The next morning, Aarav stood near the college gate, watching the flood of new juniors entering the campus. It was an annual cycle—fresh-faced students stepping into the world they believed would change their lives. Some walked in confidently, others nervously clung to their friends, while a few ambitious ones had already started scoping out the top students, probably plotting their future ranks.
Karan, of course, had different priorities.
"New batch means fresh chicks," he declared, standing beside Aarav with a smirk. "My mission today is to scout all the cute juniors."
Aarav didn't even spare him a glance. "You failed last year. And the year before that."
Karan clutched his chest dramatically. "Aarav, my dear friend, one must never lose hope in the pursuit of love!"
Before Aarav could remind him that he was the reason most girls found him insufferable, Emma and Sophia joined them. Emma had a knowing smirk on her face, while Sophia, as usual, looked utterly clueless.
"Oh great, it's that time of the year again," Emma said, crossing her arms. "Karan, how many girls will you propose to today?"
Karan scoffed. "Emma, my dear, proposing is for amateurs. This year, I have a strategy."
Emma raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"
Karan grinned, dramatically flipping open a small notebook titled 'The Ultimate Guide to Impressing Juniors.'
Sophia peeked over his shoulder. "Wow, you actually wrote stuff in it?"
Aarav finally looked at him. "I don't know what's worse. That you made a guide or that you believe it'll work."
Before Karan could argue, a sudden commotion erupted near the entrance. A group of seniors had gathered, clearly surrounding a few new students.
Aarav immediately recognized what was happening. Ragging.
One of the juniors—a lanky boy with glasses—stood awkwardly as an upperclassman bombarded him with pointless questions. "Sing a song for us," one of them taunted. "Or maybe dance. We need some entertainment."
Another girl, a shy-looking junior, clutched her bag tightly, clearly nervous.
Aarav sighed. He had no patience for this.
Emma noticed too and muttered, "Ugh, here we go again."
Before she could step in, Aarav was already walking towards the group. The moment he arrived, the entire atmosphere shifted. The seniors noticed him immediately.
"A-Aarav," one of them stammered. "Uh, we were just—"
Aarav's sharp gaze made them freeze. He didn't need to say much. His presence alone was enough to make people second-guess their life choices.
"I didn't know we needed circus performers in our college," Aarav said, his voice calm yet laced with warning. "If you're that desperate to entertain yourselves, I suggest enrolling in a drama club instead of wasting everyone's time."
Silence.
The seniors gulped. One of them tried to save face. "We were just messing around—"
Aarav took a step closer, his expression unreadable. "Do it again, and I'll make sure the professor finds out exactly how 'fun' your behavior is."
That was all it took. Within seconds, the so-called bullies dispersed, suddenly finding other things to do.
Karan whistled. "Damn. Cold and efficient as always."
Emma rolled her eyes. "And that's why nobody dares to mess with Aarav."
The juniors who had been targeted looked at Aarav in awe. The shy girl hesitated before softly saying, "T-Thank you...."
Aarav didn't respond. He simply turned on his heel and walked away, as if nothing had happened.
Sayaka, who had been watching from a distance, smiled to herself. Aarav-kun is really cool...
Karan, on the other hand, groaned. "Great. Now the new batch is going to idolize him too."
Sophia tilted her head. "Isn't that a good thing?"
Emma smirked. "Not for Karan. That means fewer girls will fall for his nonsense."
Karan dramatically fell to his knees. "I AM CURSED TO LIVE IN AARAV'S SHADOW!"
Aarav, already walking ahead, didn't even acknowledge him.
The new batch had arrived, and the campus was once again filled with fresh drama.
Sophia said to karan in a deadpan tone
"You know,you could hit few girls, I admit you're handsome But people avoid you cause you're annoying"
Karan gasped dramatically, clutching his chest as if Sophia had just stabbed him. "Sophia, my dear, how could you wound me with such cruel words?"
Sophia blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "I'm just stating facts."
Emma smirked, nodding in agreement. "She's not wrong, Karan. You have the looks, but your personality ruins it."
Karan scoffed, flipping his hair. "Oh please, my personality is charming. I bring excitement, humor, and charisma to every conversation."
Aarav, who had been silently walking ahead, muttered under his breath, "More like chaos, stupidity, and headaches."
Sayaka, who had been observing the banter, looked at Karan curiously. "But Karan-kun, why do you act like that if you know people avoid you?"
Karan grinned, placing a hand on his chest. "Ah, Sayaka-chan, you see, life is too short to be boring. I embrace my true self, regardless of what others think. Besides…" He smirked. "Somewhere out there, a girl exists who will love me for who I am."
Emma crossed her arms. "Good luck finding her."
Sophia snorted. "Yeah, because right now, you're more likely to get a restraining order than a girlfriend."
Karan dramatically wiped a fake tear. "Such little faith in me! But fear not, my dearest companions, for one day, I shall prove you all wrong!"
Aarav, without turning back, deadpanned, "That's if you survive until then."
The whole group burst into laughter—except Karan, who pouted like a child.
Aarav glanced at Karan, his usual cold expression unwavering. "Do you have any family members?" he asked, his tone devoid of curiosity, just a simple question.
Karan, who was casually walking beside him, shoved his hands into his pockets and smirked. "Nope," he said nonchalantly. "No siblings, no parents… Just the old geezer."
Aarav's eyes flickered to him for a split second before looking straight ahead again. He didn't need to ask to know who Karan meant.
Sebastian.
His ever-loyal butler, who practically raised him.
The atmosphere shifted slightly. Emma, Sophia, and Sayaka, who had been playfully bickering, grew silent as they processed Karan's words.
Emma, who had known Karan the longest, frowned. She had always suspected something, but Karan's carefree nature made it easy to forget. "You never talk about your parents," she said softly.
Karan shrugged. "Nothing to talk about." His tone was light, almost dismissive, but there was an unspoken weight behind it.
Sayaka looked at him with newfound curiosity. "Karan-kun… does that mean Sebastian-san raised you alone?"
Karan let out a dramatic sigh. "Yeah, yeah. The old geezer's been looking after me since I was a kid. Lectures me like a grandpa, spoils me like a dad, and scolds me like a mom." He chuckled. "All in one package."
Sophia nudged him. "So, basically, Sebastian is your whole family?"
Karan grinned. "Exactly! And he's more than enough, thank you very much."
Aarav didn't say anything, but he observed Karan closely. For the first time in a long while, he saw through Karan's usual ridiculousness.
There was a quiet loneliness hidden under all that noise.
But Karan, as always, never let it show.
Aarav barely reacted as the swarm of junior girls surrounded him, their eyes gleaming with admiration and poorly concealed excitement.
"Senior, could you please show us around campus?" one of them asked sweetly.
Another girl, bolder than the rest, stepped closer. "As the class representative, you must know everything, right?"
Aarav glanced at them, his expression unreadable. He could already feel the headache coming.
Emma and Sayaka, standing nearby, immediately stepped in.
"I can give you a tour instead!" Emma offered with a forced smile, trying to pull the attention away from Aarav.
Sayaka nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! We'll guide you!"
But their efforts were in vain.
Aarav had no valid reason to refuse, and the juniors weren't interested in anyone else.
"We specifically want Aarav-senpai to guide us," another girl insisted, clasping her hands together as if she were making a heartfelt request.
Emma's eyebrow twitched. Oh, come on.
Sayaka pouted slightly. They're totally ignoring us!
Meanwhile, Karan stood a few feet away, eating popcorn and thoroughly enjoying the scene. "Damn, Aarav. You're like a celebrity at this point," he snickered.
Aarav sighed, closing his eyes briefly before finally speaking.
"Fine," he said in his usual deadpan tone.
The juniors practically squealed in victory, forming a neat circle around him, ready to follow wherever he led.
Emma and Sayaka, left behind, stared at the scene in disbelief.
"This… is war," Emma muttered under her breath.
Sayaka nodded, her blue eyes narrowing. "Absolutely."
As Aarav walked ahead with the group of junior girls tailing him like devoted followers, Emma and Sayaka stood there, arms crossed, frustration clear on their faces.
Karan, still munching on his popcorn, smirked. "Oho, jealous much?"
Emma shot him a glare. "Shut up, Karan."
Sayaka huffed, flipping her black hair over her shoulder. "I'm not jealous. It's just… unfair."
Sophia, who had been spacing out until now, blinked. "Wait… are we supposed to follow him too?"
Emma groaned. "Of course we are! No way we're leaving Aarav alone with those girls."
Sayaka nodded, determination in her eyes. "Yes. Let's go."
Without another word, the two stormed forward, subtly integrating themselves into the group of juniors as if they were part of the tour all along.
Sophia, still confused but not wanting to be left behind, followed.
Karan, watching the scene unfold, laughed to himself. "This is better than any movie." Then, with a lazy stretch, he strolled after them, enjoying the drama.
Meanwhile, Aarav, leading the group, was already regretting everything.
"Senior, what's your favorite subject?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Your hair is so nice, do you style it?"
"Do you go to the gym?"
The endless barrage of questions was starting to chip away at his patience.
Aarav, keeping his tone neutral, simply replied, "Study. No. No. No."
Emma smirked from behind. At least he's suffering.
Sayaka, despite her initial annoyance, found herself watching him a little too closely. Even when he's annoyed, he looks cool…
Then, suddenly—
One of the girls, bold and confident, stopped right in front of Aarav, blocking his path.
"Senior, I like you. Please go out with me!" she declared loudly, her voice echoing through the hallway.
The entire group went dead silent.
Emma and Sayaka's eyes widened in shock.
Karan choked on his popcorn.
Sophia, still catching up, whispered, "Wait… what just happened?"
All eyes were on Aarav.
He stared at the girl, his expression completely unreadable. For a few long seconds, there was nothing but silence.
Then, in his signature deadpan voice, he responded—
"No."
Without another word, he turned and continued walking.
The girl stood frozen. The other juniors gasped.
Emma and Sayaka, still processing, slowly broke into grins.
Karan wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Brutal. I love it."
Sophia, still lost, whispered, "So… was that a yes or a no?"
As the rejected junior girl stood frozen in shock, trying to process Aarav's blunt rejection, a dramatic whoosh echoed through the air.
Karan had teleported to her side, kneeling theatrically like a prince in a romance drama. With a rose—where did he even get that?—in one hand and a spark of mischief in his eyes, he dramatically declared,
"Oh, fair maiden, do not grieve! If Senior Aarav has shattered your heart, allow me, the ever-so-handsome, incredibly charming, and undeniably rich Karan, to mend it! Accept my undying love, and together, we shall create a love story greater than any anime!"
The girl, still emotionally reeling from Aarav's rejection, blinked in sheer confusion.
Emma and Sayaka, who had been suppressing their laughter from Aarav's cold rejection, lost it at Karan's shameless antics.
Aarav, however, didn't even blink. In the exact same deadpan tone as before, he muttered—
"Want me to disintegrate you?"
Karan, still on one knee, turned his head toward Aarav in slow motion. "Again with the disintegration threats, my dear friend?" He placed a dramatic hand on his chest. "Is this the fate of all handsome men? To be threatened simply for spreading love?"
Aarav didn't even bother responding. He simply walked away, as if Karan's existence was nothing more than an occasional inconvenience.
Emma, wiping away tears from laughing too hard, muttered, "I swear, one day, Aarav is actually going to throw him off a building."
Sayaka, still giggling, shook her head. "And I think Karan would survive and propose to the nurse who treats him."
Sophia, meanwhile, was still confused. "So… does that mean Karan has a girlfriend now or not?"
Sophia's brain suddenly clicked.
Wait a minute… since when was Sayaka speaking English so fluently?
Even more shocking—where were the usual honorifics?
Sophia turned her head dramatically, narrowing her eyes at Sayaka. "Oi… you…"
Sayaka blinked at her innocently. "Huh? What?"
"You're speaking English perfectly." Sophia's tone was dead serious, as if she had just uncovered some deep conspiracy. "And—AND—you didn't even call Aarav 'Aarav-kun' just now!"
Emma and Karan immediately turned their heads toward Sayaka, realization hitting them at the same time.
Sayaka's eyes widened in panic. "W-Wait, I—"
Karan gasped dramatically. "I KNEW IT! YOU WERE FAKING IT ALL ALONG!"
Sayaka quickly waved her hands in defense. "No, no! I wasn't faking it! I really had trouble in the beginning, but—"
Emma smirked, arms crossed. "But now you're fluent as hell. Explain."
Sayaka, cornered and exposed, sighed in defeat. "...Aarav was teaching me."
Silence.
Emma's smirk disappeared. Sophia's jaw dropped. Karan looked like he had just been struck by lightning.
Karan was the first to react. "EXCUSE ME?!" He clutched his chest as if he had been personally betrayed. "Aarav was TEACHING you ENGLISH?! The same Aarav who wouldn't even explain basic math to his classmates?! THAT AARAV?!"
Sayaka nodded awkwardly. "Y-Yeah… I asked him for help, and he just started correcting me whenever I made a mistake."
Emma's eye twitched. "So… let me get this straight." She took a deep breath. "You've been getting private English lessons from Aarav, and none of us knew?"
Sayaka gulped. "Umm… yes?"
Sophia, still in shock, mumbled, "I feel like I just watched a character development arc happen in secret."
Karan dramatically fell to his knees. "And here I thought I was the ultimate language tutor… I have been replaced… no, worse, I have been outclassed."
Emma, arms crossed, glared at Sayaka. "...I can't believe this."
Sayaka blinked. "What?"
Emma narrowed her eyes. "You're winning."
Karan was still frozen in shock, his entire belief system shattered.
Sophia, still processing, jokingly asked, "At what cost…?" expecting some exaggerated response.
But to their utter disbelief, Sayaka fidgeted, her cheeks slightly red, and muttered under her breath:
"...B-bento..."
Silence.
Emma, who was sipping juice, choked. Karan, still on his knees, gasped dramatically.
But the real tragedy was Sophia.
The airhead blinked in confusion and tilted her head. "Wait… what's bentonite? Is it a Japanese game?"
Sayaka, Emma, and Karan snapped their heads toward her.
Emma facepalmed. "Sophia, I swear to—"
Sayaka waved her hands frantically. "N-No! Not bentonite! I said bento!"
Sophia frowned. "Huh? What's bento?"
Karan, still grieving, turned to her like she had personally offended him. "…Food, woman. It's FOOD."
Sophia blinked twice. "Ohhh! Wait—so you're telling me Aarav started tutoring you in English… in exchange for lunch?!"
Sayaka, now even more embarrassed, nodded silently.
Emma stared at her like she had just witnessed an unthinkable crime.
Karan grabbed his chest. "No... No, NO! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS!" He dramatically pointed at Sayaka. "You mean to tell me that all it took to get Aarav, the emotionless genius, to TEACH someone... was a damn lunchbox?!"
Sayaka, shrinking under their stares, nodded again.
Emma whispered in disbelief, "So you're telling me, for years, we have suffered under Aarav's coldness... and all we had to do was FEED HIM?!"
Karan collapsed. "I… I could have bribed him for exam answers… I HAVE WASTED MY LIFE..."
Sophia, still a clueless idiot, tilted her head. "Wait... so if I give him two bentos, will he teach me math?"
The rejected junior girl awkwardly walked away, confused and a little horrified. Meanwhile, Aarav, who had been standing there the entire time, felt secondhand embarrassment just witnessing the absolute circus happening in front of him.
"Why do they think... What are they even doing?" he muttered in his head, rubbing his temple.
The junior girls who had approached Aarav looked at each other, equally baffled. Their expectations had been completely shattered.
They had come hoping to meet a mature, responsible, and sophisticated senior. Instead, they got... this.
One girl whispered to another, "Are they really seniors… or just complete weirdos?"
Another nodded slowly, whispering back, "Look at them... one is a complete narcissist..." she pointed at Karan, who was still dramatically mourning his lost opportunity to bribe Aarav.
"One is a total yandere..." she continued, glancing at Sayaka, whose gaze was fixated on Aarav, as if memorizing his every movement.
"One is just... painfully awkward..." she added, looking at Emma, who was standing there stiffly, caught between denial and a crisis over how easily Sayaka had gotten close to Aarav.
"And one is just... a complete moron..." she finished, pointing at Sophia, who was still trying to figure out what bentonite was.
The girls slowly backed away, whispering, "Yeah… let's just stick to admiring from afar."
Meanwhile, Aarav exhaled deeply, resisting the urge to disappear into thin air.
The junior girls bolted, their shoes practically squeaking against the polished floor as they escaped the chaotic scene.
Meanwhile, Aarav had enough.
He clenched his fists, his usually composed demeanor completely shattering.
"FOR THE FUCK SAKE!!" Aarav's voice boomed through the hallway, making every single person in a 10-meter radius freeze.
"I JUST GAVE HER A DAMN SUGGESTION WHILE EATING HEALTHY OMURICE!!!"
The air fell silent. A pin could drop, and they'd hear it.
Even Karan—who never shut up—stood there, his mouth slightly open in pure shock.
Emma blinked rapidly, her brain lagging trying to process what she had just heard.
Sayaka, for the first time since transferring, looked visibly flustered, a deep red creeping onto her cheeks.
Sophia, the idiot, broke the silence.
"Wait… so bentonite isn't a game?"
Aarav snapped his head to her, his eye twitching.
"GET. OUT."
Sophia immediately ran, laughing nervously as if her life depended on it.
Karan, recovering from his shock, slowly smirked.
"Damn, Aarav, you actually have emotions?" he teased, arms crossed. "And here I thought you were a high-functioning AI."
Aarav shot him a sharp glare that could kill a lesser man.
"Shut up."
Emma, meanwhile, was in shambles.
"Wait, wait, wait—so you've been eating with Sayaka?! Just the two of you?! Since when?!" she demanded, her voice rising an octave.
Sayaka, still red, fumbled with her words. "I-it's not like that! Aarav-kun just… s-suggested I eat properly! A-and, you know, I didn't want to trouble him, b-but—"
Karan grinned wildly. "Ooohhh, I see how it is."
Emma's eye twitched. "What do you see, Karan?"
Karan put his hands together in a namaste pose, like he was praying at a wedding.
"May the two of you live happily ever after—"
BONK.
Emma whacked him on the head with her notebook.
"SHUT UP!!"
Aarav exhaled slowly, pinching his nose. He didn't have time for this nonsense.
"I'm leaving."
But before he could escape, Sayaka grabbed his sleeve.
"Aarav-kun! W-wait!"
Everyone stared.
Aarav looked down at her hand on his sleeve, then back at her. His usual unreadable expression briefly faltered.
Sayaka hesitated. Then, softly:
"T-thank you… for looking out for me."
Silence.
Aarav didn't say anything. He just gently pulled his sleeve back and walked away.
Emma narrowed her eyes.
"Karan."
"Yes?"
"This means war."
As soon as Aarav turned his back, Emma and Sayaka exchanged glares, the tension between them palpable. Emma was visibly annoyed, trying to mask it, while Sayaka appeared nervous but determined.
Emma, her voice tight:
"What exactly is your game, Sayaka?"
Sayaka blinked, clearly taken aback by the sudden hostility.
"My game? What are you talking about, Emma-chan?"
Emma crossed her arms, leaning forward with a forced smile.
"Don't act all innocent. I see how you look at him. You think just because you're some foreign transfer student, you can swoop in and steal Aarav's attention away from me?"
Sayaka, her hands trembling, quickly shook her head.
"No, no! That's not it! I—I just wanted to get to know him better! He's been helping me!"
Emma scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Helping? Please. Aarav doesn't do anything for anyone unless he sees some kind of benefit. And you don't need to pretend to be all sweet and innocent. I know exactly how this works."
Sayaka, her voice rising slightly, took a step back.
"I'm not pretending! I genuinely want to be his friend! Why are you acting like this?"
The two were now face-to-face, each holding their ground. The whole cafeteria could sense the rising tension.
Emma, her voice laced with venom:
"You think I don't see you? You think I'm going to let you walk in and become the 'perfect little angel' in Aarav's life? You don't even know him. You don't know what he's really like."
Sayaka's eyes widened in shock.
"I… I don't understand. What do you mean?"
Emma, biting her lip to keep her emotions in check, took a deep breath before continuing.
"You want to play the 'poor, shy transfer student' routine, but I know better. Don't you dare think you're going to get closer to Aarav than I am."
Karan, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well, this is fun."
But Aarav suddenly appeared behind them, his voice as cold as ever, cutting through the tension.
"Enough."
The room fell silent.
Aarav's piercing gaze flicked between the two girls, his expression unreadable.
"This isn't the place for this. Grow up."
Emma and Sayaka both froze, a mix of emotions flashing across their faces. Aarav's voice had that authority that no one could ignore. He didn't yell; he didn't need to. His words were sharp, like a blade.
Emma, swallowing her pride, glanced at him.
"Fine, whatever."
Sayaka, still a bit shaken, simply nodded.
"I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things worse."
But the tension lingered, thick in the air, as they all returned to their seats in uncomfortable silence.
Karan, sensing an opportunity, leaned toward Emma, his voice barely a whisper.
"You've got a rival, Emma. Better step it up."
Emma's eye twitched, but she said nothing. Instead, she turned her attention to the table, her thoughts swirling. The game had just begun, and she wasn't going to lose this time.
Aarav sat down, unbothered, pulling out his textbooks as if nothing had happened.
But inside, he knew: things were changing. The balance was shifting, and the calm facade he kept was beginning to crack.