Saving the Villain

"Ugh… my brain was fried!" Fay intoned as she melted on her desk.

"Fay, didn't you study?" Amie looked back at her after putting her things inside her bag. "We studied together because Cozie said she would take school seriously. Who knows? She might jump from the worst section to the first section."

"Of course!" Fay suddenly sprung up, sitting upright. She then turned to Cosette. Fortunately, Luke, who was sitting between Fay and Cosette, went to the restroom when the school bell rang for lunch. "I'm sure I got good grades! I mean, we reviewed everything that covers the test!"

Cosette flinched at Fay's enthusiasm. She had studied with them whenever she was in school, and then with Maxen. Although she felt a little guilty because she would just usually flirt with him whenever they plan to review. Fortunately, reviewing with the girls and their cramming last night paid off.

Cosette had to admit, though. The exam wasn't that tough. She had studied and was an exemplary student in her previous life. But she wouldn't do well if she didn't refresh her memory.

"Yes." She smiled at Fay as she slowly stood from her chair to move the desk so they could eat together. "Especially the one on the back."

"What back?"

Cosette froze, looking back at Fay. "The on the back of the test paper."

"My god…! You didn't know?" Amie gasped, watching how Fay's complexion turned white as a sheet of paper.

"Until now, you don't check?" Sarah chuckled while shaking her head, moving her desk until it was connecting to Cosette's desk. She then raised her eyes at Cosette and then sighed, shifting her attention to the listless Fay. "I reminded you many times since this had been a bad habit of yours."

"Ughh…!" Fay clasped her hair in distress before her upper body collapsed on the desk. Amie comforted her with food as she brought her lunchbox.



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When Luke returned, he sat down in his chair with the desk already connecting. At this point, he was already used to their routine every lunchtime. As he sat down, he darted his eyes between Cosette, and Sarah, and then at the depressed Fay, before gazing at Amie.

"Err… did I miss something?" he asked, but the three only gazed at him and sighed deeply. So, Luke had to look at Maxen, and the latter simply shrugged.

"Right… Max is useless to gossip," he mumbled, shaking his head. "Hey, are we keeping secrets now? Why the hell is this girl dead?"

"She's not dead, Luke." Cosette rolled her eyes.

"Well…" Sarah cleared her throat as her eyes fell on Fay. "... she is about to."
"See?" Luke scrunched his nose up at Cosette and then set his eyes on Fay. "Seriously, if I see her like this the first time, I will call the police to let them know there's a corpse here."

"My life is falling apart…" Fay dramatically muttered, her eyes unfocused. "Why… am I so unlucky?"

"What?" Luke frowned, only to raise his head when Amie kindly explained to him what happened.

"Apparently, Fay didn't notice the questions on the back," Amie explained with a deep sigh. "That's why she's like this."

"What on the back?" Luke asked, confused.

Cosette, Sarah, Amie, and even Maxen looked back at him blankly.

"The ones on the back?" Cosette replied. "You… didn't see it?"

"There are questions on the back?"

"..."

Just like Fay, Luke gasped and grabbed his hair in distress, yelling, "why the hell would they put questions on the back?!"

In the end, Luke also collapsed his upper body on the desk. His expression was just as white as Fay's; both of them bore blank and lifeless eyes. Meanwhile, Cosette, Sarah, Amie, and Maxen weren't able to say a word.

All they could do was stare at the two corpses with them. Cosette was aware of the reason Luke didn't check the back. They came from the most prestigious academy, and it was rare for them to put questions on the back of the test paper. If the academy did so, that was mostly a test to see if their students were alert enough.

"Come on, guys." Cosette put down her cutlery when she couldn't take it anymore. "It's not the end of the world yet. It's just a recap test regarding our lessons last year, so it's not like a few unanswered questions will do anything to affect our grades."

She huffed. "There were still many exams and if we did well, we will all have good grades, right? You shouldn't let this kill your spirit! Just do better next time."

"That's right." Sarah nodded in agreement. "There were still many exams we will have, homework, exercises, and projects. The school year is just starting and we still have many months."

"Fay, Luke, cheer up. If you don't eat, how are you supposed to answer the test later?" Amie rubbed her hand on Fay's back. "Even soldiers needed to eat to have the strength to fight. You should eat. Sarah and Cozie were right. We still have many things to do to actually have good grades."

Luke and Fay listlessly darted their eyes between the three of them. Both of them sighed at the same time, setting their eyes back to the nothingness. The three who were trying to cheer them up let out a deep exhale.

Their attempt to make the two feel better didn't work. A part of them already figured this type of comforting wouldn't work with how Luke and Fay's brains were wired.

"I didn't notice the questions on the back."

Suddenly, Maxen, who rarely talked with the girls around, spoke. He was looking at Luke and Fay with his classic emotionless expression. He blinked and then carefully rested his upper body on his desk. He already finished his lunch and put it to the side.

"I'm sad," Maxen claimed monotonously.

"What?" Amie whispered, watching Maxen copy the two. Meanwhile, Sarah and Cosette just furrowed their brows.

After a minute, Luke and Fay sniffed. Upon hearing their sharp sniffles, Amie, Sarah, and Cosette returned their attention to the two. As soon as they did, they cocked their heads as the ashen expression and their blank eyes were now teary.

Both Luke and Fay stared at Maxen with teary eyes, chewing their lower lip. If Cosette didn't know, she would mistake these two as twins. Their personality was uncannily the same; they were like kids.

"Maxen…" Luke and Fay called with shaking voices. "... he's the only one who understands."

"Don't worry, Max! We can do better next time!" Luke suddenly straightened his back and slammed his hand against the table. "You do not have to feel sad!"

"That's right!" Fay exclaimed, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes. "We can still do better! The exam is just a recap test, and we can make up on them if we do better next time!"

"We'll do better next time, for sure!" Luke repeated, cheering Maxen up.

"This is like being a protagonist, Max! In the first half of the fight, the protagonist always gets beaten up first, but they emerge victorious!" Fay added.

"Don't let this kill your spirit. This good brother will surely be responsible next time and remind you to check the back of the test paper!"

Cosette, Sarah, and Amie couldn't help their face from contorting. They watched Luke and Fay cheer up Maxen, whose blank expression didn't change. Almost everything that came out of Fay and Luke's mouths was the advice the three said, yet they were now using them to cheer up the obviously not sad Maxen.

The three of them looked at each other, rendered speechless. They shook their heads in disbelief, unable to say a single word.

In the end, Luke and Fay still ate as if they had starved. They wasted their time wallowing, and they had to eat quickly before the bell rings again.

When the teacher for their first subject in the afternoon came in, silence filled their classroom. Everyone stayed focused on the test papers. Luke and Fay were both on fire, checking each corner of the test paper. No one would worry about them not noticing any question, but it was worrying how they answered so quickly as if they were racing.

Meanwhile, Maxen, who was taking his exam leisurely, glanced at Cosette. He was cupping his cheek, studying how she diligently read the questions and answered calmly. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't notice the questions on the back, but his claim of being sad about it was a total bluff.

His brows rose when Cosette suddenly paused in answering, biting the tip of the pencil as she kept her eyes focused on the test.

'She looks sexy when she's like this,' he thought suddenly, comparing how Cosette was different in every situation. He liked her every personality, but her serious mode seriously was one of his favorites. 'She inspires me to do better.'

A bright smile turned up on his face as he set his eyes back on the test. This time, he answered the questions diligently and wondered which question she found difficult in answering. He didn't find any questions that could be hard for Cosette.

If only he noticed how Cosette devilishly grinned and the mischief in her eyes when he peeled his eyes from her, he would definitely figure out she was simply giving a pleasant sight for him to enjoy.