Chapter Text
“Why are we not allowed to go inside yet?”
“Our classes are almost starting!”
Cale arrived almost late in the morning to find a swarm of students outside the academy whining and cursing at the school security who was keeping the gates closed despite the fact that their lessons were about to begin.
From a distance, he noticed how the guard would check each student as if he were searching for something or someone. That attention, however, soon shifted to his, and he answered the other man's broad smile with a deadpan expression.
Toonka, the school guard, exclaimed enthusiastically, "Little Red, you're finally here!"
Was he waiting for me? Cale muttered to himself, his brows knitted together in pure confusion.
All of the students outside the gates turned to stare at the student with red hair. Some of them marveled at the transferee, some of them began savoring his gorgeous appearance, and some of them gasped in surprise.
Because isn't this the famous Cale Henituse who topped the most prestigious school's rankings? The very same Cale Henituse that perfected the Roan Academy entrance exam? What was he doing in a school like theirs when he could have been studying at their dream academy in another country?
The fansites named White Star and the Legend of Cale-nim, dedicated solely to Cale Henituse didn’t post anything on social media that their beloved student idol would be transferring to another school!
If the White Star fansite is the one in charge of feeding and providing them with fanfictions about their Cale-nim, even though the majority of them are stories about him and the redhead, the Legend of Cale-nim fansite is the one in charge of blessing them with photographs of the redhead spending his day at their school.
It was even rumored that the White Star fansite hacked the other fansite's account in order to steal the redhead's photographs.
But even then, they're extremely thankful to the two Cale fan sites for uploading a video of the redhead teaching his own class, even better than the teachers, and basically bringing honor and awards by ranking first in the school's academic competition.
One of the students sniffled, emotions of excitement and joy welling up in his eyes. "I'm so grateful to be alive…”
Cale was completely unconcerned by the attention that was being focused on him.
"Hey, come inside quickly! Your class is about to begin!" Toonka unlocked the gates and motioned for the redhead to enter, which Cale did with a slight, awkward nod.
The students didn’t even complain as to why the redhead was receiving special treatment from the school guard who was known for not giving any fucks to students.
Cale came to a halt when the school security guard handed him something. He raised his eyes to the man as if to question what he was attempting to do.
"It's a protein bar, Little Red!"
"…?" Cale blinked in utter confusion, still staring at the school guard, who was smiling broadly at him.
Doesn’t he ever get tired of smiling?
"What for?" Cale questioned as Toonka snatched his hand and placed the protein bar into his palm.
“What do you mean what for?”
The school guard began to look dumbstruck at his question, so he sighed and mumbled a small thank you before opening the packet and putting it in his mouth, and biting on it. His stomach was empty, yet he wasn't really feeling hungry, but the protein bar tasted sweet and delicious just the way he wanted it as if it had been made specifically for him.
Snap!
As the sound of a camera clicking caught his attention, he turned his head sideways, but only the kids who were scrambling to take their phones out could be seen. Assuming it was a student taking a photograph of something, Cale shrugged it off as a passing thought.
"You should head inside now, Little Red! Don’t forget to come here after class!"
Of course I will; how else will I get out of this school?
With a nod to the guard, Cale began to make his way inside the school, noticing some benches in the schoolyard with comfortable-looking cushions that weren’t there yesterday. As expected, this academy really was the ideal school for him to study at.
He nibbled on the protein bar with a slight smile on his face as he headed back to look for the lockers.
The students who were unable to enter the school gates because they were stunned and taken aback by the sight of the redhead immediately grabbed their phones when they heard a sound coming from their phones indicating that they had received a notification from a fansite posting another picture of their esteemed legend.
Legend of Cale-nim (@clopehxcale69)
Our esteemed legend has blessed my dull day with brightness! I hope Cale-nim can take a bite out of me too 😉
[ An image of Cale Henituse nibbling on a protein bar. ]
435312 replies · 699666 retweets · 666666 likes
No. 1 Fan of Cale Henituse (@whitestar_)
Send me a hundred copies of that. DM for the transaction.
Legend of Cale-nim (@clopehxcale69)
Replying to @whitestar_
DM sent, trade me with pictures of Cale-nim sleeping in the garden.
No. 1 Fan of Cale Henituse (@whitestar_)
Replying to @clopehxcale69
Deal.
Fredo (@sir_fredovonejellan)
Wait, Cale Henituse is studying in our school? That Cale Henituse?
Rosalyn (@rosablogs)
Oh my god! A genius is in our school!? Why haven’t I been notified of this? Isn’t he the one who did that science experiment!? I’m a fan!!!!
If Cale is not in your username, then why bother making a social media account (@imafxngsimp_kyakyun)
Kudos to our school guard who gave him a protein bar! Is anyone planning on making a fan club in our school!?
I live for Cale, I die for Cale (@myreligioniscale)
Replying to @imafxngsimpforcalenim)
Our student council president is whipped for our esteemed lord too! He will definitely agree on it!
I simp respectfully for a certain redhead (@alberuofficial_)
Replying to @myreligioniscale and @imafxngsimpforcalenim
Read my name.
When a certain redhead emerged in his vision, Alberu moaned and closed his phone, wishing he could spam the like button on the picture that the fansite had posted. He observed the other man enthusiastically eating the protein bar but came to a halt when he noticed him.
He coughed, shattering the silence that was beginning to permeate the area. "Do you like protein bars?"
Cale stared at the blond with his usual stoic expression on his face before answering. "It depends?"
Alberu paused for a time, his index finger scratching his chin, before nodding. "I get what you mean."
Somehow, I feel like you got it all wrong. He thought, but there’s no way he’s going to say that out loud.
Cale grumbled, maintaining steady in his posture as he waited for the other man to get on with it and allow him to pass because he was literally blocking the lockers.
"Come to my office at lunch," Alberu remarked before walking away, a smirk on his face as he unlocked his phone to purchase a variety of protein bars in various flavors.
He shrugged as he watched the student council president go away. Weird. Since meeting the Alberu, all the blond had done was ask him strange questions like what his preferences were.
He opened the lockers once more, and a certain black-haired man lurking in the shadows noticed the redhead putting another lunchbox in his empty locker.
Again…? — Choi Han thought, his cheeks deeply flushed.
Cale is an absolute genius. That is a proven fact.
But he has no idea as to why a certain history teacher is staring at him intensely and is blocking his view.
Cale is now in his math lesson, but a teacher from his history class decided to storm in and take a seat in front of him. He's becoming irritated since this teacher is staring at him very intensely and their faces are merely inches apart in front of his seat.
What kind of teacher even does this?
"Fredo, just what are you doing?" Sheritt, his math instructor, eventually grumbled in frustration after repeatedly urging the history teacher to get out of her class and quit staring at the new transferee.
"Don't bother me, I'm just monitoring the new transferee," Fredo said with a delighted smile on his face, his attention still fixed on the redhead.
"You're blocking his view, and please stop stealing my student's seat!"
The mentioned student standing in the corner nodded in agreement after his chair was stolen by their history teacher.
"I'll be waiting for you in my class," Fredo said, his face serious and eager, and Cale shuddered at how dangerously near his face was to his.
But I have no class on your subject today...?
Choi Han tightened his fist when he observed how uncomfortable the redhead was.
Thank the heavens, Fredo was eventually kicked out by Sheritt.
Lunch came, and Cale decided to slack off in the student council president’s office instead of the garden. His intuition tells him that something annoying will happen if he goes there today.
Cale whispered gently after knocking three times, "Please pardon me." When he walked in, the first thing he noticed was Alberu sitting in his chair, surrounded by at least ten boxes of— protein bars?
He blinked, his feet frozen to the floor in disbelief at the ridiculous amount of protein bars he was witnessing right now. But it was the pile of soft-looking cushions on the couch that grabbed his attention, and there were even beautiful blankets waiting for him on the small table.
Are those cookies too?
Cale returned his gaze to Alberu, who was smiling happily. He had the impression that the student council president has suddenly become smug.
"What do you think?" Alberu asked, his cheek resting on the back of his palm as he watched the redhead's reaction attentively.
He could see a genuine smile grow on Cale's face as the redhead gazed at him as if he were some sort of God.
"You truly are the greatest, president," Cale said, a pleased smile on his lips as he walked straight to the couch, ignoring the blond's presence. He's still puzzled as to why the other man purchased so many protein bars.
Forget about Choi Han's blushing; now it was Alberu's turn to cover his face with his palms and blush profusely only because of that one sentence from the redhead.
Cale shrugged, pushing his meaningless thoughts aside and ignoring how the blond on the other side of the room had transformed into a tomato on the verge of bursting. He just has one hour before his science class begins, and there is a rumor that the teacher, Eruhaben, is extremely serious and strict about students arriving late in his class.
In that one hour, Cale slept comfortably without any worries, while Alberu was on the verge of breaking down.
It is official, Cale Henituse’s praises and smiles are bad for his heart.