scraped across the floor.

"What?"

"She's not okay."

Wayne Academy Clinic – 2:03 P.M.

The clinic smelled faintly of antiseptic and lavender.

Jayson sat beside the small medical cot, arms folded tightly across his chest, while the nurse carefully wiped the blood from Miexha's ears.

She looked fragile. Too pale. Too quiet.

"You should've stayed home today," Jayson muttered.

Miexha didn't answer.

"You went to class like nothing was wrong," he continued, frustration creeping into his voice. "You were bleeding. Are you trying to kill yourself or something?"

Still no response.

His voice rose slightly. "You think you can just pass out and nobody would notice? You think I wouldn't notice?"

Miexha slowly turned her head.

"...Are you mad at me?"

Jayson blinked. And then he realized.