Ch. 51
Christmas Break
The last bell rang, marking the end of class. Selene neatly stacked her notes, glanced once at her schedule, then quietly told her driver.
"Let's go somewhere. I'll send you the address."
She had already seen it online a small art studio tucked between two cafés downtown. The reviews weren't many, but the paintings posted on the artist's page had something others didn't have— the emotion.
It wasn't about fame or price.
Selene wanted meaning.
As the black sedan rolled through the narrow street, curious stares followed.
When it stopped, murmurs spread among nearby vendors.
"Whoa, that's an expensive car..."
"Why here? That studio already went bankrupt, didn't it?"
Selene heard them faintly through the window but didn't care. She stepped out gracefully, her presence calm and unbothered, her long coat swaying with the wind.
Inside, the faint scent of oil paint and turpentine filled the air. The walls were lined with unfinished canvases faces half-formed, skies bleeding into color.
The painter, a woman around twenty-eight, looked up from her easel in surprise. Her fingers were stained with paint; her eyes carried both exhaustion and warmth.
"Good afternoon... um, how can I help you?" she asked nervously, wiping her hands on a rag.
"I saw your works online. I want to commission two pieces." Selene smiled gently. The woman blinked, clearly startled.
"You– you want me to paint for you?"
"Yes," Selene said softly.
"A portrait of my mother, and one customized for my father."
The painter hesitated, glancing outside at the luxury car and then back to Selene.
"I— I'm honored, but... are you sure? I'm not exactly a famous artist."
"That's fine," Selene replied simply, walking closer to admire a canvas of blooming white lilies.
"I chose you because of your strokes, not your price. Your work feels alive."
"Thank you. No one's ever said that to me before." The painter's eyes widened, then softened.
They discussed details from the colors, mood and the tone. Selene described her father's personality, his quiet authority and sharp mind.
"For him," she said, looking thoughtful, "paint something with depth. A blend of warmth and command maybe the company's building with a golden hue of dusk. Something that reminds him of what he built... and what he's protecting."
The painter nodded, visibly moved.
"You speak like someone who understands art deeply."
Selene smiled faintly.
"Maybe, or maybe I just know how it feels to build something you can't easily explain."
When she left the studio, the sun had already begun to set. The streetlight flickered on, bathing the cracked sidewalk in amber.
People were still whispering but this time, one of the vendors murmured,
"She looks too young to be that graceful."
Inside the car, Selene stared at her reflection in the window still calm, composed, but with eyes that carried a strange softness.
"For Grandpa and Dad," she whispered. "They deserve something that lasts."
The air in St. Atheline's Academy already smelled like Christmas. Classes had officially ended, and laughter echoed through the corridors.
Selene sat quietly by the window, her things neatly arranged, when a familiar voice called out softly.
"Selene!"
She turned and saw Lina Grey, clutching a small, neatly wrapped box tied with a silver ribbon.
"I... I made this for you," Lina said shyly.
"It's not much, but I wanted to thank you for cheering me on during the chess match."
Selene blinked in mild surprise. "You didn't have to."
"I wanted to," Lina replied, smiling.
"You've helped me more than you realize."
Selene's calm demeanor softened. She accepted the gift gently.
"Thank you, Lina. I'll treasure it, but I don't have a gift for you?"
"No! It's okey! Accepting my gift is more than enough!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! Anyways, Merry Christmas, Selene. See you after New Year!" Lina beamed.
After Lina left, she continued packing her things.
And before Selene could even leave, Liana burst through the door with her usual chaotic energy, arms full of paper bags.
"Selene! Don't move! Here— Merry Christmas!" she said, handing her a gift wrapped with glittery red ribbon.
Selene blinked.
"Another one?"
She already gave me two paper bags after our shopping.
"Of course! You're my bff-slash-favorite-person-slash-'pretty partner in crime'!" Liana declared dramatically, making the others laugh.
Soon, several classmates followed giving her chocolates, a cute planner, hand-made letters, and little trinkets. Selene, now surrounded by gifts, she froze for a second. Realizing she hadn't prepared anything.
So, when the final bell rang and everyone began saying their goodbyes, Selene called them up, calm but thoughtful.
"I uhh.. I didn't bring any gifts today," she started, earning a few curious looks, "but I'll give you something instead."
She took her phone, typed a few things, and smiled slightly. She remembered, all of her classmates bank accounts was saved to her phone when they had to buy for a Christmas decoration.
"I sent everyone who gave me a present considered it as my small thank-you gift," she said simply.
At first, they laughed until someone's phone buzzed.
"Wait— is this real!"
"Is this a bank transfer?!"
Another gasp followed.
"?30,000?! You've got to be kidding me?"
"Holly shit! Straight ?30,000! This is a flex!"
"Selene! What the— you can't just casually send thirty thousand pesos to them! How about me!!" Liana's jaw dropped.
Selene just tilted her head, calm as ever.
"Why not? It's the season of giving, isn't it? And I have already given you a gift."
By that evening, the story had already gone viral on the school forum.
"Someone said Selene Valen transferred 30,000 to each of her classmates..."
"That's not just rich, that's royal-level wealth."
"I heard 39 out of 40 students actually received the money!"
"What?! Bro, 30,000 x 39... that's 1,170,000!"
"Damn... she spent more than a million just like that?"
"Bro, I should've given her a gift too!"
"I swear, I wish I was in her class this year."
"Next year I'm transferring. I don't care anymore."
Her name spread through St. Atheline like wildfire. Some were amazed, others jealous— but all agreed on one thing:
When Liana texted her that night.
"You could've at least told me before you made half of the school faint."
Selene replied simply:
"They're my classmates. They deserved something nice."
She placed Lina's small box on her study table, next to her growing pile of Christmas cards, and allowed herself a soft smile.
For the first time since arriving in this world, it finally felt like Christmas.