When a Hitman Gets Haunted by a Ghost
Chapter 33: Hidden in Plain Sight

Chapter 33: Hidden in Plain Sight

"The fuck you want me to do? Go and ask the chicken?" Kant muttered.

A wave of snickers rippled through the crowd of kids.

Luke’s grin didn’t waver, but his eyebrows shot up in mock surprise, milking the crowd’s laughter.

"Careful, Einstein might throw his apple at you and discover gravity," someone joked loudly.

Kant rolled his eyes and looked back at his lunch. "That’s why you’re failing physics. Idiot."

The kid wasn’t happy about it. He slammed his spoon on the table and jumped up. "Hey! I didn’t even say nothing wrong!"

"Isaac Newton invented gravity, not Einstein," Kant corrected, not bothering to look up.

Luke chuckled awkwardly and patted the kid who was wrong, trying to dissipate the tension before it went too far.

Another student joined in to ease things. "Just ignore him. That Einstein is always looking for a fight anyway."

Kant shoved the last bite into his mouth and went to put away his tray. "Looking for a fight? I wouldn’t say shit if you didn’t bother me first," he muttered under his breath.

As Kant left the cafeteria, he shot an annoyed glance at Luke, who had managed to stick a stupid nickname to Kant on his first day.

Despite his attempts to keep away from Luke as much as possible, after about a month, the new kid found Kant sprawled at a library desk before the first bell rang.

"Why do you come to school so early?"

Kant groggily opened his eyes and looked up.

Luke leaned over the desk curiously. "I thought only teachers had to be here this early."

With an annoyed sigh, Kant turned his head to the other side.

But Luke wasn’t one to take a hint. He slid into the seat across from Kant. "You don’t like being at home or something?"

Kant’s brows tightened. Did it look like he was up for a conversation?

"Or do you come here to do homework before lessons begin?" Luke kept asking.

Kant gave up on his nap and straightened in his seat with an impatient huff. "And why are you here so early?"

"I help out at the cafeteria in the mornings," Luke explained, pulling out a cinnamon bun from his bag. "The lunch lady gives me free pastries for the work. It’s my breakfast."

Kant narrowed his eyes, watching Luke unwrap the bun and sink his teeth into it.

"Hey, no eating in the library!" The librarian’s stern eyes pierced into Luke through the gap between the books on the shelf.

"Uh... sorry! Sorry!" Luke jumped up, hastily pushing the cinnamon bun back into its bag and stuffing it into his backpack.

"You should run before she calls the cops," Kant said dryly.

Luke shot him a sheepish glance. "Yeah, I’ll go eat it elsewhere." But before leaving, he took out a whole second cinnamon bun from his bag and put it in front of Kant. "I got two."

Kant eyed the pastry, bewildered. "Why are you giving it to me? Do you want something from me?"

"....No?" Luke frowned, equally bewildered.

Kant picked up the bun, handing it back to him. "Then why?"

Luke waved for him to keep it. "Just take it. You look like you haven’t eaten. Maybe that’s why you’re so grumpy."

"I’m not hungry."

"Then keep it for later. Geez, you’re so stubborn." Luke tugged his bag strap over his shoulder and made an awkward exit, with the librarian’s gaze following him out.

Give it another month, and came the parent-teacher meeting day. When it came to such things, Kant’s family never showed. Mainly because he never brought the stupid leaflet home. But even if he did, no one would come. Even less so now, when he hadn’t shown home for three months.

The next day, Kant’s homeroom teacher asked him to stay for a chat after school.

"Why don’t you ask your dad to come to the next meeting?"

"He doesn’t have the time," Kant said.

The teacher cast him a thoughtful look, then continued gathering the quiz papers. "Still, I would like to talk to him. There’s a field trip coming up, and—"

"I won’t go on the field trip. I’d rather stay here and study."

There was a pause as the teacher set away the pile of papers and took a seat to give her undivided attention to Kant. She leaned forward, clasping her hands.

"Kant, you’re a smart kid. Your grades are excellent, but... I see you alone a lot. And field trips are about making memories with friends, getting closer. Don’t you want that?"

The words stung, but Kant pushed it down. Memories? Friends? What good were those? None of the topics his classmates talked about were relatable to Kant anyway. He didn’t want to listen to what others were doing on the weekends or during Christmas.

Kant shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I’ll think about it."

The teacher smiled faintly. She could tell Kant didn’t mean it. "Alright. If you change your mind, let me know. And really, try to get your dad to come next time. Even if it’s just for a quick talk."

Kant nodded stiffly and left the classroom. He closed the door, grumbling under his breath. "What does it matter if anyone shows up or not? I do everything myself anyway."

"Your dad didn’t come to the parent meeting?" Luke’s voice echoed slightly in the hall.

Kant whipped his head around, unpleasantly surprised. "Why are you here?"

"Psh," Luke stood up, brushing the dust off his pants. "You think I’m spying on you? I was just sitting here."

Kant sent him a doubtful look, then turned to walk down the hallway, his footsteps echoing in the quiet space. Luke fell in step beside him, a little too close for comfort.

"Why are you following me?" Kant muttered, not trying to hide his irritation.

"I’m not following you, Einstein. I’m going to the locker room."

Kant clicked his tongue and sped down the stairs. So did Luke, all the way to Kant’s locker. But before Kant could complain again, Luke unlocked a locker that was right next to his.

"Are you kidding me?" Kant looked at him, exasperated.

Luke beamed, flashing an annoying grin. "Look at that! Our lockers are right next to each other! What a coincidence." He curiously peered into Kant’s locker that was stuffed with all of his living supplies and study materials.

Kant tore his jacket off the hanger and slammed his locker shut. "Coincidence? Really?"

"Why are you so annoyed? It’s not like I asked for my locker to be right next to yours," Luke teased, putting on his boots while humming a song from music class.

"Whatever." Kant swiftly climbed the stairs from the basement and crossed the main hall, but the door at the end of the hall swung open.

Kant’s eyes widened slightly as his father entered the school. His hands and feet ran cold, caught between wanting to bolt and wanting to hide.

Slowly, Kant retreated back to the basement. But it was late. There was nobody in the main hall. Even the administrator was gone from his post for some reason. He was quickly noticed.

"Kant!" his father slurred, a bottle hanging loosely from his hand. He staggered towards Kant, his eyes scanning the hall with unfocused intensity.

Despite all the time away from home, the sight of him made Kant’s heart race. He bolted down the stairs and past Luke, who peeked through the gaps between the lockers in confusion.

Kant ran to the furthest corner of the locker room and hid between the last two rows, panting quietly. He crouched in the shadows, every muscle frozen. The sound of his father’s staggering steps grew louder, then stopped in the middle.

"Kid... did you see a boy run here?"

Luke’s voice came, hesitant. "Uh... no, sir."

"He’s gotta be here. Where the hell else would he go?" Kant’s father grunted, dropping the bottle.

Kant jolted at the shrill sound of glass shattering on tile. He shot to his feet, worried Luke might get hurt, but Luke’s voice sounded calm, so he stopped.

"There is another exit. He must have ran out of the school through there," Luke lied.

There was a long pause.