CHAPTER XIV: Clash and Sparkles

"I don't need any of your rubbish!"

The room went from chaotic to surprisingly silent in an instant.

"You call those ideas?"

When I craned my head further, I realized that the person causing a commotion was the man who was glaring at me earlier.

Now, he's glaring at everybody.

That escalated real quick.

"You call yourself an architecture student with that kind of suggestion? Even a grade schooler can do better than all of you!" Majority of the students couldn't help but flinch from how cold his words were.

The girl, who shared her idea about the landscape thing, stood up angrily.

"What the heck?! Who do you think you are? Huh?"

Some of them also argued with the man at the front but the man in question only looked emotionless.

"Obviously, someone you're not."

The class erupted into fits of rage. The silent one's hang their heads, as if they were used to it yet at the same time afraid of what's to come.

I think Gwenne sensed the pressure circulating in the air. That made her intervene in the ongoing conflict.

"Calm down everyone!" But it was useless, the students were blindlessly angry.

I watched as she kept shouting at them to sit back down and calm themselves. But her efforts were fruitless.

When she looked like she had enough, I hurriedly covered my ears and prepared for her next solution.

Furious yelling and untamed cursing.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE! SHUT THE HELL UP! ARE YOU ALL ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHO CAN'T FUCKING LISTEN?! HELL! I'M NOT HERE TO TAME CHILDREN LIKE YOU! SO BE QUIET AND SIT DOWN OR ELSE GET OUT!"

Good thing I learned how to defend myself from getting my ear permanently damaged.

Intuition: 100

She could have been in a mob and I wouldn't doubt it for one second.

The girl had a voice as loud as a megaphone.

Once the room was silent enough, she cleared her throat and fixed her stance, “Let me introduce all of you to the arrogant fellow over there. He’s Gioffer Cou. You can call him Geo.”

The boy mentioned was definitely glaring at Gwenne, “Don’t go on deciding things for yourself. I don’t like worthless people tainting my name.”

Wait, hold up, where did I hear that name? It’s freaking familiar… I think.

While the entire class was causing a ruckus because of Gioffer’s absurd statement, I’m here contemplating on the origin of that name.

I know I heard it somewhere, I just can’t pinpoint where and when.

I looked around the room and saw that half of the students were still bowing their heads.

Are they really scared? Or are they just sleeping?

That’s when it clicked!

Geo! That’s the name the girls before at the library were talking about. The one that made them tremble and the guy that broke someone’s paintbrush.

Well, he certainly lives up to his reputation.

“Ignore what the idiot said. He’s the one incharge with the overall design process for the departmental contest.”

“Why him?! Who’d like to work with a bastard like him?!” A random man yelled from the back.

“Who said I’d let you work with me? I don’t like incompetencies near me.”

This was seriously beginning to heat up.

I think I went into a war rather than a meeting.

“What is wrong with you?! You’re messed up, dude!” The girl from last time said.

Gioffer just shrugged, “At least I don’t mess up my works.”

“I fucking can’t take this anymore.” The girl stood up angrily and walked out of the room.

Everyone once again fell into silence.

Gwenne forced a smile, “Sooo… will there be someone following the young lady who just left?”

That triggered it.

One by one, people began to stand up and leave.

“As expected.” She sighed and massaged her temples.

When there’s only a few people remaining, Gwenne faced Gioffer and talked to him quietly.

Although, I did hear some of the parts of their conversation.

Like,

“You can’t keep doing this.”

And,

“We won’t be able to finish anything at all at this point.”

I also heard a few unimaginable things that are too gruesome to imagine.

She really should tone it down. I could hear her voice all the way up here.

And that included her unpleasant words.

After a few minutes of ‘hushed’ arguing, Gwenne left the room.

I don’t know what happened.

Is the meeting over?

What the hell did I even come here for?

What a way to waste someone’s time.

After I was done grabbing my things, I stood up with an intention to leave.

However, when I looked up, Gioffer was once again staring at me.

I am so tired with all his staring.

I managed to catch a glimpse of the large canvas behind him. It was still blank.

When I turned my eyes back to him, he was still looking at me.

I frowned. This is getting irritating.

I walked up to him. His stare just turned into a glare.

Oh. I think I know what his problem is.

“What do you need?” Were his words the moment I stood in front of him.

“From you? Nothing.” I replied.

“Then, what are you doing here?”

“Here? The meeting.”

His glare just intensified, “Are you being sarcastic with me?”

“If that’s how you see it.” I said nonchalantly.

“Wha-”

I cut him off, “I’m not here to play either. You wasted my time over something pety.”

“I don’t even know you.”

“Yet you look at me with contempt. Or was it judgment?”

He was beginning to look angrier by the second, “What?”

“You think you know me? You don’t and so do the other people who came in here.”

“I don’t like to hear anything coming out from that useless mouth of yours.” He stared down at me with fury.

But I didn’t dare back down, “As do I, do I look like someone who cares about you and your pathetic self?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you can’t be so obvious about your distaste for women.” I added.

He was taken aback for a second. Looks like he thought I wouldn’t notice.

“Speaking like an asshole doesn’t boost your ego as a man. You look down on a woman and degrade her just because you have two swinging balls down below? Is that what encourages you to think that you’re all mighty and strong?”

“Nothing ever came out great from worthless skanks like them, including you.” He seethed.

“That doesn’t make you any different. What makes you think that everyone will bow down to you just because you’re considered a man? Don’t boast about your disposable pride.”

I took a step forward and smirked at him.

“Pride is not all I have. Your skills and the likes of your fellows don’t compare to mine.” Arrogance was literally dripping with every word he spouted.

He kept moving forward. Even though I don’t want to back down, he continuously forces me to step back.

Ah, he’s freaking getting on my nerves.

“Who said I was comparing? You make it so obvious how you’re intimidated about our capabilities to the point that you parade your narcissism everywhere you go.”

Unconsciously, my back hit the table behind me.

He stood closer and cornered me from both sides.

This was so unromantic.

“What makes you think I’m intimidated by you?”

“But nobody said you weren’t.” I plastered a teasing smirk just to irritate him.

Guess it worked, he moved closer as if he was trying to state his dominance.

“Nothing you say will change my mind. You are just people who take up space, nothing more.”

“Who’d bother to change your self-centered opinions? I’m merely making you see how stupid you are, but it seems you couldn't even do that.”

“Yo-”

“Your arrogance won’t ever make you any more than a human being who owns a weiner. It just shows that you’re incapable to state anything without inclining your gender, all the more weak you truly seem.”

I pushed his barricading arms away from me and walked towards the door.

“Lastly, maybe you hate me because I’m a woman, but don’t forget you’re also JUST a man.”

He looked like he would explode any minute now.

"But I won't discriminate against you for that because, unlike you, I wasn't born to be a sexist jerk."

And thus, I continued my way outside and left him hanging there.

My mood was ultimately ruined.

I don't even know why I did that. That's the most I spoke throughout my entire life.

Just thinking about him makes me angry.

If it weren't for him, I would be eating delicious food or studying for the upcoming exams in the garden.

I rarely attend meetings and this is what I encounter?

This is what happens when I'm slightly kind.

I sighed loudly.

"It looks like the problem of the universe is on your shoulders." I almost jumped at the sudden voice from my side.

I turned towards the voice and saw Ross leaning against the wall with his hands deep within his jeans' pockets.

"And you dare add to it." I deadpanned.

"Am I your universe now?" He replied cheekily.

"That's not even connected to what I just said."

"Oh, it's not? Well, I tried." He grinned.

I crossed my arms, "You did and failed."

"For me, it was worth it." He added that statement with a thumbs up.

I placed my hand on top of his hand, "Then keep that worth to yourself," and forcefully pushed his finger inside his enclosed palm.

"If you wanted to hold hands, you could have just said so. I'm not picky." He then captured my hand and held it with his.

I pulled my hand, "First, stop with the flirting. Second, you don't even have the right to be picky."

"Third, what are we? Invisible? Non-existent?"

I heard Solar say. I searched for the source of her voice and saw that she was standing a few inches beside Ross. Haru was also there, quietly watching us while hugging his books.

"Your presence was so little that I mistook you for the wall."

Ross laughed at that. I can also see Haru chuckling in the distance.

"Ha ha. Whatever. This wall is so gorgeous and you cannot tell me otherwise."

All of us couldn't help but laugh. That was really pointless.

I couldn't help but pause and watch them laugh.

I don't want to admit it, but something is sparkling. So bright, so clear…

and within reach.