'How can I annoy Mike further and ruin his state of mind?' Glottis mused as he walked into his class. He had missed the entire first lesson, entering a few minutes after the beginning of the second.
"Young Master Glottis Sonora, I'm glad you made it today," the teacher smiled brightly as soon as he saw the newcomer.
"Oh, good morning, Mr. Likaz," Glottis nodded at him and continued to the seat next to Sheela.
"Jake Ov, what are you doing next to Sheela Petit? You already know this seat is taken," Likaz scolded the boy whose seat Glottis had taken.
Jake only gave Glottis one resentful gaze before wearing a fawning smile and leaving for another seat.
"Hello, Beauty, missed me?" Glottis whispered not so silently to his neighbor.
"No, I could learn better when you weren't around here."
"Don't be so cold. You said you would date me once I worked things out with Mike. I have good news, we worked it out. Want to sleep over at my place tonight?" Glottis got nearer than he should.
"No, and you're too close. I can smell the onions you ate this morning."
"Oh? Can't give up on Mike even after he gave up on you?" Glottis asked in fake surprise.
"What do you mean?" She frowned, confused. Mike had bothered her almost every day since he saw her bathing, it was unlikely that he gave up on wooing her.
"Didn't you hear? After I exposed him last night, he decided to change schools. I saw him today attend another school, probably a trial day or something to see if he can be accepted."
"Change schools?" Sheela repeated after him. His whole sentence consisted of information she did not understand. "Last night? What happened last night?"
"He was hitting on his cultivation master, telling her he loves her and whatnot. While he was trying to prey on her, I happened to pass by and tell her about the way he pesters you and talks about taking responsibility for what he had done to you. Obviously, she kicked him out, forsaking him both as a master and as a woman. I guess he doesn't want to find trouble with me anymore now."
Sheela raised an eyebrow before shaking her head, "Young Master, you can bullshit me as much as you want, but I'm not buying all this crap. I saw the way he treats me, he is not the kind of guy who would hit on another girl while wooing me. He was sincere with me, I could feel it." Sheela chose not to believe Glottis' words. After all, the young man wasn't known for his honesty and honor.
"Aiya, how do I know that he barged into your bathroom while you were bathing a few nights ago if I didn't hear it when he tried to explain to the other woman why he wants you?"
"You! You... what do you know?" The belle stuttered when she heard Glottis' gloating voice.
"I know you have a big booty and delicious-looking thighs," the young man smiled lewdly.
"He said that?"
"No, I did."
"Ah... we will talk about it later. I want to listen to class right now," Sheela chose to temporarily ignore him and shift her attention back to the teacher. Likaz was doing his best to pretend there was no chatty pair of students at the front of the classroom, and he could finally let out a breath of relief when he heard her.
"In our last session, we explored how 'The Qi of Her' intertwines Qi cultivation with the evolving romance of Liang and Mei. Today, let's delve deeper into the symbolic elements the author uses to enrich their story. Notice how the novel's setting shifts with the progression of their relationship – from the bustling energy of the city to the serene, nature-infused countryside. This change in setting isn't just a backdrop; it mirrors the internal journey of our protagonists, from chaos to tranquility, reflecting their growth in Qi cultivation and love."
"Don't worry, Mr. Likaz will give you private tutoring if I ask him to. If he won't, I will hire the best teachers for you, so talking to me would never harm your studies," the rich kid bragged, making the teacher even more nervous than before.
"I pity your parents. I wonder how they feel knowing that all the wealth they acquired will be squandered by you as soon as they leave this world," Sheela sighed.
"I'm sure they will be fine. There's enough money for three generations of squandering. Surely, at least one capable person will be born in this timespan to save the family, it just won't be me," Glottis patted her shoulders with a proud smile that reflected his trust in his family and genes.
The class soon ended, and he was forced to leave Sheela alone, unwilling to look desperate and needy.
"Hey, Glottis, do you know Harvey?" Duke, one of his two friends, wrapped his arm around Glottis' neck and led him away. Gabriel, the other guy of the pair, was walking by their side.
"Come, come, he is over there," Gabriel pointed at Rosemary's class.
"No, who is he?" Glottis raised an eyebrow, "Are we just picking on him for fun?" It wouldn't be the first time, but he thought they out outgrown this habit.
"No, how could righteous men like ourselves do such a thing? We are picking on him, but it's not for fun; it's for the sake of teaching him to tell right from wrong. It's for his own good!" Duke waved his palms in front of his chest in denial.
"His own good, huh? What had he done?"
"You know Mike, right? Of course you do, you hate him! Mike and Harvey here are good friends – I heard Harvey even agreed to work under Mike in the future for some empty promise. We must open his eyes to the truth that Mike is too poor to employ someone!"
The trio entered the class and looked around. There was a fifteen-minute school-wide break, but some of the students chose to remain in the class and chat with each other or browse their phones.
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"Which one is Harvey?" Glottis asked his two friends. The two looked at the left corner in the back of the classroom and pointed at a nerdy-looking boy with a round face and cheap eyeglasses with thick lenses. His clothes were new and clean but simple, nothing that could compete with Glottis' designer outfit.
"Him?" Glottis squinted his eyes in suspicion, "What the hell is so special about him? He looks too ordinary, the type of guy I could find anywhere in my father's company."
+-------------------------------------+
| Inspect |
+-------------------------------------+
| **Info** |
| - Name: Harvey Miller |
| - Age: 18 |
| - Fate Points: 85 (average: 10) |
| - Cultivation Stage: Null |
+-----------------------------------------------+
| **Related Missions** |
| -[What's Yours is Mine] |
+-----------------------------------------------+
"We are doing some digging, but we still haven't found out what's so special about him," Gabriel confessed, "However, we are certain about the deal between them. We sent a prostitute to hit on him and he told her everything as soon as she touched his dick, but he refused to explain his exact job description other than 'doing miscellaneous jobs' in his words."
"You mean in her words?" Glottis asked. He blinked once to make the window disappear after skimming through the information.
"In his words, in her words."
"What?"
"I mean, the prostitute said those were Harvey's words."
"Ah."
All eyes were on them, a rich trio from a different class that for some reason chose to grace them with their presence.
The group of three ignored the stares and walked straight to the back of the class where Harvey looked down and did his best to avoid eye contact, praying to the gods he didn't believe in that those people would finish their business there and leave without noticing him.
To his dismay, he found out that their business there included noticing him. He raised his head carefully and looked at them.
"Yes, may- may I help you with something?" He asked with a slight stutter from his nervousness.
"Yes, come with us for lunch, Harv, we have important stuff to discuss with you," Duke, who was the tallest among the group at 197 centimeters tall, stood way too close to the anxious boy and looked down on him with a theatrical tilt of his head.
"Import- important? You must have gotten the wrong person, I'm just a poor boy from a poor family," Harvey fought the urge to carve into a ball and cower in the corner until they left him alone.
"Don't worry, Harvey, I will spare you your life from this monstrosity," Glottis intervened, "Step back, Duke, you are scaring him. Let's go have lunch together, the four of us."
"Ah, yes, yes, Young Master, I'm coming."
The sight of the four of them was quite odd. Three rich young masters walked as though they owned the place and everyone owed them money, while the fourth followed timidly from behind, not daring to get too close or too far to the other three.
"Young Master, are we eating in a restaurant? I cannot afford it," Harvey admitted shyly. He kept busying his hands with the frame of his glasses, a giveaway to his nervousness.
"You are breathing too heavily for no reason, relax. The bill is on Duke, he doesn't mind paying. Right, Duke?"
"Yes, Brother Glottis," Duke said with clear unwillingness. He stared at Harvey, making the latter feel a shiver down his spine.
"I can pay for my meal, thank you, thank you!" The nerdy boy hurried to decline the offer. 'It's just 5 dollars. Although it's most of my available budget, it is worth avoiding trouble with them,' he thought to himself while despairing over the unexpected expenses.
The four entered the only restaurant on the campus. At first, Harvey was about to naively approach the counter and order, but he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Where are you going?" Duke asked, towering above him.
"Buy food? That's... That's why we are here, right?" Harvey blinked a few times in surprise.
"No, we aren't buying food here, we still have our taste buds. We are going up to the VIP zone, the three of us have regular seats there near the window. They can add one more chair, so you don't have to worry about it."
"UP?" Harvey exclaimed in panic. He thought he was going to spend only five bucks on a meal, but the subsidization didn't include the second floor. Not only that, but the second floor's food was made by an actual chef, and the price of a simple meal easily reached 30$, much more than he could afford.
"Yes, up. Have you ever seen us eating on the lower floor?" Gabriel asked with an amused smile. The two had already conducted research on the boy. While they still hadn't found out what was special about him, they knew what wasn't – his financial situation. He was living with his sick mother and barely had enough money to get by.
Harvey could only follow silently while throwing short gazes around him. He had never gone to the second floor, and despite his anxiety, he was curious enough to look around. However, as expected from a school's restaurant, the design was quite minimalistic.
The brick walls were painted white, and other than a few drawings hung on nails, there was nothing worth mentioning. The simple wooden four-leg tables had enough space between them to give a sense of intimacy to the diners, and the chairs matched them. On every table waited forks, spoons, and knives, specifically two of each per guest.
The four approached a table in a quiet corner, right by the window as promised, and chose their seats. Harvey sat last, simply taking the spot that remained free.
"Hello, may I take your order?" A waitress appeared as soon as they made themselves comfortable.
Harvey glanced at the menu hesitantly, his eyes darting between the prices and the unfamiliar dishes. He was unaccustomed to the variety and the cost of the meals in such a place. Meanwhile, Glottis, Gabriel, and Duke were already deep in discussion about their choices, their voices a blend of excitement and nonchalance that Harvey couldn't help but envy.
"I'll have the steak, medium-rare, with a side of truffle fries," declared Glottis with a casual wave of his hand. His confidence in ordering something so luxurious made Harvey's stomach twist.
Gabriel chimed in next, "I'm thinking the lobster risotto. Oh, and start us off with a round of your finest oysters."
Duke, barely looking up from his phone, added, "And I'll take the lamb chops. Also, bring us a bottle of fresh lemonade." Unfortunately, alcohol was not served at school.
Their orders were so swift and extravagant that Harvey felt his throat tighten. The waitress turned her expectant gaze towards him, her pen poised over the notepad. Harvey's mouth felt dry as he scanned the menu for the cheapest item.
"Um, I'll just have the soup of the day, please," he muttered, hoping it wouldn't cost much. His voice was almost a whisper compared to the assertive tones of his companions. He estimated the meal as 30$, but all three ordered the most expensive ones. He knew they would also order drinks and desserts, netting the purchase around 100$ per person.
Glottis looked up, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Just soup, Harv? Come on, man, live a little! Why not try the salmon? It's excellent here."
Harvey's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "No, the soup is fine, really. I'm not that hungry," he replied, trying to sound as casual as they did, even though his heart raced with the anxiety of spending more than he could afford.
The waitress nodded and collected the menus. "Very well, your orders will be right up," she said with a professional smile before leaving.
As the waitress walked away, Glottis and his friends all leaned forward as if about to discuss a secret. Harvey, not wanting to disappoint them, bent too.
"Hm, just average," Glottis judged.
"Really? I thought it was slightly above average, the... portions, the portions are quite big," Duke said hesitantly.
"I agree with Glottis, this place is just average, 'big portions' aren't worth much if the food presentation isn't done well," Gabriel shook his head and sighed.
The three turned their heads at the only man who still hadn't spoken his opinion.
"Harv, what is your evaluation?" Gabriel asked.
"I... I think it is great, but I still haven't tried..." he spoke slowly, confused by the sudden development. He knew they ate there every day, but why would they rate the place before the food was served?
"Oh, he wants to try before rating," Duke smirked.
"Haha, you are quite hungry, Harv," Glottis laughed, "No problem. You will have this waitress seduced by the end of the day."
'Waitress?'