CH 9 ANTIDOTE, SPEED, AND SECRETS

The principal and Mrs. Nadia began to show reactions from what they had consumed. Their bodies became hot, and they glared sharply at Rita, who grew increasingly frightened.

"So you're the culprit, Rita," the principal scolded, pointing at her.

Rita lowered her head even more, her body trembling as cold sweat dripped from her face.

"Rita, give us the antidote quickly!" Mrs. Nadia demanded harshly.

"T-The antidote is at home, Ma'am," Rita stammered nervously.

Mrs. Nadia and the principal turned their eyes to Gin, who remained calm.

"Gin, you said earlier that Rita has the antidote," the principal said.

"Yeah, she does, just not with her right now. If I had known she had it on her, I would have tasted the poison myself earlier," Gin replied nonchalantly.

The principal grew even more furious, wanting to lash out at Gin but realizing that he was not at fault. It was true that Gin had said Rita had the antidote, but he never said she had it with her.

"So what will happen to us?" the principal groaned, his body growing hotter—not just from the poison but from his rising anger.

"Just have Rita fetch it from her house. If you're afraid she'll run away, send some teachers to escort her. Simple as that," Gin said casually.

The principal's anger flared even more, but there was nothing he could do—Gin was not wrong. In fact, he had been the one to expose the culprit.

"Now you all understand how annoying that guy is," Tesa muttered, watching how Gin's words provoked both the principal and their homeroom teacher.

Mrs. Nadia and the principal were taken to the school clinic, while several teachers accompanied Rita to retrieve the antidote from her house. After administering the antidote, Rita was taken to the police station to be held accountable for her actions.

Due to the incident, the school decided to send the students home early. Of course, this was met with excitement by everyone. Gin became the center of attention, with all eyes now on him. However, he remained unbothered, walking leisurely toward his classroom to grab his bag before heading home.

"Gin, thank you," Tesa said as they stood in the classroom.

"Oh, yeah, you're welcome."

"I didn't expect your behavior to have such a purpose," Tesa admitted, starting to admire him.

"Really?" Gin grinned. "Oh, by the way, I want to invite you over for tea at my house—as a way to return the favor for yesterday."

Tesa's face flushed upon hearing Gin's invitation. She simply nodded slightly and smiled.

"Alright, this time, I'll take you to my house, and then I'll make sure you get home safely too," Gin offered.

"Now that's more like it. A guy should be more considerate," Tesa said, relieved that she wouldn't have to walk home again. Her boyfriend, Bayu, was still absent from school.

After packing their bags, they walked toward the parking lot. They quickly became the center of attention, but this time, Tesa no longer felt the need to avoid the stares. She knew Gin had suddenly become popular, and that fact delighted her.

"Are you ready?" Gin asked once Tesa was seated on his motorbike.

"Okay," Tesa replied enthusiastically.

"Wooosshhh!" Gin immediately sped off at full speed.

Before long, Gin's head began to bob up and down, his eyes closed behind his goggles. His movements became unsteady, swerving left and right, narrowly avoiding collisions with anything in front of him. Zig-zagging through the crowded streets, he rode recklessly.

"Gin… Ginnnnnn! Wake up! I'm terrifieeeed!" Tesa screamed at the top of her lungs, utterly horrified by his reckless driving.

But Gin seemed lost in his sleep, his hands moving instinctively as he controlled the bike. Tesa clung to him tightly, squeezing him with all her strength. She kept shouting for him to slow down, but Gin remained unresponsive.

Tears streamed down Tesa's face, immediately swept away by the rushing wind. She had lost her voice from screaming, and her legs felt weak. Finally, they arrived at Gin's house.

"We're here, Sa," Gin said.

Tesa was still clutching him tightly, her body trembling.

"Saaaa."

"Oh, right… Sorry," Tesa mumbled weakly before getting off the bike.

"Are you feeling sick?" Gin asked.

"Yeah… I regret riding with you. If I had known, I would never have hoped for a ride from you," Tesa muttered, her voice weak.

"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad. You didn't die, did you?" Gin said casually.

"You're so annoying!"

"Alright, let's go inside," Gin invited her in.

Once inside, Tesa slumped onto the couch, still shaken by the terrifying ride.

"Hey, don't just sit there looking lifeless," Gin said as he placed a cup of tea in front of her.

"Wait… Can you really hear a person's heartbeat?" Tesa asked, still astonished.

"Yeah. Now drink your tea."

Tesa blew on the tea gently before taking a sip.

"So you can really pick up the faintest scents among all the others?" she continued curiously.

"Yeah."

"And what you said in the rain the other day—was that true too?"

"Why are you so nosy?" Gin asked in return.

"How can you do all that?" Tesa pressed on.

Gin stared at her intently, gazing at the beautiful face full of questions beside him. Then, he leaned back, looking up at the ceiling, his eyes lost in memories of the past.

"I was born with damaged corneas, and I was blind from birth," Gin finally revealed.