"Okay, that's enough for today! Make sure to solve the equations I gave today as homework. I will check tomorrow!"

  After saying that, Rize shot a dead glance at Rudy's empty seat and left the classroom.

  "……"

  Alice leaned back and muttered, "She couldn't be more obvious."

  Alice also glanced at Rudy's seat beside her and thought, 'Why did he not come today? I waited for him in the morning even though it was already thirty minutes late. I even tried to call him, but his network phone was unreachable.'

  'I wonder if everything is alright. I should have visited his house to find out…' she sighed.

  DING~ DONG!

  As soon as the bell rang, the Science male teacher walked into the room and sat on his chair. It was almost as though he was standing outside the room and waiting for the bell to ring so he could enter.

  "Alright, boys and girls, take out your books," he said while gazing around the room. "Today, we are going to start a new chapter, and it's very important. So make sure to pay attention and—"

  He stopped when he noticed Rudy's chair was empty. So he turned to Alice and asked:

  "Where did he go? Perhaps he went to the washroom?"

  "He didn't come today, Sir," Eric responded in Alice's stead.

  "Oh! Was there a reason provided for his absence?" he asked.

  "No."

  "Then, I should call his house about his absence. He is already from a poor family, and his single mother is working hard to pay his fees—"

  "Rudy enrolled here through the scholarship, so no one pays for his fees. And his mother is no longer single. She got married a while ago," Eric said with a soft glare in his eyes. Seemingly, he was annoyed at the teacher.

  "I see. Is that why he is absent? To celebrate because he finally got a daddy to pay his bills?" he scoffed arrogantly.

  "……" Eric frowned his face without saying anything.

  "What? Did I say something wrong?" he asked after looking at the furious look on Eric's face.

  "Sir!" Janet raised her hand and said, "You are an old teacher, teaching at this school for over a decade. Don't you think you should learn some manners by now? Or are you one of those so-called 'adults' who think they are always right and mock other people?"

  The smirk on the teacher's face vanished, and it was replaced with a frown.

  "What's wrong, Sir? Did I hurt your petty ego?"

  "Enough! That's no way to talk to your teacher! Did your parents not teach you any manners?!" he yelled.

  Janet furrowed her brows and said, "Don't you even dare talk to me about manners, you piece of shit!"

  "I will complain about you to the principal and get you expelled, you bitch!"

  Janet showed him her middle finger and left the room after saying, "Fuck off! Everyone in this school knows you are an arrogant motherfucker!"

  After saying that, Janet left the room as she already knew she would be asked to stand in the hallway as a punishment.

  The teacher glanced around the room in embarrassment and said, "Let's start the class now that the nuisance has gone."

  The teacher resumed the class and asked everyone to take out their books again.

  Alice lazily took out the book from her bag, but a rolled letter fell out of it.

  "……?" Confused, Alice picked up the letter and opened it.

  However, she closed it the next second and got up from her seat.

  "What's wrong? Do you need something?" the teacher asked Alice in an annoyed tone.

  "Yes. I want to go to the washroom."

  "You can go when the class ends."

  "No, I want to go now. It's urgent."

  The teacher frowned his face and asked, "Couldn't you go to the previous class? You had to choose my class to do it?!"

  "I was planning to go after the previous class ended, but you came as soon as the bell rang. What was I supposed to do? And you don't even leave your class until the bell rings. What are we supposed to do? Some have emergencies, and they can't hold them. You have to understand your students better, or I am sorry to say this, but you are a failure as a teacher."

  Alice said in a neutral tone with a lifeless glare in her eyes.

  "Heh."

  The students in the class started snickering and whispering, seemingly making fun of the teacher, which made him furious.

  "You…!" The teacher wanted to say something, but he chose not to after realizing that the atmosphere in the room wasn't in his favor.

  "You can go," he said.

  Alice left the room and walked past Janet, who was standing in the hallway.

  "……" Janet bit her lips and wondered, 'Why is Rudy absent?'

  'What happened to him after he dropped me off last night?' She placed her hand on her chest and recalled what she saw on the news this morning.

  It was about the destruction in the forest that Rudy has caused while fighting with Jane.

  "Did something happen to him there? I hope not." She took a deep breath and muttered, "But what if…"

  "No." She shook her head and said, "I should stop thinking negative things. He is surely fine. Don't worry too much, Janet, or you will end up crying."

  "Your makeup will be ruined," she reassured herself by giving a fake reason. "Your feelings for him would become obvious…"

  Janet sat down and hugged her knees to hide her face.

  "I hate this…" she muttered.

  A while later, Alice came rushing in and entered the classroom. She grabbed her book and packed the bag before leaving the classroom.

  "Where do you think you are going?!" the teacher yelled.

  Without saying anything, Alice left and never looked back.

  "I will get you expelled!" he yelled from the hallway.

  Alice was on her way to Rudy's house to inform Rebecca. And she later went to the next city to inform Reina about the same.

  *****

  One extra chapter if we reach 1000 Golden Tickets!

  =====

  Thanks, @Fallingup89, for the gift!