Undercover High School

Chapter 9: Shadows of the Past

Alister hit the brakes again as the notification sound from his phone shattered the silence of the night. He pulled over on the side of the road, right under the drooping branches of a rain tree that seemed to guard a secret. His hand moved swiftly into his leather jacket to grab the phone. The screen lit up.

Unknown number.

Message:

“Ray Valen… turns out you’re still alive.”

Alister’s chest immediately tightened. The air seemed to grow colder. His hand clenched slightly around the phone. His eyes froze.

Ray Valen.

That name. The name he had buried along with his old identity. A name that should’ve been erased from this world—along with everyone who used to know it.

Alister exhaled slowly, his breath heavy. Then quickly, he opened a tracking app. His fingers moved swiftly across the screen, attempting to trace the signal from the sender. One by one, he activated tools and apps only known to a select few.

But then...

“No results found.”

He tried again, this time digging deeper. Still nothing. It was as if the sender wasn’t just some random person, but someone who knew exactly how to cover their tracks.

“Who the hell are you…” Alister muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, he felt like he was being watched. The surroundings were quiet—too quiet. The night was too still, like it was holding its breath, waiting for something to explode.

His phone vibrated again.

Another message:

“Took you long enough. Or are you just afraid of your past?”

Alister stared at the screen for a long time. His gaze sharpened.

He typed a quick reply:

“Who are you?”

No response. Silence returned. The number’s signal had completely vanished—untraceable.

Alister clenched his jaw.

“Who? Reino? He’s the only one who knows the truth,” he muttered.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket, mounted his motorcycle, and restarted the engine.

This time, it wasn’t just the roar of the motor that echoed in his ears—but the pounding of his heart, demanding answers from a past that refused to stay buried.

A light drizzle began as Alister parked his bike in the apartment’s basement. His steps were quick, restless. Once he reached his ninth-floor unit, he didn’t bother turning on the lights. Darkness didn’t matter. His fingers already knew the location of every table, chair, and his laptop in the corner.

With a single motion, the laptop lit up, revealing a black interface far from an average user’s screen. Alister’s eyes narrowed as the cursor blinked. He began typing swift commands, unlocking access to closed networks he had carefully stored away.

“Reino Ezra.”

The name popped up first.

Personal data, school history, disciplinary records, even Reino’s latest digital activity displayed across the screen. But Alister didn’t stop there. He dove deeper—not just to find out who Reino was, but who was connected to him.

One by one, names surfaced. Some he recognized—former street racers, motorcycle gang members—until one name made him pause:

Yoona Siregar.

“Yoona?” he muttered, recalling the new transfer student at school. He also remembered she had joined a race just a few days ago.

Reino and Yoona.

“Do they know each other?” Alister murmured.

He stared at the screen, eyes filled with questions. Yoona Siregar’s name now appeared clearly, directly connected within the web of data that also contained Reino Ezra. He zoomed into their digital connections. There were traces of indirect communication—encrypted messages, private forums, even overlapping GPS history—showing they’d been in the same city before.

The city where Alister used to live.

“So, you’re not just another transfer student,” Alister whispered, remembering Yoona’s eyes when she first spoke to him at school.

“What game are you playing, Yoona? Why did you come to this school… and why approach me?” he asked under his breath.

“I need to keep an eye on her,” he muttered with determination.

Alister leaned back slightly, letting his thoughts process the puzzle pieces that were beginning to scatter. Yoona Siregar. A girl who slipped too easily into his life, got close too quickly, and now—was linked to Reino Ezra.

His fingers moved swiftly again, opening a video folder from the school’s surveillance cameras he had previously hacked. He sped through the footage of Yoona’s first day. Her calm face, hesitant yet calculated steps… and one moment that drew Alister’s attention.

She stood in the hallway, scanning the classroom—not searching for a seat, but for someone.

“Me,” Alister whispered. “She was looking for me.”

He zoomed in, analyzing the change in Yoona’s expression the moment she saw him enter the room. Her gaze sharpened—different from how she usually looked at him when they talked.

Then suddenly, his phone vibrated again. A new message. Same number—unknown and untraceable.

“Stop wasting your time. You won’t find anything, Ray!”

Alister cursed softly and stood up. A chill ran down his spine.

That message wasn’t just a threat—it was a warning. Or worse… a sign that someone was always watching.

But who?

The next day, as usual, Alister headed to school. This time, he wasn’t late.

And for now, he would keep watching Yoona.

As he got off his motorcycle, Yoona happened to arrive too, riding her sport bike and parking right beside his.

“Hey…” Yoona greeted, removing her helmet.

Alister glanced at her. “Not late for once,” he added dryly.

Alister didn’t reply and simply walked away. Yoona wasn’t discouraged; she chased after him, calling his name.

“Al, wait up!” she shouted, running to keep up with Alister’s long strides. “Ugh, I’m talking to you, Al!”

Alister turned slightly, just enough to confirm that she was still following him. His gaze was cold, without a smile.

Yoona finally walked beside him, slightly breathless from catching up.

“What’s with you? Are you mad at me?” she asked, half annoyed, half curious.

Alister paused for a moment, staring straight ahead, then shook his head slowly. “No,” he replied shortly. His tone was flat, almost emotionless.

Yoona rolled her eyes. “No, but you’ve been so cold.”

Alister didn’t answer. He continued walking through the hallway, now buzzing with students.

Unwilling to give up, Yoona kept up beside him, maintaining her casual tone.

“Have you done the chemistry assignment, Al?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah.”

“Can I see it? I’m a bit confused about the hydrolysis reaction part.”

Alister stopped in front of their classroom and looked at Yoona. For a moment, he studied her face—searching for a crack, a lie, anything that could reveal who she really was.

“Are you really just a transfer student?” Alister asked softly, almost a whisper.

Yoona frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Forget it.” Alister opened the classroom door and walked in first.

Yoona stood still for a second, puzzled. But behind that moment of hesitation, a faint smile curled on her lips.

As if… she knew Alister was starting to suspect her.

And that was exactly part of her plan.

“Okay… target’s starting to take the bait,” Yoona thought.

***