Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

Tina took a taxi and reported her destination as Ensford High School. After arriving and paying the fare, she made her way directly to the principal’s office. She had never been to Ensford High School before, so she casually asked a student for directions and quickly found the office. As she approached the principal’s office, she could hear voices coming from inside. Tina swore she wasn’t trying to eavesdrop; the door was simply not closed.

The people inside were talking, and it didn’t seem right to interrupt, so she decided to wait at the door. Consequently, the conversation became clear to her ears. “Mr. Stiller, I really can’t teach 22D anymore. Last time, those students put a trash can over my head and beat me up so badly that I’m still nursing injuries. Please spare me from this. If I have to teach 22D again, I’ll have to resign.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Tina glanced into the office and saw a man in his forties with glasses, looking quite scholarly, rubbing one arm with the other and wincing in pain. “I can’t handle them either. They used to put cockroaches and bugs in my textbooks, and I let that slide, but this time it was a rat! Mr. Stiller, you know how terrified I am of rats,” a woman in her thirties said. “These students are incorrigible. I’m at my wits’ end.”

“Mr. Stiller, please don’t make this harder for us. It’s not that we are irresponsible or unwilling to teach; it’s just impossible. We came here to educate, not to put our lives on the line!” another man added.

Mr. Stiller sighed silently. “I understand that you’ve all been wronged, but we can’t just ignore the situation. The higher-ups have spoken: if no one from this year’s 22D gets into college, Ensford High School will lose its status as a prestigious school.”

Mr. Stiller felt helpless about the teachers’ grievances. Ensford was a second-tier city with many high schools, but only Ensford High School was considered prestigious. Despite the high tuition fees, there was a scramble to get in every year, leading to enrollment difficulties at many ordinary schools.

However, Ensford High School had a notorious class, Class 22D. This class was filled with wealthy and privileged students who, due to their poor academic performance, were grouped together. They were known for their indiscipline and for causing trouble. Bullying teachers and fellow students was commonplace for them.

The catch was that Mr. Stiller couldn’t expel them, as their families had made donations to the school. Although he had the authority to expel other students, the decision regarding those in 22D was reserved for the school’s board of directors.

But the situation in 22D had become so dire that it was seriously affecting other students, prompting numerous parents to file complaints. The higher-ups took this seriously and demanded that 22D be reformed. If not a single student from 22D made it into college that year, the school would lose its prestigious status. This caused panic among the board members, who urged Mr. Stiller to find a solution.

“We understand that this is about the school’s reputation, but Mr. Stiller, 22D… is no place for humans. We all want to live a little longer!” they said.

Mr. Stiller, feeling a headache coming on, sat down and took a sip of water, remaining silent for a long while. When he looked up again, he noticed someone standing at the door. Upon closer inspection, his face lit up with joy as he got up from his chair. “Miss Reed, you’ve finally arrived!”

His savior had come!

Someone to deal with those devils!

His spring was coming!

“Mr. Stiller,” Tina said as she stepped inside and greeted him.

“Seeing you here gives me peace of mind,” Mr. Stiller said, not out of flattery but true relief. He had been so excited when Tina sent him a message, but then he became worried she might change her mind, which kept him up all night. Now that Tina was actually standing before him, he felt he could finally sleep soundly that night.

“Mr. Stiller,” Tina greeted him again, foregoing formalities, “shall I start teaching now?”

She had already been briefed on Class 22D when Mr. Stiller invited her to the school. She had a rough understanding of the students and wasn’t concerned about them. She had dealt with far more troublesome young people before, and she knew how to handle them.

“Hold on, let me introduce you,” Mr. Stiller said, noticing the puzzled looks from the three teachers in the office toward Tina. “This is the new Lead Teacher for 22D. She will be in charge of all matters related to22D,” he informed them.

Then he turned to Tina and introduced the forty-year-old man with glasses, “This is Mr. Lee, he teaches mathematics.” He pointed to the thirty-something woman, “This is Mrs. Thompson, she’s responsible for English.” Finally, he gestured toward a younger man, “And this is Mr. Thomas, he takes care of chemistry.”

After the introductions, he told Tina, “It’s homeroom time now, other teachers are in class. I’ll introduce you to the rest later.”

Tina nodded and greeted each of the teachers in turn, “Mr. Lee, Mrs. Thompson, Mr. Thomas, hello.”

The three teachers were stunned into silence.

It took them a moment to recover, and then, looking at Mr. Stiller with disbelief, they said, “Mr. Stiller, you’re not serious, are you? She’s the Lead Teacher for 22D?”

She looked way too young, possibly nineteen at most.

That would make her barely older than the students of 22D. Wasn’t she just a student herself?

Mr. Stiller replied with a smile, “Indeed, she is the new Lead Teacher for 22D I’ve hired. You can teach 22D without worries now. With her presence, those students won’t dare to cause trouble.”

He had met Tina five years prior. At that time, she was only fourteen. During a spring outing with a friend, they had accidentally wandered into Serenity Ridge, a place with treacherous terrain and many pitfalls. He had fallen into one such trap and thought he was done for until Tina saved him.

As he and his friend recovered in a temple, they learned that it was not only a place of worship but also a training ground. Including Tina, there were only ten disciples. As a principal, he had seen many children from wealthy families, and that day, he encountered three students who had once been part of the infamous D Class.

Tina was in charge of their training, and under her supervision, the disciples were well-disciplined, silently enduring even the most strenuous exercises. Especially those three former D Class students-he had seen them nearly turn the school upside down, but with Tina, they were as docile as lambs.

He was tremendously impressed by Tina. After leaving Serenity Ridge, he kept in touch with her, having asked for her contact details, thinking that one day he might seek her help.

And now-she was here!

“Mr. Stiller, joking aside, how old is she? A teacher? Has she even graduated?” Mr. Thomas looked at Tina with furrowed brows, “You must be desperate, recruiting anyone to the school.”