The schedule 🗓 in Clara's first semester was surprisingly relaxed. Nothing much physical other than the morning drill. The class allocated a long afternoon break, followed by a special "networking" session for the day. Clara was deeply worried. She felt like wasting time and learned nothing. 😩 How was she going to find a stable nursing job if she did not have the opportunity to learn about the basic skill?
But making friends is a part of the learning process. In the unfair world full of competitions. An unfair advantage from a strong relationship will gain you opportunities towards greater success! That’s what the fraternities and sororities are for! 🧐
Clara recalled what her lecturer said that morning. Although the idea was difficult for her, especially when she needed to try her best to fit in with the existing environment, those students came from elite backgrounds.
Original Post: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/51152/tales-of-teleios
She grabbed her tray 🍽 and walked to the canteen, which looked like a hotel buffet restaurant rather than a canteen of an academy. She took a big sigh, and picked up some pasta 🍝. Those were the only normal dishes surrounded by all those strange seafood, disgusting fish gray black roe and chunks of goose liver.
She took her tray and walked towards a table with some three girls, where there were plenty of empty seats. “May I join you for lunch?” 😀 She asked with a big gentle smile etched on her face.
“Sure, do take a seat.” 🙂 one of them replied with an elegant smile. They were all properly dressed and their gestures were fine and graceful. Clara did feel a bit awkward, 😅 but she pushed herself to fit in as much as possible.
“My name’s Clara. I’m from Indonesia.” 😆
“Nice to meet you, Clara! I’m Veronica. My other two friends, Senna, and Shameerah.” 🙂
“Hi, Clara! We are talking about the oil trade. What’s your family business in Indonesia?” Shameerah asked with anticipation. 😀
“We don’t have a family business. Both of my parents work for their employers. My dad sells electronics gadgets and kits. He sometimes brought home some really cool stuff!” 😙
Eager to make new friends, Clara took out her regular Chinese made smartphone and showed them a video she took at her home. Showing her father controlling a drone with a hand gesture. Clara thought that was the coolest thing her dad ever brought home from his company.
The three felt awkward watching that video. 😐 They stared at Clara, the way she sat, the way she carried her phone, the way she speaks. On her tray, she took spaghetti but next to the plate, they saw chopsticks 🥢. They kept quiet, and continued sipping the tea. ☕
“We have to go now, we have some very important appointments.” Senna broke the silence, she stood up and lifted her tray. 😅
“Ah, yes! I almost forgot! I’m sorry Clara, we have to leave now! That’s an urgent appointment!” Veronica and Shameerah stood up next, and they left immediately without turning back.😅
Clara took a deep breath, 😮💨 and relaxed her posture. She did not feel comfortable sitting in an upright manner. Something she felt disconnected with all the other students in the academy.
Suddenly, a tall lady placed her tray next to Clara, and sat closely right beside her.
"Jayda!" 😮
"Oh hi Clara, my best friend! Let's have lunch together!" 😬
That smile on Jayda’s face, although seemed unnatural, it was hard for Clara to reject that request. 😅 She was happy and really appreciated that she met Jayda. She might be a little overbearing but Clara believed that friendship took some time to develop.
[Where were you last night? Clara!] 😒
And their internal mind conversation started. Clara notices that judging expression on Jayda’s unnatural smile trying to interrogate her.
[You weren't in my room this morning! Where were you?] 😠
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
[Oh god! Yesterday night…] 😣
Clara recalled what had happened, after she discovered the brothers finished up her limited edition Indomee supplies.
“Those are the limited edition flavors! The factory will not produce it anymore in future! How could you all take my stuff?! It’s stealing!” 😫
Slurp… Slurp… “Nope! I’m not going to apologize for whatever!” Gabe argued with his mouth full of noodles. “You insulted my cooking skill! And I can’t believe this stuff is really good! But then, it’s not my fault!” 🥴
“Not your fault? Then who's at fault!?” 😫
Gabe and Penn pointed their fingers at Mateo. 😦
“I’m sorry. In exchange for that, I give you my limited edition Mr Cuddles…” and he handed Clara a large size plushie with a shape of a yellow bunny. 😨
“No! I don’t want that! I’m not into creepy cartoons!” 😠
“It is an authentic official merch from Happy Three Friends studio! See…” 😮
Pop! 💥
Aaaaahhhhh!!!! 😵
Clara screamed in horror, seeing the plushie’s head popped out and with red coloured semi solid gel slime content with the shape of internal organs bursting out from the plushie’s body.
The next thing Clara remembered was that she was fainted.
Not yet, not yet… there was more… the drama continues…
Clara tried to recall the incident that continued after she woke up by her phone 📲 notification tone that morning. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was that rabbit plushie next to her, but it was reassembled back to its normal form.
She grabbed her phone and realized that there were over hundreds of notifications 🔔 sent to her. It was an app that she downloaded right after she landed in Budapest. A personal safety tracking app 👮 that helps her to prevent criminals.
She swiped to read the latest notification.
“Notification received, 2 minutes ago. Registered sex offender within 100m…?” 😨
When Clara turned herself to another side of the bed, she saw Penn sleeping right beside her. 😴
Ding Ding… New notification received… Registered sex offender within 100m… 😰
“Oh dear, that stupid safety app. The chip is still working and I don't know where they planted it on me…” 😑 Penn said with a sensual voice. He noticed about Clara’s phone, as he recognised that special notification tone.
------------------------------------------
“Oh, so you were in Penn’s room yesterday huh. Lucky you! Ladies paid him over a hundred thousand just for a night!” Jayda said while having her lunch with Clara. 🤨
“He’s a famous celebrity before he came to the academy. I did not read about his controversial case though.” she continued. 🤔
“But you’re such a bitch! Clara! How could you leave me alone in the room and go have fun with all the other boys?” 😏
“No! You are the one who took over the whole bed and left me nowhere to sleep! Besides, aren’t you a boy too?” 🙄
Jayda suddenly stood up, and smashed the spoon on to the table. Anger rushed on her and Clara realized that she had said something really offended her. She saw Jayda holding her fist, and angrily stared at her. 😡
“You left the room, because I am physically a boy?” 😡
“Am I worse than a creepy guy, and oily son of a dictator and another registered sex offender?” 😡
Deeply disappointed by Clara, Jayda burst into tears and ran out of the cafeteria. Clara was stunned, she did not know how to respond in such a situation. It was true that she left the room because Jayda was physically a man. Even though that night she was wearing a long camisole and behaved like a lady.
"May we join you for lunch? Miss Juana." 🙂
Aron and his brothers came to Clara's table with their trays. The three were trying to avoid her though. 🙄 As they still felt guilty of finishing her limited edition instant noodles. Especially Penn, who wore sunglasses to hide something on his face. Clara had laid a hard punch on his right eye that morning. The bruises were obviously seen on part of his face not covered by the sunglasses.
"Yes… sure…" 😓
“Miss Yeoh, she is such a fine lady, isn’t she?” 🙂
Fine lady…
“Yes, indeed. She is special. The precious daughter of a property tycoon. Well mannered, posh and elegant.”
Clara noticed that what Aron said was true about Jayda. Although they just met, Jayda always behaved like a lady, with exception of that night when she saved her from being attacked by those unknown people in the dark.
A lady like Jayda could have easily fit in with all the other ladies in the academy. Just like Veronica, Senna and Shameerah she met just now. But Jayda did not join the other girls because she wanted to be close to Clara.
“Do you think she kept herself close to you just to get close to me? Or she actually really cared about you being the potential framed victim?”🤔
“Framed victim?”🤨
Clara was confused by Aron’s words.
To be continued…