8 The Heart of Fiore III

"Excuse me, would you mind shifting a bit?"

Yuliang looked at the small space beside him and then at the Sundanese-looking man standing in front of him with a frown.

He had an average build and a pretty face with deep-set light grey eyes, combined with short dark red hair and dark skin. All typical southern Furian colouring, but his accent suggested Medinian.

"Yeah, I d-" Yuliang's side flared up in pain from the force of his brother's pinch.

"Not at all," Yukio said with a bright grin. He began shifting their things to make space for the stranger. Yuliang was elbowed to move to the opposite end. "Please, take a seat!" Yukio said, patting the space in between them.

Rolling his eyes, Yuliang went back to reading his trashy romance web novel.

"You're also a University of Medina student, right?" Yuliang heard his brother ask the stranger.

"Wouldn't be taking this bus otherwise," the man said, prompting a laugh from Yukio.

"True. I'm Yukio, by the way, and that's my brother, Yuliang. I'm a first-year Fashion and Textiles student."

"Zander Vesalius. First-year Business Management student."

"Awesome! Business Management was my second preference if Fashion didn't work out."

Liar.

Yuliang bit his lip to prevent any words from escaping.