It was a normal morning in Class 11-A.
Students were chatting, laughing, and waiting for the homeroom teacher to arrive. Nothing unusual—until the door suddenly slammed open.
BANG!
"Oyy..! Which one of you told our homeroom teacher we were smoking yesterday?!"
A boy with spiky hair stood in the doorway, his voice sharp and angry. Every conversation in the room stopped immediately.
His name was Leap—hot-headed, always looking for a fight, and known for causing problems. Behind him walked three other students—two boys and one girl. They weren't from this class, but everyone recognized them right away.
The room fell completely silent. No one dared to move. No one even looked up.
Then another voice shouted—louder, deeper, more threatening.
"Didn't you hear the question?! Are you all deaf?!"
Bunheng stepped forward.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a buzz cut and well-built body. His shirt was half open, showing off the muscles underneath. He looked more like a fighter than a student.
And he was one—the captain of the Karate Club. A champion. Someone nobody wanted to mess with.
His eyes scanned the classroom like a wolf searching for its target. Then, they stopped.
Near the front, a boy sat at his desk, completely focused on his comic book, ignoring the scene happening in front of him.
BANG!
Bunheng slammed his hand down on the desk. The sound echoed across the room.
The boy jumped a little and blinked, looking up calmly through his glasses.
"...Bunheng?" he said, adjusting his glasses.
His name was Vuthy. Short, quiet, a bit timid. Always reading comics or playing games. A typical nerd.
"From Class 11-B," Vuthy added politely. "What brings you to Class 11-A this early?"
Bunheng smirked and tapped his chest.
"So, you know who I am?"
Vuthy nodded and stood up, brushing off his shirt.
"Yes—Kim Bunheng. Karate Club captain. Champion of last year's tournament. I heard you're going to nationals soon, right?"
Bunheng's smirk disappeared.
His eyes narrowed. Then, in one quick move, he grabbed Vuthy by the collar and lifted him off the floor like a rag doll.
"Nationals?!" Bunheng shouted. "I got kicked out because someone from your class took a picture of us smoking—and exposed it to the whole school!"
His grip tightened.
Then a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Chill, man," said Leap, stepping in casually. "Don't make it worse. Remember how your parents yelled at you already?"
Bunheng paused—just for a moment.
Then his face twisted with even more anger.
"Say one more word and I'll knock you out too, Leap!" he snapped.
His voice was shaking with rage.
"That's enough, Leap. Bunheng."
Another voice spoke up. Calm. Clear.
The last boy from the group stepped forward.
He looked different from the others. His shirt was neatly tucked in. His tie was straight. His presence was quiet but strong—like a top student who knew exactly what he was doing.
"My apologies to everyone in this class," he said softly. "You must've been scared by these two."
He gave a small nod toward Leap and Bunheng.
"I came here to find the person who exposed Bunheng. Not only did they report him to the school... but they even took a clear photo at our hangout spot."
His tone was polite. But his words were heavy.
His name was William.
Seng William—known for his good looks, sharp words, and powerful family background. He didn't need to fight. He had something stronger: influence.
"I'll handle this," Bunheng growled.
William didn't even turn to him.
"Silence."
That one word shut Bunheng down completely.
He stepped back, sweating, his mouth clamped shut.
"See?" said a sweet voice behind them. "You two are so useless—you made my William step in."
It was the girl in their group—Julie.
She looked like a doll. Pretty face, soft voice, big eyes. But behind her smile... something cold and dangerous was hiding.
"Julie, why are you even here?" Leap asked with a frown.
Julie twirled a strand of her hair.
"I'm just following my William," she replied sweetly.
Leap grumbled. Bunheng stayed quiet.
William ignored them.
Instead, he walked forward, calm and confident. The class held their breath as he approached a desk in the center of the room.
He stopped and smiled politely.
"Good morning," he said.
Then, without breaking his smile, he added, "I think you already know who it was… don't you?"
He was talking to a girl.
A student who had stayed calm the whole time. Straight posture, steady eyes, perfect presence.
Thida.
The class president of 11-Kor.
As soon as their eyes met, whispers spread like wildfire.
"Why's he asking her?""Isn't she his fiancée?""Really? Those two? I heard it's an arranged marriage…"
The rumors flew around the room like sparks—until a sudden shout cut through them all.
"SILENCE!!"
Julie's voice cracked like thunder.
She was furious. Her sweet mask had shattered.
Her face was red with jealousy as she glared at Thida.
But Thida didn't flinch.
She sat tall and composed, like a queen. Her voice was soft as she finally replied to William.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
No fear. No emotion. Just calm confidence.
Heng Tepthida had always carried herself that way—graceful, polite, and untouchable.
She was the top student. The perfect daughter of a wealthy family.
Long black hair. Flawless skin. Sharp eyes that seemed to see through any lie.
Thida didn't even smile when she spoke to William—even though they were engaged. Her expression stayed cool, polite, and distant. Whatever connection they had, it wasn't warm.
Then suddenly—
The door burst open again.
A boy rushed into the classroom, looking like he had just sprinted across campus. His shirt was a little untucked, his hair messy, and his bag hung off one shoulder.
He didn't seem to notice the tension in the room.
"Whoa… made it!" he said out loud to himself, catching his breath.
The students turned to look at him.
He was tall, with sharp features and a bit of a foreign look. His face was relaxed, even cheerful, as if nothing strange was going on.
It was as if the air in the room shifted the moment he walked in.
Even the tension that William and his group brought with them started to fade.
The boy looked around, confused.
"Huh?" he blinked. "Why's everyone so quiet?"
He smiled, still clueless about the situation, and walked in like it was just another normal school day.
Markara.