They had their dinner together and since that night, everyday, it not Cassian Dylan would bring them packed to eat together. For a long time it appeared to be a little awkward but having such warm moment between two reserve people, they also were reluctant to return to their earlier habits. So they continued to eat together everyday. Means all the three meals.
Cassian and Dylan both return to the room for lunchtime too. They became inexplicably close. Like this time passed and it was just one month away from the mid-term exam. The pressure over Students is already like mountain. Yet the college like everytime decided to conduct college sports week. This will be for the enthusiastic arts student.
For science students these are nothing but waste of time. But since it is always been conducted, the science students also take part in this. Because there are furious competition and both streams treat each other like enemies these seven days are laborious and time consuming. Neither streams wants to be treated to any discriminatory means.
In these kind of situation, the one who are the masters in sports are targetted by the representatives of their respective streams. This time like the last time, Dylan was expectedly in the chaos of these people's pursuance.
"I don't want to participate. Why can't they understand this?"
Dylan muttered slowly. Looking at the complex pages before him and the constant noise of his phones notification. He is feeling truly drain. He turned it off. But if there happened to be any emergency that it will be very bad. He then lowered the volume to the minimum and tried to concentrate again. But failed. He grabbed the water bottle and gulp it down in frustration.
Cassian noticing his strong frown and asked, "Is it related to the sports event?"
Dylan hummed in agreement. But his eyes shut as he massaged his throbbing temples.
"Which events do they want you in?" Asked Cassian.
Dylan sighed, "They want me in every events. I would have agreed if they had only wanted for one or two but they aren't willing to compromise even a little bit."
"Eh, so what do you tend to do?"
"I ignored them." He stood up and slammed himself on his bed and said, "It's not like there aren't great players. They are just after hyping my identity up to gain recognition against the arts stream." He shut his eyes tightly and his fist slightly trembled.
Cassian understood what he is feeling now. Maybe, he always was in a situation like this. Since childhood. His life surrounded by people who doesn't have anything for him but want everything from him. With time he became determined to protect himself and isolated. Perhaps the malicious intention of people affected him so deeply that he is afraid to even give an inch to others. He was hurt and he doesn't want to be hurt again. Dylan seemingly calm and indifferent has suffered. Thinking this, Cassian can't help but view him as someone helpless. As if Dylan was in the darkness where he find the peace and protection. He cannot find light but he doesn't bother to find it now. He is content with the security he gets.
"It's lunch time. Wait I will go and get the food." Saying this Dylan was getting ready after looking at the time on his phone.
Cassian stood up and said with a weird expression, "Let's go down and eat together." He frozed. Cassian has no idea why he proposed this. Cassian observed the person before him. Going out with him for an evening stroll isn't bad. Moreover, Dylan appeared to be burnt out. Cassian noticed him as weak. Dylan on the other hand looked at him with a question mark.
Cassian replied with a soft smile, "After caging ourselves here for three days whole, don't you want to go out for a stroll?"
They are given few days off for the preparation of the event. Dylan refused to go out since he was getting endlessly chartered by those people.
Since Cassian has said it he also doesn't want to reject the idea. They both got ready and walked out of the room. First they went downstairs for lunch. Many people were there.
Few had the face to approach him but Cassian talked with him giving no chance for others to intervene.
"Hey, let me tell about my mom's delicious food...."
He talked about brazed meat, delicious meals during their visit at the eastern country. His thoughts ranged from mountain to desert, from sea to sky, from crying to smiling, from life to death. The amount he said today was too much. He talked about how his father and mother never gets angry at each other. How he was punished for the first time when he was at the middle school.
Dylan listened him intently as if his mind were to be taking notes. His ears didn't feel irritated towards him. The whole time his attention was on him alone.
Others who saw him so patient and even slightly loosened towards Cassian felt entirely wrong. They also want to talk with him. Like how Cassian has this privilege of having his attention, others also do. The girls side were beuning in hot oil while the boys side chill as if they didn't see anything. Except few boys like Karl, others were all fine. They even felt the meal extra tasty today.
They aren't to be blamed here. For Dylan many girls left their boyfriend and few of them even thought of cheating. The sight before them, now, is quite amusing. Their ex-girlfriends are all showing the expression of loosing something very precious. 'Haha, Karma is really a bitch. They got what they deserved.'
Although Cassian and Dylan are only talking about random stuff, in others eyes this was something unusual and weird thing. The girls tried their best to ignore the ominous thoughts and had their meals.
Dylan asked, "You are the only child in the family?"
Although with a slight poker face Cassian was talking nonsense. In Dylan's perspective, he replied with face filled with excitement to share, "Yes. My mother and Father refused to have more. They don't want to share me."
Dylan was very happy to hear him out. He said after they were done eating, "Talk like that more."
Cassian was slightly embarrassed but he was stunned at his last words. When he looked at Dylan there were softness in his eyes. Cassian has no way to describe the way his heart beating in a monstrous pace.