Winter Swan

The confusion and pain Kail felt were real. And it was Silje who caused them, but she refused to admit it. She chewed her lips and continued, “I said what I meant to say. Stop coming to my workplace. Like I said, I don’t know how long your sudden interest in me will last, but I don’t plan on becoming your toy.”

“Look at how confident you are. But you better not get me even more excited.”

Kail’s eyes clouded over, “You are the one who should listen to what I’m saying. This isn’t a fling for me. Here is a suggestion. If I were you, I would get to know me. I would try to find out why a guy like me is showing such interest in you. If I were you, I would want an answer.”

“You can find the answer by yourself. I’m not interested.”

He must’ve expected this reaction from her, because he just shrugged his shoulders and smoked. A white cloud formed in the air as he exhaled and Silje glared at him.

He looked seductive even when he was smoking. Surrounded by a white cloud of smoke, Kail asked, “So you are flat out rejecting me?”

He also added mockingly, “I can see that you are not giving me anything. No compromise at all, eh?”

“That’s right. You got it.”

At her sharp reply, Kail narrowed his eyes.

“I will say this. If you are adamant against us dating, I won’t force you. But…”

He smiled dangerously and drank her in with his eyes. He looked so delicious that Silje couldn’t stop looking at him.

Kail continued, “Eventually, you will have no choice but to admit the fact that we are attracted to each other. I had to do it, and so will you.”

The certainty in his voice was alarming. Silje considered another heartless comment, but Kail turned around and walked away slowly. He left without looking back.

All Silje could do was glare at his back. She hoped that he would disappear from her life forever.

However, her wish didn’t come true. She should’ve known that she had no control over her life. Even after their last encounter, Kail continued to stay near her.

***

Ding dong.

The school bell rang, and the students stood up to move to their next classes. Silje was walking down the hallway when suddenly she saw Kail looking at her from ahead.

Did he plan this encounter?

They scanned each other silently.

Silje was flustered as he walked towards her. He lowered his face to whisper to her ear in a delicious low baritone voice.

“As you can see, things will not work out the way you want them to. I will continue to remain near you until you accept me. Of course, I realize that it will take time, but I can be patient. Waiting itself can be fun too.”

“Didn’t you hear a word I said to you? I don’t plan on becoming a source of amusement for you.”

After hearing her pointed voice, kids passing by glanced at them.

“…”

Silje chewed her lips at the unwanted attention. This was bad. Being with the cruel king of the school meant attracting attention from other people.

She wanted to blend in and be unnoticed. She wanted to graduate and disappear but if she was associated with Kail, she wouldn’t be able to get what she wanted.

When she glared at him, Kail’s eyes narrowed attractively as he smiled.

“Then I will see you later. Have a nice day.”

Kail gave her a mocking smile and walked away slowly. He was making fun of her while making her life miserable.

He was a predator that stalked her. In his khaki military jacket, Kail walked away in a leisurely manner and she hated him.

Silje saw that the other girls looked at him dreamily as he walked past them. But despite all the pretty girls staring at him, Kail seemed oblivious. He continued to walk at a steady pace until he disappeared from sight.

Something bad was coming. Silje could feel it. Just like Kail said, she knew she would continue to see him, and she would get involved in whatever he planned. Her instincts told her so.

“Hello, Silje!”

In the school cafeteria, Irina approached her with a smile.

“We don’t take the same classes, so I don’t get to see you that often. How are you?” Irina asked pleasantly.

Seeing her only friend at school, Silje smiled as well with a lighter heart. She had a rule of not making friends at school, but seeing a friendly person was still a nice thing. Silje realized she even enjoyed it.

“Hello, Irina.”

Silje greeted her friend with a calm voice.

“I’m same as usual. Are you doing well?”

“Of course. It’s so nice to see you. What’s on the menu today? Let’s see. Baked lamb, salmon steak, and Caesar salad. Luxurious as usual.”

Silje smiled in agreement. Irina continued, “Yummy yummy! It’s so delicious. I love Caesar salad dressing! It’s like magic, because it makes everything taste so good!”

Irina seemed to be truly happy as she started to eat.

“Wow, the lamb smells amazing! It’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I wonder what the dessert is going to be today. I want to eat a cream custard bread. Oh! Salmon steak tastes amazing too. It’s very moist.”

Irina reminded Silje of a little bird chirping and eating constantly. Silje smiled at her adorable friend.

Suddenly, Irina seemed to have remembered something. She asked Silje, “Oh, how did you do on the geometry test? Did you do well? Even a genius like you has a subject you’re not good at, I guess. I thought you were just being modest, but I learned that you really did fail geometry. I was so surprised.”

“I wasn’t being modest. It’s true that my geometry grade is bad.”

When Silje replied calmly, Irina looked at her with a bright smile.

“But you are still at the top of the class! Tell me how you do it. What is your secret?”

“There really isn’t a secret. I just study hard, that’s all. Uhm, I guess the only thing I can think of is that because I am being bullied so badly, I find that books are the only things that keep me going.”

At such a frank answer, Irina giggled loudly.

“Oh, Silje, you’re so funny. Some people might not get it, but I love your dark humor.”

Silje grinned.

“Okay, thanks.”

It was just for a short amount of time, but Silje was laughing and chatting with another kid, just like the others. She was enjoying the moment when suddenly, she felt the kids turning their heads towards the cafeteria entrance. When Silje also turned, she couldn’t help but frown.

Noticeable dark hair.

It was Kail. Underneath the bright sun, he was walking into the cafeteria. A tall figure with long legs in a pair of black jeans and a khaki jacket, Kail commanded attention. If it was just his appearance, people would’ve just glanced at him briefly. But his eyes… It was his intense eyes that made people stare at him.

“Wow, it’s Kail.”

Irina’s eyes widened. Silje was still tense from her recent encounter with him, so she felt very uncomfortable. She turned her attention back to her plate, and she poked a piece of sausage with her fork. Then she put it into her mouth and chewed vigorously.