Theo's footsteps echoed down the nearly empty corridor, the rhythm matching the rapid beat of his heart. He turned sharply toward the right wing of the building—toward the girls' restroom—a place he had never once approached without a very good reason.
As he neared the door, he slowed down. There was no way he could just barge in. He needed to think of a way to enter without drawing any attention. His eyes darted around—the hallway was still deserted, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way for long.
Theo bit his lower lip, then slowly stepped closer to the restroom door. His right hand clutched his phone tightly while his eyes scanned the area, making sure there were no witnesses. Then he pressed his ear gently against the door.
Silence. No footsteps. No sound of running water. But he knew—Alvano was still inside. He quickly sent a text message.
[Theo]: I'm right in front of the restroom. Wait a second!
A few seconds passed with no reply. Theo held his breath. He knew Alvano probably couldn't risk typing back. Finally, he took a deep breath and prepared for his next move—he'd have to step inside quietly and turn after the first stall.
Theo walked in, pretending to be a janitor. "Routine cleaning from the school—excuse me for a moment…" he announced, trying to sound casual.
Inside one of the stalls, Alvano's eyes widened. He recognized that voice immediately—Theo had arrived. Relief washed over him, though his body remained tense.
The girl standing near the sinks turned toward the source of the voice, her eyes scanning Theo from head to toe. A frown formed on her face. "Wait… since when do janitors wear school uniforms?" she asked suspiciously.
Inside the stall, Alvano froze, his mind screaming in panic.
Theo forced an awkward smile, caught off guard for a split second before quickly replying. "Ah… right. I'm wearing the uniform because, well, I'm actually a student," he said with a nervous laugh, trying to sound as natural as possible. "I came to school late this morning, and as punishment, the teacher told me to help clean the school restrooms."
The girl narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced. "Since when does Velmont High School have a rule like that? This is an elite school, not a military academy."
Theo straightened his posture, forcing confidence even though panic had already begun to creep in. "Yeah, I thought it was weird too," he said quickly. "But apparently it's part of a new program—'Applied Internal Discipline,' some sort of pilot project from the principal."
"Applied… Internal Discipline?" she repeated, one brow raised in disbelief.
"Yes!" Theo nodded rapidly. "You know how our principal loves experimenting with new policies. He said this would teach us not just theory, but also social responsibility. If you come late, you help around the school. Some clean the art room, some work in the garden, and—well—" he gestured weakly, "I got assigned the restroom."
The girl still looked skeptical. "Then why hasn't anyone else heard about this? None of my friends mentioned anything like it."
Theo chuckled awkwardly, lifting his shoulders in a helpless shrug. "Maybe because it just started this week. They're still testing it out before officially announcing it. Guess I'm the first unlucky test subject."
His smile looked forced, but it was just convincing enough for someone who didn't care to dig deeper.
The girl stared at him for a few more seconds before sighing softly. She looked half-convinced, half uninterested. "Weird…" she muttered under her breath. Then she turned away and started walking toward the door.
Just before leaving, though, she glanced one last time toward the stall where Alvano was hiding. Her gaze lingered, faintly clouded with curiosity. What exactly was going on in there? she wondered silently. But in the end, she dismissed it and stepped out, her footsteps fading down the hall.
The moment the door closed behind her, Theo exhaled in relief. He turned toward the stall and knocked lightly. "It's clear. Come out now before I change my mind and leave you here," he whispered sharply.
A click followed. The stall door creaked open, revealing Alvano—pale-faced, breathing heavily, as if he'd just finished running laps around the field.
The sight made Theo's expression darken. Without hesitation, he smacked Alvano on the back—not hard enough to injure, but firm enough to vent his frustration.
Thud!
"Ow!" Alvano winced, clutching his back and looking pitifully at Theo.
"You're insane!" Theo hissed. "What the hell were you doing in there? This is the girls' restroom, idiot!"
"I—I didn't mean to…" Alvano stammered, glancing around anxiously. "I needed a place to hide. It was urgent. I had no choice."
"Urgent?" Theo shot him a glare. "So urgent that you'd risk getting expelled? And now I had to play janitor just to save your sorry ass? Unbelievable."
Alvano lowered his head, guilt and exhaustion written all over his face. He knew Theo was right. If it weren't for him, he'd probably be sitting in the disciplinary office right now.
Theo sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "You owe me a full explanation… and three cups of coffee this week."
Alvano nodded weakly. "Deal…"
They walked side by side down the long, empty corridor. Their footsteps echoed faintly off the marble floors of Velmont High's pristine halls. Theo still shot him irritated glances now and then but didn't say anything more. Alvano stayed silent too, keeping his head down, trying not to provoke another lecture.
After a while, Theo muttered under his breath, "But seriously, dude… the girls' restroom?"
"I told you—it was an emergency," Alvano replied quietly.
Before Theo could retort, movement caught their attention. From the end of the hallway near the stairs, a girl appeared.
Her steps were graceful, almost floating. The morning light from the corridor windows caught the soft brown of her long hair, making it shimmer faintly as it brushed her shoulders. Her neatly pressed uniform emphasized her slim figure, and in her arms, she carried a stack of thick books freshly borrowed from the library.
Alvano, not paying attention to where he was walking, collided with her.
Thud!
The girl gasped, losing balance slightly. Her books tumbled to the floor, pages fluttering open in disarray.
"I—I'm so sorry!" Alvano blurted, quickly crouching to pick them up.
The girl blinked, startled, then gave a small, nervous smile. Her eyes met his—clear, calm, yet piercingly deep. For a few seconds, Alvano froze, caught in that brief, wordless exchange.
Theo, watching from the side, raised an eyebrow. "Wow… that's straight out of a drama," he muttered dryly, bending down to grab one of the fallen books.