They chatted for a while, mostly about Saka. Then, Vira checked his watch. It was almost lunchtime. Time had whizzed past him; Saka proved to be a great companion.
"It's time we head downstairs. Are you okay? Do you want to go to the infirmary? I can write you a permission note."
"Sen, would you have lunch with me?"
"Sure! But don't you want to hang out with your friends?"
"They go home and eat. They live right behind the school. I do go occasionally to their place, but if I did it daily, I'd never be welcome."
"Haha! How about Laika?"
"I don't want to be the third wheel. He eats with his boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?"
"Roma."
Saka made a wry face as he said that, which made Vira smile to himself.
"Roma and Laika look good together! They seem so natural!"
"Yeah. They've been together since kindergarten. Now, they're inseparable."
"Wow! That's incredibly long!"
"Tell me about it!"
Vira got up, patting him on the back.
"So, what do you want for lunch? I'll get it and come back."
"A cream bun and hazelnut-flavored milk coffee."
"Roger that!"
A few minutes later, Vira returned with two sweet bun packs and two of coffee cans and sat next to Saka.
Saka took out his purse to pay for his food, but Vira grabbed it and pushed it back inside.
"Consider today my treat. You can pay for the next time."
Saka nodded with a happy smile. "Thanks, Sen! Thank you for the delicious meal."
After lunch, Saka declined permission to bunk classes.
"I'll go attend class. They don't teach anything on the first day, so it would be a shame to miss my attendance."
Vira looked at him in wonder. Kids seldom declined such free passes. He shrugged his shoulder and lent Saka a hand.
Just outside the staff room, they bumped into Mina, the temporary teacher from the mainland.
"You! You're the one who ran in the corridors, swearing loudly this morning, weren't you?" she said in a harsh tone. She obviously didn't know what actually had happened. She also had no idea that Laika and Saka were brothers.
"My sincere apologies, Ma'am. It won't happen again."
"What's with your red-dyed hair? Are you some wannabe film star? Do you think something like that can transform a small-town boy into a star? If that were the case, the entire country would be full of colored heads. How did your parents even allow such a thing? They should be ashamed to have you."
Saka was surprised by the unwarranted attack on him. "What did I do to make this lady so mad at me?" he wondered to himself. But he did not respond. While he was extremely vocal and displayed his emotions with people he felt close to, he was the exact opposite with people he didn't care about. He seldom reacted and was never provoked. His father had always told him, "Emotions are like bricks. If you throw them at a glass house, you can break the glass; if you throw them at a boulder, the brick breaks." His old man had some strange analogies, but they were relatable.
He kept a blank face and did not respond."Let's not get personal, Maw Mina," Vira intervened, his tone icy. "There is no school policy that states coloring hair is prohibited. However, derogatory comments about a person's appearance can constitute harassment."
Saka's eyes widened as he looked at Vira. He hadn't expected Vira to jump in.
Maw Mina flashed an angry glance at Vira. She looked at him straight in the eye, a stern look on her face.
"Dressing like a punk, with those flashy earrings, he doesn't set a good example for other students," barked out Maw Mina.
"The earrings are part of his religious practice, and school policy states very clearly that no one has the right to enforce policies or practices against a person's faith. Judging a student without knowing anything about them is not what a teacher should do," Vira replied coolly.
Maw Mina didn't know how to respond. She was doubly pissed at being snubbed in front of a student by this colossal pain of a teacher.
She turned back to Saka. "You ran in the corridor, chased a teacher, and used unparliamentary language in front of other students. You will have to be punished."
She turned and looked at Vira, daring him to challenge her statement.
Vira replied without hesitation. "You are absolutely right. And, as his homeroom teacher, I will take note of your complaint and punish him suitably."
Maw Mina continued, "I think an apology letter is needed."
"Did he offend you in any way, Maw Mina?" Vira asked coolly.
"It's for Maw Laika."
"Maw Laika, if he demands it, will surely get it from Jun Saka."
He then turned to Saka.
"Jun Saka, lunch is almost up. You should go to your classroom. Meet me after class; we'll discuss your punishment."
Saka bowed and left. He felt newfound respect for Vira. Vira had defended him with just facts, which was very difficult for anyone to refute. He felt happy that Vira had gotten angry on his behalf. Vira was like a protective lion toward its cub in front of a hungry hyena.
As he hobbled his way up to his classroom, he realized one thing: it wasn't just respect or admiration he had for Vira. It was something more. He had fallen for him.
It might have been the concern, his laugh, his firm loyalty, or his teacher's pride... or maybe all of it.
"Dang. What do I do? Do I respect him so much that I misunderstood my respect as love? Why is my heart beating this fast? When he smiles, he looks so handsome, my heart feels like it will fall out!"
He punched himself. "Idiot. Maybe today was just tough. It is probably in your head. You hero-worship him. Nothing more. He is a cool teacher. Nothing more."
But he knew he was just lying to himself. It was definitely something more.
No one noticed the principal, who stood silently watching the exchange between Vira and Mina. He smiled to himself. "I am definitely a good judge. One day, this boy will take up my position, no doubt."