Even a Scream Has A Musical Scale - Chapter 8

“Excuse me.”

With a polite greeting, the door opened, and Remington walked in. Just like the first time he was seen, he was impeccably dressed in a jacket and tie. Though they had encountered each other a few times, Dani didn’t find herself as flustered as before. It seemed Remington was the one caught off guard this time.

As soon as he spotted Dani, he stopped in his tracks and stared at her with a stiff, unnatural expression.

“Remington?”

It wasn’t until the principal called his name that he snapped out of it and approached the desk. This was not a mistake he would usually make.

“Did I startle you by calling you here so suddenly?”

“No, I just didn’t expect to see Dani here,” he replied, clearly flustered.

Hearing her name from his lips sent a shiver down Dani’s spine. Her brow furrowed instinctively.

She looked up at Remington with a face full of disgust, but he didn’t even glance at her. He was solely focused on the principal, looking uncharacteristically tense.

“May I ask why you called for me?”

“Yes, Remington. The reason I called you is because…” The principal tapped her pen on the notebook, as if considering something. It seemed like this conversation was going to take a while.

Dani couldn’t ignore Remington’s presence, but unlike how she was quickly offered a seat, the principal didn’t extend the same courtesy to him. This was unusual, considering she always spoke highly of him as an excellent student.

“I have something uncomfortable to discuss, Roderson.”

“Yes?” Dani was so distracted by Remington that she was startled when her name was called. The principal looked as if she was about to announce something very serious, perhaps even expulsion. What could she possibly be about to say? She clutched her skirt, waiting for the principal to continue.

“At Erratum, we have a ‘buddy’ system. It’s designed to help students who are having trouble adjusting by pairing them with a friend.”

“…A buddy?”

“Normally, we pair students with someone of the same gender and grade level, but we had to make an exception this time. Just because someone is the same gender doesn’t always mean it’s the best fit. The important thing is that you get the help you need. Do you understand?”

Dani let out an awkward laugh instead of answering. The impending words were so predictable and frightening that she couldn’t bring herself to nod. She wanted to check Remington’s expression but didn’t have the courage. She was afraid that if she did, her worst fears would be confirmed.

“Remington, I think you’d make a good buddy for Roderson. What do you think?”

Damn it. 

As soon as the principal directed the question at Remington, Dani let out a low groan. Why are my worst predictions always right?

“…Dani’s buddy?”

Remington was smiling, but Dani could tell that his usual easygoing expression was much more strained. She had been observing him closely over the past few days and could sense that he was under a lot of stress and trying hard to hide it.

“It would be an honor to be Dani’s buddy,” Remington said. “However, I am concerned about the potential backlash. It’s not common for a boy to be paired as a buddy with a girl, Principal.”

“Yes, it’s certainly not common. I understand that,” the principal replied. “But all the other girls who were considered refused to be Dani’s buddy.”

“What? They refused?” Dani asked, shocked. The principal shrugged.

“They all said they found you difficult to be around.”

The news hit Dani like a bolt from the blue. She heard Remington mutter under his breath, clearly frustrated.

“Dani, any university would be lucky to have you, regardless of your grades or extracurricular activities. But here at Erratum, everyone must be treated equally. No matter your background, you can’t act outside our educational values.”

“……”

“Think it over. If you refuse to have Remington as your buddy, I’ll try to find someone else.”

Dani looked at Remington, her face a mix of confusion and hurt. He stood there with a neutral expression, saying nothing. The principal took Dani’s hand, making her look back at her.

“Don’t worry, Dani. If you refuse Remington, I won’t just pair you with anyone. I wouldn’t stick you with some useless, parasitic student. They wouldn’t be a buddy, more like…a parasite.”

A parasite. The thought made Dani feel nauseous as she remembered the whispers about Terry. She realized that girls like Eleanor might view her the same way.

The principal, thinking her words were amusing, laughed and looked to Remington for agreement.

“What do you think of my choice of words, Remington? Quite accurate, wouldn’t you say?”

Both Dani and the principal looked at Remington. He had been staring at the school flag on the wall but slowly turned to face them. His eyes were empty, but his smile was gentle.

“Yes, very accurate.”

“I knew you’d agree,” the principal said with a laugh, turning her attention back to Dani, clearly expecting her to join in. But Dani didn’t. She kept her face expressionless, staring straight ahead. It was the only resistance she could offer.

Remington watched her silently from the side.

****

“I have no intention of being your buddy.”

The moment they left the principal’s office, Dani said this to Remington. He had stopped in front of a gray marble pillar to adjust his jacket and responded with an unexpected question.

“Why did you do that earlier?”

“About what?”

“You didn’t laugh or even react when the principal called those students parasites.” Remington seemed to be referring to the principal’s remark. Dani shook her head.

“I couldn’t agree with her. Calling them parasites…”

For a moment, Remington’s eyes flickered, the sunlight filtering through the distant window casting a glow on him like a spotlight. Dani opened her mouth to say more but then decided to change the subject.

“Anyway, I’m not a misfit. I don’t need a buddy.”

Remington looked at her with a detached expression and replied calmly, “Whether you’re a misfit or not isn’t up to you; it’s up to the principal. If you reject me, the principal will have to stir up every girl in Strawberry Hill Dormitory, and they’ll end up hating you even more.”

His logical tone made it clear that he saw the situation objectively, even though Dani was sure he didn’t want to be her buddy either. It felt like he was discussing someone else’s problem. Dani’s head started to ache. If her father found out about this, there would be trouble. But she didn’t want a buddy she didn’t need, especially not Remington, who had shown clear hostility towards her.

“Are you willing to be my buddy?” she asked.

“The principal wants it.”

“You could just refuse.”

“That kind of attitude is why you’re in this situation.”

“I don’t have any problems at school.”

“It’s not about whether you have problems or not. It’s about how the adults perceive you.”

Dani bit her lip, while Remington flopped onto a sofa by the window and gave her a bored look.

“Relax. Imagine how I feel having to babysit you just because I’m the class representative.”

“I don’t want to be your buddy.”

“Why?”

“…Because I don’t like you.”

“Then what should I do? Make you like me?” Remington’s voice lacked any real intent to resolve the issue, and Dani found him increasingly inscrutable. He was such a peculiar and enigmatic boy.

Remington pulled out his phone. “If you need time to think, call me.”

Dani scoffed. “I have no intention of giving you my number.”

Remington smiled softly. “You don’t need to.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Dani’s phone buzzed in her uniform jacket pocket. She pulled it out, incredulous, and saw an unfamiliar number on the screen.

“No way…”

“Yes, that’s my number. Save it.”

“You already had my number? Since when?”

“Since the first time I saw you.”

Remington smiled slyly. Dani let out a hollow laugh, feeling like she was dealing with a madman.

“So, you already knew my number and still asked for it?”

“Yes.”

“Why on earth?”

“Maybe I just wanted to see that expression on your face.”

Remington shrugged and tucked his phone deep into his coat pocket with a graceful, yet sinister elegance, reminiscent of a skilled politician. Dani was so bewildered that she couldn’t even muster anger anymore. She just stared at Remington in disbelief, feeling utterly deflated.

“Why did you lie to me?”

“Who knows.”

Remington stood up and slowly approached her.

“Isn’t that a bit rich coming from someone who gave me another person’s number and said it was hers?”

He crossed his arms and looked down at her, his face smooth and flawless like marble, his physique seemingly invulnerable to any attack Dani could muster. How many people had been deceived by that charming facade?

“…You’re creepy and insufferable.”

“I’ll take that.”

“I’m going to refuse. There’s no way I’ll be buddies with someone like you.”

“That’s your choice, but considering that every other girl has refused you, you might not have many options left.”

He bent down, bringing his eyes level with hers.

“You might find that I’m your best option.”

“…”

“No biases, no interest in you.”

Remington smiled again, a smile so perfect it made it hard to even hate him for it.