Liam changed his clothes before stepping out of his room.
His mother was already using her new MacBook, typing with visible comfort.
She looked up when she saw him.
"Mom, I'm heading to the university. Our Head of the Economics Faculty has been hospitalized, and the lecturers asked students to visit him," Liam explained.
She simply nodded without saying anything.
Liam left the house and drove toward campus.
The university wasn't exactly quiet.
Not because economics students were gathering, but because some diligent students were still there—reading in the library, working on projects, or finishing assignments.
Liam parked his car in a corner.
Even if it wasn't the most luxurious, its brand-new condition still drew attention.
"Liam, hahaha, how does it feel coming to campus with a car?"
He had barely taken a few steps when Jack appeared from behind a large tree.
His house wasn't far from campus, so he could arrive early even on foot.
Before Liam could respond, Jack leaned in and whispered,
"Did you sleep with Luna last night? Don't lie—your car was parked at the hotel. You stayed there, didn't you?"
Liam rolled his eyes.
"I did stay at that hotel, but would you believe me if I said we just happened to meet there in the morning and had breakfast together?"
"No, I don't believe you," Jack shook his head.
"Then feel free to imagine whatever you want," Liam shrugged.
"Damn, it must've been amazing, right? Luna… not only is she beautiful, she's got the best body—the sexiest girl in the university…" Jack's face turned red.
Liam didn't want to continue that topic.
"How's the project?"
"I had to pause it for a bit, but don't worry—it'll definitely be done tonight."
"Good."
They walked toward their classroom, which was already crowded.
Inside, Liam saw Alex—and Vivian, who was standing with a group of girls.
Alex looked uncomfortable when he saw Liam.
Vivian, on the other hand, walked straight toward him.
"Liam, we're discussing a gift for our Head of Faculty. Everyone's short on money—we've only gathered 1,500 dollars so far. But you seem to have made quite a bit… how about you cover the rest? We need another 1,500," she said with a faint smile.
Liam frowned slightly, but before he could answer, Jack spoke.
"What are you even planning to buy with that much? Don't tell me you're buying Professor John a coffin?"
His words instantly silenced everyone.
Vivian looked a little awkward.
"We want to give something meaningful. Other classes are giving expensive gifts too. We're planning to buy the latest-generation virtual headset—it'll help him with his work," she explained.
"I see…" Liam nodded.
He then pulled out fifteen 100-dollar bills.
On the way, he had withdrawn quite a bit of cash—his wallet was so thick it was hard to fold.
The students—especially the girls—were stunned.
Vivian's gaze toward Liam changed completely.
With a wallet that thick, he could easily have more than $5,000 in it.
How much did he even have in his account?
How could he make that much in just a few days?
No wonder Luna stuck to him.
Liam placed the money on the table when no one stepped forward to take it.
"Well then, let's thank our generous friend…" Vivian quickly regained composure and started clapping.
The others followed.
"We'll buy it on the way," she added.
Everyone nodded.
"Let's go, the other classes have already left—we're a bit late."
They headed out together.
A university bus had been prepared.
Everyone boarded it—even those who owned cars.
Liam followed as well.
He wasn't the type to isolate himself unnecessarily.
The bus was large, though each row was slightly overcrowded.
One of the students acted as the driver.
Inside the bus, no one spoke.
But many of the girls kept glancing at Liam, making him feel uneasy.
He pretended not to notice, scrolling through his phone instead.
The bus stopped at an electronics store.
Vivian and several girls got off and went inside.
They didn't take long.
They returned carrying a box—a Meta virtual headset.
Unfortunately, it wasn't like the immersive VR from anime.
Liam wasn't particularly interested, so he had never bought one.
The hospital.
It was quite crowded on the weekend, filled with visiting families.
When the bus stopped, a beautiful woman approached them.
She looked to be in her late twenties—around 28 or 29—with neatly styled light brown hair, wearing formal pants and a gray shirt.
Tall and slender, she drew even more attention than Vivian.
"Quick!" she urged the students to get off.
"Professor Diaz, did something happen?" Vivian asked as she stepped down first.
Anna Diaz—that was the woman's name, one of their faculty lecturers.
"Professor John will be transferred to Washington for surgery soon. The doctors here can't handle it," she explained.
"What? Really?"
Some students became visibly anxious—especially those who admired the old professor.
"Is his condition that serious? Is it okay for us to see him?" one of them asked.
"It's fine. The doctors said he needs encouragement," Anna Diaz replied.
"Follow me!"
She led them forward with quick steps.
At the back, Liam and Jack exchanged helpless smiles.
Neither of them was particularly attached to Professor John.