Chapter 9

CAIUS' POV

"I wonder if Levi kissed her already," I chuckled as I drank the cold Dutch Mill Delight, and threw its bottle before I left the cafeteria.

A stretch of dry weather made my sweat dripped down my temples, eventually making a slow descent to my neck.

Before heading to the room, I decided to stop by at the department's garden to relax and get some fresh air.

I was alone, sitting on the grass in the garden area of the school under the shade of the tree. Later I pressed my back against the trunk of an old tree behind me.

"Ah. It's so hot," I mumbled as I fanned myself using my hand.

As I enjoyed my spare time, I fished for my phone inside my pocket, put on my earphones and listened to my favorite Korean playlist.

"This... one. Because It's You by ASTRO is good," I whispered as I pressed the play button on my phone.

There was a broken heart trapped in the past. It stayed like that and stopped in the end. I started to sing as I gradually closed my eyes to relax.

I hummed the rest of the song and almost fell asleep, but I came back to my senses when my hand accidentally touched a Sensitive plant beside me.

"You half-woody herb with bristly hairs! Why did you hurt me, huh?" I snorted and eyed the plant, but my eyes widened when the leaves suddenly drooped. It inclined downward as if it was shy and timid.

"How dare this little creature ignore me?" I snorted, removing my earphones, and put it back on my pocket with my phone.

"Hey! Open up for me! Don't be shy, huh? Open up! Open up, please?" I pleaded as I touched it again for several times.

"Am I ugly? You don't want so see me, huh? You hurt me, then you have the guts to ignore me like this? Are you dead?" I ranted, touching and forcing the leaves to open again. "You're so sensitive!"

"Stop arguing with that innocent plant. You can just sell it if you want. It cost $7.99, pretty expensive for a plant which diffusely spreading and grows anywhere."

I tilted my head to the woman standing in front of me who had just spoke.

"Hi, Romina," I greeted her.

She was a friend of mine from Nursing Department.

"Really? This plant costs for almost Php400? Whoa! Maybe I should start collecting them?" I said and smiled at her.

"Silly," she chuckled. "Look, they are all drooped," she said and pointed the Sensitive plants beside me.

"Right. They're so shy. Maybe they couldn't stand the sight of me being this handsome," I jokingly bragged.

"You think so?" she asked as her face crumpled.

"Just kidding," I giggled. "Come. Sit here," I said and tapped the space beside me.

"I know right," she said and nodded as she moved to sit beside me.

I turned again to the Sensitive plant and said, "They're actually adorable yet pitiful."

"Why is that?"

"I mean, these plants makes people amaze by its sudden folding when touched," I paused and looked at her, "but if we go deeper in understanding why it becomes its reflex, don't you think that it's somewhat... maybe they're afraid?"

"Whoa," she gasped. "Is it the advantage of being the best buddy of the genius Levi? You become smarter, huh?"

"Cut the fuss, tsk!" I made a face, but she just chuckled in return.

"Well, kidding aside, you're probably right," she said as she touched the leaves with her index finger.

"They're known to be as the 'humble plant', but according to a study by a team of Biologists from Australia and Italy, it seems as if this plant doesn't just discourage touching, it probably remembers what humans and animals poked and prodded at it."

Nodding as I agreed to her, I glanced to the plants once more.

"It's possible. It is as if it is protecting itself from harm that's why it closes its leaves so fast. Poor plant," I uttered and touched the leaves for the last time. "It was a kind of trauma for the plant."

"Caius? Caius!"

"Oh?" I mumbled and turned my head when Pino, my classmate, came running towards me.

"Caius!" he shouted once more.

"What's with the rush?" I asked him as he sat cross-legged on the grass, facing me.

"Something big went viral! Haven't you heard about the PFM Room?"

"PFM Room?" Romina asked curiously.

Just as Pino looked at Romina, he said, "It's a famous chat room for donations."

"Do you mean the PeterFund Ma Room? The chatroom in South Korea?" I asked for assurance and he nodded exaggeratedly. "Why? What's wrong?"

"There's an article released few minutes ago that this chatroom isn't just for donations, but for cybersex activities," he said, emphasizing every syllables of his words.

My eyes suddenly widened by surprise. PFM Room is a famous chat room in fund raising and accepting donations for charities in South Korea.

I frequently donated almost half of my mother's assets for Mental Health Charities and Organization in that chat room because she was once a benefactor there. Then how did it turned into a chat room for cybersex activities?

"A-are you certain about it? H-how? I mean, it couldn't b-be!" I blurted out.

"The article also revealed that PFM is originally stands for Pleasure For Men, not for the famous PeterFund Ma. Also, there were famous celebrities and athletes revealed to be paid members of the said chat room."

"The money seemed to be wasted," I whispered to myself as I brushed my hair out of frustration.

"Huh?" Pino uttered, but I just shook my head.

"How about the investigation about it?" I asked.

"Well, other information says that their identities were revealed through a cryptocurrency exchange."

I heaved a deep sigh and said, "The only currency that is untraceable is cash. Everything else has a trail of some kind. This is absolutely horrible, but I'm glad that justice is catching up."

"Right. I pity those people who are involved in the cybersex activities," Pino whined and eventually turned to Romina who had turned mute just sitting beside me.

"Hi Miss Romina," he greeted her, but she seemed uneasy and bothered.

As I looked at her, I noticed the unusual movements of her hand. She was pressing it hard and it started to turn red.

"Romina? Are you okay?" I asked and pat her shoulder, but she avoided it instantly.

"I-I'm o-okay," she stuttered.

"What's wrong? You look pale," Pino said, looking so suspiciously at Romina. He tried to reach for Romina's hands, but Romina stood up and ran away without saying any word again.

"Romina..." I mumbled as I watched her ran like she was trying to escape from something.

"What's with her?" Pino asked me as he scratched his forehead.

"I don't know either," I replied. "Romina... drooped leaves... sensitive plant... is she afraid of something?" I whispered to myself and stood up.

"What?"

"Nothing," I said as I wagged my head. "Let's get back to the—aahh!"

In just a snap, I felt like my strength was taken away from me.

"Caius? Caius! What's wrong?"

I was about to walk when something fell in front of me. It was a... a rope. I slumped to the grass as my body trembled in fear. I started hugging myself as I groaned, eyes closed as I tried to stop myself from remembering that painful and dreadful thing.

"Caius? What's happening?"

"Ahhh! That... fuck! L-Levi! L-Levi!" I screamed until I felt my body weakened.