𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁
(𝗻.) 𝖺 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝗂𝖽 𝗈𝗋 𝗎𝗇𝖺𝗌𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗈𝗇.

𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗗
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

"What, Why?"

"H-huh?"

"Explain."

"What?!" She hissed in a fit of rage at his imperative demands, teeth gritting in agitation. Why's he treating me like some damn mutt!? "Since when did you care?!"

"Oi,"

"Don't 'Oi' me!" Maribel bluntly pointed at him to return the discourtesy before crossing her arms ungainly, her words trailing off as she feebly stood her ground against his peremptory glare. "I don't like it..."

A throaty, exasperated exhale echoed between the four, encompassing walls. "Raconteuse, quit playing stubborn and explain what fucking happened." He proceeded to grab the jar of ointment and gestured to his other leg, "you haven't done my other leg yet."

"You've got arms, right? Then, do. It. Yourself." She bit back with a careless shrug.

"I told you I'd reveal the secret to smooth shaven legs if you answered my questions, didn't I?"

"...." Ugh, dammit. Maribel pursed her lips in contemplation, her resolve crumbling pathetically as she pliantly complied with his polite request.

"So?" He urged a little more gently then before with the raise of an arched brow when she resumed her pacification of the soreness, "what happened?"

"...Um," Maribel started off with a defeated mien, am I seriously confiding in this loser..? "Well, the Noel guy.. he gave me an ice pack and brought me to the infirmary after writing down my injury in a log... and then, um.. and then when we were there, he told those ladies in the infirmary what happened," she trailed off, growing more irate when the ladies mentioned were brought to mind.

"And that alone didn't guarantee your ticket home?" Kaiser's eyes narrowed in cogitation, if that were the case, then there was a another issue that needed to be addressed.

Bastard munchen, like any other top league in Europe, is fundamentally a football club at its core. In simpler terms, the academy was only able to grow to accommodate all its pupils (of today) from the success of the young athletes. What was originally a club to cultivate the youthful, naturally gifted talents of football, had developed into a boarding school for said players, where formal instruction and accommodation for the athletes aged between 10–18/19 was provided within the premises.

Soon after with the club's prosperity, the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) had come to a mutual agreement with all top 5 leagues to invest a fraction of its wealth into expending the educational institutions for the general public with multiple intentions in mind. A few being public image, further proliferating profits (from e.g. uniforms, charity events and fairs, etc), and having a whole mob of students at their disposal to do their bidding (spreading the influence of UEFA).

Therefore meaning the academy itself is directly dependant on the football club. So in hindsight, the words of people like Noel Noa, whose influence within the footballing community was incomparable, were absolute.

Then if those insignificant receptionists had blatantly turned a deaf ear to that shitty master's words... "Tch," they've gotten complacent. "Raconteuse, if you didn't get sent home early to recuperate, what medical care did they give you?"

"...." Maribel anxiously chewed on her bottom lip before explaining quietly, "I sat in the waiting room... and then when lunch was over, she told me to return to lesson saying I should be fine now." Just now, I probably sounded like I was playing some pitiful thing but—

"What?" The expression of incredulity he sported was a sight to behold, and it only encouraged Maribel to explain in further details. 

"Right!?" The girl suddenly sprung up from her hunched state on the floor and sat beside Kaiser on the bed, her leg crossing over the other as her previously clouded eyes now burnt hot with the surge of fury she'd been compressing to keep herself sane. "That fucking cunt, made me waste my entire fourty-five fucking minutes of lunch! Only to then tell me to return back to my lesson, like— like, what the fuck?!"

Kaiser furtively flinched at her abrupt rise in fervour and sweat dropped at her expectant glare, he earnestly nodded with an enraged scowl of his own to display his sincere attentiveness and impel her to spill more of what had occurred. "So that cunt not only turned a blind eye to the medical care you needed, she basically was the reason for your malnutrition? I see, so if you'd actually injured me when applying the herbal balm, she'd have been the root cause of it."

"...." Maribel frowned in confusion, processing his reaching words with a blank stare. I mean, I didn't think it was that serious... "I guess, you're right..?" Trying her luck, she hesitantly poked his sore muscles eliciting a growl akin to that of a ferocious beast. 

"She shall be held accountable for the heinous crime of injuring me! Me! The world's superstar!" Kaiser arrogantly placed a hand over his chest as he preached on being the world's best.

"...." He's so deluded, it's a little bit funny... Maribel bit her lips to stop herself from grinning. No, this vellekaren isn't funny!

"But! That still doesn't explain why you got detention." He was broken out of his self-love rant when he felt a judgemental stare aimed at him.

"Mm... well I got really mad that they didn't even inquire about my condition during the whole of lunch, I mean, it was forty-five fucking minutes!!" Maribel scoffed as she rambled away her frustrations. "And she was like to me, 'i'M sUrE yOu'Ll bE fInE, even after I told her that I had a bad migraine and that my vision was blurry! I told myself that I would say something, I mean, I had to—! D'you know how pissed I would've been at myself if I just— silently took that?!"

Kaiser intensely listened to her indignation, he swallowed hard when hearing her voice crack with desperation, I'd be mad at you too... Maribel always spoke her mind to him, she'd never sugar-coat. So if someone like her had sat silently and remained unassertive when the situation called for other wise, it'd be somewhat disappointing...

"So, when she told me to leave, I got up and threw the ice pack in the bin... with a little bit of attitude but— that doesn't matter! I obviously had that right! Right?" Readjusting her stance so that she was facing him with more ease, her legs now crisscross applesauced, she looked over to him with a pleading glare in hopes to get his agreement.

"Obviously," he sassed right back, painfully hyper aware of the way her knees briefly brushed his thigh whenever she leaned unknowingly closer to express her displeasure.

"Ex-Act-Ly!" Maribel began gesturing with her hands to emphasise her points, an unconscious habit of hers when she was immersed in telling Kaiser his little bedtime stories. "And then—! And then I was like to her, "hOw ArE yOu sO sUrE i'Ll bE fInE? Which by the way, I'm so glad I said that, because like— y'know how I said I would've been so mad at myself if I just sat there like an idiot. So obviously, I like- I don't regret it."

"Mhm," he hummed with an amused glint in his kyanite eyes, his palm covering the prideful smirk that threatened to slip through whilst simultaneously supporting his chin upright. Facing her, his elbow digging his sore thigh, he solely placed Maribel at the centre of his attention. "Good, you shouldn't regret it."

"I know! But I haven't finished yet— so anyway," she recollected her breath after going off on a tangent. "After I said that to her, I was getting ready to leave, and that bitch called me back— I heard her, but um," Maribel grumbled with a reluctant tone, admitting she was partly at fault was rather irksome. "But I pretended I didn't hear her... because like— she wouldn't listen to my concerns, so obviously I.... I didn't feel inclined to listen to her bullshit...!" The girl's words came to ungainly pause when feeling a heavy hand land directly on her head.

"Good girl," he praised with a shit eating grin, the glee that pervaded his senses capered further and deepening the sole dimple on his left cheek, prompting him to ruffle her hair that had been tied back in her usual low bun. It's soft despite looking a little frizzy... Kaiser watched like a hawk, completely amused as the girl's jaw went slack with a mortified gasp, her eyes zeroing at the unexpected gesture (of affection). Ah, shit—

"Ah—! Do I like some damn dog to you?!" She hollered in fluster, grabbing his wrist and harshly pulling it away from her head.

"Hmm, then how about 'attagirl'?" He mocked patronisingly. Provocatively.

"NO! That's even worse!" Maribel slapped his other hand that inched closer to her now disheveled hair, that was still, miraculously, in its bun.

"-Aha!" His chuckles grew more authentic when she directed her infuriated scowl at him. "So, pfft—!" he drew in sharp breaths to collect himself when his stomach coiled painfully with mirth. With a sigh of pleasure, he looked over to her now more seriously. "What will you do then? Will you complain?"

"....um," I was gonna... I really want to, but—! Her face scrunched up with hesitance, throat constricting with displeasure, she muttered a quick word of averse, only praying he hadn't heard it. But I don't want to burden Appa with all of this... it's not even that deep.

Kaiser didn't need to be a mind reader to be able to peruse her loud thoughts. He could be deaf and still be able to hear her quiet words. She clearly wasn't going to complain, but her rant spoke otherwise... "Raconteuse," he called out with a firm tone. "Y'know, you could sue her for breaching the Health and Safety 'First Aid' Regulations. I'm sure this isn't the first time a student's welfare has been neglected."

Maribel suddenly jutted her lip out and abruptly lifted her knees up to embrace them in search for comfort, I never knew that... "Doing all of that seems like such a long process, and— and I just, I wouldn't know what to do... or like how to do all of that anyway... Plus, it doesn't hurt much now, so I probably won't—"

"I asked if you wanted to complain, not how you were going to or if you would in general." He casually (sneakily) rephrased his words, wistfully eyeing her unsettlingly familiar, upright fetal position, stop doing that dammit...

It reminded him too much of his younger self.

"Huh?" What? I thought he asked if I would complain though...? "But I could've sworn you said—"

"I asked if you wish to complain." Tone leaving no room for argument, he patiently awaited her response with a controlled smile.

"Well," if he's asking whether I wish to complain... then I obviously... "WELL, OBVIOUSLY I DO! DAMN!" She clicked her tongue with a heavy curse, "that fucking fat bitch—! Not only did she waste my whole entire lunch, but another whole fucking hour in detention that I'll never get back!"

"Haha—!" She's back to normal, a soft, genuine smile slipped through his smooth facade when she voiced out her very colourful thoughts. Her vocabulary is truly a whole myriad of colour! "Oh, and refrain from insulting insult dogs like that. I have a pet dog myself and it deeply wounds me." He warned facetiously.

"Oh," she blinked in her stupor, he has a pet dog? "Um, I didn't mean to insult dogs, uh, sorry." Apologising with a not-so-apologetic tone, she pursed her lips in thought. He didn't seem like a dog person... Well, another reason to dislike him!

"Hmm, why are you apologising?" Does she think I'd threaten her with that dog..? "Don't be afraid, he's not your conventional dog."

That only makes me more afraid! Maribel squirmed uncomfortably under his curious stare, grimacing at whatever he maybe planning. "Just thought it offended you."

"Nah, it didn't. So don't worry about it." Ah, now that reminded him. "Oh, and for the record," once he'd grabbed her attention in the form of an inquisitive hum, he chirped rather proudly. "You're more like a cat than a dog."

More like a cat than a dog. More like a cat than a dog. More like a cat than a dog.
More like a cat than a dog. More like a cat than a dog.

"......"

"....." Gasp! Cats >>> Dogs!!!

"What..?" Ostensibly cringing with unsettlement at his sudden discernment, she crossed her arms with a huff and refused to look his way. "And is that supposed to make me happy?"

Kaiser bit his tongue to silence his witty retort, you look quite happy though. With a sigh of both relief and determination, he examined her eye, where she'd been victim to that nasty shot. It was really swollen earlier... it looks better now but it may still be hurting. Dammit... Pulling on the material of his shirt collar, he aggressively soothed the itch on his neck. I'd better deal with that fat cunt and that useless benchwarmer...

The day after...

The crisp chill of Germany's early morning gelidity pricked at Suranika's exposed cheeks, inciting the girl to hug her trench coat tighter against her frame. The frown of irritation that was previously etched on to her face forcefully eased down to a mellow glare when feeling a minor itch by the edge of her nose. Inwardly cursing the hiemal season and its unbidden effects, she pulled out her pocket mirror to examine the condition of her makeup.

"Fuck," she muttered a curse upon seeing the slight separation of her concealer by the crease of her nose. With a sniff to stop the running of her nose in place of blowing it and making a mess of herself, she proceeded to firmly pat the area with her stiff fingers, inwardly praying it wouldn't flake up any further throughout the day, the chatter of her friends falling deaf on her ears.

"Why's there a whole crowd over there?" One of them queried to no one in particular, "Oh—! Is it a fight?"

"A fight?!" Another parroted with a bemused expression, a brief pang of fomo crawling up her veins. If it was a fight, it'd be the highlight of entertainment for several upcoming days. Something that would truly be a shame to miss out on.

"A fight?" Suranika finally voiced out her curiosity after doing final touch ups on her appearance. Luckily for her, the stronghold gel she borrowed from her sister was meticulously doing its job in keeping her hair slicked back in its bun as advertised. "Hmm, I'd know if there was really a fight... highly doubt it is."

"Oh, but you don't know everything." One of them drawled out, her voice high and smarmy. The girl's lilted tone held a humorous air of hostility, encouraging them all to wordlessly approach the swarming mass of pupils.

Navigating through the mob was not much of a struggle for someone like Suranika who was quite accustomed to all this. The girl quickly caught the eye of a quidnunc she was closely acquainted with and casually beckoned him over, to which the guy elatedly capered to her presence. Uncaring of how pathetic it may have looked from an outsider's perspective, the fruity guy hollered a chummy greeting, a few of his friends tagging along when realising it was Suranika who wanted to speak to them.

"What's happening over there?" Suranika was the first the voice out her query after getting continuously nudged by her friends, an overly amiable grin of her own on display to match the guy's energy. It was always best to be on good terms with gossipers, especially if you had no desire to be the next topic of discussion. "Is it a fight or something?"

"Nah, not a fight." He retorted confidently despite being ignorant about what was occurring. "Erm, I actually don't know, y'know?"

"Huh?" Suranika whined in disappointment, "how come you don't know? But you know everything." The girl jutted her bottom lip out as bait, her saccharin-like words a ruse to press him into spilling whatever was necessary.

"I seriously don't know," he nervously chuckled, hands up in mock surrender. Fuck, he was feeling a pang of guilt pervade his bloodstream and it didn't help that she was gazing up at him like that.

"Whatever," she muttered disinterestedly, her gaze shifting to a lone lady pathetically walking out of the school gates, her back slumped in shame as her stumpy arms struggled to hold a box containing what Suranika could only assume were her personal belongings. The lady's physical characteristics eerily matching the detailed description her older sister had mentioned when ranting about the unjust events that took place yesterday.

"So, it's that bitch that got sacked?" One commented, which caught her attention. Ah— she's getting fired?!

"Ugh, about fucking time. For someone who got payed, she was so fucking lazy."

"Innit man, remember the time when they made an announcement on the speakers and they forgot to turn the mic off and everyone heard them gossip."

"Oh my God, yeah! So unprofessional."

"There was also a time where that lady there disclosed the confidential