CHAPTER 58

THE BIRTHDAY

  Delimira's words hung heavy in the air, shattering the previously jovial atmosphere of the lecture hall. Just as the awkwardness reached a fever pitch, a sudden burst of laughter broke through, spreading like wildfire through the audience. Even Martha couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief at the sheer ridiculousness of Delimira's claim.

Despite the obvious absurdity of the excuse, Martha played along, asking the pointed question,

If he truly has hemorrhoids, why isn't he seeking medical attention?"

But Delimira simply smirked, her eyes dancing with mischief. "You know boys and their pride, professor", she responded, her words dripping with mockery.

  Martha's eyes narrowed as she fixed her gaze on Delimira, fully aware that the excuse she had given was nothing short of ridiculous. It was disheartening to think of how far kids were willing to go for a moment of amusement these days. With a heavy sigh, she dismissed the class, her mind consumed with thoughts of the strange boy and his mysterious origins. Walter's peculiar behaviour around him only added to her suspicions, but she knew better than to stir the pot without all the facts. Determined to get to the bottom of the matter, Martha made a decision to confront Hans herself,

Concern etched on his face, Chris turned to Delimira, muttering,

Hans won't be happy about this.

Delimira shrugged nonchalantly.

"He asked me for an excuse that the professor couldn't argue with. Looks like we've done our job," she said, glancing over at Martha's retreating figure.

Chris refuted instantly,

There is no 'WE' only 'YOU'.

  Delimira sighed at his friend's cowardice and gathered her things to exit the lecture hall. As both made their way back to the Boys' dorm, a sense of unease settled in Chris's stomach. He knew Hans wouldn't take kindly to their little charade, no matter how much he had asked for it. And as they approached the gates, his fears were confirmed - Hans was waiting for them, but he wasn't alone.

  Professor Martha was making her way towards him, her expression serious. Chris frantically signalled for Hans to run, but the hapless boy couldn't make out what he was saying, and before they knew it, Martha was upon them. Even Delimira and Chris, who had been planning to stay out of it, sneaking away from this mess were soon caught in the crossfire.

"How's your bottom, Mr Hans?" Martha demanded, her eyes narrowing.

Hans looked bewildered, glancing over at Chris and Delimira for guidance. But with Martha's eyes fixed on them, they stayed silent.

"It's a bit sore, but I'm managing fine," he finally responded.

Chris bit down on his lip to stifle the laughter that was threatening to spill out. Even Delimira was struggling to keep a straight face. Martha wasn't amused but still gave another chance to them, hoping the kids to admit the truth.

"You should be in a medical facility for hemorrhoids, Mr Hans. Moving around like this will only make it worse," she scolded.

Hans was dumbfounded, muttering "hemorrhoids" repeatedly under his breath. He couldn't believe that such a lame excuse was used to deceive a seasoned professor like Martha. Glaring at Delimira, who seemed to be avoiding his gaze, Hans turned to Martha and awkwardly admitted,

"Yes professor, I do have HEMORRHOIDS."

Martha was clearly irritated and snapped at the group,

Cut the crap, you three. Do you really think I'm that gullible to let you get away with such a flimsy excuse?

Hans, realizing that his weak justification had not gone unnoticed, put on his best apologetic face, which usually worked with his family. He implored Martha,

I'm sorry, something came up and I won't be able to attend class. Can you please hold off on your wrath for two days? Tomorrow is my birthday, and you wouldn't want to ruin someone's special day, would you?"

Martha did not give him long.

"Come see me in my office the day after tomorrow," she said, her eyes filled with ridicule for these three.

As Martha walked away, Hans glared at Delimira and suppressed the urge to knock her head.

"Hemorrhoids? Are you out of your mind, Ms Winters?" he fumed.

"I didn't know she would come here on her own," Delimira defended herself.

Hans was getting angrier by the second, but a sudden idea crossed his mind. Turning to Delimira, he said with a sly grin,

Hans was getting angry with her but a sudden thought clicked with him and he said to her,

"Now you know, it's my birthday tomorrow. As my FRIEND, you should give me a present, right? And I expect something expensive, considering our 'having each other's back' friendship," he added, emphasizing the word EXPENSIVE.

  Delimira couldn't help but smile smugly as she agreed to Hans's demand for an expensive gift. Money had always been an easy way to solve problems for her, but it seemed to irritate Hans even more. The young lad believed that the key to remaining wealthy was to lead a frugal lifestyle, and he assumed that spending money on him would trouble her. However, he failed to consider that she had already splurged on an upscale shop just to be in his friend circle.

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  As they moved forward, Delimira asked Hans what he planned to do after their meeting with Martha. But Hans was thinking of the opposite, he scoffed and vowed to drag the situation out as long as possible, letting Professor Walter handle the aftermath. Whereas Chris warned him that Martha could fail him in midterms, to which Hans confidently replied

"There are makeup exams my friends, focussed on practicals, I do that fabulously".

  The boys parted with Delimira but despite his bravado, the rumours about his supposed hemorrhoids were starting to take a toll on him. Everywhere he went, people whispered about his bottom, and he couldn't help but curse Delimira under his breath. With Martha breathing down his neck and the teasing eyes of others, Hans was at his wit's end. He sought Walter's guidance in dealing with his more pressing problem: MARTHA.

Throwing his belongings in his room, he rushed to Prophets' castle to find his HouseMaster, but Walter's response was not what he had hoped for. "No, don't agitate her further," Walter warned.

She could very well stop you from passing. Not even a director could interfere.

"But I thought you might have some say in the matter," Hans pleaded.

"No," Walter replied flatly.

Hans felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Shit," he muttered.

"Yeah, you are in deep shit," Walter said bluntly.

Who told you to play hooky for weeks? But it's not irredeemable. Just beg her.

Hans hung his head, realizing he shouldn't have boasted in front of Chris and Delimira about Walter's supposed influence. Walter was about as reliable as Rudolf (sarcasm). Breaking the silence, Walter added,

By the way, how's your ass, youngest?

  Hans let out a long sigh, his disappointment weighing heavy on his shoulders as he trudged back to his dorm. He had boasted to Chris and Delimira about Walter handling things, and now there was no way he could admit the truth. So, he resigned himself to sleeping it off, hoping that tomorrow would bring a better day.

  The next day, Hans woke up with a renewed sense of excitement. He had never celebrated his birthday like a kid in Ghost Isles, and when Delimira invited him to Griffin's Nest with whomever he wanted, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. He quickly told Vanessa, who was just as excited for him and spent the rest of the day catching up with Rudolf and Sierra.

  Hans was fortunate that his birthday fell on the seventh day of the week, a holiday in the Float Lands, which meant he had no classes to attend. Chris was quick to discover that Hans had never celebrated his birthday properly before and immediately took it upon himself to plan a party. However, Chris' lack of artistic vision meant that Delimira was forced to handle everything by herself. As the party time drew near, Hans led his sister into Griffin's Nest with a sense of excitement and curiosity.

  The cafe was awash with a warm glow from the various artefacts placed around the room, each one contributing to the magnificent display of colours and lights. It was obvious that no expense had been spared, and Hans couldn't believe the beauty that surrounded him. The staff, who had worked tirelessly to make this celebration happen, were ecstatic to see the look of surprise on the birthday boy's face.

  Vanessa, on the other hand, was suspicious. She couldn't fathom why anyone would spend so much money without an ulterior motive, and her scepticism about the elf girl grew stronger. The awkward silence between her and Delimira was palpable, and the tension among the guests was starting to rise.

  Thankfully, the clever staff came to the rescue and changed the mood of the party with some light music. Delimira, knowing Hans' love for hunting, turned on a projection artefact, and tiny forms of wild beasts from Class one to Class seven appeared and roamed throughout the room. Hans was thrilled, acting like a kid in a candy store as he named every creature he recognized. It was a sight to behold, and the projection served its purpose in diverting everyone's attention away from the tension.

As the projection ended, Delimira's voice dripped with haughtiness as she asked,

So, are you satisfied?

Hans looked at her with a questioning gaze, unsure of how much money had been poured into the decorations. Delimira, sensing his confusion, pointed to herself and added,

I mean, your FRIEND'S present.

Despite her arrogance and superior attitude, Hans was genuinely impressed and had no intention of demeaning her hard work.

"Yeah, it was amazing," he replied.

Turning to Chris, Hans asked eagerly,

So, Chris, what did you get me?

Chris looked awkward and hesitated before replying,

Buddy, you shouldn't be so blunt about asking for a gift. It's customary to receive gifts, not ask for them.

Hans looked puzzled but Chris handed him a box wrapped in gift paper. Hans tore into it like a hungry animal, revealing a book on the habits of different beasts. It may not have been hard to get, but Hans appreciated it nonetheless.

  Looking to his sister for a gift, she reminded him that presents should be opened after cutting the cake. Hans had almost forgotten the sequence of birthday celebrations when the cake was brought out by another staff member. It wasn't big, but the aroma of chocolate made Hans's mouth water. He cut the cake and shared it with the others at the party. Chris even tried to smear cake on his face, but Hans dodged it playfully.

  The atmosphere was cheerful and Hans enjoyed his first proper birthday celebration. Vanessa gave him a memory stone, a low-level artefact that could record events around him. It was a one-time use item, but it could serve as evidence or an alibi for a reckless guy like Hans. He was grateful for the thoughtful gift.

  Hans was grateful for the gifts he received from his friends. Delimira had gone all out to arrange the party, Chris gifted him a book he had been wanting to read, and Vanessa had given him a useful low-level artefact. Hans beamed at his friends and exclaimed, "I can't wait for next year's celebration!" But the excitement was short-lived, as the group was met with an awkward silence that quickly dispersed with joyful laughter and Hans with a face that kept asking why were they laughing.

After waking up, Hans started rubbing his knees and said to them,

It is time to put you to good use.

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