CAR 40

“They’ll be swarming in soon.”

They? He studied Yan’s intentions, unable to understand his words in the slightest. But it wasn’t difficult either. Dennis readily took his hand. The cool palm gripped Dennis’s fingertips tightly before letting go.

🩰

Dennis thought about the gate all day.

Usually, a back gate is located at the opposite point of the main gate. But since the main building already blocked that spot, it seemed like there was no such escape route out of the grounds. The outsiders who came and went for the recitals also used the main gate.

Dennis, lying on his side, superimposed a map of the school onto the ceiling and was lost in thought for a long time.

It was then that he heard a rustling sound from beyond his door. Dennis shot up reflexively and hurried to the door. Then, without hesitation, he threw the door open. A student, who had been about to hang something on the doorknob and leave, was greatly surprised and fell on his back.

The underclassman, who met Dennis’s glaring eyes, bowed his head low and went down the hallway.

It was a document envelope that stated, ‘Notification regarding Dennis Kahler’s change of position’. He had a vague feeling that he would no longer be able to teach the students. But facing it as a document that was close to a notice didn’t feel very pleasant. Moreover, the ‘Kahler’ in the document was even misspelled.

The news was that his position had been changed from Literature Teacher to Office Supplies Manager. It was clearly a document with his name on it, but for some reason, it read like someone else’s business.

At the same time, he became curious about what would happen to Thomar, the previous manager. He was Yan’s lackey. He had no confidence he could be in the same space with a lackey for long.

But that seemed to be just a groundless fear; when Dennis visited the faculty office, Thomar’s desk was empty.

There was no trace of him. There were those who greeted Dennis with their eyes from time to time, but no one mentioned Thomar. Yan placed a hand on the shoulder of Dennis, who was standing like a lost child in front of his desk.

“You’re late, Mr. Kahler.”

He smiled slyly. Dennis reflexively clenched his fists. As if Dennis were utterly ridiculous, Yan sat down first. Presently, Yan pulled an empty chair from the next desk and gestured with his chin in an arrogant manner, as if telling him to sit there.

“It seems I will be the one to handle the handover.”

Even more uncomfortable than Thomar was Yan. Dennis, without realizing it, wiped the hand that had shaken his on his pants. It had already been four days since he had promised to tell him about the ‘gate’.

“Where did Mr. Thomar go?”

Dennis, conscious of his surroundings, asked using honorifics he was quite reluctant to use. It felt as if he had gone back to the time when he knew nothing about Yan. Yan, who was fiddling with his wavy bangs, shrugged.

“Well, who knows.”

Dennis realized intuitively. That Yan’s lackeys were not treated very well.

“He has served his purpose.”

Yan, adding this dryly, laid out various documents. Yan, who offered not even a brief sentiment about the man who had been his right-hand man until last week, seemed quite heartless.

Anyway, the new job Dennis was to take on was dealing with the teachers, not the students. Since it was an enclosed place, it was a very simple job of ordering what they wanted on their behalf, receiving parcels, and tactfully replenishing supplies that the students lacked.

Yan wrapped an arm around his shoulder as if to encourage him, then let go and pointed to the desk.

“It’s a key position, if you will.”

“Giving the title of teacher to someone in charge of chores… I don’t know where to put myself.”

“Thomar used to say the exact same thing as you.”

Yan’s words trailed off, as if he were reminiscing about his memories with him. Presently, Yan shook his head and explained a few more things. They were things Dennis was already familiar with. He deliberately responded brusquely, staring only straight ahead, hoping he would leave soon.

“Sami, was it… Laurent’s alter ego.”

Yan muttered nonchalantly. Dennis turned to him reflexively. Sami was not something like Laurent’s alter ego.

“It seems Thomar relayed the news of Mr. Kahler’s confinement to Sami.”

Thomar, to Sami? It was unexpected news.

“A clear overstepping of authority.”

What had he done to Thomar? Yan wore a constant smile, as if Dennis’s stiff face were amusing. Presently, he stood up abruptly as if to leave and patted Dennis’s shoulder in encouragement.

Even after he left the faculty office, Dennis sat like a plaster cast for a while, looking only straight ahead. Funnily enough, he felt a slight sense of kinship with Thomar.

It was when Dennis, who was examining the wooden desk, inadvertently opened the last drawer. There was a small parcel inside. He was momentarily wary, thinking it might be Yan’s doing, but Thomar’s name was written on the edge of the package.

Dennis picked it up without hesitation. It seemed to be a parcel that had been delivered quite some time ago, but that Thomar had forgotten and left unattended. Dennis, who was looking at the packaging listlessly, suddenly found the sender’s name and a strange light shone in his eyes. It was a parcel sent by his younger sister.

Thomar’s only blood relative, who said she had been introduced to her husband by Yan.

When he carefully opened the parcel, a card was the first thing to be revealed. Presently, Dennis’s face gradually hardened as he quickly read through it.

The parcel was indeed from Thomar’s sister. The contents of the card were also quite shocking. It was a parcel that had arrived a month ago. She had given birth to a child, but it resembled neither herself, nor her husband, nor her deceased parents, nor Thomar… but Yan.

Two handkerchiefs were enclosed in the parcel. They were not new, and had a strange feeling of use, as if someone had used them once. Dennis examined them carefully. The name Yan Richter was embroidered on each corner.

Dennis had no way of knowing whether it was an accusation or a complaint. More important than that was, ‘Did Thomar know this fact?’

It was then that the math teacher approached Dennis, pouring out complaints. He was pointing out some shabby ink. To him, who was writing a list of supplies, Dennis asked casually. If he had seen Mr. Thomar on campus.

After looking around, the math teacher lowered his head and muttered. Rather than a tone of pity for Thomar’s situation, he seemed pleased to be sharing a fun piece of gossip.

Dennis, clutching the parcel, slowly wandered the top floor, which occasionally rumbled. The place he had been kicked out of the faculty office overnight and holed up in was said to be the practice room.

The job given to Thomar was to collect the students’ practice clothes and take them to the laundry room. Since each student had a different size, collection was not a very easy task.

Dennis strode across the top floor, which he had never been to before. He had two things to tell Thomar. First, not to pity him. Second, that his sister was probably…

It was the moment Dennis, biting his lip, approached the door.

Since many people jumped at a similar moment and landed at the same time, there were often times when a simultaneous thudding sound was heard both inside and outside the practice room.

It was a very slow piece. The tempo was slow, and the students concentrating on practice did not produce unnecessary noise. And so, despite the thudding, it felt rather quiet.

What broke the silence was someone’s groan. Dennis, doubting his ears, placed his hand on the door. The prospective dancers who had jumped high all stretched out their arms. They had sleek and wonderful figures. Someone was clapping his hands to give the beat.

And about three or four of them, instead of jumping up with the others, were standing in the back with their hands on the wall. At a glance, it looked like they were being punished. Dennis, his gaze captured by the incongruous scene, twisted his head a bit more. The scene inside the practice room was clearly visible even through the small window.

“You have to lift your buttocks more.”

A refined pronunciation flowed out of the practice room. It was a pronunciation Dennis was familiar with as well. He was one of the male students who took Dennis’s class. He was also a gentle student who had not participated in the last disturbance. He was the only one who had flipped through a literature textbook in a classroom filled with either rape or ridicule.

“And relax. You can understand this much, right? Since this probably isn’t your first time.”

He seemed to be instructing someone. As the tempo of the dance music changed, the sound of kicking gradually grew louder. A groaning sound was heard, as if someone had landed incorrectly. Giggling laughter and moans smeared with excitement burst out at the same time. The tips of Dennis’s fingers trembled.

Thomar was there.

Someone’s tights were gagged in his mouth. The glasses rolling on the floor had been broken for a long time. Every time Thomar, with both his hands held, bent his head back, his chin collided with the practice room floor. His raised lower body was, naturally, naked. A few students were even standing against the wall, watching him.

And the one inflicting violence on Thomar was… the student Dennis had just evaluated as gentle. Grabbing Thomar’s buttocks , he was groaning as he thrust his penis into him. Behind them, those waiting for their turn were leaning against the wall. They too were looking down at Thomar and rubbing their own fronts.

Every time the one presumed to be the gentlest of the lot thrust his hips, Thomar’s brow furrowed. What was more shocking than that was that Thomar’s physiologically erect member was tied up with tights.

Thomar’s penis was bluish, as if it would rot away at any moment. Thomar, too, looked at a loss, as if that were more uncomfortable than the pain of being penetrated from behind. The fingertips of Dennis, who was holding the door, turned white.

Dennis, who almost dropped the parcel, ground his teeth. They were no different from beasts. It was when Dennis was about to kick the door. His gaze crossed with Thomar’s, who was looking up at the air desperately.

Thomar slowly shook his head. It was as if he had already seen through Dennis’s recklessness. Rather, as if ashamed to show Dennis this side of him, Thomar lowered his head. As if dissatisfied with his consequently limp body, the student who was fucking him struck Thomar on the back. Seeing this, someone jeered. They were no different from devils.

“…Mr. Kahler?”

It was Guitry. Guitry, who had lightly pushed Dennis aside, quickly assessed the situation inside the practice room through the window. Then he led Dennis, who kept trying to throw the door open, to the other end of the hall.

Presently, he asked Dennis in an irritated tone. What’s the problem?

“…Excuse me?”

“It is only natural for artists to have such a side to them.”

“Surely, the horrible things being perpetrated in there…”

“For someone as insignificant as Thomar, can’t it be seen as a noble sacrifice?”

Guitry’s face, beyond shameless, even held a certain conviction.

“Leave him be. So that he can become nourishment for geniuses as he is.”

“Are you defending those bastards?”

“Well. Beyond defending…”

Guitry, who suddenly gazed out the window, yawned long. He was utterly rude, as if he were bored with his conversation with Dennis. Then, suppressing his boredom, he stared straight at Dennis. His eyes were somehow laced with pity.

“I support it.”

“To support rape, you must be out of your mind.”

“Watch your mouth.”

Guitry growled lowly. A thud came from the practice room. Guitry continued his sophistry, as if he didn’t care about that either.

“Since Volle was established, there have been countless sources of nourishment like you.”

Nourishment. Dennis had never in his life heard a word used for such a terrible purpose.

“And you are not some sublime spy, but…”

Guitry paused to catch his breath. His greatly puffed-up belly rose and fell busily.

“Merely a sacrifice offered by Quachi to turn his back on the nobles and curry favor with the monarchy…!”

Today’s Guitry was poised to express all the wickedness he had suppressed until now. The generosity and leadership he had shown Dennis until now had long since been erased.

Guitry sneered, as if Dennis’s dumbfounded face were amusing. It meant that the majority at Volle already knew that Dennis was Quachi’s spy in the first place.

If so, was the role Quachi wanted from Dennis not to genuinely harm Vittorio, but to survive tenaciously while offering up his ass to these people?

It was then that the practice room became even more clamorous. Someone came out into the hallway and called for Guitry. Guitry, who glared at Dennis who was about to rush out in his stead, responded affectionately to the student’s call. Dennis, who was staring blankly at his roly-poly doll-like figure, was also about to leave the top floor.

“Thomar… isn’t breathing…!”

It was the moment he placed his hand on the stair railing. At someone’s urgent report, Dennis almost tumbled down the stairs. The parcel clutched in his arms felt as heavy as a huge piece of lead.