Chapter 20: Lance Peña

"Lance Peña." Kingsley took a deep breath after saying the name of the man who they found hanging inside their office, exactly one year ago. "He was told that he won't be able to graduate last year, and it stressed him so much."

"Wait... h-he's dead?" Almost no voice came out of Jerome's lips. There was a trace of confusion on his face.

"He was an IE student," Hailey said softly. "Was he in your class?"

The former Basketball MVP slowly nodded. "We were told that he had to go abroad immediately that's why he suddenly disappeared. I don't know where that news came from, but I'm sure no one in our class knows that he's dead."

"He's dead. I saw it with my own eyes," the former secretary said. She still remembers clearly how loud she screamed that day, when her system registered what was in front of them.

"C-Call an ambulance—no, call the security guards!" The then Student Council President, Kingsley, ordered in confusion.

Although also surprised by what he saw and just as confused as his friends, Noah knew that Hailey would not be able to follow the order because she had already fell on the floor in shock. He ran out of the Student Council Office to ask for help.

The former officers of the Student Council breathed almost simultaneously as they all remembered that day.

"We were asked not to say a word about it," Noah told the others. "He was not buried, no one investigated. His body was just put in a sack and the guards casually took him out of the office. There were a few students already there for their 7 AM classes but no one noticed or suspected."

"Alright, a depressed batchmate of ours committed suicide one year ago and that's the reason why Noah and Hailey are here," Arkin said. "What does that have to do with what's going on?"

"I don't know," Ally answered seriously. "But it definitely has something to do with whatever is happening. Can you tell us more about that day?"

Kingsley looked at the young lady for a moment before nodding. "The guards were as shocked as we were when they saw the body hanging from our ceiling. Everyone stilled and fell silent until their radios beeped."

"Radio as in walkie-talkie?" Lia asked.

The former SC President nodded again. "I don't know who it was but we clearly heard a voice speaking. It wasn't even a coded message."

"First Prince. First Prince. Confirm visual of Adam."

"First Prince? Adam?" Arkin's eyebrows met again. "What does bullshit mean?"

"We don't know either," Noah answered. "But one of them immediately replied yes."

"Then they just put the body in a sack and took it out?" Lia asked with a hint of doubt in her voice.

"I remember seeing one of the guards taking his phone out," Hailey added. "It's like he received a message. Then, that's what they did. They took out the body as if nothing happened. There was one who stayed to talk to us and tell us not to speak about it. He even used our positions in the Student Council, saying that we have to protect the image of St. Louie."

"And you really just shut your mouths after that?" Vince asked in disbelief.

"We did not tell anyone about it, but the three of us talked a lot about it. We even conducted our own investigation."

"What did you find out?" Ally asked again, eager to know more about what happened.

"That it wasn't just his thesis that he failed."

"A-And what does that have to do with him taking his own life?" Jerome asked frowning.

"He had been failing almost all of his subjects since first year, but he was able to continue until fifth year, second semester," Kingsley explained.

"Wow. Hope everyone has that kind of backer," Ella's partner, who had just finished putting his clothes on, commented bitterly.

Arkin immediately frowned. He also caught sight of Ella hugging herself again after hearing the voice of the one who took advantage of her. "Hey! Who told you that you are involved in this conversation!?"

The man with a blackeye and a cut at the corner of his lips just looked at Arkin evilly and said nothing.

"Why? Does hearing about it taste bitter from someone who threatened his sister's professors?" Paul asked seriously. "Does it, Harold Sison?"

"You know this asshole?" Arkin asked Paul.

The young man nodded in response. "He told my mom that he would beat me to death if she gave his nursing student sister a failing grade."

Arkin shook his head, grinned, then gasped. "So you really are a son of a bitch, huh?"

Harold couldn't stop himself from stepping closer to the young man who beat him. "That shouldn't be coming from you, Arkin Rodriguez."

No one spoke but everyone became alert. The tension building between the two is clear. Although they knew Arkin was tough and knew how to fight, it was not insignificant that Harold's body was bigger. If the two fight, they will definitely hurt each other a lot.

"I'm not a rapist like you," Arkin said emphatically after taking a step closer to Harold. They looked at each other.

"Painless operation," Ally suddenly said. The two young men stepped back, moving away from each other and forgetting about the tension as everyone's eyes turned to her. All their gazes then shifted to the screen that turned green again and to the door of the hall that suddenly opened.

"That's the answer?" Jerome asked, his brows furrowed and his eyes clearly confused. "How—I don't get it."

"Displayed on the screen was the word operation with the letters comprising the word pain omitted," Vince explained, also frowning because he could not understand why others could not answer a simple rebus.

"So..." Hailey sighed then raised an eyebrow. "The door's open. Who's going out?"

"Shouldn't it be the one who answered the question?" Harold suggested while giving Ally a smirk.

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