Chapter 18: Chapter 18

“Aarrgh… ouch…!”

Jonea fell down, and the suitcase fell on her body. Hunter actually shooed and kicked Jonea from her room. Now the girl was rolling in the middle of a lonely dormitory hall.

Bang!

Hunter slammed the door in Jonea's face and locked it from the inside. Jonea was getting ready to get up and wanted to force her way in, but the door was tightly closed.

"Fuck! Damn it!" Jonea cursed while holding back her screams. She wanted to avoid making a fuss which resulted in deducting points.

The girl finally stood up with a grunt. She picked up her open suitcase and gathered up her scattered belongings. Jonea dragged her suitcase with difficulty.

"Where should I go at this time of night? I can't possibly go back home. My parents will definitely worry about me."

Jonea continued to walk, dragging her suitcase. She exited the dormitory and started down the path in the courtyard on that cold night. The sound of the suitcase wheels against the cobblestones created a commotion in Jonea's head.

The girl went to the warehouse and converted it into an art space. Jonea exhaled heavily.

"Looks like I have to stay here tonight."

She walked toward the art room door and reached into her trouser pocket for a key. Suddenly Jonea's body froze.

"How stupid I am!" said Jonea. "I left the art room key in my room. Meanwhile, the room is now controlled by Hunter. How can I go back there?"

Annoyed, Jonea kicked the art room door twice. Dum! Dum! She was really irritated. She didn't know where to go anymore.

Jonea dragged her suitcase back. Suddenly her steps stopped. There was a black card that she kept in her briefcase.

"Key card to VIP dormitory!" muttered Jonea. "But, I don't want to use it yet. No, no…."

The girl was limping. She heard a dog barking faintly. Jonea was stunned. She had never heard of dogs at school.

Out of curiosity, Jonea slowly looked for the source of the sound. She totes her suitcase so as not to make a sound. With great difficulty, she approached the source of the dogs barking.

In the art room, Jonea saw a sign scrawled in paint.

Watch out, fierce dog! Watch out; it's dangerous! Stay away! Don't come any closer. There's a mad dog!

"What is this? Did someone actually raise vicious dogs in here? But, this is at school."

Jonea didn't realize that she had entered the dog's territory. A large white dog with thick fur suddenly ran to attack Jonea. The girl was so shocked that she didn't have a chance to escape. The dog's leash came off. Jonea screamed as the dog jumped at her.

Thump!

Jonea fell on her back to the ground while protecting her head with both arms. She thought the dog would scratch and even bite her. Instead, Jonea felt wet licks on her arms and face.

Jonea was amused. Her fear turned into a ridiculous feeling. She burst out laughing. The dog turned out to be very tame.

"Hey, enough! Stop it! What's your name?" she asked.

The dog suddenly sat up straight like a cute little child. Jonea sat and watched him.

"You seem a docile dog. Who hid you here?" Jonea reached out and stroked the dog's head. She saw the collar the dog was wearing.

"Maxim? Is that your name?"

Woof!

Jonas smiled with relief. That night wasn't precisely unlucky for hier. Despite being chased out by Hunter from her room, Jonea made new friends.

"If I had never been kicked out by Hunter, maybe we would never have met. You must be lonely in here?"

Jonea looked around, looking for a dog kennel. Apparently, far behind the barn is a dog kennel hidden and quite large in size. Jonea carried Maxim back to his cage, dragging her own luggage bag.

Jonea sat in front of Maxim's cage. The dog faithfully accompanied her and kept staring at Jonea.

"Looks like we have the same destiny. I barely made it here. But why did my heart hurt when he kicked me out?"

Maxim just stared at Jonea while sticking out his tongue.

"Correct! I will not give up," said Jonea. "If I gave up like this, I shouldn't have come here. What do you think, Maxim? Right?"

While Jonea was chatting with Maxim, suddenly, someone shone a light on her. Suddenly Maxim barked and stood up to protect Jonea.

"What's this? Who's that?" Jonea shielded her eyes from the glare of the light.

Someone standing a few meters from Jonea sat holding a flashlight in her hand. The flashlight shone right into Jonea's face. Maxim kept barking.

"Who's that?" said Jonea.

The flashlight went out. The figure approached Jonea and knelt in front of her. "Miller? What are you doing here at night?"

Jonea lowered her hand and stared directly at the figure before her. "Senior? Why are you here?" asked Jonea with a slightly wary face.

***

Hunter was lying in his bed, listening to music. He tried to keep himself busy and make the atmosphere of the quiet room as lively as possible. Hunter is always uncomfortable when he has to be alone.

The bedroom door suddenly opened without even warning. Hunter, lying down while listening to music, suddenly sat up. He turned to the door and was about to get mad because he thought Miller was back there.

"Hey, you want to die?"

"Elmar?" Hunter was surprised.

Elmar walked with wide steps toward Hunter on the bed. Instantly Hunter's face lit up.

"You're back already? Finally."

"I'm not kidding. Do you wish to die?" Elmar was suddenly strict with Hunter.

At that moment, Hunter was confused. Elmar didn't seem to be joking and didn't come alone. Hunter tilted his head, and he saw someone standing behind Elmar.

"Who said you can use this room alone?" asked Elmar firmly.

Hunter was suddenly confused. "What do you mean? Weren't you the one who gave this room to me?"

"Yes, Hunter, that is indeed true. But this room is for two students. Why do you think I put you here? Of course, so you're not alone. You should stay with your roommates."

Elmar grinned secretly when he saw Hunter looking about to explode.

Jonea, who was standing behind Elmar, suddenly showed a face. "I'm not complaining," she said softly. "But, I have to get back here. Because this is my room."

'To be more precise, I can't leave my personal items here. Hunter can't see it. At the very least, I have to go back to clean it up before anyone else finds out,' thought Jonea when remembering several articles, photos, and data she had searched for about the Miller bullying case.

Luckily Jonea hid all of that behind a study table board. And Jonea covers it up with her sketches.

Hunter sighed. "Elmar, why don't you leave me alone in this room?"

"Hunter, you have to listen to me. Have you forgotten your purpose of moving from the VIP room to the regular dorm?"

Hunter suddenly pointed his finger and put it right on Elmar's lips. He asked Elmar not to continue what he said no matter what.

"As the head of the dormitory, I must enforce discipline. So your options are to accept your roommate or return to the VIP dorm?"

"Can't I just switch rooms? What if he moves into my room in the VIP room?" bargained Hunter.

Jonea was surprised. She was ready to refuse. However, Elmar raised his right hand first.

"No! Miller will still be in this room. It is you who must make the decision–stay here or return to the VIP room?"

Even though, in terms of leadership, Hunter is above Elmar, Hunter still respects Elmer's position as head of the dormitory. And Hunter has no choice but to follow the rules they have agreed on at the school and dormitory.

Hunter sighed, and he lay back down on his bed.

Elmar ordered Miller to carry his personal effects back to his bunk above.

"No, wait!" said Hunter as Elmer left the room.

Elmar turned his head and looked at Hunter. Then, Hunter shook his head and returned to his bed quietly.

On the top bunk, Jonea was about to go crazy. She punched her stuff. Jonea didn't expect to be roomed with an enemy she had to watch out for.

"Hey!" shouted Hunter from his bunk below. "Can you calm down? You're so noisy!"

Jonea glanced down at the bunk with a sneer. Her gaze was very sharp and vengeful.

'Wait,' thought Jonea. 'Isn't this a great opportunity? The closer I get to him, the easier it will be to find evidence. Hunter doesn't look very smart. He must have kept something among his personal belongings.' Jonea nodded firmly and had her own plans.

'Hunter Abraham, until yesterday, I felt the Pacific Ocean was separating us. But today, we are just a helping hand away. I will fix my eyes on you. Whenever I get the chance, I'll look for any information implicating you in the Miller case.'

***

When he woke up, Hunter stretched to stretch his stiff muscles. He rolled onto his stomach from a supine position and reached for the cell phone on the table.

Hunter's hand suddenly stopped when he felt something on his desk. His sleepy eyes suddenly opened wide when he saw that there were rows and rows of bottles of various flavours on his table.

"What is this?"

Hunter finds a note taped to the bottles. He immediately reached over and read it.

'I heard you moved to the regular dorm. I bought this drink for you. What flavour do you like? But apples are the best. Morning spirit!'

Hunter needs to find out who put the drinks in his room. He quickly crumpled up the note and turned his head to the bed above him.

Annoyed, Hunter climbed the spiral staircase that connected the bottom bunk to Jonea's bed above. When he got to Jonea's bed, the girl was gone. Hunter found a note and immediately read it.

'When you saw me in the morning, I was sure you would be mad at me. That's why I went first. And about the drink, don't expect me to do it. The girls came and forced me to put it down for you. They threaten me. I'm powerless over pretty girls.'

"Arrggg…!" Hunter is annoyed. He tousled his hair. "I will pay many times more cruelly than this. You have to taste it, Miller!"