"So the day finally arrived." Standing before Jinn in the staff room, Mrs. Walker let out a long nostalgic sigh. "I knew this day would come eventually for you. You were the most bearable student I ever had."
"I think we all can agree on that." Mr. Huggins chuckled dryly from the side; other teachers also laughed along.
They all knew that those words coming from Mrs. Walker’s mouth were the highest form of praise she had ever given to a student.
Standing before the room full of teachers, Jinn showed no signs of embarrassment or shyness. In fact, it was he who came to the teachers to bid his farewells.
Dressed in his newly purchased three-piece suit and with his slicked-back hair, Jinn was prepared to start the new Chapter of his life.
He gave off the scholarly vibe, dressed up so neatly, so much so no one could sense the power brimming under the fabric.
Packed with two cores, one from his human nature and the other from his devil nature, Jinn was already looking at a great start for his career as an awakened.
"You are looking sharp, boy." A sly-looking male teacher gave Jinn a strange smile with a thumbs up. "I wonder how many girls will throw themselves on you."
Mrs. Walker did not seem pleased with his comment and glared at him.
"I still feel weird taking the money." Jinn chuckled before looking down at himself with ’doubt’ and ’uneasiness.’
"Nonsense." Mrs. Walker admonished him sternly. "This was going to be yours one way or another. There is nothing wrong with it."
Jinn bought the suit with the money he had taken from Agnes and hid it in her house. While searching through her house, the law enforcement members came into possession of the money.
The officers wanted to seize the money along with everything Agnes owned, but Mrs. Walker fought hard with them and even pulled some strings to take it back.
And just like Jinn had planned, she gave everything to Jinn, and no one objected to it since they all knew he was the next of kin of her.
"Jinn, you should not be hung up on the past." Seeing the forced smile on his face, she placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke to him. "You have a bright future ahead of you, and if you keep thinking about the things that have already happened, you might just waste the gift you have been bestowed with."
Her words ’enlightened’ Jinn, with renewed vigor, exclaimed, "you are right, Mrs. Walker."
After he was done saying his goodbyes, he returned to the orphanage, where the others were already waiting for him.
The moment he entered the room, the crowd of kids rushed forward to hug him. Their eyes glistening with tears and sadness.
"Jinn, we will miss you." Everyone liked Jinn even though they did not realize he had different feelings about them. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel•fire.net
While they were crying their heart out, Jinn did not pull away, thinking this would be the last time he would meet them.
"Jinn I will follow you to the academy next year."
’Please don’t.’ But his tolerance on the surface did not stop him from making remarks in his mind.
"Jinn, When will you come to visit us?"
’Probably never,’ Jinn smiled at the girl and said, "I will come on the day you see two suns in the sky."
While the girl was lost thinking about when the day would arrive, Kyle pulled hard on his coat. "Big Brudahh... Take me, please."
’Boy, not the snot; this suit is expensive.’ Jinn pulled away smoothly and crouched down before patting his head. "Grow up well, Kyle. Maybe one day you might be the one going to the Nightshade Academy."
Kyle sniffed his snot back and wiped his tears with the sleeves of the shirt that barely fit him. Then he nodded with a determined expression several times.
"I will!" As he spoke, the boy bit his tongue, making the others laugh.
Seeing them laugh at him, Kyle lowered his head and clutched the edge of his shirt, feeling deeply embarrassed, but then he felt a warm palm resting on his head.
He looked up to meet the Jinn’s sweet smile, untouched by mockery and snickers.
Seeing the smile, Kyle could not help but flash a sunny smile of his own.
"I will make you proud, brudah."
Jinn nodded and stood up, shifting through the crowd and walking up to his bed, where a certain silver-haired girl was waiting beside his packed luggage.
Sally fidgeted on the bed, but she did not cry. She wanted to throw herself on Jinn like the rest, but she was too proud and bashful to do it in front of others.
"Will you write to me?" She asked shyly.
"If I get the time." Jinn replied with a smirk, amused by watching her squirm on the bed.
Sally snapped at his response. She stood up and poked a finger in his chest and said, "WHEN you get the time, understand."
Jinn chuckled out loud, not even feeling the pain from the jab. "Sure."
As he leaned to pick up the suitcase from the bed, Jinn whispered in her ears, "When I am gone, you can change your wet sheets with mine, and none would be wiser."
Naturally Sally understood what he was talking about instantly, and her face went beet red. "You!"
But more than focusing on him indirectly calling her a bed wetter, Sally’s mind echoed with the notion of him leaving.
Jinn looked down in surprise; the stubborn little girl now had her arms wrapped around his torso and her face buried in his chest. "I will miss you... big brother."
Even though her mosquito-like whisper did not reach anyone else, Jinn heard it clearly. With one hand around her back, he brushed her hair with the other and whispered.
"You better not shame my name after I am gone...."
The words Sally wanted to hear never left his mouth, and to express her dissatisfaction, she tightened her hold on him and pushed her head deeper into his chest like she wanted him to feel the same pain as her.
But despite everything she was feeling, her thoughts never wavered from the start. ’Jinn... Ah, Jinn! No matter how much you don’t want to admit it or run away from me. One day I will make sure that you will acknowledge me one way or another.’