Leansei was preoccupied and lost words while looking at Xerchin's firm hand that was holding his. He put his down when he felt the heat again in his cheeks and the electricity whenever their skin touched.
Leansei realized that Xerchin had become like a whole different person since the first time they met. Leansei immediately stopped. That made Xerchin do the same and glance towards him.
"Hey, would your girlfriend be mad at me for spending lunch with me?" Leansei asked with an undescribeable tone. Xerchin let go of his hand and stared at Leansei intently.
"I--" Xerchin couldn't finish it when someone called Kean's name behind them.
"Kean." A familiar voice that Lenesei had avoided for days.
' What an unfortunate situation. ' Leansei said in his mind.
Xerchin gave a cold look and an expressionless face while looking at Tyvan, who has a knotted forehead that shows he's confused.
" Is he bothering you?" Tyvan asked while looking at Leansei. But Lean rubbed his neck as a response.
' Actually, you are. I don't have any plans to meet you any time soon, but I guess I can't. '
"N-no. We were about to-" Leansei was cut off when he glanced at Xerchin. He felt a cold run through his skin when he saw an intimidating aura and a cold look while eye-contacting Tyvan.
"Excuse us, we have to go." Xerchin said, but Tyvan held Leansei's wrist to stop him from walking.
"And since when did you become close with Kean?" Tyvan's tone is solemn. Leansei minced when these two had a much more terrible relationship than Rell and Revin.
"Let's go, Kean." Tyvan said
"Stop!" Leansei said, in irritation. He felt like he was torn in two again. Leansei suspected that these two were clinging to their pride, and that Kean had a strong attachment to Xerchin and Tyvan.
' I can't just choose someone between them. '
Leansei removed Tyvan's hand. "If you two can't settle—which or whatever the problem is—you two have, I don't want to play a part in it." Leansei said, and walked away. He was irritated every time he felt that way. He isn't a plaything that can be pulled apart.
.
Leansei put the tray on the empty table after ordering a light meal. Since chicken curry was not available again, he bought fried rice with an omelette.
He was about to eat when the opposite chair was pulled.The scent of a familiar addictive perfume and the familiar aura caused him to look up, where he saw Xerchin sitting opposite him, grumpy.
"Were you planning to eat without me?" Xerchin asked, "Are you mad?" He asked again and looked intently into Lean's eyes. He immediately diverted his eyes from the blue murcial eyes of Xerchin.
"I'm not." Leansei said and took his wallet. "Go buy whatever you want," Leansei said as he took out his money, but Xerchin stood up and walked away.
' Why? Does he think this money isn't enough?! well expected from a wealthy heir. " Leansei signed and put the money back in his wallet.
Leansei flinched when Xerchin came back with a tray of food: fried rice and an omelette. Leansei were surprised when Xerchin bought many foods, deserts, and drinks. He sat opposite Leansei and leant round his mouth when he bought food, as if it were a field trip.
"You bought all of these? are you treating your classmates? " Leansei asked when he saw many deserts and drinks. He started eating while looking at the food he bought.
' That looks so yummy. I wonder why he bought them all. '
"It's for you." Xerchin said that it made Leansei cough when he heard what he said, and it was at the same time he was swallowing the chewed foods.
Xerchin immediately opened the water bottle and offered it to Leansei. He took it and drank half of it. Leansei looked at Xerchin, dumbfounded.
"Y-you bought that for me?" Leansei said, while pointing at himself. Xerchin nodded and pushed all the food he bought towards Leansei. "Are you trying to make me die from diabetes?" He said, with disbelief.
' It's a meal. I can't say no to this. But these days he always buys things for me and I haven't even thanked him or treated him for that. ' Leansei said as his spirit dropped in guiltiness.
"Th-thank you. Don't buy any more for me, and I'll accept food since I can't waste it. I'll treat you for three consecutive days if I have to." Leansei said and ate his food.
Xerchin looked at Leansei and glanced down at his food.
Leansei is still debating what he will do with these foods and drinks. He may like sweets, but he might die twice from it.
' Why did he buy me all of this? Is it because of what happened earlier? ' Leansei said in his mind while secretly glancing at Xerchin, who was calmly and peacefully eating in front of him.
But he stopped when he could feel several eyes looking in their direction, especially at Xerchin. People may find this confusing, but he really can't read Xerchin's mind.
' Isn't he disgusted and not caring about the gossip that was going on around him? '
"Gavin!" Leansei flinched when he heard the familiar voice. He glanced at the back of Xerchin and saw the glowing yet cute and nerdy face of Corshe, waving his hand while running towards them.
Leansei immediately twinkled his eyes when he saw the Corshe. Year, loudly stomped his hand on the table with a charming and happy face.
"I thought I wouldn't get to see you! The prof before lunch break always takes overtime!" Corshe said, with a jovial tone and being talkative like he always is. He pulled the chair opposite of him and sat beside a guy, which he didn't really notice since he only saw Gavin in his eyes. "Iiiiii research a lot--the last time you told me? I found something—"
Leansei's smile turned into a nervous smile when he remembered that he knew that he wasn't Kean at all. He casts a glance at Xerchin, who is expressionless while looking at Corshe and back at Leansei.
Corshe stopped when he felt the presence of the atmosphere rise up. He glanced at Gavin when he saw him signaling using his eyes beside him.
"What's with you?" When Corshe turned his head and saw a pair of intimidating blue eyes that he would never want to cross again, he felt as if the devil had devoured his soul. "AHHHH!! What is he---? " Corshe screamed, which made some students look in their direction. Year returned his gaze to Leansei and Xerchin, knowing that they had been through a terrible event.
"Hey, what are you screaming for??" Leansei asked if they were surprised by Corshe's reaction. Year, immediately stood up and sat beside Leansei instead.
"W-why are you with him?" Corshe whispered, but Xerchin could still hear it. "Ar-arent you two?"
"It's a long story..." Leansei said while scratching his temple. Corshe puffed his lips like a five-year-old boy who was being cranky.
Xerchin was looking at them with a poker face. Leansei glances at Xerchin, "Oh right, this is the Year Corshe." Xerchin only looked at Leansei and continued eating his omelette.
"I'm kind of excited about the acquaintance party. Can't you spoil us at least? " Corshe asked and looked at the several deserts in front of him.
"I can't spoil you guys. You won't be curious if you already know, " Leansei said while finishing his plate. Corshe drool in different deserts and was about to pick one when he felt a chill down his spine and an intimidating look. Corshe slowly looked at Xerchin, who was stopping him from picking up the desert.
Corshe let out a fake laugh and pulled his hand away from it. Xerchin looked calm while eating. Leansei stopped when he saw Corshe with puffed lips and was nearly crying while looking at the food that Xerchin bought for him.
"Do you want some?" Leansei asked. Corshe's spirit lightened up while Xerchin glared at Corshe. But since Lenesei is there, he will be fine and go out of the cafeteria unscathed and in one piece. "Go ahead and eat whatever you want. I can't eat them all. " Leansei said and glanced at Xerchin, giving a look like, ' right, right? I can share them, right? ' Xerchin just diverts his gaze and finishes his plate instead.
.
When they finished eating, Xerchin was called and wasn't able to join them because he had an errand to do.
' Xerchin looks like he's been busy since yesterday.'
Leansei and Corshe came to a halt and sat on a bench in the JTU's vast grass field. The breeze was refreshing and the scent of the green grass was enough to make you feel the earth.
"Have you heard?" Corshe said while eating the cinnamon rolls.
"About what?" Leansei asked while fixing the several plastic bags that contained the food that Xerchin gave him.
"The chef of the main cafeteria resigned."
"Why?"
"No one knows the exact reason, but I heard it in the hall. It's because of his wife." Leansei looked at Corshe and nodded.
Leansei also heard some rumors about the chef of the main cafeteria. They said it was because of the low salary, and other rumors were that it was because he had a bad reputation, but Leansei knew it wasn't that. His expression is sad and depressed, similar to how he appeared when Leansei lost someone close to him.
"Oh right, I almost forgot." Corshe said, and took a notebook from his bag. Leansei was brought back to reality and looked at Corshe with a confused face.
"What is it?"
"I recall you saying..." Corshe stopped and looked around. "When you told me that you weren't Kean." He whispered.
Leansei nodded and got curious about what it was about.
"I researched about it and it was a miracle, a second life. It rarely happens when you are on the edge of death. " Leansei looked at his hand and remembered how he fell into the deep water and drowned, as if he was slowly dying and out of air.
"They said that when it's not your fate to die," Corshe said, and turned a page of his journal. "You're soul might got lost and transmigrate to another body that died as well." Leansei straightened his posture when he remembered that he had almost forgotten why he was here.
"Then is it possible that the two souls of the two bodies are still alive?" Leansei asked.
Corshe turned his pages around. "I don't know. What were you doing or thinking before you died?" Leansei remembered what happened that day as if it had happened yesterday.
________
But the bus stopped again, and there was an old lady carrying heavy bags. He immediately stood up and helped the old lady, then took her to his seat. Leansei stood beside her and held the straphanger.
The old lady looked up at him and smiled at him.
"You're so kind, young man," came a kind smile from the old lady. Leansei simply smiled and nodded in response.
Leansei keeps looking at his watch when he only has 5 minutes before his shift. But his attention was cut off when an old lady offered him some candy.
Leansei looked at it and thought if he should accept it or not, but in the end he did because he believes that you can't reject the elders' offers or requests.
"Thank you." Leansei said, and minutes later, the bus stopped. The old lady stood up and tapped his shoulder goodbye. He stared at the old lady, thinking he felt odd about her.
When he reached the bus stop, Leansei immediately climbed down from the bus and looked at the candy in his hand. He unwraps the candy, and it's a blue candy with white paper around it. He ate it and read the paper. He read,
"A leaf falls down the river during a full moon, and when the sun rises, he will be renaissance." He didn't give it much thought and threw it in the trash can before sprinting to the coffee shop.
________
When the moon above cast a spotlight on Leansei, he was unable to move. It was like devouring his soul deep within himself. As he started drowning, he stared at the stunning full round moon until he could feel his chest tightening and was about to run out of air.
He was gradually drowning. That made him slowly lose consciousness.
All he could think of before his last breath was the determination and strong desire to live his life regardless of his situation.
"I need to live."
_____________
"That's what happened." Corshe and Leansei both thought deeply for a few seconds before looking at each other with a glint of insight.
"The Old Lady!" they all said it at once.
________