Chapter 4
Chapter 4
It had indeed been a long time since we last saw each other.
So long that I’d thought we’d never cross paths again in this lifetime.
Brain Warrick–my high school deskmate.
The memories of him were too vivid to forget. After all, his terrible grades had made him stand out like a sore thumb in the elite A–Class at Capital Senior High.
He had a cold and rebellious demeanor, too, which made me think for the longest time that he had nothing going for him besides his looks.
at is, until one Friday evening after PE class, when I accidentally got locked inside the equipment room.
As the campus grew quieter and emptier, I repeatedly tried and failed to climb out through the high windows.
Just when I was despairing in a darkening corner, the door was suddenly kicked open.
Light poured in, silhouetting Brain Warrick’s figure.
I couldn’t deny that, in that moment, he looked like a god descending from the heavens.
I stood up and thanked him sincerely.
He approached me, a faint smile curving his lips as he said,
“Forget verbal gratitude, Ms. Lenna. I’m planning to demand payback.”
It wasn’t anything unreasonable, though–he just wanted me to tutor him.
When we first started high school, I’d once tried to help him with a particularly bad test score, explaining the problems to him out of goodwill.
At the time, he had only glared at me coolly and said,
“Mind your own business. Who asked you to explain anything?”
But later, when he encountered similar questions, he’d still solve them using the methods I had taught him.
He had an aggressive, prickly nature that gradually pushed me away despite my good intentions.
So, I hadn’t expected him to come forward with a tutoring request on his own.
I suppose he did have some drive to improve.
Over time, our tutoring sessions brought us closer. During those youthful years, where my world revolved solely around academics, Brain Warrick somehow became an integral part of my life.
There was even a time I fell ill and had to be hospitalized. My parents were too busy with work to visit, but Brain showed up in my hospital room. Lying on the hospital bed, I was startled to see him with his single–shoulder backpack and blurted,
“Did you skip class?”
He raised an eyebrow at ine and replied,
“Surprised?”
It wasn’t exactly shocking–when he first started school, skipping classes was his specialty. But ever since we started tutoring, he hadn’t missed a class, and I had almost forgotten his old habits.
When I didn’t respond, he casually took off his backpack and said,
“Herego attend your lecture, Ms. Lenna.”
Chapter 4
I gawked at him, accusing,
“Brain Warrick, are you some sort of heartless capitalist? I’m sick, and you’re still making me work? This is exploitation!”
He chuckled softly, pulling out a takeout container. His expression suddenly turned serious, and even his voice softened as he said,
“Consider this compensation for your labor.”
It was shrimp and vegetable congee.
The room fell quiet as the faint glow of dusk filtered in through the windows.
He ate the congee with me at a leisurely pace.
lding my spoon, I tilted my head and smiled at him.
“Thanks, Brain.”
The only person who visited me in the hospital.
Those peaceful moments made it feel like there was all the time in the world.
But life is unpredictable, and change comes when you least expect it.
Before the college entrance exams, a criminal my father had once arrested was released from prison. Seeking revenge, he deliberately drove into me
In that chaotic moment, Brain pushed me out of the way.
Covered in blood, he lay there as I knelt beside him, too afraid to touch him. Through my blurred vision, I could see him using the last of his strength t curl his lips into a faint smile.
“Don’t cry. Wait for me to wake up so I can collect on this debt, alright?”
But I didn’t get to wait.
He disappeared from my life completely after that.
The medical staff told me his family had taken him away.
I had always known, deep down, that we were worlds apart. His terrible grades in A–Class, the respectful way teachers treated him–there was a gulf between us that I could never bridge.
It was fine, really. He would have access to better medical care.
I just felt a little regret.
I never got to properly thank him for saving my life.
What kind of repayment did he want back then, anyway?
