Winter Swan

Looking at Kail with his white cast, Silje unconsciously rubbed her lips with her finger.

"Kail! We brought you the girl like you asked."

When Felicien announced their arrival, Kail glanced at her.

After a few minutes, Kail walked towards her and Silje's heart started to beat fast again. Still holding the cue stick, he looked like an unbending conqueror. She was suspended from school today, and now she was about to be tormented by Kail.

Was he going to hit her with that stick? Picturing what might happen, Silje flinched and closed her eyes.

Kail stood in front of her and looked down at her quietly with his cold green eyes. He looked like he was enjoying the situation, like a carnivore about to feast on its prey.

Kail opened his mouth slowly and said to Felicien, "You're late."

Silje flinched again at his low baritone voice. Why did he bring her here?

When he asked with an annoyed expression, Felicien answered with a chuckle.

"Sorry I'm late. This yellow monkey wouldn't come nicely, haha."

"Kail, aren't we going to the club today?"

While they chatted, Silje closed her lips tightly so she wouldn't whimper in panic. Still holding the cue stick, Kail glanced at her again and ordered his group.

"Get out."

They quickly left and soon, only Silje and Kail were in the room.

Just the two of them.

Silje realized that it would've been better for the others to stay. Who knows what Kail might do to her when they are alone?

In his black fleece sweater and a pair of black pants, Kail stared at her quietly.

"…"

She didn't want to admit it, but he was indeed incredibly gorgeous. He reminded her of a statue made of dark velvet. Why? Was it because of his dark hair? Or his cold and unusual eyes? With his sharp nose and seductive lips, he looked dangerously tempting.

No wonder the girls went wild over him. Even Silje, who hated him, found him attractive.

She bit her lips; she didn't like this at all.

Kail asked in a husky voice, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Silje's heart began to beat even faster and she became breathless. Kail was staring at her intently.

Silje coughed before answering plainly.

"Do I have to say something?"

"Is it because you remember my kiss?"

Silje froze. She couldn't speak, and when she remained quiet, Kail asked calmly, "Then why don't we try kissing for real this time?"

What?

Silje's eyes widened and Kail slowly walked towards her.

She stared at him as if she were mesmerized. Still holding the cue stick, he looked controlled and elegant, like a judge coming to punish her. Was he going to kiss her again?

She knew she couldn't just stand still, so she looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Several cue sticks were standing nearby, and she wondered if she could use one to save herself from the cruel king.

Kail watched her with interest before lightly poking her leg with his cue stick. Silje flinched at the unexpected move. Kail lowered his face slowly and whispered to her left ear lazily.

"I want to do what we didn't get to do. Finish what we started."

After a short silence, Kail shrugged his shoulders at Silje's confusion and continued, "Do you not understand what I'm talking about? I'm telling you that we should do it."

Kail then caressed Silje's thigh seductively before adding, "Sex."

***

Sex? With her?

At his bold word, Silje became speechless. She could think of only one thing: he'd lost his mind.

She didn't know what to say or how to feel. Silje couldn't exactly put her finger on it, but when Kail said the word "sex", it felt…erotic.

It was shocking for her to hear him actually say the word. Silje's adoptive mother Olga was a devout Lutheran and firmly believed in chastity before marriage. Olga was very conservative, and when any kind of affectionate scene appeared on TV, she would abruptly change the channel, thus creating an uncomfortable situation.

Growing up in such a household, Silje never really thought about physical intimacy. Norway was rather open about sex, and in fact, most teenagers became intimate early on. Silje often saw girls at school talking about sleeping with their boyfriends and carrying condoms in their backpacks.

But this was not something Silje considered at this point for herself. She vaguely thought that someday she would get a boyfriend, but she assumed that it would be after she graduated from high school. One thing was certain. This wasn't the time for her to date anybody. She remembered the boys at school avoiding her or bullying her and smiled bitterly. No boy from school would ever ask her out anyway.

As if guessing what she was thinking, Kail asked, "I want to do it. What do you think?"

"…Why are you doing this to me?" Silje murmured.

Was he not satisfied with just bullying her? Now he wanted to use her as his personal toy? How else could she interpret this situation?

Kail continued to stare at her with dark desire in his eyes and asked her softly.

"Why do you think I'm telling you this?"

Silje turned to him and studied him. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't understand.

What stood in front of her was a beautiful and dangerous man who seemed to lust after her with such darkness and intensity.

Suddenly, Silje realized that Kail might have genuine feelings for her. Her eyes widened at the shocking turn of events. She took a deep breath.

"I don't understand…"

When Kail raised his eyebrow at her, she became angry.

"Did you forget what you did to me? You were the bully, so perhaps you can forget, but as the victim, I would never. It was only a little while ago when you sliced my wrist. It still hasn't healed, yet you are telling me this now?"

She felt greatly insulted by him and asked sarcastically, "Are you crazy? Did something happen to your head?"

Kail grinned.

"I knew I liked you. I suppose the Silje Kim Pettersen I know would never accept my words easily at face value, right?"

When he asked knowingly, she eyed him suspiciously.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I'm saying is that I already knew you wouldn't accept me easily. I know it will take time, but it won't change how much I want you."

"What? You want me? You are not making sense at all. Why are you acting crazy? What is your reason for saying these things to me? Answer me!"

"Reasons… What do you think? Let me ask you this then. Which reason do you want to hear? The one you would like? Or the real reason why I want you?"

"…Tell me the truth. You've clearly lost your mind, so I don't think I will be able to understand, but I still want to know."

The cruel king of this school.

The one everyone feared and adored at the same time.

When Silje looked at him accusingly, he gave her an odd smile.

"The nicer version of the answer is this: I have fallen for you. Your black hair, your pale face, your red lips. They have captured my heart."