I timidly smiled and tried to pass and escape when he blocked me with his broad frame. I halt with a wide shock and jump back. His shadow also covered me immediately.

Biting my lips, I hesitantly looked up. His lips are now pursed out with one eyebrow slightly raising. What the hell?

"There are fines for those who do not wear proper and complete uniform." He grinned like he just won a lottery ticket but it immediately disappeared when his gaze moved to my skirt.

“And your skirt’s length should be just an inch above the knee. You're not in anime world, fix that. ”

My cheeks heated. "Uh ..."

"You know the school rules, right?" He darkly stared at me.

I squinted at my skirt. It only covers the half-part of my thighs. I intentionally made it like that for I am not long-legged. If I would make it longer, my legs would appear shorter.

My eyes wandered around. "Ah ... because uhm, the queue at the tailor shop is long."

"Even if we’re already almost in the half of the school year?"

I puckered my lips. I'm lost for words. Still, with a scowling gaze, he didn't seem to buy my excuse.

“Alibi. Go to the discipline office later afternoon,” he said. "Pay for the fines now."

I slowly dug into the pocket. I got the yellow bill: five hundred pesos.

I hesitate to give him that. His brows furrowed while looking at it like it is the dumbest thing he'd ever seen. Eventually, the corners of his lips slightly quirked up. I suddenly felt annoyed. Why does it seem like I need to explain to him?

His head cocked to the other side. "You don't have a twenty pesos?"

I took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation felt as I lingered close to him. Would I give him this one if I already had one? While he spoke, his breath that smelled like fresh mint fanned my face. My mind was in the mess again. My sanity abandoned me. Mind went blank. Tongue-tied, I absentmindedly shook my head. His lips then, were set in a hard line.

"Just keep the change."

Adjusting his shift, he towers over me, staring with a furrowed forehead. “No. Keep your money. Why would you say that?”

"What?"

My mouth went agape. I can't believe this guy!

“We get it. You're RK, ”he promised.

Rich kid?!

I am definitely not!

It's just that, I don't want to be with him any longer. I can't stand his presence! Even when I only see his face, I feel so annoyed in an instant. What more when he talks to me like this?

I forced myself to calm down when I saw Owen. His eyeglasses' frame is falling from his nose.

"Owen!" I called.

Owen seemed surprised to see me. I waved my hand, a sign for him to come. I heard someone beside me tsk-ed.

"F-Freesia, why?"

I chuckled at his stuttering. "Do you have twenty pesos?"

He nodded.

"Give me."

I extended my palm. "I'll pay you later."

Smiling triumphantly, I tapped his shoulder and thanked him when he puts four five-peso coins on my palm. After that, he hurried into the campus.

I faced Rico, slamming the coins on the guard's table. He stared sharply at me and gave the coins back. Confused, I put it back on the table.

"Tss!" he hissed. He handed the coins back to me again.

I stared at him in disbelief. My eyebrows furrowed, realizeling that the length of my patience for this person isn't actually long.

"What's your problem? You're being annoying. I am gonna pay you! Earlier, you were searching for twenty pesos when I didn't have it. Now that I got it, you are doing this!”

My breathing turned faster. I could sense the heat in my ears.

“Give it back to your classmate. You scared him. Poor guy,” he just said. What was he talking about?

"I didn't!"

“You did. A low-key act of blackmailing. Bullying should not be tolerated! ”

“How dare you? I did not bully nor blackmailed him. I even smiled. And more so, I’m not a bully! ”

"Yeah right."

I sigh. “Look, he is willing to lend me. I promised to pay him later. Besides, that's his normal self. Always stuttering and distant— ”

“That’s his normal self when you’re around? That means, he's always scared of you.” He smirked. Cognac eyes were directed at me.

I shook my head. “I’m done with you. I gotta go.”

I was about to pass through the gate when he suddenly holds my wrist. I immediately dismissed his hand. I'm allergic to skin contact, especially with him.

"What?" I threw him a blank glance.

"Freesia, your ID..."

Of course. We have to surrender our school ID's whenever we violate school rules. Harshly, I took off my ID without warning and directly shove it on his face. I saw the evident shock on his face when it almost slipped away from his hand.

I immediately ran inside, getting lost in the crowd of students but the way Rico smiled while looking at my ID with amusement didn't escape my sight. Even the way his mouth moved while reading my name made my stomach churn in despair.

That's what happened earlier. Why were we fighting over twenty pesos again? I just realize how petty that is now that we’re in the same room.

I look sharply at Rico as my eyes follow his every move. He did not accept the twenty pesos which I still don't understand why. He wants me to pay later. What is the difference? I don't get him. Doesn't he know that he is the one making things more complicated than it should be?

Rico approaches me, smirking. "You have to go to the detention office later," he says like he is delighted.

I smell his perfume, a fresh mint and musk. I cross my arms aligned to my chest. I raise my eyebrow at him, as if challenging him, questioning if that's all he's got.

"'Kay. It's better than listening to History class anyway."