At lunchtime, Hirvan followed other students to the cafeteria, searching for the figures of his two friends. Prior to the start of class, they arranged to have lunch together and catch up on what had transpired to Hirvan in the past two weeks.
" Hirvan! Here!"
Mara waved at him enthusiastically and yelled across the hall.
The rest of the students were accustomed to her outgoing nature and carried on with their conversations.
Nevertheless, there was always an exception. A boy from the first grade who was transferred recently had another agenda.
Jeremy, who harboured a crush on Mara, was hoping to cause a scene and embarrass Hirvan in front of the girls with a mischievous prank.
So, He stretched his foot, hoping to make Hirvan trip on it.
As soon as Jeremy started at this school, he fell head over heels in love with Mara. His crush's sudden invitation of an unknown boy to their table caused him to be jealous. It was unfortunate that, during his brief time at school, he was not aware of Mara's sexuality or Hirvan's. This situation arose due to this misunderstanding.
As Jeremy attempted to trip Hirvan, his plans backfired spectacularly.
Despite the dining hall being full of people and chaotic, Hirvan noticed a malicious gaze directed towards him. Compared to an average boy, Hirvan had more toned reflexes.
Hirvan, quick on his feet, gracefully avoided the trap.
He wasn't a saint; in the process, he toppled the boy's chair by pushing it to the side.
Jeremy's lack of experience compared to Hirvan resulted in him being unable to react and crashing to the ground.
The entire cafeteria burst into laughter as Jeremy found himself on the floor, stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
" I am sorry. Are you okay? I was clumsy and didn't see where I was going."
Hirvan offered his hand to the boy, flashed an apologetic smile and feigned ignorance about his bad intention.
Around them, whispers were heard.
"Another person has fallen victim to his tricks."
"Do you think he will be his next boyfriend?"
Confusion clouded Jeremy's mind as he struggled to grasp the situation unfolding around him.
Meanwhile, Mara called out to Hirvan.
" Hirvan, what are you doing? Hurry up and come here! The food we ordered will be cold."
Mara's disregard towards him was the final blow that shattered Jeremy's ego.
Jeremy made a hasty retreat, leaving the trio to enjoy their lunch in peace.
" I am coming!"
Hirvan strolled leisurely towards his two friends, unfazed by the episode.
"Here's your chicken curry. When did you become a fan of chicken? Rice is even more surprising!"
Mara put the food in front of Hirvan and asked in confusion.
"Protein is necessary for me to build my muscle! After intense exercise, rice can aid in energy recovery and glycogen replenishment."
Hirvan ate the chicken curry and elaborated on the reason why he chose it.
Mara glanced at Hannah, seeing the same confusion in her eyes.
"Is this your new plan? Are you trying to gain muscle to attract men?"
" What? Certainly not! My Hunting for a boyfriend has officially ended!"
" What the heck? Why? It's the jerk's fault, isn't it? I should have punched him that son of... !"
Mara was fuming with unresolved anger towards that jerk.
" Here, eat it. Don't get worked up!"
Hirvan placed his custard before her.
Mara suddenly cried and hugged Hannah after witnessing Hirvan's nonchalant action.
" Look! It was too much stimulation for my boy! He even offered his favourite dessert! Ah, Hannah! What should we do? Our son wants to become a monk!"
" Who is your son? You are both within my age range! If, and I mean it, if you were my mother, I would have killed myself! I have a lovely mother, thank you very much."
" Ha? In the past two weeks, what exactly happened? Has your relationship with your mother gotten better? You couldn't handle even the mention of her in front of you! Seriously? Who are you? And what have you done to my cute Hirvan?"
Mara pointed at Hirvan and accused him.
" Things changed. I had a good chat with her, and we cleared the misunderstanding. Knowing the identity of my father, I don't need the help of some wealthy boyfriend to locate him."
Mara and Hannah's mouths were gaping in shock. Hirvan's family affair has been kept secret for years, and they assumed that his frequent boyfriend changes were simply a form of teenage rebellion and a fear of commitment or intimacy. They knew he was a hundred per cent virgin through and through. It was the first time that they heard the reason for his behaviour.
"Do you plan on meeting him, I mean your father?"
Mara hesitantly inquired.
Hirvan pressed his lips, thinking of calling Elian his dad. Hirvan's face turned unsightly as if he had swallowed a fly.
' Nope! Calling him dad? It won't happen in a million years!'
"Let's see what happens."
By imagining Elian's smug face, Hirvan's good mood was destroyed.
Shaking his head, he wiped that picture off his mind.
Mara was dying of curiosity and wanted to ask more. Hannah struck her with her elbow, stopping her from doing it.
Hannah's perceptiveness was greater than Mara's. Seeing Hirvan's annoyance, Hannah interfered with her girlfriend's actions.
Hirvan prioritized improving his studies and training his body as his top priority. Other issues can be resolved later.
"I have a favour to ask you guys. My goal is to be admitted to the national university in Astra City, and I was hoping to receive tutoring from you two."
Mara choked on her food and coughed repeatedly.
" What? Are you out of your mind? Even if you studied for another ten years, you would still not be admitted to that university! Let alone six months!"
" I know it sounds ridiculous. But my poor grades were not because of a lack of IQ, I was simply too lazy to study. I am sure if you try you can see how fast learner I am!"
Hirvan boosted himself without any sense of shame. It was not a whim to ask for help from these two girls. Mara was the first in their grade and Hannah was the fourth. By comparison to the original owner, they were like deities!
"Please! Just one month!"
" Okay, but if you don't progress from the bottom of the class at least to the middle of it, I will stop our tutoring immediately!"
" Deal! Thank you!"
" Come on, you two. Let's eat."
Hannah urged them to finish their meals.