"Tina, Lyla, you're here too!"
Only then did Yana greet the two girls as though she had just noticed them. She smiled brightly and walked past them, moving like a butterfly flitting gracefully through a garden.
Unlike the two girls who sat stiffly on nearby chairs, Yana appeared completely at ease in the boys' dormitory, either adapting to or ignoring its messy state.
To be fair, the boys' dormitory wasn't all that messy since boys generally didn't have many belongings. Realistically, a girls' dormitory could be much messier, as most girls weren't as neat and tidy as men imagined.
That said, the room smelled strongly of sweat, cigarettes, and alcohol, a side effect of adolescent boys. From the moment they entered, Tina and Lyla's delicate brows had been furrowed.
Yet Yana showed no reaction at all. Instead, she casually sat down on Ryan's bed, perching naturally on the edge as though it were the most comfortable place in the world. She pouted playfully and said, "Ryan, you really are something! You've made me so worried!"
"W-What did I do?"
Ryan mind was already buzzing, overwhelmed by the situation.
With both Tina and Yana present—and in the dormitory, no less—this was undoubtedly turning into a classic "battlefield" scenario.
Yana spoke in a soft, delicate voice, "You didn't even tell me you were sick. I left class early to wait for you, only to find you weren't there. I asked your teacher, Mrs. Yasmin, and found out that you were seriously ill and hospitalized for three days recently."
"And now that you've just recovered, you're working so hard again. If you don't take care of your health, other people will feel heartbroken for you!"
As she spoke, Yana's face was full of concern, her tone dripping with pity. Then, she snuck a mocking glance at Tina, a faint smirk curling her lips.
Tina instinctively blurted out, "You were hospitalized?!"
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized it was inappropriate. She noticed that Ryan's two roommates' expressions had subtly shifted.
Hospitalized for three days and you didn't know? Aren't you the one who loves to boss this "simp" around the most? Did you think it was quiet and peaceful when you didn't see him for three days?
Tina and Lyla were no pushovers either. Seeing the roommates' expressions and then glancing at Ryan's bitter smile, they immediately sensed they had fallen into a trap.
This sneaky little green tea...
"Ryan, you really need to rest well and make sure you're getting proper nutrition," Yana said, her eyes falling on the boxed meal on the table. She frowned and turned to Jason.
"An 5 dollars set meal from the fourth cafeteria? If it were any other time, I wouldn't say anything about Ryan being frugal. But now, how can a patient eat something so lacking in nutrition?"
She looked genuinely upset. Weston and Jason exchanged glances but didn't argue.
Tina's face turned sour in an instant. She let out a bitter laugh, saying, "Yana, you really seem to care a lot. Clearly, you know how to look after someone."
Lyla chimed in with a sarcastic smile: "Yes, Yana, in your opinion, what would be the best nutritious food to eat right now?"
Yana, with an innocent expression, softly replied, "It's important to replenish nutrition, of course. After all, Ryan didn't take care of himself before. He barely earned any money but worked himself to the bone."
"The worst part is, even after all that effort, some people might not even appreciate his kindness."
Tina gritted her teeth in anger.
What made it worse was that Yana suddenly stood up, grabbed the 5 dollars meal, and threw it directly into the trash can.
"Dear classmates, I don't mean to target you, but Ryan really needs to focus on proper nutrition right now," Yana said, her voice calm but firm.
"Even if he doesn't care, as his brothers, you should step in and make sure he doesn't ruin his health like this."
"What are you doing?!"
Tina shot up from her seat, seething with rage.
Yana looked at Tina innocently and said, "Tina, this has nothing to do with you. I just can't stand how thoughtless these guys are."
"You showing up is enough. It doesn't matter if you bring a gift, but if you do, it shouldn't be the cheapest lunch box in the entire school."
Tina felt stifled and uncomfortable after being criticized and didn't know how to respond. In fact, she herself felt embarrassed by the cheap lunch box, but she had been so accustomed to receiving constant flattery from her "simp" that, even though she wanted to spend more, she still felt self-conscious about doing so, especially with Lyla by her side.
Before Lyla could respond, there was a knock on the door.
The one who opened the door was the dormitory manager, Aunt Lia, who usually had a stern face due to menopause but was now smiling broadly.
"Student, it's time to install the air conditioner."
"Aunt Lia, we didn't request an air conditioner installation," Jason, the dorm leader, quickly replied.
Aunt Lia, who was understanding and polite, was only too happy to assist. This was because her husband and son were in the air conditioner installation and repair business, and she made extra income from the service.
Most dorms had to pay for their own electricity bills, but with the heat becoming unbearable in recent years, they allowed students to install air conditioners as long as they paid for the electricity themselves.
"Yana, I've already paid for your dorm's 1.5-horsepower unit. All expenses are covered, so you can just enjoy the comfort," Aunt Lia said while her husband and team brought in a new air conditioner.
Jason was surprised. "But one horsepower is usually enough for this dorm..."
Yana smiled and said, "Don't worry, Brother Jason. I've already paid for everything, including the air conditioner and installation. The dorm's electricity card has been topped up with 2,000 dollars. This should last until graduation."
Weston, who was silently watching, said with a smile, "That's fine, we'll all chip in later to pay you back."
Yana smiled warmly at them. "No need. You're Ryan's brothers. I just don't want to see him suffer like this."
Her kindness seemed too perfect, leaving everyone speechless, especially Tina and Lyla who were silently fuming from the side.