Chapter 72 Ka-Ching! It's Monopolizing Time! I



"Morning, Class!" Carolina greeted as she entered the noisy, chitty-chatty classroom. Her voice was vibrant, and it echoed in the room.

The classroom's noises quickly subsided as the students watched Carolina sit at her desk. Organizing her stuff and all on the long rectangular table, she then strode a few steps away. 

Her eyes scanned the students before she started to speak.

"I hope everyone had a good weekend," Carolina said, smiling warmly at her students.

And she stopped once she spotted a particular student, Lumi.

"Especially you, Lumi. Glad to have you back in class."

Lumi stood from her seat and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Miss Carolina. And sorry for my absence for the past week."

Carolina's smile widened as she gestured for Lumi to sit back down.

"No need to apologize. I understand. It must have been a hard and terrible experience for you."

Lumi just nodded. And this time, Carolina looked in the direction of where I was sitting.

"And how about you, Zio? How was your week?"

I slightly fixed my posture, feeling a little surprised that she had noticed me. Well, I meant, who would not?

"I'm doing just fine, Instructor," I replied shortly.

"Great!" She clasped her hands together. "But, I hope you'd address me with 'Miss Carolina' in the future like everyone else."

Carolina Monte. She really had that passion for teaching just like what she said back on the first day of her class.

It had been five weeks since then, which meant that it had been five times I had attended her class.

Within that time, I could more or less tell what kind of person she was.

She was outgoing, trendy, and had a unique way of engaging with her students. Her warmth and friendliness made her students comfortable, and that made them know they were going to enjoy her class.

Throughout these past five weeks, Carolina proved to be an excellent teacher, mentor, and friend for her students. She always kept us up-to-date with the latest trends and technology, and her classes were always filled with excitement and enthusiasm.

Carolina cleared her throat and caught the attention of her students.

"Class, I want to remind you that our midterm exam is fast approaching. We're only a month away from the exam date," she said, and though her tone sounded serious, there was still a vibe of playfulness in it.

"It's important that you start reviewing the materials we've covered in class so far. Use your notes and study guides to help you prepare. Don't wait until the last minute to start studying," she continued.

Carolina paused for a moment to let her words sink in before continuing.

"There will be two types of exams. Writing exams and practical exams, just as how you did in the entrance exam. I believe that my students have the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in both. If you need extra help or guidance, please don't hesitate to ask me."

The students whispered among themselves but kept their voices low, making it sound like a mosquito's buzzes.

"Now. Let's start the class."

With that, the class began and it felt like a fleeting time after that.

As the class ended and Carolina left the classroom, I found Lumi striding toward my desk while I was packing my stuff.

"Hey, can you spare a moment to walk with me?" she said.

…

We arrived at the park and took a silent stroll. People occasionally glanced at us, probably thinking that we were a couple. 

Then, as we passed the small pond where a beautiful lotus flower lived, Lumi suddenly turned to me and said…

"You know, I can't stop thinking about what happened to me back then…"

I listened in silence as she began to tell me how she got trapped inside the small room in the ruin.

She didn't hesitate to share her stories with me as if I was Leo, her childhood friend whom she trusted so much. But, knowing her nature, she won't tell anyone including Leo about things like this except for a person who was involved.

In this case, it was me, and probably Lux too.

A week ago, Lumi had been in a dangerous situation threatening her life. She told me about how she was losing focus when the villain launched an ambush and ended up getting kidnapped by a mysterious man who looked like me but was older, also with blue eyes.

"I think everyone in the Explorer Club has already known about my Claustrophobia by now…"

"Maybe. But Jihan is making sure that this information doesn't get leaked to everyone else," I said, taking a moment before continuing. "It must be hard for you. I mean, I don't even want to imagine how I'd feel if I had it and ended up in the same situation."

"You better not," she sighed. "And, I want to thank you for saving me."

I shrugged, acting nonchalant. "Don't mention it, I'm just doing what a hero should do!"

Lumi scoffed. "Heh, bullshit. I know you're not that kind of a person."

"What do you mean?"

She turned away and faced the pond.

"First of all, I want to apologize for invading your privacy and gathering information about you without your consent. I sent a team to gather information, but there wasn't much to find. It seems that someone has been actively trying to hide information about you and erase any records or traces of your past."

I could only hold my gaze as I heard that. Though my mind was pondering, 'No wonder I couldn't find anything about me on the internet… If the team Lumi had sent out couldn't even find anything, no matter how hard I looked, I won't find it.'

Alternatively, I could always ask my most trusted to-be-villain duck for help. But, if I did that, he might tell Shannon that someone was looking into her cousin's past.

I wouldn't do that until I knew what their relationship was. Were they an accomplice? Or simply knowing each other because Shannon was the individual his guild was after?

"Looks like you don't have any intention to forgive me for that…"

Lumi's voice brought me back to my senses, and I immediately shook my head slowly.

"Oh, sorry. I dozed off," I said. "Anyway, it's fine. I don't mind when someone is looking into my past."

In fact, I was glad if someone did that. And if possible, I wanted them to share with me  what they have found about me. Hell, I might as well be happy if I had a stalker following and digging up information about me, especially my past.

"Quite a narcissistic, aren't you?"

I gave her a shrug.

"Anyhow, I'm the type of person who can't stand the idea of being in debt to someone," Lumi said, her voice filled with conviction.

She faced me again firmly.

"So, I need to pay you back as soon as possible."

Upon hearing that, I felt my soul was smiling inside.