The noticeboard near the main hall was surrounded by students, all craning their necks to read the new announcement pinned to it.
"Welcome Party for the Freshers ...only one week left!" the bold letters read.
Beneath it, the details promised a night of lights, music, and luxury, "an experience you'll never forget."
The crowd immediately buzzed with excitement.
"The welcome party is always insane!"one of the girls squealed, turning to her friends.
" It is too soon this year don't you think? Last time it was a month after the semester started. "
"Isn't this a good thing? i can't wait to attend it. Do you remember last year's? It was so grand!!" event he children of the most influential families around the country thought that it was grand so one could only think what kind of welcome the freshmen received each year.
"And this year will be even better," another replied, eyes gleaming. "They're saying it's going to be held in the eastern courtyard this time."
Everyone started chatting at once, their voices overlapping.
"I wonder who will be the Queen of the night this year. I so hope it is me..."
"Please, that award's already taken. Magnolia and Kingston have been winning for two years straight. No one even comes close."
"Yeah," a boy laughed. "Magnolia's dresses look like they're straight off a movie set. No one can beat her unless they can afford something custom-made from abroad."
But someone else leaned in, lowering her voice just enough to sound mysterious. "Actually, I heard this year might be different."
A few heads turned. "Different how?"
"Well," she said, pretending to look casual. "A friend in the admin office told me that the northern building renovations are being funded by one of the new student's families."
That got everyone's attention. "What? Are you serious?"
"Yeah. Apparently, the family owns some big international business, the Jacklen Group or something."
Several students exchanged glances. "Wait, Jacklen Group? I've heard of them. They're loaded."
"Exactly. And rumor has it, the tycoon's daughter is a fresher this year."
"Hold on... so you're saying she's the new student?"
"That's what people are saying. If it's true, she could easily outshine Magnolia. Can you imagine the kind of gown she'll wear? And I have heard she is a beauty."
The students broke into more chatter, half in awe, half in envy.
"Man, if she's that rich, it'll flip the whole academy upside down," one of the guys muttered. "The politics here will change completely."
Another girl, scrolling through her phone, frowned suddenly. "Wait... this might sound weird, but... the name I heard was Jujube."
Everyone froze for a second.
"Jujube? You mean that quiet scholarship girl?"
"That's what I thought too," the girl said, shrugging. "So I checked the student registry online, and guess what?"
"What?"
"There are two Jujubes in this year's batch."
A stunned silence followed, then whispers spread like wildfire through the crowd.
Jujube walked past the hallway when the students were discussing this near the noticeboard, talking loudly about the upcoming welcome party and the mysterious new heiress. She glanced briefly at the board, reading the announcement for herself, her expression unreadable.
The moment she stopped, the whispers shifted toward her.
"Well, look who's here," one girl said with a smirk. "Maybe she's the heiress we've all been hearing about."
Laughter broke out.
Jujube ignored them and kept her eyes on the noticeboard, but one of the girls casually stretched her leg out, right in Jujube's path.
Jujube, still focused on the paper in front of her, stumbled hard over the foot and fell forward, her palms scraping against the polished floor. A sharp sting ran up her wrist.
"Oh! didn't see you there," the girl said mockingly.
Jujube exhaled slowly, brushing her palms together, her face pale with pain. She looked up, her eyes steady, quiet, cutting through the noise for just a second. Then she began to push herself up.
Before she could fully stand, someone tossed her books at her chest, knocking her back down again. The laughter grew louder.
Jujube clenched her fist but didn't look up. She just steadied her breath and tried to rise again, ignoring the burn on her knees and hands.
That's when a voice echoed through the hallway.
"Have you laughed enough?"
The laughter stopped instantly.
Every head turned toward the sound.Asfand was standing at the end of the corridor, his gaze sharp and heavy. The Student Council President—respected, feared, and the last person anyone wanted to be caught mocking someone in front of.
He walked closer, his eyes taking in the scene, then resting on Jujube, still half on the floor.
The students around her quickly stepped aside, pretending they hadn't been part of it.
Asfand's expression didn't change. He stopped in front of Jujube, glanced at her scraped hands, and then extended his own."You should stop letting people do this to you," he said—not kindly, not cruelly, just blunt, as if stating a fact.
Jujube looked at his hand for a moment, then at him. Her eyes were calm, distant. Then she stood up without taking it, brushing the dust off her skirt as if he weren't even there.
Asfand's hand hung in the air, his brows rising slightly. He wasn't used to being ignored.
Jujube didn't look back as she walked away, a faint limp in her step.
The crowd broke into whispers again, low and excited."Did you see that?"
"She just ignored Asfand.""That's the second powerful person she's ticked off since coming here.""She must really not want peace."
Asfand watched her go, his eyes narrowing as he noticed her uneven gait and the faint smear of blood on her wrist.