"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.
"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?'