Leo lay in bed, replaying the day's events. He was troubled by Kian's disappointed look before he went to his room. He couldn't figure out what he had done wrong. Kian seemed upset about being offered money, even though he had already agreed to be paid for teaching. Unable to sleep, Leo heard footsteps in the corridor and realized it was Kian. Deciding he needed to sort things out, he got up and went outside.
On the terrace, he found Kian sitting alone in the dim light. He hesitated but knew he needed to talk. "Can I join you?" he asked.
Kian didn't respond, continuing to look at the sky. Leo sat down next to him and also gazed upward.
"You said we could talk about what's bothering us," Leo said, trying to break the silence.
Kian stayed silent.
"I'll start, then you'll say yours," Leo said. "Before the school year began, Mrs. Elgard invited me to the school, initially without pay. Later, she offered to pay for a private class. I accepted because of my mother's condition. It was clear I would be teaching you, which you knew. Yesterday, she said she was happy with my math results and asked me to help you prepare for university, offering payment. I didn't agree, 'cause I was planning to help you regardless of the money."
Kian didn't look at him. "You didn't refuse either" he said quietly.
"I couldn't refuse outright," Leo explained. "I felt I couldn't reject it immediately out of respect."
Kian took a deep breath and turned to face him, still silent.
Leo continued, "We didn't mean to go behind your back or harm you."
"You don't understand her," Kian said softly.
"She's your grandmother, not your enemy," Leo replied firmly.
Kian smiled wryly. "Do you want to know why she offered you money?" he asked.
Leo nodded, curious.
"She wanted you to treat it as a job and keep a professional distance. It was her way of controlling the situation," Kian explained.
"Why would she want that?" Leo asked.
"She needed to keep me under control. She wanted a compliant grandson who benefited her company, not someone who was truly happy," Kian said, his voice heavy with frustration.
Leo was taken aback but accepted his explanation.
"From now on, you won't charge her for teaching me math. I'll pay for it myself," Kian said.
"What difference will that make?" Leo asked.
"It means she won't be able to ask for more from you," Kian replied.
"And you… will you ask me for more?" Leo questioned.
"I don't think money can buy what I want from you," Kian said, standing up. "And I don't want you meeting with Mrs. Elgard without my knowledge."
"I haven't made my decision yet," Leo said, standing as well. "You can't just dictate terms."
Kian looked at him, his silence saying a lot.
"I don't want to be paid by you; it would hurt my pride," Leo declared.
"Fine… I'll arrange for my brother to handle the payment," Kian said.
"If you're not okay with me being paid to support you, then we should end the classes," Leo suggested.
"Then?" Kian's voice was sharp and sarcastic.
Leo looked at him, struggling to find words.
"Then, if you're not teaching anymore, there's no reason for you to stay here. And if that's the case, there's no point in our relationship continuing. Is that what you're going to say?" Kian's tone dripped with irony.
Leo was stunned into silence. He knew that any answer might make things worse. As he tried to lower his head and head back inside, Kian grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"Do you think I'm working with you just because there are no other math teachers?" Kian's voice was tight with frustration. "Do you really believe I chose you because I couldn't find anyone better?"
Leo pulled his arm away from his.
"I'm using this as a convenient excuse to get you at this house," Kian said bluntly.
"Don't be nasty," Leo replied, trying to stay calm.
"You know, Leo, you're really strange," Kian said with a wry smile. "How can you be so smart with numbers but so blind to what's right in front of you?"
"If you keep this up, you're just making it harder to fix things," Leo said, his voice breaking.
"Why? I'm just sharing my thoughts. If I don't, I'll explode. Don't you think I have the right to speak my mind?" Kian shot back.
Leo's voice shook. "Alright, go ahead and vent. Maybe you'll embarrass me by revealing something personal. You know all my weaknesses—you're the expert."
"You're really good at making me feel guilty," Kian said, seeing the tears welling up in Leo's eyes.
Leo turned away, trying to control his tears. He didn't understand why he was crying.
Kian felt a pang of sympathy seeing Leo so vulnerable. Kian knew he should apologize, but his pride held him back.
Taking a deep breath, Kian approached Leo, cupped his face in his hands, and wiped a tear from his cheek with his thumb. He hugged him gently, stroking his hair with his other hand. "It's okay. Everything's fine," he whispered.
Leo felt a deep comfort in his embrace. Despite his attempts to stay composed, his hug eased his worries. For a moment, he found peace in his arms.
As Leo started to calm down, Kian wiped away his remaining tears. "Let's forget about today," he said softly. "Everything will be alright. I'm here with you."
After the unresolved argument from the previous night, Leo and Kian had gone their separate ways, leaving the issue hanging as they ended the day.
The next morning, Kian left the house before Leo. After having breakfast alone, Leo made his way to school. As he entered the schoolyard, he saw Harry approaching from outside.
"Leo, how are you?" Harry asked, his tone friendly.
"I'm fine," Leo replied.
"Didn't Kian come with you?" Harry asked, looking around.
"He wasn't there when I woke up," Leo said.
"He must have had something to take care of," Harry said, placing a reassuring hand on Leo's shoulder. Just then, they both turned as they heard someone call out, "Leo!"
Harry noticed a striking girl standing by the school entrance, her eyes fixed on Leo.
"Emily!" Leo exclaimed in surprise, striding towards her. Not wanting to intrude, Harry gave them space and made his way into the school.
Leo was thrilled to see Emily. It had been a year since their last meeting.
"How did you find out I am here?" Leo asked.
"I contacted the school in England, and Ms. Julia shared your information with me," Emily explained.
"You came all this way because of me?" Leo asked, astonished.
"I was supposed to visit my aunt, but when I learned you were here, I decided to come earlier," Emily said with a smile.
Realizing they were lingering at the entrance, Leo suggested, "Let's go find a place to sit and talk," and they headed off together.
Meanwhile, Kian had met with his brother to discuss the education issue, requesting his brother's intervention rather than involving their grandmother. After arriving at school and heading to his private class, Kian went to his room to rest. Upon entering, he found Harry lounging on the couch.
"Welcome," Harry greeted cheerfully.
Kian nodded, grabbed a cold tea from the fridge, and joined Harry on the couch. Glancing around, he asked, "Did you see Leo?"
"Yes, we met this morning. But he left with a girl before coming into the school," Harry replied.
Kian's brow furrowed. "Which girl?" he asked, his tone sharp.
"She's not from our school. I don't think you've seen her before, but she was quite attractive," Harry said, trying to tease Kian.
Kian's stern expression made Harry realize he might have crossed a line. "Okay, I'll stop."
Kian pulled out his phone and dialed Leo, but there was no answer.
"I remember her name now," Harry said, thinking aloud. "Emily. Yes, Emily."
Kian's face darkened, and he began to breathe more heavily.
Noticing Kian's distress, Harry asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing… It seems like every time I get closer to Leo, something always comes between us," Kian said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Was she someone important to him?" Harry inquired.
"Ex-girlfriend," Kian said, leaning back and closing his eyes in frustration.
Kian pulled out his phone and dialed a number. After a few rings, a voice on the other end answered, "Yes, sir."
"I asked you a few months ago to look into someone named Emily," Kian said, his tone firm. "What's the status?"
"I sent you the information a long time ago," the voice replied.
Kian's memory was hazy; he had been so caught up with other matters that he had forgotten about Emily. He quickly began sifting through his messages and emails.
"Have you checked the girl's background? Wow, Kian, you're really on top of things," Harry said, clearly impressed by Kian's dedication.
Leo and Emily enjoyed a long conversation over coffee.
"So, what's your plan now?" Leo asked.
Emily sighed. "I couldn't graduate because my grades weren't good, and I didn't have the money for tuition fees. I still don't know what I'm going to do."
"Is there a chance you could get a scholarship if you apply to university?" Leo asked.
"If I can stay in school this year, my grades will improve. I actually have a good chance of getting a scholarship," Emily replied.
"Can't you transfer to another school?" Leo asked.
"I'd have to start a year lower, which feels like a waste of time," Emily said.
"What about your family? What do they suggest?" Leo inquired.
"They sold the house to pay off my father's debts. I can't ask them for anything more," Emily said, her voice tinged with sadness.
Leo leaned back in his chair, deep in thought, and took a sip of his coffee. "How long will you be here?"
"Just one more week," Emily explained.
"Okay, I'll think something about it," Leo replied.
"You don't have to do anything, Leo. I just wanted to catch up. You're the one who understands me best," Emily said with a warm smile.
After their coffee date, Leo and Emily reminisced about old times while walking in the park until it was dark. It was already 9 p.m. when Leo returned home.
He saw the housemaid setting the table for dinner. "Kian?" he asked.
"He's in his room. I'll call him," the housemaid said.
After washing his hands, Leo sat down at the table. Kian emerged from his room and took a seat across from Leo.
Noticing they hadn't spoken all day, Leo braced himself for questions. However, Kian remained silent for a while.
Leo decided to break the silence. "I mentioned someone named Emily few moths ago. Do you remember?"
"Your ex-girlfriend," Kian replied without looking up.
"She came to school to see me today," Leo continued.
Kian finally looked up, waiting for Leo to elaborate.
"It seems you already know," Leo said.
"Did you spend twelve hours with her?" Kian asked.
"We talked about old times. We didn't even notice how much time had passed," Leo explained.
"Are you telling me how interesting your day with your ex was?" Kian asked sarcastically.
"I'm just sharing how I spent my day," Leo replied calmly.
"Why did she come?" Kian asked, taking a sip of water.
"She had some issues with her school and came to visit her aunt," Leo said.
"Did she ask you for help?" Kian asked.
"No, she just wanted to share her troubles," Leo answered.
"How can you be so naive?" Kian asked.
"What do you mean?" Leo asked, puzzled.
"She has problems with her family and school, and she came to you just to share it with you?" Kian pressed.
"I only mentioned her school issues. How do you know about her family?" Leo asked, growing suspicious.
"What do you think? How do I know?," Kian replied.
"You did some research on her," Leo said, wiping his mouth with a napkin and standing up.
"I was curious about your ex suddenly appearing in your life," Kian said.
"I don't like how you're constantly monitoring my every move and knowing everything about my life," Leo said, heading towards his room.
"Well, if I didn't know you've been deceived by everyone," Kian replied.
Leo turned around, frustration was evident in his voice. "Why do you care if I've been deceived or used? By what right do you think you can control my life?"
Kian noticed Leo's distress but struggled to find the right words.
"Yesterday, you were angry because you thought I was doing something behind your back. So, what you're doing now isn't different" Leo shouted. "Why can you do everything, not me?"
"You're so upset because I found out about that girl ?" Kian asked, his voice tight.
"Damn it!" Leo shouted. "I can't do this anymore. I'm exhausted from constantly having to explain myself and deal with all this."
Realizing the conversation was reaching a breaking point, Kian stood up. He composed himself and faced Leo. "I'm trying to understand you," Kian began, but Leo interrupted.
"I think I need to find another place to stay. We need to separate for a while so that our relationship doesn't deteriorate further," Leo said firmly.