Soon, the bell rang, and the students returned to their classes for the afternoon lessons. Just before the end of the lessons, Miss Megan entered Tristin's classroom, her gaze cold enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
"Mr. Aphane, could I borrow Tristin for a moment?" Her voice was confident yet cold as she turned without waiting for a response.
Mr. Aphane, ever the eager teacher, readily agreed. "Of course, Miss Megan. Tristin, Miss Megan needs a word." He thought to himself, "Such rudeness for one so young, but damn, she's hot." He shook his head.
Tristin rose from his seat and followed her out of the classroom, unsure of what awaited him.
"Miss Megan, is everything alright?" Tristin asked, trying to gauge her mood.
"I heard about your clash with Thomas. After making such noise with your Ferrari, I hoped you'd keep a low profile. Are you trying to cause trouble on purpose for us?" Her cold gaze bore into him.
Tristin stepped forward, closing the gap between them, his hands in his pockets. His chest almost touched Miss Megan's. "Are you saying I should roll over for whoever is at the top of the food chain in this jungle you spoke of?"
"What is with this kid? Or rather, this man? Most crumble at my gaze, but he came closer. Would I be crumbling if I stepped back?" She wondered.
"No, that's not what I mean." She maintained her cold demeanor, refusing to be intimidated by his charm.
Seeing her unyielding expression, Tristin moved even closer, thinking, "Let's see if I can warm her up." His chest brushed against hers. "What do you mean then?" he asked, his voice low and deep.
"I'm saying your actions might implicate other students. Think about Lerato or Max. All of you are my students, and it's my duty to protect you all. So next time, think before you act, because I'll be the one who has to clean up." Her voice remained cold, her eyes unwavering.
Tristin smiled. "Oouu, she's tough," he thought. He gently fixed a stray hair blown by a breeze onto her face. "I understand, Miss Megan. I'll be more considerate in the future. I can't let such a beautiful woman clean up after me." He said, then turned back to the class.
"She must have grown up around strong men or became independent at a young age. I guess I should pay attention to her too," he thought as he re-entered the classroom.
Megan watched him go, smiling to herself. "He's going to be trouble. Does he think his charm and nice perfume would sway me?" She shook her head. "It's a good thing everyone is in class; no one saw that, right?" she asked herself, holding her breast, her face turning red. "Still, it was thrilling." She headed to the faculty lounge.
Just before she arrived at the faculty lounge, the afterschool bell rang, and students poured out of the classrooms.
Thomas, thinking about Mbali since lunchtime, didn't waste time. He had arranged everything for tomorrow and left with Mbali in his car.
Tristin said his goodbyes to Lerato and Max after they warned him to be careful. At the school's main gate, Mr. Masombuka called Tristin to the small security guard house next to the gate.
"Out of all the students you could have started with, you went for the one from the strongest family," Mr. Masombuka said as soon as Tristin entered the house.
Tristin chuckled. "He came to me first. What was I supposed to do? Plus, he's perfect for our operations."
"So, you think you can take him?" Mr. Masombuka asked.
"He's not that strong. The level of strength he showed during lunchtime was Du level. But then again, strong martial artists can hide their level or lower it if they want to, just like I locked mine," Tristin said.
"From what I've learned, Thomas is a crafty guy. He will come hard and strong, and if it's a duel, I won't be able to help. So you need to prepare," Mr. Masombuka warned.
"A duel would be great. I can crush him in front of many eyes. Once he loses badly, his father will hear about it and try to intervene, which is what we really want," Tristin explained.
"And it's all in your plans, right?" Mr. Masombuka asked.
"You know it," Tristin replied with a smile.
Mr. Masombuka chuckled. "Is bullying Miss Megan also part of your plan?"
Tristin raised his eyebrow. "You saw?"
Mr. Masombuka nodded with a smile. "These eyes see everything."
Tristin thought about his actions with Miss Megan and then shook his head. "She's a tough one to crack, but with time, she will come around."
Mr. Masombuka laughed out loud, slapping his thigh. "So she's not part of your plan?"
Tristin looked at him, raising his left eyebrow. "You said I should have fun, right? I'm having fun with her," he said, then thought a bit. "Look into her; she's truly impressive, and Lerato too."
"Oh, you want to have fun with Lerato too?" Mr. Masombuka asked in surprise. "Tristin never cared about girls back in Sunville; all he did was train and study. What changed?" He wondered.
Tristin looked at him and saw his thoughts. "Not in that way. Lerato is a girl from a big family, for her to reach Dan level at such a young age, that takes talent, but more importantly, hard work and dedication. But why? I don't think it's because she loves martial arts. That's what I want to know," he explained.
"Are you serious? She has opened the fourth meridian channel?" Mr. Masombuka stood up, asking in disbelief.
"From what I saw, she has opened it, even if it's only about 4%. The fact is, it's already open, and now she can grow it. At this rate, she might open all eight channels before she turns 30 if she doesn't get married or get pregnant and stop her cultivation," Tristin said firmly.
"Ouuu, that's scary and impressive at the same time. She can be a good wife for you since you're also addicted to cultivation," Mr. Masombuka suggested.
"That's not in my plans. Anyway, I've got to go before people start asking about our relationship," Tristin said, turning and leaving without waiting for a response.
"Nah, you're running away, young master," Mr. Masombuka commented as he watched Tristin leave. "He's still so touchy about relationship talks. I wonder how he handles his grandma, who always nudges him to have kids," he mused to himself.
Tristin entered the student parking lot, and students stood clear of him. His squabble with Thomas was now known to everyone, and no one wanted to get near such a hot target.
Minding his own business, Tristin ignored their gazes, got into his Ferrari, and drove home.
When he arrived home, his grandma was out, leaving a note saying she went to the mall.
With nothing to do, Tristin meditated after changing out of his uniform for a couple of hours, preparing for what was to come tomorrow.
Feeling refreshed, he opened his eyes and looked at his watch. "Oh, it's about that time. I've got to go to the supermarket," he said, standing up.
Without wasting any time, Tristin walked to a nearby supermarket.
"Hello, sir. Should I prepare the usual again today?" a young lady around 24, wearing a white apron with the shop's logo and her hair tucked inside a mobcap, asked with a smile.
"Hey, Emma." Tristin smiled. "I told you to call me Tristin. And yeah, the usual, please. He likes your beef stew with pap."
"It's our policy to address every customer with their title, but if you insist, I'll do better next time." She grabbed a takeaway she had prepared earlier from the shelf.
"Oh, you prepared it in advance. I should give you a bigger tip, but since it's against your store policy for customers to give tips, I'll think of another way to thank you next time," he said, taking the takeaway from her.
"You're too kind, sir." She smiled, then corrected herself. "I mean, Tristin."
Tristin chuckled. "Don't overthink it. I'll go and pay for this before it gets too dark outside. Have a lovely evening," he said, waving.
"Ahh, such a kind man. Only if he were a bit older," Emma said, watching Tristin with glowing eyes.
Tristin left the supermarket and went to a small alley next to the supermarket.
In the alley, Tristin spotted the old man seated on a makeshift cardboard mat, accompanied by a stray cat. His unkempt hair framed his weathered face, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to glow in the dim light.
"Hey, uncle, I brought your dinner," Tristin said, squatting down and handing the takeaway to the old man.
"You're too kind to me, young man," the old man said, accepting the takeaway.
"It's what I should do, uncle," Tristin replied with a smile.
The old man looked up at the crescent moon surrounded by a few dark clouds. "Come, let me walk you home. This town can be dangerous after dark," he said, standing up.
Without waiting for a response, the old man led the way. With his hands behind his back as he walked, each step seemed to drop the temperature.
His aura was unusual as he spoke. "You've been buying dinner for me for the past two weeks without fail. If you had come sooner, I would have personally helped you in your endeavors."
Tristin looked at the old man, thinking, "I've never seen him walk before. His energy is like nothing I've ever felt." He paused, then asked, "Uncle, what are you talking about?"
The old man looked at him for a bit and continued walking, ignoring Tristin's question. "See, my life is coming to an end soon. After the kindness you've shown me and your body's physique, I feel like fate led you to me."
"I wouldn't be here if my parents didn't die. Would fate be that cruel?" Tristin wondered, then remembered what the old man first said. "Uncle, are you sick?" he asked, frowning.
The old man shook his head and looked at Tristin. "Fate works in mysterious ways, Tristin. You'll soon learn that as you continue on your current path."
Tristin narrowed his eyes. "He called me by my name. He must be serious," he thought, then said, "I'm listening, uncle."
"Since my life is coming to an end, I can only give you what's left of it. But since your body is compatible, it won't die if I die. It will grow as you grow," he said, placing his hand on Tristin's chest while closing his eyes.
"I don't feel anything. Nothing is happening. Oh well, as long as the old man is happy, I'll play along," Tristin thought, then said, "Thank you, uncle, for your gift."
"It's small for now, but I'll be a part of you. Take care, young man. These past two weeks have been the best I've had in a long time," the old man said, turning around and leaving.
Tristin smiled, watching the old man's back. "He sure does have some great stories. He said he was a water spirit, the leviathan, a day ago. Now he has given me something." He chuckled. "See you tomorrow, uncle," he shouted as he entered his house.