Ivan didn't know how much he slept but when he woke up, the day was bright. He stood up from the bed, rubbing his eyes groggily.
It was very late when he returned to his father's house last night. He took off his drenched clothes and went to bed immediately. Making way to the living room, memories from earlier flooded his brain like a match connecting fire to fire. He took out his phone right away, and to his amazement, the money was still there. Ivan reviewed the messages one more time to make sure he had not missed anything. Interestingly enough, the message included his name, so it can not have been an error. It was getting close to dawn. He went downstairs to see if there was anything to eat because he had not eaten since yesterday. Descending the stairs, he stopped in his tracks when he heard his Father and stepmother's voice. He was the topic of their conversation. "Honey, you do not have to act strange toward him. He is still a teenager and doesn't know what he has done wrong. Kindly pardon him, or allow me to speak with him." Ivan heard his shameless stepmother's voice and a scoff escaped his lips. “You've spoiled him too much. Our reputation has once again been damaged by his actions. If not because Dahlia agreed to cooperate with us, do you think he won't be in jail by now? Do you know how much money I spent to get rid of his shamelessness everyday!" Ivan walked down the stairs, hands in his pockets. His mind was a wreck after what had happened yesterday, and the only thing that was able to calm him down was the money in his bank account. As the sound of footsteps became clearer, Nicholas Langland and Thalia raised their heads. Their eyes met with Ivan's calm eyes and at that moment, something seemed to spark. Ivan bowed his head, saying, “Hello, Father." Noticing that Ivan might have heard what he said, Nicholas cleared his throat. He glanced past Thalia, then returned his attention to Ivan with a hardened expression. “Didn't they say you left yesterday? I seriously don't want to see you anymore. What do you gain from tarnishing my reputation?" “Tarnishing your reputation?" With a glare in his eyes, Ivan asked. Ivan wondered how he had tarnished his reputation when he had been abandoned by him since the death of his mother. He had no one beside him for ten years! “I won't disobey you, Father" Ivan bowed his head once more. “And I will make sure not to tarnish your reputation." Nicholas believed his son was finally listening to him, not realizing the deeper meaning in his words. “Good. I have been contacted by your mother's family. It is best for you to move in with them. I have been ignoring their attempts to get in touch with me. This time seems like the perfect opportunity.“ “Honey, don't you think you are being hard on him? He's still a teenager. I don't want Ivan to feel bad.” Thalia nudged Nicholas elbow, her eyes shimmering with faux sympathy. "After everything he did, I find it unbelievable that you are feeling sorry for him! He brought shame to our family by engaging in bad activities. He almost assaulted his fiancée!" "She's lying! Why don't you even believe your son?!" "Believe you?! You are a thug for goodness sake!" Slurring his breath, Nicholas roared back. "He's just being a teenager, don't be too hard on him" Thalia tried to calm him. By now Ivan knew he would be ignored for the rest of his life if he chose to stay here, and that his reputation had been permanently ruined. Sincerely, he was sick of living up to everyone's expectations and being set up by his stepmother. All he wants right now is to be free of all these restraints. “You know what? You are right" Ivan's voice rang out, making the couples pause whatever they were doing. "I should leave. I will go and stay with my Mother's Family. You will never appreciate me, and I am fed up with being treated like a fool!" “Disappear like thin air and never come back until I have a use for you." Experiencing such treatment from the Father, Ivan's heart tightened. He wasn't supposed to be surprised by his actions as he had always been that way, even when his Mother was still alive. But then, at least, he pretended to care. His stomach knotted up, a churning turmoil that reflected the disarray inside his head. Ivan felt compelled to vent his anger, but he held himself back. "It is obvious that you do not want me here, and I also clearly do not want to be here. I would go back and finish my highschool education" Ivan explained calmly, making sure that his anger didn't get in his way of explanation. Despite his reserve, Ivan sensed that if he lingered any longer, he would lose control quickly. "What did you say?“ Nick laughed, taken aback by his son's boldness. "I guess you are old enough to make decisions by yourself since you are almost eighteen and I'm sure you can take of yourself. You will bear the consequences of your actions because you have chosen to be foolish." "You can do whatever you like" Ivan answered back, heading upstairs. He had just lost his appetite. Nicholas sensed his son's arrogance and was on the verge of losing his mind. He was taunted by Ivan's composure and felt compelled to punish the boy. "You are just as stubborn as your Mother. No wonder she died so soon.“ “Nicholas!!" Even Thalia eyes widened at the sudden statement. Ivan who was ascending the stairs, stopped in his tracks. With bloodshot eyes and quivering lips, he turned around. He fixed his gaze on Nicholas, but none of them spoke. Without saying any word, Ivan turned back and disappeared into his room. Stated differently, he disappeared from their lives.*A Year later* Every student in the hallway was engaged in conversation with one another. It was the beginning of another week. Renowned as the best high school in the city, Rao City High School was attended by the social elite. Some, however, believed it to be an unfair school where wealthy people enjoyed greater privileges than those from lower-class backgrounds. “The school flower just arrived! Clear the way everyone!” Hearing the voice of the popular follower of the school flower, the people in the hall moved to a side, excitement on their faces. Seeing the beauty was what they always pray for. The school flower was not only beautiful, but she was also very nice and made no distinction between the rich and the poor. She cares about everyone. “School Beauty, take the flowers. It represents your beauty.” A girl, around eighteen years old, stepped into the hallway with two girls behind her. She embodied the true meaning of beauty. Her rosy lips, her wavy hair, he
With both hands in his pockets, Ivan entered the classroom accompanied by his homeroom teacher. The homeroom teacher continued to gaze at him, her lips pressed into an awkward smile.The woman was wondering why it took Ivan so late to return to school. She was a little worried that the boy might not be able to keep up with the rest of the class, even though the senior certificate exam was still several months away.And besides, it is unlikely for a great school like Rao High School to admit a final year student. Not especially into Classroom A! This new student background must be a little more powerful.“Ivan, right? Do not hesitate to ask me anything if you have any difficulty” Miss Clara, the teacher, voiced out as she reached the front of Classroom A. Ivan nodded, a tight smile on his lips. It was obvious to him already that the woman was staring at him more intently than normal.“I will introduce you to your classmates now. They are all nice people, be nice to them, okay?”Ivan g
With shock and sadness written all over her face, Sofia ran to Ivan as soon as he returned to the classroom after finishing the test. The guy ignored her warning not to tamper with Daphne West, despite her warnings.Sofia was sorry for him, believing that he would have to experience what she had.“What are you going to do now, Ivan? Run as fast as you can or leave Classroom A! This class is really not what you think it is” She spoke fast, her voice carrying a hint of nervousness. “Don’t worry about me, Sofia” Ivan waved her words off with his hand. “Just sit and watch perfectly.”Sofia grew increasingly concerned, believing that Ivan was making a concerted effort to keep his cool. She became really restless but could only stop talking when she started receiving weird stares from her classmates. With a smile on his lips, Freddie approached Ivan after Sofia had returned to her seat. He sat on the empty seat that was opposite Ivan.“Just go back to where you’ve been hiding all these ye
Ivan became popular in the school the next morning as the student who asked Daphne West to kneel down in front of the whole school. The students were all anticipating this and wondered if the spoiled brat of Assemblyman West would really kneel in front of the whole school.The hallway was packed, more so than usual, as everyone awaited the arrival of Daphne West and the boy who had made this seemingly impossible task possible.As Ivan entered the hallway, all eyes were on him but none of the students could voice out what they all wanted to say. They are all afraid that if things later go wrong, Daphne would take it out on all of them. Ivan saw Sofia, unfazed by the stares, he walked towards her. But before he could get to her side, Sofia backed away, disappearing around the corner.Ivan frowned almost immediately.A boy appeared before Ivan with a group of boys behind him. They all wore rough clothes, resembling wealthy vagrants with no sense of style. The boy who appeared to be thei
Many people had already gathered to watch Dean West demonstrate his skills when Ivan arrived at the field.At the moment, the boy was shirtless, showing off his well-defined abs and muscles while grinning wickedly at the girls who were constantly fangirling over him.Ivan's lips twisted in disgust, watching the scene. As he stopped in his tracks, he felt someone bump into him and it was then he realized that someone was behind him.“Watch where you are going and don't injure yourself" Ivan told Sofia who has been keeping her head down after he beat up those bullies. Ivan has heard a brief anecdote about Sofia's admission to class A. She was the only person in the class with parents from a lower socioeconomic status.Her mother was the cook in Daphne's home, and her father was the gardener. Sofia was able to join Classroom A because of this.“You don't have to do it earlier. They are Dean’s boys and would definitely do something to you” Sofia spoke slowly, avoiding Ivan’s gaze."Worry
Ivan Langland broke Dean West's arm.It wasn’t long before the whole school knew what happened on the field. No one had expected Dean to land in the hospital. However, his injuries were severe, rendering him unable to stand.Surprisingly, it was Ivan who helped him to the infirmary.No one had expected this, considering Dean’s position as the president of the taekwondo club, his numerous awards, and his past representation of the country as a kid.It was difficult to believe Ivan’s single flip had broken Dean's arm and sent him to the hospital.“Are you going to talk to Ivan? I’m quite surprised he has changed,” the curly-haired girl uttered, playfulness flashing in her eyes. “I don’t even know why you pulled that on him a year ago, but if we are serious, he used to be so handsome before high school. He became more handsome after a year, still!”“Shut the f*ck up, Tory! Don’t say anything about what happened a year ago. We promised to keep each other's secrets. Keep my secret away fro
Ivan didn’t realize how far Sofia lived from school until he reached her street, and then he understood why she was often looked down upon in class.Sofia tried to stop Ivan, embarrassed, but he couldn’t abandon her, especially with Dahlia potentially causing trouble for the already injured girl.“You can go back now. Thank you for today,” Sofia said softly, trying to dissuade him, but Ivan persisted, thinking she was just being polite.Eventually, they reached a courtyard where an elderly woman stood expectantly. As her eyes met theirs, they brightened with recognition.“I was wondering why you were late. It seems you've brought a friend,” the old woman greeted with a smile.“We had a bit of an incident,” Sofia began, her voice low, making it hard for the old woman to hear.“You're back. Welcome,” the old woman greeted warmly.“Good evening,” Ivan replied politely, releasing Sofia's hand and bowing his head.“How are you? Thank you for escorting Sofia home. She's always afraid of pas
In the small bar, the man sat, facing his desk with an amused expression on his face. “Is the assemblyman playing? He wants us to deal with a high school kid?” The man chuckled and set his phone down on the desk. “I will send someone later to deal with him. Where are the others?”“They went to collect money from those people” One of the men gathered at a corner not far from where their boss sat answered. “They are yet to be back.” “If the parents refuse to pay, the girl should come and start working here. I can’t be lending out money and be going through the stress” The Boss hissed. Soon after, two men with heavily bruised bodies and battered breathing burst through the door. “Boss!” They were gasping for air and writhing in agony. “We…” “What the f*ck!” With a curse, the Boss's shocked eyes grew wide. “What the h*ll is wrong with you guys? Did the SK Gang attack again?! I will make sure to kill their boss this time! Where is Snake?! Is he being held captive by their boss? Get me m