He thought for a few minutes before finally cooking up a lie, avoiding Adrien's intense gaze.

"I fell and it got bruised."

Adrien growled. "Seriously!? You expect me to believe that?"

Angelo sighed sadly. "Just let me be... please."

His voice cracked at the end, and Adrien gasped a little.

"Fine. I won't meddle in your business anymore," Adrien snapped, walking to his bed. He yanked the duvet over his head.

"That's not what I meant... I just..."

But Adrien stayed motionless, tucked under the covers like he was done with the world.

Angelo looked at him worriedly for a second, then turned and walked into the bathroom.

He stripped slowly, stepping under the warm water. Letting it soothe him. But it only made the stinging worse.

Later, he grabbed his towel and searched his luggage for the ointment. He applied it gently on the bruises, trying not to wince too loud.

**

Angelo was the first to see the sunlight, and he was low key grateful for that.

Because he'd slept in his bathrobe and he didn't want Adrien seeing the state of him.

He rushed into the bathroom and took a fast jacuzzi bath.

He had class by 8:30. So yeah, he was already in full panic mode.

He tossed on some blue shorts, white socks, and an oversized cotton long-sleeved shirt still trying to hide the bruises on his hands.

"Senior Adrien, wake up."

"I'm not having a class now," Adrien mumbled lazily.

Angelo scoffed and dashed out, clutching muffin like it was his last source of life.

The moment he stepped into the classroom, all eyes turned to him.

"Angelo Silver, you're late," Mr. Smith announced, his voice sharp enough to slice through Angelo's soul.

"I-It wasn't intentional..."

"No lame excuses. The next time you try this, have it in mind you'll be visiting detention."

The words hit like a slap. Angelo just bowed slightly and shuffled to his seat.

To his surprise, his seatmate was Lyra.

"Woah! You're also taking Philosophy?" she whispered excitedly.

Angelo managed a smile.

"You're not being you. What's wrong? Oh my gosh, I forgot to ask did you go to your brother's place? Hope he didn't hurt you?" Her voice lowered at the end.

Angelo's brows furrowed cutely as he tried to remember what lie he'd told.

"Oh, yeah. It was fine. He even saved my name as Little Devil." He chuckled nervously. "Wasn't expecting him to call me in school though."

Lyra nodded like she bought it.

"Well, don't come late again, okay? Mr. Smith's more insane than Miss Venus or whatever her name is."

Angelo nodded and shifted a little closer to her. She giggled, clearly enjoying the vibe.

But her eyes suddenly caught a bruise in his long sleeves.

"What's up?" she asked, reaching for his arm.

Almost instantly, Angelo yanked his hand back with a tiny smile.

Lyra raised a brow but didn't push.

"Miss Monroe!" Mr. Smith's voice boomed. "What was the last thing I talked about?"

Lyra shrieked in panic, snapping back to reality.

Mr. Smith's eyes narrowed as he scanned the classroom, waiting for an answer.

Lyra's cheeks flushed a deep red, and she fumbled with her notebook. "Um... ethics? No, wait.. metaphysics?"

A few students snickered quietly, but Mr. Smith wasn't impressed.

"Philosophy isn't about guessing," he said sharply.

"It's about understanding the foundations of knowledge, reality, and existence. Now, I want you all to focus on the assignment I gave yesterday. By next week, you'll need to submit a 1,000-word essay on the concept of 'free will vs determinism.'"

Angelo's eyes flicked to Lyra, who was already pulling out her notes and scribbling furiously.

"You're taking this seriously, huh?" he whispered.

Lyra grinned. "Philosophy is kinda fun once you get it."

Angelo nodded, opening his notebook as Mr. Smith started outlining the essay requirements in more detail.

For the next hour, Angelo tried to push away the pain in his hands and focus on the class.

The thought of that essay arguing about whether people control their fate or if everything is already set, felt oddly fitting.

After class ended, Lyra turned to him with a sly smile. "We should study together. Maybe it'll help with the essay."

Angelo hesitated but then smiled back. "Yeah... maybe."

They packed their things, stepping into the bright hallway filled with students chatting and moving between classes.

The day felt a little less heavy. Maybe, just maybe, things could get better.

After class, Lyra glanced around and then whispered, "Hey, let's hit the library. It's way quieter there, and we can actually focus."

Angelo hesitated but nodded, following her down the hall.

Once inside, the library was nearly empty just a few students scattered around.

But nearby, a group of girls were gossiping loudly.

"Did you see what happened with Jason and Mia last weekend?" one whispered excitedly. "They totally made out by the lockers like, the hottest guy in school!"

Another chimed in, "Marcus finally asked Jenna out."

The librarian's sharp voice cut through the chatter. "Keep it down, please. This is a library."

Angelo felt his cheeks burn as Lyra kept staring at him, a teasing smile on her face.

He leaned closer, whispering, "We should probably go somewhere more private."

Lyra smiled wider. "Like the garden?"

"Yeah," Angelo agreed quickly, gathering his things. "The garden sounds perfect."