The rhythmic, sterile tick-tick-tick of the classroom clock sliced through the heavy afternoon air, competing with the scratching of the professor's marker against the whiteboard. Leansei drifted, his gaze wandering toward the window as a sudden, exceptionally cold breeze slipped through the glass. He peered down at the expansive green grass field below. Even from this distance, the striking figures of Xerchin and Beidhen were unmistakable, cutting across the field in their athletic jerseys. A dense crowd of screaming girls lined the perimeter, their frantic cheering echoing faintly against the window pane.
"Now, the activity for today will be completed by partner," the professor's sharp voice suddenly cut through his distraction, instantly waking his dormant spirit. Leansei straightened his posture, snapping his attention back to the front. "The person sitting directly beside you will be your partner. Read the instructions carefully; this must be passed before the end of the period today."
The lecture hall was meticulously structured into four wide rows and five columns, with each column holding three pairs of connected chairs. Because of this rigid configuration, Leansei turned his head to face his assigned seatmate. Revin sat entirely frozen, staring dazedly down at his blank notebook as if his mind had been completely preoccupied all morning.
' What on earth is wrong with Revin? ' Leansei thought, his brow furrowing as he analyzed his classmate. ' He hasn't been attentive at all these past few days. And since this morning, it honestly feels like he isn't himself right now. Did something happen? ' Leansei reached out, his hand making contact as he gently tapped Revin's forearm to grab his attention.
"No! I was sick!" Revin suddenly shouted, violently flinching away from the touch. The frantic outburst shattered the quiet of the room. Instantly, thirty pairs of eyes snapped toward their row, and the professor paused mid-sentence, looking thoroughly dismayed by the unprompted disruption.
Realizing he had yelled unconsciously, the color drained from Revin's face. He ducked his head in absolute embarrassment, offering Leansei a sheepish, horrified look.
"I-I'm so sorry," he whispered frantically, his voice shaking. "What's happening? What did I miss?" Leansei slowly shook his head to calm him down, lifting his hand to point toward the front of the room where the class work criteria were being listed.
"We have a task to do," Leansei said softly, adjusting his notes on his desk.
The sudden panic effectively awoke Revin's spirit. He shifted his gaze rapidly between the whiteboard and Leansei's neat handwriting, his chest rising and falling. "When is the submission deadline?"
"At the end of her class period."
"Whaat?!" Revin gasped, his eyes widening.
"Yes, so let's stop wasting time," Leansei commanded gently, sliding his paper between them. "Let's exchange information right now. You tackle this section, and I'll handle this part. Got it?"
"O-ohh. Okay, let's do it," Revin stammered, frantically grabbing his pen.
.
The bell finally rang, signaling the end of the agonizingly long period. Leansei stretched his arms aggressively upward, letting out a heavy, exhausted yawn as the tension left his shoulders. He began gathering his textbooks, sliding them into his bag before glancing back at the boy beside him. Revin had reverted right back into his preoccupied state, staring blankly at the polished wood of the desk.
Letting out a deep, internal sigh, Leansei reached out and firmly tapped his shoulder once more. Revin flinched out of his trance, blinking up at him.
"It's officially lunch time," Leansei said, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. "Do you want to come with me?" The foggy look in Revin's eyes cleared, replaced by a sudden, bright smile. He nodded aggressively, scrambling to gather his scattered pens.
"You finally decided to actually ask me to have lunch with you."
"Why?" Leansei asked dryly as they stepped into the crowded corridor. "Were you literally just sitting there waiting for me to ask?"
"Kind of, yeah!" Revin laughed hysterically, the explosive sound drawing a few glances from passing students. It was an intense, almost forced laugh, as if he were desperately trying to make his hidden troubles fade away into the noise.
Leansei slowed his pace, studying his friend's profile. "Are you truly okay? You look seriously troubled and completely messed up today."
"Well, if you treat me to a free lunch, I might actually be okay," Revin countered, throwing a playful, teasing arm toward him. Hearing his friend return to his usual, incredibly annoying self, Leansei let out a sharp hiss of mock irritation.
' I guess he's perfectly fine now, ' he reasoned silently, his anxiety easing.
They exited the sciences building, navigating the outdoor courtyard toward the large concrete structure where the main campus cafeteria was located. The midday heat hummed around them, filled with the chatter of hungry students.
"By the way," Revin started, his tone shifting into something a bit more curious as they approached the cafeteria doors. "It seriously looks like you've been getting close to the Vcheroi family lately. Is that true?"
Leansei's hand instinctively reached up, his fingers fixing the bridge of his eyeglasses as his throat locked up completely. He found himself utterly unable to respond. In an instant, his mind flashed back, the heavy, warning words that Perial had delivered to him just two days ago echoing violently behind his eyes.
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"He visited his girlfriend."
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For the past two days, Leansei had done everything in his power to avoid Xerchin at any cost, a desperate strategy that inevitably meant avoiding Beidhen as well. He looked down at the floor, his mind instantly dragging him back to the memory of how Xerchin treated him and the way he acted whenever they were alone. He couldn't grasp the logic behind it—why would Xerchin treat him with such intense, confusing difference when he already had a girlfriend in the first place?
' Why do I feel like I'm so frustrated? ' Leansei thought, an aggressive knot tightening behind his ribs. ' It's not like we have something going on! We were just ordinary friends, so why am I even avoiding him like this? Damn self, what on earth is happening to you?! '
"Are you troubled about something too?" Revin's sudden question made Leansei flinch, breaking his internal spiral as he glanced up.
"No... I'm not actually that close with him," Leansei lied smoothly, keeping his eyes firmly trained on the ground to avoid detection. Revin shot him a deeply confused look, but chose not to press further, diverting his gaze to look around the busy landscape instead.
.
After navigating the long lines and finally ordering their lunch, they claimed a clean, empty table situated right against the massive glass wall of the cafeteria. They had barely settled into their seats when a tray slid onto the table right beside Leansei with a loud clatter.
It was Corshe, his face sporting his usual jovial, bright expression as he dropped down onto the plastic bench.
"Since when did you actually become friends with Gawin?" Corshe asked, pointing his fork directly at Revin.
"He's my friend now, and you're just going to have to bear with it," Revin retorted defiantly. He shoved a massive forkful of food into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out instantly.
"As if! I am officially his very first friend!" Corshe fired back, crossing his arms defensively.
Leansei shook his head in sheer disbelief, watching the two of them bicker like toddlers. He looked down at his own plate, slowly chewing his food as a genuine, quiet smile curved onto his lips. He had never imagined having an actual circle of friends in his life, let alone experiencing what it felt like to be happy around people. For once, he knew what it was like to have friends who weren't hiding malicious intentions behind a polite mask.
"You two, seriously stop it," Leansei commanded gently after swallowing his food.
The two remained entirely unbelievable, trading childish barbs back and forth across the table. As Leansei tuned them out, his eyes locked onto a figure walking past their row. Xeilin was moving through the aisle with a heavy tray in his hand, his posture completely rigid and his mind visibly preoccupied.
"Xei," Leansei called out clearly.
Xeilin flinched at the sound of his name, his head snapping in their direction. The dark, gloomy shadow hanging over Xeilin's face faded away the exact microsecond he locked eyes with Leansei. He immediately altered his path, stepped toward their table, and set his tray down to slide onto the bench right beside Revin.
"President!" Corshe greeted warmly, a bright smile lighting up his face. Xeilin offered him a polite smile in return, before glancing subtly at the boy sitting directly beside him, whom he didn't recognize at all.
"Oh, that's Revin, and this is Corshe," Leansei supplied, instantly picking up on the look and introducing them. "Revin, this is Xeilin, the President of the Student Council." Xeilin offered a friendly nod, while Revin merely gave him a somewhat raw, strained smile.
Leansei leaned forward slightly, studying the council president's tired eyes. "What are you so dazed about? Are you troubled about something too?" The direct question made Xeilin pause mid-movement. He forced a quick, reassuring smile onto his face, looking down at his tray as he idly swirled his fork through his food.
"I just... encountered something highly unexpected earlier, but I'm perfectly fine."
Leansei glanced across the table. Revin had slipped right back into his preoccupied state, staring blankly down at his own tray. He looked to his side; Corshe had puffed out his lips, his brow furrowed as he sunk into deep thought.
"I guess every single one of us is troubled about something today," Leansei stated with a dry chuckle, continuing to eat his lunch. Trying to break the heavy mood, Corshe swallowed his food and piped up.
"Oh right! The school acquaintance party is scheduled for the end of the month, isn't it?"
"Oh, yeah," Xeilin affirmed, glad for the change of subject. "We, the SSC officers, are going to be incredibly busy this week finalizing the preparations for everyone. You'll all receive the official announcement regarding the specific theme and layout of the event by the end of next week." Revin didn't say a word, simply reaching for his cup and drinking his juice after finishing his meal.
"Yay! Did you hear that?" Corshe cheered excitedly, turning his head aggressively toward Leansei.
Leansei merely offered a flat, unamused look; as the vice president, he already knew every single detail of the event plan. Truthfully, he wasn't interested in massive parties at all, but since the rest of the council had worked so hard to build the event from scratch, he couldn't bring himself to ditch them.
"Oh, right! I completely forgot you're literally the vice president of the council," Corshe blurted out, laughing hysterically at his own sheer stupidity. Everyone at the table shook their heads in unison, looking at Corshe with pure amusement and disbelief.
Suddenly, a rowdy group of students slid into the vacant table right beside theirs. The moment they sat down, they leaned in close, their voices dropping into a sharp, rapid sequence of intense whispering. The distinct sound of juicy campus gossip instantly made Leansei, Xeilin, and Revin freeze, their conversations halting as they involuntarily began to listen.
"I heard Seleigh's fiancé has officially been confirmed," one of the girls at the next table whispered loudly.
"Are you serious? For real?"
"Yes! Just look at social media right now!"
"Then... does that mean Beidhen's fiancé is confirmed too?"
"No way!"
"But wait, have you guys heard the other news?" another voice chimed in excitedly. "The new campus chef is insanely handsome!"
"Seriously?"
"Yes! Some students saw him walking into the principal's office earlier. He was being shown around by an administrative assistant."
"Omg!!"
"And that's not all—Rell is also rumored to be in a relationship now."
"What the hell is with all these rumors dropping all at once?!"
At the sound of the gossip, the atmosphere at Leansei's table shifted instantly. Xeilin looked down, the polite smile vanishing from his face in a fraction of a second. Beside him, Revin turned his head, casting a piercing, ice-cold stare directly at the gossiping girls. Corshe is looking at his tray troubledly and Leansei silently raised his glass and took a slow drink of water. A heavy, sinking feeling settling deep into his gut. He had a remarkably bad feeling about this.
The sharp chime of the school bell rang across the courtyard, signaling the end of the lunch break. They all stood up, parting ways to head to their respective buildings.
Throughout the entire afternoon, neither Leansei nor Revin could concentrate on a single word the professors said. They tried their absolute best to block out the noise, but every time they glanced at their phones, social media was completely flooded. Tons of tweets, posts, and campus forum threads were exploding with details about the confirmations.
When the final classes of the day finally concluded, Leansei's mind was still entirely trapped by what Perial had told him. He walked slowly down the long, paved path toward the front gates of the school, his eyes scanning the crowd. He froze.
Xerchin was leaning casually against the concrete wall of the gate, looking as though he were waiting for someone to come out.
Panicking, Leansei immediately ducked behind the corner of the brick building, secretly peering out to watch him.
' What is he doing there? Is he waiting for someone? ' Leansei thought, his chest tightening. ' But why on earth am I even hiding in the first place? ' He pressed the back of his head against the brick wall and closed his eyes, completely lost. He had absolutely no idea what was going on with his own emotions these days.
He was about to move out of the shadow when he forced himself to look again. This time, he saw a girl approach Xerchin. They exchanged a few words before turning to walk toward the parking lot together.
Unconsciously, as if his feet were moving on their own, Leansei ran after them. Entering the parking lot, he ducked behind a row of parked cars, hiding a few meters away from Xerchin's vehicle. He watched them walk side by side. Xerchin maintained his usual, unbothered poker face while the girl opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat. She turned to look up at him through the window.
"Thank you so much for walking me here," her sweet, musical voice drifted across the asphalt.
Leansei didn't wait to hear anything else. He turned around and walked away from the parking lot as fast as his legs could carry him, a sudden, tearing pain ripping through his heart. He couldn't comprehend what he was feeling toward Xerchin. He had never experienced this kind of raw, agonizing sensation toward anyone in his entire life—it felt as though his chest were physically being torn apart.
As Leansei hurriedly fled toward the main gates, Rell happened to be walking into the parking lot, his hands slid casually into his pockets. He caught sight of Leansei moving frantically away from the cars.
A warm smile broke across Rell's face, and he raised his hand, about to call out to him. But the moment he locked eyes with the boy, he stopped dead in his tracks. The expression on Leansei's face was a mirror image of the old Kean—the exact same look of profound distress he had seen right before the horrific incident. Rell's smile faded completely. He slowly dropped his hand, a heavy realization settling over him.
Meanwhile, Leansei was running like an absolute idiot. He ran as if there were no tomorrow, the wind rushing past his ears. As the air burned in his lungs, the memory of this specific sensation finally clicked in his mind.
It was pain.
It was the exact same agonizing pain he had felt on the cold, rainy day Tyvan had abandoned him. It was the identical, suffocating sensation, but somehow, this time it hurt infinitely more than anything he had ever survived before. The realization left him entirely confused. He didn't understand why he was reacting this way to a man he barely knew. It felt completely weird, yet the familiar ache in his chest was undeniable.
Finally collapsing onto the bench of a nearby transit waiting shed, Leansei gasped for air, his hand tightly clutching his shirt right over his heart.
' So the girl he's with named Seleigh...' he thought, his breathing ragged. ' Xerchin's girlfriend. Or, alternatively, his actual fiancée. But why should I even avoid him because of that? It's not like we have anything going on to avoid. ' Leansei looked down at his shoes, clenching his hands into tight fists.
' That absolute bastard... leaving me with all these unexplained feelings when he had a fiancée all along, ' he thought bitterly, a sharp hiss escaping his lips. ' and so what if he has.... were not even friends to begin with. '
Forcing himself to calm down, he boarded the incoming bus to commute back to his condo. At the very least, he took comfort in the fact that he finally knew how to navigate the city transit lines between home and school without relying on anyone else.
Upon arriving at his apartment, Leansei kicked off his shoes and socks at the entryway. He walked straight into his bedroom, stripped off the rigid school uniform, and changed into comfortable clothes before collapsing heavily onto the mattress.
Staring blankly at the wall, the memories of the past few weeks came rushing back. He remembered how he had met Xerchin, and just how much he had genuinely enjoyed the man's quiet company and presence.
He reached for his phone on the nightstand, checking the screen. There were fresh text messages waiting for him from both Rell and Perial.
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FROM: RELLO VIN
Hey, is everything alright?
Text me if it needs.
(Sent a few seconds ago)
________
FROM: THE CRAZY PERIAL
Hey, sorry I left without saying goodbye! I had to rush back to my parents' house. You know how strict they are. If absolutely anything happens, you call me immediately, okay??
(Sent 4 hours ago)
________
A faint, genuine smile touched Leansei's lips as he read the words. For the first time in his life, he actually had real friends—Rell, Perial, Corshe, Xeilin, and Revin. But the smile faded just as quickly as it had arrived, replaced by a cold wave of reality. He remembered that sooner or later, this temporary sanctuary would end, and he would have to go back to his own miserable life.
Sometimes, Leansei wondered if this beautiful, chaotic reality was the kind of life he was always meant to have, or if he had simply been temporarily saved from his own dark pit.
But no matter how sweet it was, he knew a day would come when he would have to say a final goodbye to the wonderful people he had met.
Leansei slowly closed his eyes, letting the heavy exhaustion wash over his thoughts. He decided to just sleep on it; too many life-changing things were happening in the span of a single day.