"I have investigated in detail the matter of Calevik visiting the Adellieg Boutique on Friday."
Bernard, standing in the drawing room of the Alstadt main residence, said with a serious face. Charlotte Emma Alstadt, sitting upright, held a steaming teacup and savored the aroma.
"Tell me."
"Yes. The only place the Young Master visited there was a store called 'Mill Blue.' It is a place that handles imported fabrics and various subsidiary materials that become the fabric for custom-made clothing."
Charlotte, who elegantly drank her tea, looked puzzled.
"A fabric store? Why did he go there?"
"I asked the manager, and he said that he came to buy materials to use for a school assignment."
"That troublemaker doing an assignment? Hmm, that's something."
"But he had a companion."
Charlotte, who put the teacup down on the saucer, narrowed her eyes as if she was interested.
"A companion, who?"
"He said that he was a fashion design student like Calevik, but the manager said he was a Pussycat."
"A Pussycat? FDS isn't a public elementary school, how can a Pussycat be in the same department?"
"I don't know yet either. The Pussycat paid for the bill, but the card was Calevik's. According to the usage details, he spent about two million cables."
Charlotte, leaning back on the sofa, let out a hollow laugh as if she was dumbfounded.
"You're saying that he took a Pussycat to Adellieg and bought him expensive fabric with my card?"
"According to the manager, that's right. Since it's rare for a Pussycat to come as a customer unless they are a celebrity, the other employees of the store and the security guards at the front gate all remembered him."
"Hmm…."
Charlotte's brow furrowed. Bernard quickly added with a keen sense.
"Shall I look into it?"
Charlotte, who picked up the teacup again, nodded.
"Yes. Doing something he didn't used to do is usually a harmful sign, so as a mother, I need to grasp the whole story in order to educate my child well."
"That's right."
"Find out as soon as possible where that Pussycat came from and report it. Dig up everything from his personal information to his family history without leaving anything out."
The loyal Cheetahcat Bernard bowed ninety degrees to his employer.
"As you command."
***
Calevik arrived at school earlier than expected. As he parked his car in the parking lot of the new building where the fashion design department's lecture rooms were located and got out, the eyes of the students around him all focused on him at once.
"Wow! It's Calevik! No way."
"Wow. Eye purification. I'm so lucky from Monday morning."
"Sigh… look at the radiance from his face. Just saying he's handsome is endlessly insufficient."
Annoyed by the sticky gazes that clung to him like glue, Calevik frowned. He couldn't understand why they were making such a fuss all the time about his appearance, as if his eyes, nose, mouth, or limbs were different from theirs.
But it wasn't just compliments that he heard, of course.
"Ah, damn it, what about my eyes. Is he human wine or what."
Today, Calevik's outfit was a wine-colored shirt, wine-colored pants, and a luxury scarf with wine, white, and black colors printed in a messy mesh pattern. On top of that, he wore a denim jacket, which was like a symbol of spring, and snow-white sneakers, a difficult coordination that was uncomfortable to look at no matter where you looked.
"Wow, it's so tacky that my head is dizzy."
"Isn't that the worst output in the 150-year history of FDS?"
"I wouldn't even wear that as pajamas."
Yes, this was right. Hearing the sounds of people criticizing his clothes made Calevik's queasy stomach feel a little better. He felt more comfortable with criticism than praise as a reaction to him.
What kind of religion is appearance anyway? He had never shown any advantages, but he was very uncomfortable with the way people revered and praised him as if he were worshiping a god just because he looked a little good.
Taking the elevator up, Calevik entered the practice room where the 「Advanced Fashion Draping」 class was held. As he plopped down in the back seat by the window, his classmates flocked to him.
"Calevik! What brings you to the first class on Monday?"
"Have you decided to study hard from now on?"
"Oh! These shoes, aren't they the ones that senior Shasha Ira wore in the pictorial? Kanell S/S limited edition!"
"It's real! I saw an article that Shasha said your ideal type was you in an interview?"
"Did Shasha unnie give you this as a gift?"
As if that could be. Calevik twisted his lips. He would never wear these sneakers again.
Amidst the classmates who flocked to him, he could vaguely see Mikhail and Cresus. They hated Calevik, but as students of the fashion design department, they were always very interested in the clothes and shoes that Calevik wore. This time, they seemed to have come to see him on purpose, hearing about the limited edition and Shasha Ira.
What pathetic bastards.
Wait, but….
Mikhail and Cresus?
Calevik, who stood up abruptly, quickly scanned the practice room with his eyes. Finding the target he was looking for in the front corner seat, he widened his eyes and pushed past his classmates who were looking at him and strode over.
"Hey."
Rudin, who was hunched over with his shoulders and staring at the textbook with his head bowed, was startled and quickly raised his head. Calevik, with a cold face, was looking down at him.
"Oh…, hello. You're here early."
"Come out for a second."
Calevik turned away without even hearing Rudin's answer and went outside. Rudin followed him, receiving the curious gazes of his classmates. Calevik, who was waiting, pulled Rudin and pushed him into the stairwell and slammed the door shut.
"What are you."
"Huh? What, what is it?"
"Why are those bastards here."
The most important and urgent measure after a crime occurs is the complete separation of the perpetrator and the victim. It didn't make sense that Mikhail and Cresus were in the same classroom as Rudin as if nothing had happened.
Rudin, who was quick-witted, quickly understood the hidden meaning in Calevik's words and made a gloomy expression.
"Ah, that's…"
"The report."
At Calevik's low, single word, Rudin bowed his head like someone who had done something wrong. His cat ears also lost their strength and drooped down.
"I did, but they said it's hard to prove the crime because there's not enough evidence."
"The video."
"I showed them all of that too, but it wasn't filmed inside the guard post…. They said there's no way if they insist it was just a prank. They might even be counter-sued for false accusation…"
Rudin's voice gradually became smaller, like water being sucked into a drain. Rudin, who raised his head slightly, was startled to see Calevik's face twisted terribly and added like an excuse.
"I've been thinking a lot with my brother, but I'm afraid of being retaliated against later if I report it and it's found not guilty…. I'm also worried that rumors will spread at school and everyone will know that I'm a Sn… a Snicat…."
Calevik clenched his teeth.
Just because he was born a Snicat, what was the crime? It wasn't something he chose or hoped for, so what could he do if he was just born a Snicat?
However, there was no way that Rudin, the Snicat himself, hadn't thought about the facts that he, a Tigercat, could think of. Perhaps he was so tired of blaming fate that he had been worn out all his life, and now even his resentment had turned to dust and scattered in the wind.
Resignation was originally like that.
"So."
"I'm going to try to be more careful in the future and try to be as indifferent as possible…"
Was it normal for the bastards who committed the crime to enjoy a peaceful daily life shamelessly, and for the victim to be careful and cower in a corner? Calevik's eyes narrowed.
"Why would there be a not guilty verdict."
The end of the sentence was lowered, but Rudin flinched at the nuance that seemed to be questioning him. Perhaps he was someone who didn't listen to other people's words and didn't remember what he had said earlier. Rudin looked up at Calevik and said slowly.
"There's no CCTV inside the guard post, so it's hard to prove…"
"What about everything I saw and heard myself."
"Huh…?"
"What does CCTV matter when there's a witness."
Tears welled up in Rudin's eyes, which had been blank for a moment.
"Then maybe you can give a tes… testimony?"
What was he, an idiot? Annoyed, Calevik narrowed his brows and clicked his tongue.
"Of course you should have thought of that first."
"I'm so sorry… I already owe you so much, and I felt like I was being shameless to ask you for something like that… It's not a good thing either…"
Rudin rubbed his eyes roughly with the end of his hoodie's sleeve. He felt sorry for him, but he had never comforted anyone in his life, let alone anything similar, so Calevik's voice, which leaked out between his teeth, was only dry.
"What's your phone number."
I want to run away.
That was Calevik's honest feeling as he stood in front of the draping practice body.
"When drawing the line taping reference line, left-right symmetry is the most important. First, carefully insert these pins on the tape at 2.5cm intervals."
The Pussycat, who had been shaking his shoulders and crying his eyes and nose out in front of him earlier, commanded with great vigor as if nothing had happened. Calevik, with a sullen expression, picked up the silk pins one by one from Rudin's palm and poked them into the tape.
The practice body was a long torso shape without a head or limbs, and the draping class started with marking the position by wrapping black, thin tape around the body. As Calevik handled the thin line delicately with his large and thick hands, he felt increasingly suffocated.
Even if he didn't intend to study hard, he should have gone to the physical education department instead of the fashion design department if he wanted to pretend to go to school. He repeated that he should have done so many times, but it was already too late to regret it.
The other students who had finished taping in the previous class that Calevik had missed were in the process of putting 30 counts of muslin cotton cloth on the body. While they were struggling to pleat the fabric to realize the designs they had each chosen, Rudin had already completed a pleated tuck folding dress using advanced techniques.
He was working at a pace that was unmatched by the other students. Rudin was about to pretend to do something while touching the fabric, as if it wasn't polite to be too far ahead on his own, but the professor said to him like it was a good thing.
"It seems like Greenwood has a lot of time left, so please help Alstadt. He has to start from the beginning because he has been absent all this time."
Even if Rudin already owed Calevik a lot, there was no reason for him to refuse an opportunity to be of help. Thus, Calevik began receiving one-on-one draping lessons from Rudin.
by misacchi
"Isn't there anything sold with the lines already marked on the body?"
Calevik grumbled as he wrapped tape around the narrowest part of the waistline. Rudin patiently replied, thinking that trying to solve everything with money must be the mindset of the wealthy.
"Not that I know of."
"Why? If there's demand, there should be supply."
"I guess it's hard to standardize because the lines are marked differently depending on the design you're creating."
"What about tape with a sticky back that doesn't require separate pins?"
"There is, but it can fall off easily, and the adhesive can stick to the body, so it's not used much. Oh, the armhole line should be oval, not circular. Try adjusting the shape like this and pinning it more closely."
At the instruction to make it denser, Calevik muttered a curse under his breath. Rudin pretended not to hear and calmly handed him a pin. Calevik's hands were much clumsier and slower than Rudin's, so it seemed like he would spend the entire session just marking the baselines.
"Rudin, can you help me for a second?"
At the friendly voice, Rudin and Calevik turned their heads simultaneously. Leon, holding rough muslin in his hands, was wearing a smile. Calevik quickly averted his gaze and concentrated on pinning with a blank expression.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"I want to decorate a skirt with frills, but I'm not sure how to use the presser foot."
"Shall I give you a demonstration, then?"
"I'd appreciate that."
Rudin went to Leon's station and showed him how to make frills using the gathering foot. Before long, other students gathered around to watch Rudin's demonstration.
"Like this… you pinch the fabric with your hand, stop, then repeat the process of stopping and releasing. It's easy to make mistakes if you step on the pedal too hard, so you have to control it slowly."
Rudin's hands and feet coordinated smoothly without a hitch. After leaving plenty of thread and cutting it with scissors, a beautiful, wave-like frill was completed in an instant. Leon clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Wow, that looks really difficult."
"It's not easy at first, but you'll get used to it if you practice a lot using cheap fabric or tearing apart clothes you don't wear anymore."
"I'll have to. Thanks."
Rudin, who had risen from the sewing machine, wore a shy smile. When he returned to where he had been, Calevik was nowhere to be seen.
The Lioncat Hildegard, the professor in charge of the draping class, allowed students to freely move around during practice or even go to the reference room to look at materials, so Calevik might have gone to the restroom without saying anything.
However, Rudin was worried that Calevik might have already given up because he didn't want to practice and had run away. Alstadt Calevik, as he had experienced him, was more than capable of doing that.
Just in case, Rudin went outside to the central lounge area and found Calevik getting bottled water from the vending machine. Rudin breathed a sigh of relief and approached him.
"Hey… isn't marking the lines boring?"
Calevik glanced at Rudin and opened the bottle of water without answering, gulping it down. Rudin continued with an awkward expression.
"It's almost done. After that, you can add fabric and make clothes."
That, too, was just as unexciting. Calevik finished the water in one go and threw the plastic bottle into the recycling bin.
"What about the frills or whatever?"
Rudin's face lit up at Calevik's words.
"I already taught him everything."
"Why did you come out?"
"To look for you. I was worried you might have run away because you were bored."
Whether others ran away or not was none of his business. Rudin had momentarily forgotten that Rudin Greenwood's attribute was 'leech.' Calevik didn't respond to him and started walking towards the classroom. Rudin diligently trotted alongside him, shortening his stride.
They had just arrived at the back door of the practice room when it happened.
"Like thiiiiis, done!"
"I'm going to start making frills, and it's finished."
"That's your explanation? Seriously."
Rudin stopped at the sound coming from inside.
"Why are you guys like that? It's just that Rudin is so fast."
It was Leon's voice, defending him. The voice that followed was that of Julian, a Cheetahcat who was close to Leon.
"You know, isn't he actually from a factory? It's strange that a student is so skilled at sewing."
"Well, he's twenty-six years old, so he might have worked in a factory before coming here."
"Now that I think about it, that's really degrading. To be classmates with a Pussycat from a factory. I'm too embarrassed to even say I go to FDS now."
Laughter erupted from behind the door. Rudin, his face darkening, whispered to Calevik in a voice barely audible.
"Go in first. I'll come in a little later."
"Why?"
Looking at Calevik's indifferent face, he felt a sudden surge of emotion. He could be so calm because he would never have to hear such insults, but Rudin's heart wasn't as thick-skinned. He bit his lower lip without answering.
"..."
"What did you do wrong?"
Rudin, annoyed by Calevik's cold words, pouted his lips.
"I didn't do anything wrong."
"Then go in."
Calevik didn't seem to know that avoiding shit wasn't because you were scared, but because it was dirty.
But there was some truth to his words. Those who made assumptions and gossiped behind his back were the bad ones, not Rudin. Rudin was actually from a laundromat, not a factory, but even if he had worked in a factory, it was nothing to be ashamed of.
"Okay."
Rudin, having made up his mind, opened the practice room door wide and entered confidently. Those who had been chattering instantly fell silent. Rudin tried to look nonchalant, but he couldn't help but let his cat ears and tail droop down.
Calevik, who had glanced at Rudin as he returned to their seats, suddenly called out to him.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Can you make something like that?"
Calevik's finger pointed to a textbook placed on another student's desk. The cover of the book, titled , featured a photo of a very elegant and sophisticatedly draped women's evening dress.
"Yeah. I can."
Why was he suddenly asking? Rudin tilted his head, but as he nodded, Calevik abruptly said,
"Do it."
"Huh? Now?"
Calevik didn't answer, but casually crossed his arms and leaned against the practice table, as if he was going to watch. Thinking that he must really hate marking the lines, Rudin readily said,
"Alright. It'll take a long time to make it full size, so I'll make it in 1/6 scale."
Rudin sat in front of the sewing machine and began draping on the sample body. Soon, students began to gather one by one, and before long, Rudin's surroundings were crowded.
"Wow, I can't even see his hands."
"He's really fast."
Each time Rudin's hand touched it, the sample-sized small body was gradually dressed. Since draping is a technique of making clothes directly without a pattern, it could greatly reduce production time if you were familiar with it. Moreover, the sample body was a very familiar size to Rudin, who had been making doll clothes as a side job for years.
"It's pretty…"
Jaguarcat student Bertha muttered. The sample dress created by Rudin's hands had incredibly elegant and delicate pleats. If it were made in human size using the finest silk, anyone would want to order it and wear it immediately.
Rudin had just finished the final touches on the dress when it happened.
"Oh my! How lovely! You've done a really good job. I haven't had a sample that perfectly imitates my work!"
Professor Hildegard, who had been out somewhere, suddenly popped out from among the students with a takeout cup from the school cafe in her hand. Come to think of it, she was the author of the textbook, .
"It would be nice to put something this wonderful in the showcase in front of my lab so that other students can see it. Would that be alright?"
As Rudin nodded with an awkward smile, the professor snatched the sample body as if she had been waiting for it and took it to the teacher's desk. It was a great honor for fashion design students to have their work displayed in the large showcase in front of Professor Hildegard's lab. Rudin, a transfer student, had heard about it somewhere, so he was even happy.
"What are you all doing? Hurry back to your seats and finish your own work!"
At the professor's words, the students scattered one by one. The mocking look on their faces towards Rudin had disappeared.
Could it be that Calevik had wanted to show his classmates Rudin's skills?
No, it was too much to think that he was such a warm person. It was more natural that he had simply provided Rudin with some entertainment because he was bored with pinning the tape.
But whatever the reason, it was certain that the miserable feeling that had been filling Rudin's heart until just now had been washed away.
Rudin wanted to thank Calevik, who was struggling with the line tape with a look of utter disgust, but he kept his mouth shut, worried that he would receive a puzzled look asking what he was talking about.
Instead of words of gratitude, Rudin chose to stand quietly by Calevik's side, watching him as he stuck pins into the tape. The warm sunlight streaming through the window gently settled on their shoulders.
It was a fully ripe spring day.
"No, I'm telling you, we were just joking around! Can't friends even do that much?"
"It's true that we took him to the small building, but nothing really happened inside. Why would we try to sexually assault another guy unless we were crazy? I'm really being falsely accused."
Mikhail and Cresus, sitting in front of the detective, alternately burst out in frustration. It had been two hours since Rudin Greenwood had formally filed a complaint against them and returned home.
Leopardcat Detective Nicholas Kindrux, who was facing them, looked as if he were the one being interrogated, his face full of worry. This was because the Pussycat he had scoffed at and sent away last weekend had reappeared with a witness.
And the witness was no ordinary person, but the youngest son of the country's top conglomerate, whose name everyone knew. It was only natural that the entire Cairn Third Sector Police Station was turned upside down after he gave his statement and left.
'Detective Kindrux, do you happen to like raw fish?'
After the conglomerate scion, dressed as if he had been dipped in a wine vat and pulled out, returned home, the police chief, who had been urgently summoned, asked him out of the blue. Nicholas, completely frozen, replied in a stiff posture.
'Yes. I do.'
'Then how about going to an island? The Ryugenstiel police box is clamoring for manpower.'
The island was a prison for those who had been demoted, a whopping seven hours away from Cairn one way.
Cold sweat ran down Nicholas's back. They say that when you live as a cop, you can fall backward and still break your nose, and that was exactly what was happening to him right now. Who knew that that insignificant Snicat would come back with such a terrifying landmine in his arms?
'Of course, it may not be that you did anything so wrong. The victim wasn't raped, it was just an attempt, so who would have thought it was that serious.'
He felt like crying at the kind words. Nicholas vowed to obey the chief even if he asked him to pluck out his ribs and offer them to him… almost.
'But! The most important quality for a police officer is 'intuition'.'
'....'
'Is it just luck that you don't have that, or is it a coincidence? A detective's intuition is his skill, skill! When the fishing rod twitched, you should have immediately realized it was a huge catch!'
Two Pussycats, not even superior species, had come to report, and the victim was even a Snicat, a nuisance to all of Feladia. Nicholas could have bet the ribs he had just been about to pluck out and offer that if the chief himself had dealt with it, he would have laughed and chased them away even more obviously than he had.
'Tell me what you're going to do now.'
It was his last chance. If he made a mistake here, he would be stuck in a remote island police box, and even if he ever returned, he would only be sent to dangerous places, never dreaming of a smooth career. Nicholas sharpened his mind.
'I will conclude this 100% according to what the victim wants.'
'When?'
'I will go down there right now and summon the perpetrators.'
'Can you do it well?'
'Yes! I will handle it cleanly so that you will not be disappointed twice!'
It wasn't just any conglomerate, but the Alstadt family, who held the country's political and business circles in the palm of their hand and manipulated them at will. Moreover, that unruly young master was very righteously a witness for the victim, not the perpetrator, and had come on his own two feet for the sake of his classmate without even using an agent. If he failed to bring about the ending that he wanted, not only his own neck but also the chief's would be in danger.
by misacchi
Thus, Nicholas was now sitting face to face with the defendants in the case that held his lifeline in its hands. The weight of this one 'attempted' case was heavier than any other he had handled as a detective so far. Nicholas clenched his teeth, determined.
"Tell me. Are you two close?"
At the detective's words, Mikhail and Cresus looked at each other for a moment, then looked forward again and nodded.
"Yeah, well, we're best friends."
"We went to Alstadt Foundation elementary, middle, and high schools together, and we're classmates in college too."
Alstadt… The damned word made Nicholas's nerves even more sensitive.
"So, do you two sometimes do that kind of 'rape play'?"
Mikhail's face twisted in disgust.
"Huh? What kind of terrible thing are you saying?"
"You said friends can do anything. Do you two lie down and climb on top of each other like you did to Rudin Greenwood?"
"No, Detective…."
Cresus secretly tapped Mikhail's thigh, who was about to argue. Even if it was a little nauseating, they had to somehow make excuses to get through this situation.
"Ah, yes, yes. We sometimes play like that."
"Hey! What the hell are you saying…."
Cresus, who had silenced his clueless friend, continued calmly.
"It's a game where we take the person playing the victim to a secluded place, lie them down, and pretend to climb on top of them, and then the person being pinned down resists and breaks free. We often do it because it's also practice for resisting crime."
Mikhail, who had been looking at his friend with a look that seemed to say, 'What the hell are you talking about?', finally understood Cresus's intention and widened his eyes. And suddenly, showing enthusiasm, he added,
"Oh, that's right. You know how even young children play cops and robbers a lot. Detective, do you arrest and interrogate all the children who play the role of the robber? We were just 'playing with friends'."
Ha. Nicholas clicked his tongue at the ridiculous nonsense.
What the fuck are these little shits doing, playing with words? His life was on the line with this case right now. Nicholas barely managed to calm his fist, which was crying out to be used.
"I've heard that you two have been bullying the plaintiff a lot since before, which is hard to call being friends."
"Huh? Us? When?"
"I heard that you threatened to tear off his ears and tail if he didn't move his seat to the back of the classroom, and that you forcibly threw the plaintiff, who has a weak heart, into the swimming pool."
At those words, Mikhail pounded his chest like an orangutan, as if he was being wronged.
"Ha! That was all a joke too! He never clearly refused us!"
"Shouldn't he have said he didn't like it clearly if he didn't like it? He never did that. We just felt sorry for him because he's a lower species who transferred in alone and has no friends, so we were just being friendly to him sometimes so he wouldn't feel embarrassed."
Cresus followed Mikhail's lead like they had rehearsed. Once again, their response was a very consistent 'friendship theory.' It was obvious that talking any further would just be running parallel, and Nicholas didn't want to waste any more precious time.
"Then, going back to the attempted rape case, I heard there was a witness at the time of the incident."
The two, who had been shouting like they had eaten a train's firebox, simultaneously shut their mouths.
In fact, the most burdensome thing for them in this case was Calevik's existence. The two had discussed him in advance on the way to the police station.
'Hey, Mikhail. There's nothing to worry about. There are no CCTVs inside the small building, and we didn't even ejaculate on the Pussycat's body, so where's the evidence?'
'But Calevik, that crazy bastard, saw it. What if he testifies as a witness?'
'Calevik giving witness testimony? Crazy, it's more realistic that he'd win a perfect attendance award at school.'
'Speaking of which, I'm also worried because the two of them seem strangely close these days.'
'The moment he shows up at the police station, reporters will swarm like flies. They'll be all over it, wondering what kind of trouble Alstadt's youngest son got into to end up at the police station, trying to tear him apart.'
'Yeah, I guess so.'
'There's no reason for Calevik to give a statement while taking on that risk when it won't help me at all. We, as classmates, know better than anyone how lazy and uncooperative that bastard is.'
'Hmm. That's true.'
'That Pussycat, that fucking bastard, dares to report me to the police? Just you wait. I'll countersue him for false accusation and make sure he eats prison food properly. When he's in jail, serving as a toilet for criminals every day, he'll be wailing about how he should have just given us a blowjob.'
They had been gleefully cackling like that, but the moment the word "witness" came up, Calevik's cold blue eyes flashed in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine. Cresus was the one who spoke first this time.
"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a witness. One of our classmates happened to pass by and came into the guard post."
Nicholas narrowed his eyes.
"What was the classmate's reaction?"
"Well… he seemed to mistakenly think we were really bullying Rudin Greenwood."
"So, what did you say?"
"I told him it was just a joke, so don't worry. After that, I didn't feel like continuing the prank, so we left the guard post first."
A sneer crossed Nicholas's face.
"That 'classmate' visited this place today and gave a witness statement. He readily agreed to allow the defendant to review the statement, so I will show it to you both now."
Mikhail and Cresus's complexions changed at the word "statement." Nicholas placed a printed A4 sheet of paper in front of them, and their gazes naturally converged on the statement.
It was Nicholas's typed record of Calevik's oral statement. The witness's name and personal information were listed in the personal information section, and Calevik's handwritten signature at the bottom confirmed that all the information provided was true.
「Statement Details (detailed description based on the 5 Ws and 1 H)
When the witness (Calevik Roshaff Alstadt) approached his vehicle parked on campus, he discovered the plaintiff's (Rudin Greenwood) bag lying next to the car and simultaneously heard a sound as if someone was sobbing and pleading.
He went towards the sound and found an unused guard post, and through the broken window, he witnessed a physical altercation between the plaintiff and the defendants.
When the plaintiff cried, 'Stop it, let me out, don't come near me,' Defendant 1 (Mikhail Schneider) said to the plaintiff, 'Why are you acting like this when we're just trying to have some fun? Don't you want to have (sexual relations) with a superior species? Weren't you sticking your ass up during yoga class because you wanted anyone to fuck you?'
Then, Defendant 2 (Cresus Valdemar) snapped, 'Don't pretend you're not trying to seduce men when you're even wearing perfume.' When the plaintiff picked up a cleaning tongs and said, 'If you come any closer, I'll stab you with this,' Defendant 1 grabbed it, snatched it away, and threw it.
When Defendant 2 said, 'Let's gag him,' Defendant 1 said, 'If we stuff socks in his mouth, he'll be quiet,' and tried to take off his socks.
At this point, the witness approached and told Defendants 1 and 2 to leave the guard post, and Defendant 1 claimed, 'That Pussycat seduced us first.' After being glared at without a response, Defendants 1 and 2 left the guard post after a while.」
Mikhail and Cresus's faces turned pale. They had never imagined that Calevik would go to the trouble of giving a witness statement, let alone that he would be able to recall their words verbatim, as if playing a recorded video.
"Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't make sense to hear sounds from a guard post 50 meters away from the parking lot, but as you know, Tigercats are more than capable of such a feat."
Feline beastmen, regardless of their species, had remarkably keen hearing, and among them, the Tigercats, the highest species, undoubtedly possessed the best hearing. Nicholas continued, addressing the two men who had frozen like statues.
"We have determined that this witness statement is highly credible because it is very detailed and consistent with the plaintiff's initial complaint and the black box video recording. Do you have anything to say about this?"
Cresus, roughly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his hand, replied.
"Isn't it possible that they coordinated their stories in advance? A witness statement is just a personal opinion, after all. It's not like there was any recording at the scene."
Nicholas glared at Cresus with cold eyes.
They attended Alstadt Foundation's private school despite being middle-ranking Servalcats and Highcats, so they must be from fairly well-off families. Although their personalities were terrible, they must have been academically gifted to have been admitted to the prestigious FDS.
However, the fact that they didn't yet know what it meant to turn Alstadt into an enemy in this country meant that they were still green kids. Nicholas was extremely annoyed that his career, which he had steadily built up, was being threatened by such pathetic trash.
"So, are you claiming that 'this never happened, and Rudin Greenwood and Calevik Alstadt conspired to create this entire scenario to frame you both'?"
Mikhail flinched at the detective's words. Even the slow-witted Mikhail could fully grasp the hidden meaning in the detective's words. Denying the truth of the statement was tantamount to claiming that Alstadt's youngest son had made a 'false statement.'
"No, I mean, it was a 'misunderstanding.' A simple prank was 'misunderstood' as a serious crime…"
He tried hard to argue, but Cresus's voice no longer had the same vigor as before.
Now there was enough circumstantial evidence. It was time to deliver the final blow to the brats in order to protect his stable working life. Nicholas placed his clasped hands on the table and leaned his upper body towards the two men.
"Settle."
"Huh? Settle?"
Mikhail and Cresus's eyes widened. Nicholas took out a business card and handed it to them.
"This is the contact information for the plaintiff's lawyer. He said to contact him if you are willing to settle. He said that if you accept all of the victim's demands, he will consider withdrawing the charges."
In Feladia, attempted sexual assault cases were considered crimes that could not be prosecuted against the victim's will, so if the victim withdrew the charges, criminal prosecution would not proceed.
"Ha, fuck, this is really something!"
Mikhail immediately cursed, but Cresus took the business card and pondered something. Nicholas spoke in a solemn voice, like a wise man from the future.
"Please look ahead and make a wise decision."
Mikhail, who came out of the police station, cursed every swear word he knew and stomped his feet.
"That arrogant bastard! Daring to sue us, a Pussycat? I'm going to go find him and kill him right now!"
"Calm down and let's think about it calmly while smoking a cigarette."
Cresus, with a dark face, led Mikhail to the smoking area. Sitting across from each other on the bench attached to the rattan table, they silently puffed on their cigarettes for a while, and then Cresus spoke first.
"The Pussycat is still not even worth a bite. The problem is Calevik."
Mikhail sighed deeply.
"Who doesn't know that? Fuck, why is that bastard suddenly acting out of character?"
"He must be possessed by a cat ghost."
"Hey, what if we do this instead? We spread rumors at school that the Pussycat doesn't like us, but he doesn't have the strength to handle it alone, so he seduced Calevik to make a testimony that would be favorable to him. We become innocent victims!"
Cresus gave him a pitiful look. His appearance and personality were below average, and his brain didn't work well either, so if it weren't for him, Mikhail would have been an outcast long ago.
"You idiot. That's not insulting the Pussycat, it's insulting Calevik. If that's true, it means Calevik is so infatuated with a lowly Pussycat that he's become a pushover who does whatever he's told. Do you think Calevik would just stay still after hearing that and say, 'Oh, yeah, that's right'?"
"I guess not. Ugh… seriously. Something that's not even a big deal is giving me a fucking headache."
Mikhail scratched his head roughly, and Cresus suddenly took out the business card he had put in his pocket and showed it.
"Let's contact this lawyer and hear what the settlement conditions are first."
"What? What are you going to do after hearing them?"
"If the condition is 'sincerely apologize,' we can just pretend to apologize and be done with it."
"Why should we apologize when we didn't do anything wrong!"
"I said pretend, pretend! We can just finish this first and then slowly plan how to properly discipline the Pussycat."
Mikhail's eyes lit up with hope at Cresus's words.
"Hoo, that's not bad?"
"Yeah. That seems like the best way for now. Let's call right now."
The two dialed the phone number printed on the business card one by one on Cresus's cell phone and switched to speakerphone. After a few rings, a man with a neat voice answered the phone.
"Yes, this is Diego Hea Garcia, attorney at Garcia Law Firm."
"Um… I'm calling about the lawsuit filed by a person named Rudin Greenwood."
"Oh, yes, yes. He is my client. Are you perhaps the defendant?"
"Yes. We're both here. I heard something about a settlement, so I'm trying to hear what the conditions are."
"I see. Then I will send you the settlement agreement to the number you are calling from now, so please check it and contact me again, okay?"
by misacchi
"Okay."
As soon as he hung up, a scanned copy of the settlement agreement came in as a message. The proposed settlement conditions were as follows:
「1. Mikhail Schneider and Cresus Valdemar (hereinafter referred to as the Perpetrators) acknowledge all acts of wrongdoing against Rudin Greenwood (hereinafter referred to as the Victim) in this case and previous acts of bullying, and each shall prepare and submit a handwritten letter containing reflections and apologies.
2. The Perpetrators shall immediately take a leave of absence from FDS and shall not return to school before three years have passed.
3. The Perpetrators shall each deliver a settlement of 10,000,000 cables (ten million cables) to the Victim.
4. The Perpetrators shall not approach the Victim permanently. All physical contact and access by means of electronic communication (telephone, text message, SNS direct message, and e-mail, etc.) are prohibited.
5. The Perpetrators shall not disseminate or utter unfounded false information about the Victim. Disclosing information about this case through oral statements or Internet bulletin boards is also strictly prohibited.
6. If the Perpetrators violate the above settlement conditions, they shall each pay the Victim a penalty of 10,000,000 cables (ten million cables) per clause.」
"Wow, fuck, what is this? A fantasy novel?"
Mikhail made a deflated sound as if he was dumbfounded. There was no such thing as this kind of unreasonable demand. It was his first time in a legal battle, but such extreme settlement conditions were truly unheard of.
Cresus also had an angry expression on his face. Without thinking twice, he turned on his cell phone and pressed the call button again. This time, the call was connected quickly.
"This is Attorney Garcia. Have you reviewed the settlement conditions?"
"Hey, are you kidding me right now?"
Cresus, who blurted out without hesitation, frowned. Mikhail also chimed in from the side.
"How are we supposed to accept such biased conditions!"
The lawyer replied in a relaxed voice.
"Oh dear, I'm quite sorry to hear that you felt it was biased when I only chose the bare minimum of the most basic things. Which clause is the most concerning to you?"
"All of them, all of them!"
The lawyer responded mechanically to Mikhail's words.
"Please be as specific as possible."
Cresus reopened the transmitted settlement agreement file. Clauses 1, 4, and 5 were acceptable to some extent, and clause 6 would not need to be fulfilled unless the conditions were violated. The problem was clauses 2 and 3.
"First of all, about clause 2, how can we suddenly take a leave of absence from school?"
"As you know, it is most important to separate the perpetrator and the victim in such cases. In this case, they are in the same school, the same department, and the same grade, so wouldn't my client have to face the two of you every day? That's what I'm trying to prevent."
"This was originally the school we attended, and that bastard, no, he hasn't even been transferred for a month. Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"
"You shouldn't have committed the wrongdoing in the first place. I have only suggested the most desirable direction for the victim's recovery."
Mikhail, who was listening from the side, interjected.
"Ha, seriously, three years is too much. How about one semester? Or even a maximum of one year."
"The settlement conditions cannot be changed. If you reject the settlement, we will go to trial."
Cresus, who cursed under his breath, changed the subject.
"Let's put that aside for now, what the hell is clause 3? Ten million cables each!"
"Do you think it's excessive?"
"Of course! Even if he went somewhere and sold his body, he wouldn't be able to receive that much, so how can you ask us, who didn't even lift a finger, to pay that much money? I wouldn't feel so wronged if we had gone all the way."
"Isn't this a gold digger? Trying to extort money from us from somewhere. Shit, I shouldn't have even made eye contact with that beggar."
The lawyer did not respond to Cresus and Mikhail's successive answers. Just as he was about to check his cell phone, thinking that the communication was cut off, his stiff voice was heard again.
"The settlement conditions cannot be changed. If you reject the settlement, we will go to trial."
Mikhail, unable to contain his anger, jumped up and slammed the table with his fist.
"What the fuck! Is that all you can say? Are you a chatbot or something!"
"I was just telling you the truth. However, I will tell you just two things that may be helpful in deciding on a settlement."
The lawyer, who took a moment to catch his breath, continued.
"Mikhail Schneider."
Mikhail, whose full name was suddenly called, retorted with a puzzled face.
"What."
"Mr. Schneider's father is the chairman of a famous clothing manufacturing OEM company, isn't he?"
"Yes."
It didn't matter at all how Rudin's lawyer knew that. The company name was written on Mikhail's Catstagram profile, and his classmates all knew it because he mentioned it from time to time.
"Do you happen to know where your father's company's biggest customer is?"
"That, that's…"
Mikhail stammered with a bad feeling. That feeling never went wrong.
"It's 'Alstadt Fashion.' They supply 91.8% of the total annual production volume to that place."
Mikhail was speechless at the lawyer's answer. While he was gaping, the lawyer changed the conversation partner to Cresus.
"Cresus Valdemar, are you listening?"
"Yes."
Cresus was confident. As far as he knew, his family had no relationship with the Alstadt Group.
"Mr. Valdemar's family runs an auto parts manufacturing company. All of the company's key positions are held by family and relatives."
"That's right."
The company was solid and Cresus's family was wealthy. That was why he, a middle-ranking Servalcat, was able to attend prestigious schools with superior species.
"By the way, do you happen to know who the largest shareholder of 'Valdemar Transys' is?"
"Huh? Of course, it's my parents…"
Cresus trailed off. He thought that would be the case since it was a family business, but he didn't know much about stocks.
"The total amount of shares held by Mr. Valdemar's family and relatives is 31.6%. The largest shareholder holds 56.3%."
"Who, who is it?"
The lawyer answered Cresus's question, which was tinged with anxiety, in a mechanically organized voice.
"It's 'Alstadt Mobis,' the world's number one company in the automotive manufacturing sector. If they sell their shares all at once, the stock price will plummet and Valdemar Transys will go bankrupt immediately."
"..."
"Strictly speaking, you can achieve a similar result by subtly expressing your willingness to 'sell.'"
Cresus felt a chill down his spine. The lawyer, who had deepened his voice to a heavy tone, returned to the cheerful tone he had initially used.
"However, the person who sued you two is not Mr. Calevik Alstadt, who is a witness. As you know, it's just Rudin Greenwood, a very ordinary Pussycat commoner. Please take that fact into consideration and make a careful decision."
"..."
"The deadline for the settlement is 23:59:59 this Sunday night. If I don't hear from you by then, I'll see you in court. Goodbye."
The call ended.
Only then did Mikhail and Cresus realize that they had stepped on a landmine they should never have touched.
***
"Are you hungry? Eat up."
A warm milk tea and scones were placed in front of Rudin. Rudin, who had taken a long nap to celebrate his first weekend after the midterm exams, picked up the teacup with a still drowsy expression. A subtle coffee aroma rose from Garnet's cup, who was sitting across from him.
"Did you do well on your exams?"
"Yeah. Most of it seemed to be within the expected range."
Rudin took a sip of the milk tea and smiled bashfully. He looked a little tired from studying hard during the exam period, cutting his sleep in half, but he seemed brighter than at the beginning of the semester.
"You're sure those guys haven't shown up around you or contacted you, right?"
Garnet asked cautiously. 'Those guys' referred to Mikhail and Cresus.
Three weeks had already passed since the incident. Mikhail and Cresus surrendered just two days after their lawyer conveyed the terms of the settlement. They immediately took a leave of absence and sent a letter of reflection and apology, albeit a hypocritical and formal one, to the law firm.
"Yeah, nothing. I get anxious sometimes that they might suddenly appear, but I'm so glad I don't see them at school."
Garnet reached out and stroked the top of Rudin's head.
"Attorney Garcia said he was glad too. He said he was happy to be of help."
Diego Hea Garcia, who acted as Rudin's lawyer this time, was someone Perry had introduced him to. He was a Pumacat who had fallen in love with Perry after visiting the 'Radiante' Cairn flagship store to buy a jewel as a birthday gift for his mother, and had been courting her for six months.
Garcia provided Rudin with legal advice and helped him draft the settlement agreement. He insisted that he was only giving a simple consultation to an acquaintance's younger sibling and refused to accept a retainer. It seemed he wanted to score points with Perry.
At first, Rudin didn't want to receive a settlement from Mikhail and Cresus. It felt like he was taking money and forgiving their sins. However, Garcia persuaded Rudin that in order to make them take the weight of their wrongdoing more seriously and reflect on it, they had to pay a corresponding price.
After careful consideration, Rudin accepted Garcia's advice. However, once the settlement money was deposited, he didn't want to use it personally, so he donated the entire amount to a Snicat sexual assault victim relief organization.
"That lawyer, though. He seems handsome, has a good job, and has a great personality, so why doesn't Perry accept him?"
Rudin tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand. Garnet, who spread strawberry jam on a scone and handed it to him, said nonchalantly.
"Well, of course, it's because she's burdened by dating a superior species."
A hundred years had passed since the official abolition of species discrimination, so it was no longer unusual for a Pussycat to marry a superior species. However, in the case of couples with significant differences in economic and social status, the hardships of so-called 'in-law abuse' still occurred.
"Well, I wouldn't want to be in a relationship with a superior species either."
The man with the most perfect specs among the few superior species Rudin knew, Calevik Alstadt, naturally came to mind.
After going to his house after many twists and turns and visiting a shopping mall used by the upper class with him, the feeling was more burdensome than envious. Even if others didn't, Rudin, with his personality, would feel more intimidated and uncomfortable than happy even if he rose in status with the help of others.
But…
"Still, I can't deny that it's easier to live in this country if you're a superior species after all. The fact that my case was resolved well this time is all because of Calevik."
Rudin continued weakly.
The police, who had only sneered when they went with Garnet, that is, two Pussycats, literally prostrated themselves as soon as Calevik appeared. Mikhail and Cresus also would never have agreed to Rudin's settlement terms if a normal person, not Calevik, had been a witness.
Fortunately, everything was concluded in a direction that was 100 percent good for Rudin, but apart from being grateful to Calevik, he couldn't help but feel bitter.
If the conditions and criteria for success were ability and money, then even if the possibility was slim, it was still open, but species was determined from birth and could not be changed no matter what you did, so how frustrating was that?
Garnet quietly patted Rudin's shoulder as he munched on a scone without a word.
"Society is developing more and more, so let's not be too discouraged. The fact that you transferred to FDS with your skills is proof of that. In the future, Pussycats will be able to study at FDS with dignity, and Rudin Greenwood will be their pioneer."
At Garnet's words, Rudin narrowed his eyes and smiled. He studied so hard that he even had nosebleeds so that he wouldn't be told that he had transferred by luck. He seemed to have done quite well on the exam, so he had reason to expect good results.
"But did you give that Alstadt young master some kind of reward?"
At Garnet's question, Rudin's expression turned gloomy again. He shook his head.
"No. He hasn't been coming to school much since then, so I haven't been able to talk to him properly."
"Did you tell him that the case was resolved well?"
"Yeah. I talked to him in a message and thanked him, but he keeps ignoring me."
Since giving his witness statement and pushing Mikhail and Cresus out of school, Calevik had continued his unfaithful life unchanged. He was late for class, or didn't come at all, or came and disappeared in the middle.
On the day they went to the police station together, he had exchanged phone numbers with him in a daze in order to make an appointment, but Rudin still sent Calevik messages through the FDS student-only app so as not to act too familiar. He tried to contact him several times, changing the subject, but Calevik didn't reply at all even after reading them.
"He told me before not to think about repaying him for anything. He said he doesn't like that."
Rudin pouted, recalling the bickering in the car on the way back from Adelie Boutique. Garnet, who had a clear sense of closure, readily took Calevik's side.
"That could be true. He's so rich that he probably doesn't need anything."
"The only thing he's worse at than me is design practice, so I want to help him with that, but it's hard to do that because he doesn't come to school often."
Rudin's cat ears drooped to the sides as he sipped his milk tea. Garnet comforted him in a soothing voice.
"Then just leave him alone. Unless he asks you to help him or repay him, you don't have to try to do anything for him. There must be hardships in living as the child of a famous conglomerate, so perhaps the best thing you can do for him is not to bother him."
Rudin nodded, finding Garnet's words reasonable.
"Yeah. That's right."
The affectionate Pussycat brothers enjoyed their leisurely teatime on a warm spring afternoon a little longer.
Their prediction that they would keep their distance from Calevik again and remain distant, as before, was shattered in just two days.
by misacchi
This must be a dream.
"Where… what are you saying I should go to?"
Calevik, standing in front of Dean Loebe's office desk, raised his voice at the end of his sentence, which was rare. His expression was full of bewilderment, as if someone had hit him hard on the back of the head. In contrast, the faces of Professors Loebe and Kwangbeom looked not only bright but also crazy.
"I said to go to 'Aviria' for 'volunteer work'. It's the best opportunity with really good benefits, and I'm recommending it to you specifically."
Discover moreFamily Law
married
LGBTQ+ book recommendations
Kwangbeom, sitting across the table, shone his eyes. Calevik was so dumbfounded that he put aside his manners and questioned him.
"What kind of benefits are there?"
"Airfare, accommodation, and meals are all free, and you get one day of free time before returning home."
"What do you do there?"
"You do relief work for the displaced people of Aviria. It's an area where people are already living in difficult circumstances, and their livelihoods have been destroyed by the earthquake. There are many areas where help is needed, such as cleaning, carrying luggage, and taking care of children. It's a 6-night, 7-day trip, and after 5 days of hard volunteer work, you can enjoy free time on the 6th day."
Relief for the displaced people of Aviria had been steadily raising funds in the country for months. Calevik had also learned through broadcasting that the Alstadt Foundation had donated a large amount of medicine, daily necessities, and cash.
However, even if volunteer work was a great thing, it was another matter for him to go there and work himself. The 'benefits' that Kwangbeom mentioned were also just a means to use young and healthy manpower for free. Calevik couldn't understand why he was being told to go to such a place.
Discover moreChild Care
Novel subscription box
Ebook reader device
"If it's so good, why don't you go yourself instead of telling me to go?"
Come to think of it, Kwangbeom had shown great interest in Calevik since he entered the school. At first, he thought that everyone was trying to look good to him because he was a member of 'Alstadt', but Kwangbeom had never mentioned his family to Calevik.
Calevik didn't know exactly why he felt uncomfortable and uneasy whenever he dealt with Kwangbeom, so he couldn't put a name to that feeling until recently. It was only after he became a junior that he vaguely realized what it felt like.
Calevik's feelings for Kwangbeom were similar to 'the feelings of a teenage son who wants to avoid his father's interference'.
He knew that he was a good person. He admitted that he was a rare, competent, and respectable educator in a world full of disillusioning adults. But he wished that he wouldn't talk to him or interfere with him as much as possible, and that he wouldn't try to lead him on the right path.
It was a feeling that he had never felt even once for his biological father, Geoffrey Alstadt, who had always neglected him. He still hadn't figured out why he was suddenly feeling this way toward a school professor.
"Hmm… okay. I'll be honest with you."
Kwangbeom, holding an espresso cup the size of a dollhouse toy in his large hand, drank the bitter coffee sweetly, as if it were sweet. Judging from the way he spoke, he seemed to have some ulterior motive.
Calevik, who had been forcibly dragged into the lab anyway, frowned, but Kwangbeom didn't care.
Discover moreChild
Anime & Manga
Book club membership
"The government sent an official letter to each university asking them to encourage students to participate in volunteer work during the upcoming Golden Week holiday. Our university also received the official letter and promoted it diligently, but only one student out of the entire student body applied to participate."
That was only natural. The activity dates for the volunteer group recruiting university students this time were during the Golden Week holiday in May. They had a total of 9 days off, including the weekends before and after, so who would be foolish enough to spend 7 of those days volunteering?
"At the department head meeting yesterday, the university president got angry, saying that they had to send at least two people to save face. So we decided to draw up a list of students in their junior and senior years who had the least amount of mandatory volunteer hours required for graduation."
In addition to the courses, FDS required a total of 60 hours or more of volunteer work in order to graduate. It was the university's policy to train students to be talents who fulfill their social responsibilities. As a result, most students used their vacations to fill their records by doing the least strenuous volunteer work possible.
"Then there was only one student who had no volunteer work experience at all. That's you, Calevik Roshaff Alstadt."
It sounded forced, but Calevik couldn't deny that he had never done volunteer work, so he couldn't say anything.
Discover moreE-Books
Roleplaying Games
Gay romance novels
"So I'm sorry, but you have to go as the school's representative this time. If you go on overseas volunteer work, you'll fill 60 hours at once, so you won't have to worry about it until you graduate. Besides, the only student who volunteered on their own is also from our department. You know them, right?"
At Kwangbeom's words, Calevik's brow furrowed slightly. He had a bad feeling.
Could it be…
"Who is it?"
"It's the transfer student, Rudin Greenwood."
Kwangbeom grinned in a way that was unsightly to see. Looking at that face, Calevik was annoyed, but on the other hand, he was also amazed.
No other professor would have made a proposal to the youngest son of the chairman of the Alstadt Group to go to a disaster area for volunteer work during the Golden Week holiday, or rather, they wouldn't have been able to.
Considering that FDS was a private university founded by the Alstadt Foundation, it was even more so. To exaggerate a little, if Calevik didn't like them, a tenured professor's position could be blown away overnight.
Discover moreMarriage
Web novel platform
Movies
For example, there was a professor who gave Calevik a grade of C- even though he had such poor attendance and neglected his studies. He had reportedly said here and there that Calevik's final exam answers were creative, but Calevik had only written a few sentences of nonsense because he was embarrassed to submit a blank paper. It turned out that he was trying to look good to Calevik in anticipation of his promotion to associate professor, and he failed because he had chosen the wrong line.
Even if it wasn't such an extreme case, most professors would try not to bother Calevik and give him the D- grade that he wanted most.
FDS was easy to get into, but the regulations were loose, and the written exams and practical assignments accounted for a large portion of the grades. Calevik was barely able to get a D- by attending the minimum number of classes, writing anything on the exams, and submitting assignments that were only for show.
However, Kwangbeom was different. He was stricter with Calevik, who was a failing student, and never discriminated against him or gave him any favors compared to other students.
Kwangbeom was the only professor who made Calevik pay a little attention to his school life by giving him an F without mercy. Most of Kwangbeom's classes were required courses, so if he got an F, he had no choice but to retake them.
"Have you ever been to Aviria?"
Kwangbeom, who was by no means an easy opponent, asked, erasing his smile. At his serious and piercing gaze, Calevik couldn't find any words to make excuses and ended up telling the truth.
"I have, but I don't remember it well because I was too young."
Discover moremarriage
Story writing software
children
"Be sure to visit 'Fantastic Magic Land'. It's a magical place that will help you find your lost smile."
It was the first time he had learned that Kwangbeom believed in magic. It was too unrealistic for a huge tiger uncle who was almost fifty years old to say, so Calevik almost burst out laughing.
"I hope you can find something precious that you've lost there too."
Calevik's expression hardened again. Kwangbeom couldn't possibly know what he was talking about, but Aviria was a place that was painfully painful to him.
The place where he had spent the happiest time of his life, and at the same time, the place where he had experienced the most terrible thing. No matter what he saw, heard, or experienced there again, the precious being he had lost could never return.
"And for your information, I already went on volunteer work this February. I lost 5kg after working hard for two weeks."
"You look the same as last year, though."
"I had a yo-yo effect when I came back. I'm thinking of going again in the summer for dieting purposes."
Kwangbeom laughed heartily. Calevik thought to himself that he was a very unique person after all.
Rudin Greenwood.
The name pricked at Calevik's brain like a thorn all the way home.
April ○, 202X (Fri)
Rudin Greenwood: Calevik, thank you so much for today
Rudin Greenwood: My sister introduced me to a lawyer she knows, so I consulted with them and made settlement terms
Rudin Greenwood: I think reporters were taking pictures of you at the police station earlier, are you okay?
Rudin Greenwood: I'm worried, so I keep searching
Rudin Greenwood: If I see anything posted online, I'll let you know right away
April △, 202X (Sun)
Rudin Greenwood: Calevik, are you resting well? Sorry for suddenly contacting you on the weekend
Rudin Greenwood: I just got a call from the lawyer, and Mikhail and Cresus are going to settle!
Rudin Greenwood: They said they're going to take a leave of absence tomorrow
Rudin Greenwood: If I had sued them alone, I wouldn't have been able to finish this so well
Rudin Greenwood: Thank you so much. I don't know how to repay this favor
Rudin Greenwood: If there's anything I can do for you, please feel free to tell me
Rudin Greenwood: Then have a good rest~
April □, 202X (Mon)
Rudin Greenwood: Calevik, you didn't come to school today
Rudin Greenwood: Is something wrong?
Rudin Greenwood: I made a pattern for the menswear team assignment
Rudin Greenwood: (Photo)
Rudin Greenwood: It's my first time handling such luxurious fabric, so I'll definitely work hard
April ◇, 202X (Thu)
Rudin Greenwood: Cale, the midterm exam range for Advanced Fashion Draping was announced today. I'll show you.
Rudin Greenwood: (Photo)
Rudin Greenwood: It's been hard to see you at school lately…
Rudin Greenwood: You must be very busy.
April ◎, 202X (Tuesday)
Rudin Greenwood: There's a post on an internet blog saying they saw you at the police station parking lot!
Rudin Greenwood: There's even a candid photo, though it was taken from a bit far away.
Rudin Greenwood: (Link)
Rudin Greenwood: I'll send you the link for now.
April ●, 202X (Friday)
Rudin Greenwood: Hi, Cale. It seems like you didn't come to school today either…
Rudin Greenwood: The yoga instructor asked if you took a leave of absence.
Rudin Greenwood: I started embroidering gold thread on the evening coat today.
Rudin Greenwood: (Photo)
Rudin Greenwood: It looks like I'll have to remake it after the midterm period.
Even though he never replied, Rudin kept sending messages. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say these were messages to an imaginary friend.
But the frequency wasn't high, and the content wasn't unpleasant, so Calevik didn't find Rudin's contact particularly annoying or burdensome. If there was no contact for two or three days, he even wondered why he hadn't heard from him.
Discover moreLibrary access pass
Novel writing tips
Boys Love merchandise
Rudin's worries were mostly unnecessary. In the case of the reporters who had been prowling around the police station looking for prey and rushed at Calevik when they saw him, they received a call from Bernard before they could even write the article. With a polite threat that the moment they published an article about the young master, they would be starting their job search for re-employment, they quietly deleted the photos they had taken of Calevik.
As for Mikhail and Cresus, those bastards, their fate was as good as sealed the moment Calevik stepped forward as a witness, so there was nothing to worry about in the first place. Although he felt bitter that they obeyed the name 'Alstadt' rather than Calevik himself, it was something that had happened as naturally as breathing throughout Calevik's life, so there was nothing new about it.
The trivial eyewitness account on the internet blog was immediately deleted after the Alstadt Family's exclusive legal team contacted them due to the photo upload. So when Calevik belatedly clicked on the link that Rudin had sent, only the phrase "Page not found" appeared.
Calevik was just amazed that Rudin had found the post and sent the link even before the employees who specialized in doing only that for a living.
Just how frequently and persistently was he searching? He even felt a kind of obsession, but when he recalled how leech-like Rudin had been about the team project, he could easily accept this as well.
Rudin's work of embroidering gold thread on the fabric was incredibly elaborate and beautiful, and he purely admired it. He tilted his head for a moment at the words "Advanced Fashion Draping exam range," but after clicking on the attached photo of the announcement, he realized that Advanced Fashion Draping was an abbreviation for 'Advanced Fashion Draping.' He had no intention of studying anyway.