As Lucy picked herself up, Jiten and Alex exchanged a worried glance. Lucy had a reputation for being clumsy and forgetful, and they were concerned that she might have hurt herself.

"Are you okay, Professor Turner?" Jiten asked, getting up from his seat to help her.

Lucy brushed herself off and straightened her glasses before responding. "I'm fine, thank you, Jiten. Just a little distracted," she said, her eyes darting around the room.

Jiten and Alex exchanged another glance, wondering what could be distracting her.

As Lucy began to speak, her voice commanded the attention of the students in the room. She spoke with a gentle yet firm tone, projecting her voice so that everyone could hear her clearly. Her words were precise, and her explanations were thorough, leaving no room for confusion or ambiguity. She used examples and analogies to help the students grasp the more complex concepts, and her passion for the subject matter shone through in every word she spoke.

Despite her disheveled appearance, Lucy had an air of confidence and authority that made it clear she was in control of the classroom. Her forgetfulness, though sometimes a source of amusement for the students, was quickly forgotten as they became engrossed in the lecture.

Jiten and Alex were no exception. They took meticulous notes, scribbling down every word Lucy said, eager to absorb as much knowledge as possible. They were impressed by her depth of understanding and her ability to explain complex topics in a way that was both accessible and engaging.

As the lecture progressed, Jiten and Alex found themselves becoming more and more invested in the subject matter. They asked questions, made comments, and engaged in lively discussions with their classmates. By the time the lecture was over, they felt invigorated and eager to learn more.

As the lecture drew to a close, Jiten and Alex gathered their things and prepared to leave. Emily lingered behind, gathering her own notes and packing up her bag. Jiten couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she wasn't leaving with them, but he didn't want to be too forward.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"See you later, Emily. Good luck studying," Jiten said, giving her a friendly smile.

Emily smiled back at him. "Thanks, Jiten. It was nice meeting you, by the way, if you and Alex need help on the investigation of the noise at night near your house count me in!" she said before turning to leave.

As they walked out of the classroom, Jiten turned to Alex. "What do you think of Emily?" he asked, trying to be casual.

Alex shrugged. "She's a nice person. Why do you ask?" he replied, looking at Jiten curiously.

Jiten smiled, a little sheepishly. "I don't know, maybe it's just my imagination, but I think she might have a crush on you, man," he said, shrugging his own shoulders.

"What?! Me?! No way!" Alex choked out, surprised by Jiten's suggestion.

"It's just a hunch. Don't worry too much about it, fire boy," Jiten said with a playful smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Alex chuckled and shook his head. "Thanks for looking out for me, Jiten, but I think you might be mistaken. Emily and I are just friends," he said.

Jiten nodded, accepting Alex's response. "Alright, man. Just thought I'd mention it," he said.

"Man, I'm hungry as hell. Let's go eat!" exclaimed Jiten.

Jiten and Alex arrived at the cafeteria and headed towards the food counter to serve themselves. After filling their plates, they scanned the area for an available table and chose the one on the left corner. While passing by other tables, Alex noticed someone he recognized. It was Max. Alex greeted him, "Hi Max, what's up? Yesterday you left too early. After lunch, we could go to the sword arts class together!" Max saw Alex and responded, "Alex, sorry about yesterday, but I was late to a meeting." Alex joked, "Congratulations, Mr. Apprentice Rank. I hope she's the one!" After listening to this, Max responded without smiling, "The meeting was with Bishop Marley of the church. Currently, I don't have the time to have that kind of life." Alex then said, "Oh, I didn't know. If you ever need something, tell me. I will try to help. But after lunch, do you want to go together?" To this, Max replied, "I have already promised Samantha to go with her. Maybe next time."

"Okay, see you in class," said Alex as he left with Jiten to the table.

"Jeez, what an ass," muttered Jiten as he sat in front of Alex.

"Jiten, don't say that. Max is my friend, he is just stressed," said Alex.

"Alex, how naive can you be? That guy isn't your friend. The way he speaks to you is like he's doing you a favor by uttering a word." exclaimed Jiten. After saying this, Jiten looked at Alex, who was looking down, looking very sad. Feeling bad, Jiten continued, "Sorry, Alex. I overreacted."

"No, you are kind of right. Since the ceremony, he's been acting strange. He used to be so cool and nice. He was my first friend. Back then, we spent all day playing together," reminisced Alex, looking back at the time when his parents were alive.

"I heard him talking about Bishop Marley, that snake. Maybe he's the reason," said Jiten, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "Alex, I need to tell you something, but you can't tell anyone."