Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Punishment

The morning sun cast a warm glow over the school, but for Liam, the day already felt dull and uninteresting. Walking through the school gates, he shoved his hands into his pockets, his expression indifferent. He wasn’t in a rush to get to class—after all, there was something else he had to deal with first.

Punishment.

His lips curled slightly in irritation as he remembered. After everything that had happened yesterday, this was the last thing he wanted to deal with, but skipping it wasn’t an option. If he did, the school would probably add more to his punishment, and that was something he had no patience for.

So instead of heading toward his classroom like everyone else, Liam made his way to the disciplinary office. The halls were quiet now, most of the students already in their seats, chatting, taking notes, or pretending to listen to the teachers. The only sounds were the faint murmurs of lectures echoing from the rooms he passed.

Reaching the door of the disciplinary office, he knocked twice before pushing it open.

Inside, a bald, middle-aged man sat behind a desk, his fingers tapping against a keyboard as he focused on the computer screen. The room smelled of coffee and old paper, and the walls were covered in notices, rule sheets, and disciplinary records.

The man barely looked up as Liam stepped in. Only after a few seconds did he stop typing, his fingers pausing mid-action. Then, without a word, he lifted his hand and pointed toward the corner of the room.

Liam followed his gesture and saw a pile of cleaning equipment stacked neatly—mops, brooms, buckets, and cleaning solution. His brows immediately furrowed.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

The disciplinary officer finally spoke, his tone completely flat.

“Pick it up. Clean the school hallways.”

Liam’s fingers twitched slightly at his sides. His expression didn’t change much, but his thoughts were an entirely different matter.

Clean the school hallways?

He stared at the bald man for a few seconds, waiting for a smirk, a sign that this was some kind of joke. But the older man’s face remained stone cold, completely serious.

Liam clenched his jaw slightly.

Was this bastard messing with him?

He could feel the irritation bubbling inside. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t waste a second flipping the desk over and showing this guy what real punishment felt like. If he was paying his own tuition, he’d walk out of the room right now and dare them to do something about it.

But he wasn’t.

So, with a forced sigh, he exhaled slowly, pushing down his annoyance. Instead of arguing, he stepped forward, grabbed the mop, and picked up the rest of the supplies.

There was no point in dragging this out. He’d get it done quickly and move on.

Turning away, he walked out of the office, his grip on the mop handle a little too tight.

As he made his way toward the school’s main hallway, he noticed how eerily silent the place was. The classrooms were full, meaning he wouldn’t have an audience.

Good. This should be easy.

He set the bucket down, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up the mop. As soon as he started, he pulled out his phone and plugged in his headphones.

The moment the music started playing, the dullness of the task faded slightly.

Liam hated cleaning. It was tedious, repetitive, and mind-numbing. If music didn’t exist, he might have actually gone insane from boredom.

As the beat pulsed through his ears, he moved methodically, his strokes smooth and precise. It was almost amusing how mindless the whole thing was. Mop, dip, wring, repeat. At least with music, he could pretend he wasn’t completely wasting his time.

Minutes passed. Then more.

Liam wasn’t keeping track, but before he knew it, nearly an hour had gone by.

Just as he finished the last section of the hallway, the loud, piercing ring of the school bell echoed through the building. The moment it did, the quietness was shattered as doors swung open and students spilled into the halls.

Liam exhaled, stretching his shoulders slightly.

Right on time.

He stood there for a second, shaking off the stiffness in his arms. His work was done. The entire hallway was spotless—shinier than it had ever been.

But as the flood of students rushed out of their classrooms, he felt dozens of eyes turning toward him.

It didn’t take long for the whispers to start.

“Wait… is that Liam?”

“No way. Is he actually… mopping the floor?”

“Holy shit, it’s real. They actually made him clean the hallway.”

“Damn, and here I thought he was untouchable.”

Liam had always been a well-known figure at school. Some admired him for his looks, others were drawn in by his cold attitude, and many had heard about his reputation. But after what happened yesterday, his name had spread faster than ever.

The fight with Kyle had become the biggest topic in school.

Some people believed he had gotten lucky—Kyle had already been losing, and Liam had just finished what was already set in motion. Others, however, weren’t so sure. The rumors were spreading, and many had started wondering if there was more to Liam than they had originally thought.

And now, seeing him standing there with a mop in his hand, the reality of his punishment made them even more curious.

“Guess the school really made him pay for what happened yesterday,” someone murmured.

“He still looks cool, though,” another girl whispered, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Liam ignored them all.

He had expected people to notice, but he couldn’t care less about what they thought.

His job was done. That was all that mattered.

Liam packed up the cleaning equipment, his movements calm and unhurried. He reached up and removed his headset, letting it rest around his neck as he turned to face the crowd of students who were still staring at him. Their eyes were filled with curiosity, amusement, and in some cases, mockery. He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair before muttering under his breath,

“What the fuck are they all looking at… Idiots.”

The whispers hadn’t stopped. Even as he finished mopping, people were still murmuring amongst themselves, throwing glances at him like he was some kind of rare animal at a zoo. Some students were whispering about how ridiculous it was to see him cleaning, others were laughing, and some—mostly the girls—were still admiring him, talking about how even punishment didn’t seem to affect his cold and distant aura.

Liam couldn’t care less about any of it. He had better things to do than entertain a bunch of nosy idiots who had nothing else to focus on. He had one priority right now—returning the equipment and getting to class.

And not just any class.

Miss Amanda’s class.

Out of all the teachers in the school, Amanda was the only one he actually respected. She was young, sharp, and had a presence that made even the rowdiest students sit up and listen. Missing her class wasn’t an option.

Without another glance at the gawking students, Liam turned and started walking toward the janitor’s closet to put the supplies back. But just as he was passing by a group of boys, he heard the unmistakable sound of a can being cracked open.

Then—

SPLASH.

A stream of cold soda hit the freshly mopped floor right in front of Liam’s feet.

He stopped, his eyes narrowing slightly as he turned to look at the culprit.

The guy holding the can was smirking, his eyes filled with amusement. He had short brown hair, a lean but athletic build, and an arrogance that reeked from his very stance. Liam immediately recognized him.

Kyle’s friend.

Liam had seen him plenty of times hanging around Kyle before the fight. Now, here he was, clearly looking for trouble.

The boy took a step forward, lifting his can mockingly. “Oops,” he said, his voice dripping with fake innocence. “Looks like I made a mess.” He then grinned, nodding toward the mop in Liam’s hand. “Come clean it up, janitor.”

Liam’s fingers twitched.

His mood had already been sour, and this idiot was really pushing it. He wanted nothing more than to grab that can and shove it down the guy’s throat.

But he didn’t.

Not yet.

Causing more problems while under punishment wasn’t exactly a smart move. He could deal with this bastard later. Right now, it wasn’t worth the trouble.

So instead of reacting, Liam just looked at him with cold indifference before shaking his head and continuing to walk away.

The boy frowned slightly, clearly not expecting Liam to ignore him. But then, a slow smirk spread across his face. He wasn’t done yet.

As Liam walked past, the guy called out again, louder this time.

“I gotta say, I’m impressed by your cleaning skills!”

There were a few chuckles from the group of boys surrounding him, and some students in the hallway turned their heads to watch the scene unfold.

Liam still didn’t stop.

Not worth my time.

But then—

The boy’s next words made the entire hallway freeze.

“With the way you cleaned this floor, I bet your mom was a cleaner. She must’ve taught you some of her skills.”

Silence.

Complete and utter silence.

The air in the hallway shifted, turning thick with tension. Students who had been whispering just seconds ago now held their breath, their expressions shifting from amusement to shock and disbelief. Some even took a step back, as if physically trying to distance themselves from what had just been said.

Because they all knew.

Everyone in the school knew.

Liam’s mother was dead. His father too. It was one of the few things about Liam that people actually respected—his loss, his past. No one dared to mention it because they knew how much he hated it.

And now, not only had Kane—the idiot who had spoken—brought it up, but he had mocked it.

A few gasps could be heard, and one of the boys in Kane’s group immediately tensed. “Dude…” he muttered, looking at his friend like he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Kane, however, was still smirking, thinking he had just landed the perfect insult. He didn’t realize the weight of his words—didn’t realize the dangerous line he had just crossed.

But everyone else did.

And the moment Liam stopped walking, the entire hallway felt like it had dropped in temperature.

Liam’s back was still turned to Kane, his hands at his sides, completely still. But even without seeing his face, it was obvious—something had changed.

The students watching barely even dared to breathe.

Kane’s smirk faltered slightly. He had been expecting an immediate reaction, maybe an angry retort or some kind of fight. But this…

This silence was far worse.

Liam slowly turned his head, his gaze now locking onto Kane. His face was completely unreadable—no anger, no emotion. Just an empty, piercing stare that made even the most reckless students shrink back.

Kane swallowed.

For the first time, he felt something he hadn’t expected to feel.

Regret.

****

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