Ch.2 - friend of friends
"Is there a problem?" Shyam said to the boy who was staring at him as if he were a celebrity or something. When the boy realized how uncomfortable Shyam must be feeling, he understood that staring at someone he didn't know like that could be annoying.
To clarify things, he quickly apologized, saying, "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that your body looks like someone who doesn't play sports. Are you not here to play?"
Shyam looked at the boy with an annoyed face. He was new to this school, and he knew it. Yet this boy started asking questions without even introducing himself. Shyam, with a sigh, stood up to leave the classroom as he had planned to meet Annaya and Karthik during lunch.
He didn't think it was important to answer someone who didn't even bother to say "hi." To him, it was disrespectful. But before either of them could say anything, the doors of the classroom opened with a shut sound, and Karthik stepped in.
The first thing Karthik noticed was Shyam and the boy. His face showed an expression of surprise as he walked closer, saying, "So, you two have already met. Good for me; saves time."
Shyam didn't understand what Karthik was saying. "Met? Met who!? I didn't even talk to anyone except this brain-dead, disrespectful kid," Shyam said, pointing a finger at the boy to clarify who he was referring to.
Karthik looked at the boy, trying to hold back his laughter. He said, "Of course, it's not like you've ever respected anyone your age."
Karthik had found a chance to tease Shyam, and he took it perfectly. Shyam was left speechless. It was true that Shyam didn't give much respect to people his age, but at least he introduced himself. This boy, on the other hand, didn't even bother with that.
"So, are you here to introduce me to this disrespectful kid? Because he didn't bother to," Shyam said.
"Of course. He's Ajoy, one of my teammates in volleyball. Since you and he are in the same class, I thought maybe I should introduce you two. Though it's completely up to you who you want to talk to, Mr. Shyam. Hehe."
Karthik finally introduced the boy, whose name was Ajoy. Though, he made sure to tease Shyam along the way. That's how a healthy friendship works—one teases the other.
After that, Shyam and Karthik left for the science club, where Annaya was. They left Ajoy behind in the classroom, though it didn't seem like Ajoy was even a bit interested in where they were going.
Moments later, they finally reached the science club, which only had a single member: Annaya.
She was experimenting with some chemicals on a table, though it seemed like she was playing with them rather than conducting actual experiments. She was so lost in her work that she didn't even notice the sound of the door opening.
"Hey, science queen, how are you doing?" Karthik said.
Caught off guard, Annaya looked up and saw them both coming toward her. But before she could say anything, the chemicals she was playing with exploded with a small blast.
The blast wasn't too big since the amount of chemicals was low. Karthik and Shyam were still trying to process what had just happened, while Annaya calmly cleaned up the mess.
After cleaning up, Annaya brought out a jar of coffee beans and started making coffee in a test tube. Weird indeed. But the weirdest part was that she even offered them coffee—in test tubes!
Shyam was concerned about whether it was even safe to drink, considering the test tubes might have been used for storing dangerous chemicals. But Karthik didn't hesitate a bit. He drank it as it was, which gave Shyam the courage he needed to try the strange-looking liquid that Annaya called coffee.
While drinking the coffee, they discussed many things. One of them was about Ethereal Flux.
"So, are you still able to see your sister?" Annaya asked Shyam while taking a sip of her coffee.
The question was sudden, something Shyam did not expect. "Yeah," Shyam said softly, as though he wasn't sure if he should have said that.
"I refuse to believe her death. I can touch her. What more evidence do I need to prove she hasn't died yet?"
Before Annaya or Karthik could say anything, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break.
"Okay, we'll talk later. For now, bye," Annaya said, waving to both Shyam and Karthik before returning to her chemicals.
Shyam was curious why she wasn't going to her class. He asked, "Aren't you going to leave for your class?"
Annaya looked at Shyam as if he were an idiot. But realizing she hadn't told him her reasons, she said, "Oh! Actually, this is my class. I don't attend normal classes, nor do I need to."
With a simple "Is that so," Shyam went back to his classroom, where he saw the face he least wanted to see—Ajoy.
"I hope he just minds his own business," Shyam muttered to himself, hoping Ajoy wouldn't try to talk to him.
But fate seemed to enjoy annoying Shyam. He sat down and opened his textbooks, but Ajoy's eyes were still fixed on him. This time, however, Ajoy wasn't staring for the same reasons as before.
"I'm really sorry for my behavior earlier. So, you're Shyam? Nice to meet you!" Ajoy said with a cheerful face.
Still annoyed, Shyam gave him a simple "Hm" and turned his attention back to his textbook.
"I don't remember writing any of these. Did he do it while I was gone?" Shyam muttered to himself, noticing some unfamiliar notes written in his book. Thinking Ajoy might have been responsible, Shyam asked him.
Ajoy quickly denied it. "I was at the cafeteria the whole time. And no matter how mannerless I am, I would never do such things."
Shyam was unsure whether to believe Ajoy. But since he was Karthik's friend, Shyam decided to let it go.
Focusing on the text, he noticed the handwriting looked familiar, though he couldn't be entirely sure. It had been years since he'd seen handwriting like this.
It was Raitha's. Or at least it looked like hers. Unsure if it really was, Shyam tried to read the message:
"Tonight, in your dreams. Meet me at the beach."