Tari woke up in his room, breath shallow, his eyes wide with surprise and confusion.
"Was it all a dream?" he murmured.
As he tried to sit up, a sharp pain engulfed his legs and back. Groaning, he forced himself up and stumbled into the bathroom, tugging at the cold, stiff fabric of his uniform.
He looked into the mirror. His face was covered in bandages. He touched them slowly, confirming they were real. Flashbacks—brief, painful flashes—of the encounter shot through his mind.
His arm was wrapped in gauze. So was the palm of his other hand.
He turned on the shower. Cold water poured over him.
And he cried.
"Why is this happening to me? What did I do wrong? If only I had forced him to stay… That idiot. Why am I so stupid? So daft?"
He sobbed under the stream, lost in guilt.
"Because of me… Keal is dead."
He stood under the water for nearly an hour.
Later, he sat on the balcony of his dorm, legs dangling, staring blankly at the world below, the thought of jumping whispering at the back of his mind. But then—grrrrkkkk...
his stomach growled.
He sighed. Pulled on his hoodie, covered himself, and left his room with his head down.
At the café, he sat with Elian and Ravi, finishing his story.
"Thanks… both of you," he said quietly.
Elian reached over, nudging him. "Hey, look up."
Tari hesitated.
"Come on," Ravi added softly.
Slowly, Tari looked up. Elian's face held open concern, Ravi's as blank as ever—but there was something softer in his eyes.
"I mean it," Tari said. "I really appreciate it."
That's when Soraya barged in, frantic, eyes scanning the café.
"Tari!" she shouted, rushing to his side.
Tari!" she called out, rushing over.
He blinked, surprised but visibly relieved. "Soraya…?"
She knelt beside him, scanning his face. "You okay? You weren't answering your messages. You didn't show up to class—I thought something happened."
"I'm fine," he muttered. "Just… needed to get away."
Her eyes softened. "You idiot," she whispered, but her smile was genuine. "You scared me."
They talked for a bit, the tension melting into something more tender. Her voice was warm, soothing. Eventually, laughter slipped in again—small, hesitant, but real. Even Elian chuckled softly once, and Tari noticed.
"Ah, right," Tari said, gesturing between them, trying to ease the mood. "Elian, this is—"
"Soraya," both she and Elian said in unison, cutting him off.
Tari blinked, taken aback. "Wait—you two know each other?"
Ravi, who had been silent the whole time, looked up suddenly. His eyes narrowed on Soraya, his expression unreadable—but his annoyance showed in the twitch of his jaw.
Elian leaned back, crossing his arms. "We met at the Chrome Edge fencing club tryouts."
Soraya's lips curved into a sly grin. "Where you failed. Twice."
He flinched, jaw tightening.
"You should've seen his face," she continued, stepping behind him and leaning over, wrapping her arms loosely around his shoulders. "Absolutely miserable. I could feel the secondhand embarrassment radiating off him. Poor Elian."
He tensed beneath her touch. "Get off me, you stupid bitch."
She laughed. "Still the same incompetent asshole."
Tari shifted awkwardly, raising a hand. "Okay, okay—maybe we should chill?"
Soraya let go and slid into the seat opposite them—right next to Ravi, who silently sipped his boba, still refusing to look at her.
Elian's eye twitched. His irritation was barely contained.
"Oh," Soraya added suddenly, "by the way, a friend of mine saw the whole scene—you know, when Tari collapsed. He said some guy actually stepped in to help for once. Can you believe it?" She flashed a sly glance at Elian. "Looks like you finally found a purpose."
Elian gave her a sharp look. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Are you still mad about not making the team?" she asked, leaning in with mock concern.
That did it.
Elian stood abruptly. "You have to leave."
"What?"
"I'm serious. It's been a stressful day, and I don't need—this." she shot him a glare. "Not everyone wants to be a waitlist reject like some others."
"God, you're insufferable."
"Aw, come on." She said as she stood to get a drink . "Maybe next year, genius."
his voice low but sharp. "You think you're better than everyone just because you wear their stupid little pin?"
The words hit. She stood for a moment,turned, an eyebrow raised. "Cute. That bitterness looks good on you, Elian."
Before he could speak again, Tari grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back into his seat. "Just let it go," he muttered.
They talked for a while, tension easing into warmth. Laughter slipped in again with Soraya continuing to tease Elian every opportunity she gets.
She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Anyway. Bye, Tari. Hope you get some real rest."
Then, just as she reached the door, she paused and looked over her shoulder.
"Hey—come over this weekend."
She nudged Elian's shoulder as she passed, smirking. "Let's hang out."
Elian stood slightly, his voice rising, furious. "Like hell I will—I'd rather die than h—"
"Yeah!" Tari cut in quickly, grabbing his arm and forcing him back down. "We will."
Soraya blinked, then smiled—smug, satisfied. "Great, you too rich boy"
Ravi stayed silent but didn't object.
With that, she pushed open the door and disappeared into the street, the bell above it giving one final chime.
Elian stared at Tari, jaw slack. "What. The. Hell."
Ravi sipped his drink without looking up. "I give up on both of you," he muttered.
Then, after a pause, he added, "You know what? They're actually kind of good for each other."
"Yeah," Tari agreed, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Elian slammed his spoon down. "Fuck you both. I despise that moron."
"Aww, come on. She's not that bad," Ravi teased, finally glancing up with a grin.
"She's mean," Elian shot back, scowling.
"Yeah, she can be," Tari admitted with a sheepish laugh. "I apologize for that. But she's not so bad once you get to know her. She's just messing with you."
"Ugh, whatever," Elian muttered, jabbing at his food as he kept eating.
Ravi and TARI continue to bully him trying to imprint that idea into his head as time passed, Tari found himself smiling again—briefly. It felt good. But in that comfort, the ache returned too. Memories of Keal—his laugh, his loyalty—swelled in his chest.
Elian pushed his chair back and stood up abruptly.
Ravi raised a brow. "Where are you going now?"
"Out," Elian replied, grabbing his jacket. "Just a walk. I need some air."
Ravi leaned back, arms crossed. "You do remember curfew's in a few hours, right?"
Elian scoffed. "Relax. I'm not dumb enough to go against campus rules. I'll be back before then."
Tari glanced up, concerned. "You sure you're okay?"
Elian gave a half-hearted shrug. "I just need space. I'll be fine."
And with that, he headed toward the door, as he waved good bye before disappearing into the streets.
That left just Tari and Ravi, sitting in companionable silence.the tension lingering in the air like the fading scent of food.
Then Ravi spoke.
"Listen... I know how you feel right now. And I understand."
Tari turned to him.
"I didn't care before," Ravi said quietly. "About people. I kept to myself. Thought that was safer. But Elian… he kept helping. He's soft. Delusional, maybe, chasing some folktale. But kind. It got to me."
Ravi chuckled dryly. "I feel like a jerk sometimes. I didn't even ask how you were doing."
Tari shook his head. "You came. You listened. You stayed. That's more than enough."
Their eyes met—no more words were needed.
Ravi stood up. "Let's go."
"Go where?" Tari asked.
"You're still healing. We need to get your injuries checked properly."
"I'm fine—"
"You're limping."
"I can—"
"Get your lazy ass up, you little shit."
Ravi grabbed him by the hair—gently, but firmly—and yanked him up.
"Ow, oww... okay, okay," Tari sighed, giving in.
As they turned to leave, a waiter approached with a polite tilt of the head.
"Do you want the rest of your meals to go?"
"Yeah," Ravi answered. "Add more. Fried rice and chicken. For him and Elian."
Tari grumbled, "You don't need to—"
"Shut it, boy," Ravi snapped, not looking at him. "It's on the house. We're not paying."
The waiter blinked. "Soo... is that a yes? Orr..."
"Yes, please. Thank you," Ravi said, suddenly polite, even offering a small smile.
"Alrighty then," the waiter grinned. "Give me five minutes."
"Take your time," Ravi said, turning—only to find Tari staring at him.
"What?" he snarled.
Tari blinked, then smirked. "You're weirdly good at this."
Ravi shrugged casually, already turning away. "Don't make it weird," he muttered—and without warning, jabbed Tari in the arm on his way to the door.
"Owwww!" Tari yelped, clutching his arm dramatically. "What the hell, Ravi?! Maybe you are a jerk!"
Ravi shot him a smug look over his shoulder. "Whatever."He smirked. "You'll live, drama queen."