Undercover High School

Chapter 4 – The Gift and the Weight He Carries

The bell rang, echoing through the school hallways, signaling the end of class. A chorus of chatter filled the air as students scrambled to pack up and rush out of the classroom. Alister calmly reached for his bag and started to rise from his seat.

But before he could stand, a small hand gently held his arm.

Instinctively, Alister glanced at the hand with a piercing gaze. The noise outside the classroom seemed to fade under the sudden tension hanging between them.

“Ah… sorry!” Yoona quickly apologized, realizing her mistake. Alister clearly wasn’t someone who welcomed uninvited physical contact.

He said nothing for a moment, eyes sharp and unreadable.

“What is it?” he asked flatly. His voice was low, but it carried a quiet intensity that made Yoona swallow hard. Those eyes... so mysterious.

She quickly withdrew her hand and forced an awkward smile, trying to ease the tension she had created. “Oh, um… I just…”

Alister kept staring, offering no help in breaking the silence.

“I’m still new here… and I don’t have anyone to eat lunch with. Plus, I don’t even know where the cafeteria is,” she said at last, trying to sound casual even though her heart was racing.

Alister's expression didn’t change. “I don’t eat in the cafeteria,” he said flatly, closing the door to any possibility.

Yoona nodded, laughing awkwardly. “Yeah, no worries… just asking. Hehe.”

Alister picked up his bag, stood up, and walked off without another word.

Yoona watched him go. She felt slightly embarrassed, but her curiosity only deepened. There was something about him—cold, mysterious, and definitely not your typical student.

“Interesting…” she murmured with a sly smile, eyes following his retreating figure.

Down the hall, Clara stepped in front of Alister, stopping him.

“Alister,” she called softly as he came to a halt.

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“Could you come to my office for a moment? There’s something I’d like to give you.”

“Something?” Alister raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. Think of it as a thank-you—for what you did the other night,” Clara replied with a shy smile.

A brief silence fell between them.

Alister studied her face for a second, as if weighing something in his mind. Then, he nodded slightly.

“Okay.”

Clara exhaled in relief. “Follow me.”

They walked side by side down the quiet hallway, their shadows stretching across the floor as the afternoon sun streamed through the tall windows. Neither of them spoke until they reached the teacher’s office.

Clara handed him a neatly wrapped package.

“This is for you. I hope you can use it. It’s just something small,” she said gently.

“You didn’t have to go through all this. I helped you because I wanted to,” Alister replied.

Clara nodded, still holding the gift toward him. “I know. But sometimes… gratitude needs to be shown, even if it’s through something simple.”

Alister paused, looking down at the gift wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a dark blue ribbon. Slowly, he accepted it.

“Thank you,” he said, his tone still unreadable.

Clara smiled and returned to her desk, sitting down. She kept her eyes on him, observing the boy with the calm posture and quiet presence—so composed, yet so distant.

He looked… older than a high schooler. And there was something charismatic, almost sweet, about him, Clara thought.

“I’ll get going now, Ma’am.”

Clara smiled again, though part of her wished the conversation would last longer.

“Maybe… next time, could I treat you to a meal, Alister?” she asked, hopeful. “But, it’s okay if you don’t want to. Really,” she added quickly, turning her flushed face away.

Alister turned and looked at her for a moment, silent. His calm gaze didn’t change, but there was a subtle furrow in his brow—he clearly hadn’t expected the offer.

“I… don’t really like eating out,” he finally said. His voice was flat, but it didn’t sound like a complete rejection.

Clara bit her lip, trying to hide the shy smile that crept onto her face. She nodded quickly, fumbling with a stack of papers on her desk.

“Of course. Just kidding… sort of,” she murmured.

Alister gave a brief nod and stepped back to the door. Just before he left, he paused and looked over his shoulder.

“Thanks… for the gift.”

Then he was gone.

Clara remained seated, staring at the closed door. A soft smile lingered on her lips, and her heart beat just a little faster than usual.

Meanwhile, in the now quiet school corridor, Alister descended the stairs with the gift in hand. His fingers gently pressed the top of the navy-blue ribbon, curious… but he resisted the urge to open it in public.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes watched from a different hallway.

Yoona.

She leaned casually against the wall, eyes narrowed as she watched Alister disappear down the corridor.

“Well, well… is this turning into a teacher-student drama?” she muttered with a sly smirk.

Alister’s footsteps echoed softly through the quiet hallways of a private hospital. The sterile scent of antiseptic clung to the air, wrapping around him like an unavoidable memory. He walked with his head slightly bowed, the gift from Clara in his left hand, his right hand in his jacket pocket.

Eventually, he stopped in front of a white door marked Room 206.

Without hesitation, he turned the knob and slowly pushed it open.

Soft lighting illuminated a frail elderly woman lying on the hospital bed. Her skin was pale, her breathing steady but assisted by an oxygen tube. Medical monitors beeped gently beside her, their rhythm slow and aching.

Alister stepped in without a sound. His usually cold and unreadable expression softened ever so slightly. Guilt, sadness—emotions he rarely showed—crept into his eyes.

He sat in the chair beside the bed, gently taking the woman’s wrinkled hand in his.

“How are you, Mom… I’m here,” he whispered, barely audible.

His voice cracked slightly, as if holding back something he had long kept buried.

She didn’t open her eyes, but her fingers moved slightly in response. A small gesture—yet enough to make Alister’s chest tighten.

“I wasn’t late today…” he murmured, lowering his head.

Silence filled the room. Only the sound of the monitor broke the stillness, echoing the fragile life that remained.

And in that quiet moment, for the first time all day…

Alister looked truly vulnerable.

***