A Friend Name Zai

The next day…

She sighed deeply, striving to listen to the lesson given by the professor yet her thoughts were outside the room. She remembered the dream of a blurred persona and her curiosity killed her. 

'Come find me, my princess…'

The vague voice from the museum and also her dream were identical. As she saw the portrait of Prince Liam, there was a familiar feeling inside her that couldn't be explained easily. 

It frustrated her whenever the memories kept running inside her head even though she had no idea where they came from. 

She didn't remember meeting a person from her childhood life except for one person who became her friend and was banished right after. 

It was a grim reminiscence when you just met the person and became friends, it vanished without a word. 

She groaned whilst scratching her head vigorously when her mind was a mess and couldn't focus on her studies. 

"Miss Payne!" The professor exclaimed as it turned her into reality. 

She just stood up, flustered because of her absent-mindedness. The class was giggling at her silliness. She glanced at Zavier, who facepalmed and couldn't look right through her. 

"If you don't like my class, you can leave the room!" The professor said, glaring at her. 

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Hans." She mumbled and couldn't look at her professor. 

"After class, meet me at my office. You can sit now." Mr. Hans uttered and got back from his lecture.

She sat down and heaved a deep sigh when embarrassment struck her. It was the first time her professor called her since she was attentive in every class. 

Camrynne was a top student at the prestigious university in her major course. Her classmates ran to her just to tutor them from the class they didn't understand.

Despite being intelligent, she had incredible beauty that complimented her straight long brown hair and dark brown eyes. 

Her style was simple yet it became elegant because of her respectful actions and gentle personality.

Many admirers rushed through her just to give chocolates, expensive gifts, and even flowers every day. She didn't like the attention from them so she tried not to hurt their feelings and kindly rejected the gifts. 

It became her everyday life and it was exhausting for her. The library was her escape world since many students didn't visit the library and weren't allowed to make loud noises.

"What happened to you back then? You aren't like that… Absent-minded. You seem bothered by something." Her friend said whilst giving a cold soda to her. 

She glanced at it to see a man, who crouched beside her. She accepted the soda and opened it before drinking it. 

The brave and intelligent look of this man beside her complimented his whole look. He was dressed in a grey shirt, denim pants, and white sneakers, around her collar, was the small bag he used every day. 

He had on his hand that brushed his short, black hair back. Adding the style of his sharp undercut to the look gives him a normal student look.

"I'm just tired from yesterday, Zai." She replied whilst leaning on the bench. 

Zavier Imperial was a handsome man's name. He was stunning, and often seen as a lively and energetic person. 

His sharp eyes were black like a cup of coffee he bought up, blowing a gentle huff of air from his plump lips. 

"You don't need to attend class today if you're tired. We only have one class today and I can give you notes." He mumbled, 

"As if I can do that, Zai." 

Her eyes gazed at the field where the football team used for training. A cold breeze paraded her body making her sneeze. She hugged herself giving a little warmth from her shoulder. 

"You are tired from what you did yesterday. Shane told me that you visited the museum with her." He explained before sipping the last drop of his coffee.   

"I'm good, Zai. Thank you." 

"Rynne…" 

She smiled at him and patted his shoulder. Zavier was worried about her health from the pressure that was given by his father and from escaping to the world she lived in. 

"You don't have to worry about me, Zai. I'll be fine, I promise." She mumbled whilst fiddling her fingers. 

Zavier Imperial was a close friend since middle school. They were always seatmates and partners in every group project. 

Others thought that they were competitors from the school ranking but they were surprisingly friends.

"I know that… that's why I'm telling you not to attend class to have some rest." 

She shook her head and threw her cup inside the trash can before she stood up. Then, her eyes locked in his direction and smiled at him. 

"Thank you, Zai. Anyway, I need to go to Mr. Hans' office, he needs to talk to me." 

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No need, Zai. Just go home, okay? I'll see you around." She mumbled before leaving him behind and went into Mr. Hans's office. 

She gently knocked at Mr. Hans' door and waited for an answer. "Come in." 

"Excuse me, Sir." She mumbled and opened the door. 

She stepped inside and sat in front of him. "Sir, what do you want to discuss with me?" She asked. 

He sighed and removed the eyeglasses he was wearing. He intertwined his hands and stared deeply at Camrynne. 

"Miss Payne, it was rare that you aren't attentive to my every class and it would affect your performance."

"I'm aware of my actions, Sir. It will never happen in the future." 

"I know you are, Miss Payne. If you have a problem, you can talk to me as your class advisor." 

"Thank you, Sir."

"Okay… you can go home now, Miss Payne." He said as she stood up and left the office. 

Her professor didn't say anything but he was expecting from her performance since she was a top student. 

She just sighed in defeat and left the premises. She was straight inside the museum where she worked as an assistant. 

"You're early, Rynne." The manager said whilst placing the bag inside the locker. 

"I only have one class, Lina, so I came early. Anyway, what am I going to do now?" 

"Nothing much actually, just keep eye on the guests as usual and if someone asks about the portrait, just answer them."

"Okay, Lina. Thank you." She mumbled before leaving the pantry. 

There was nothing much to do inside the museum since the guests were roaming around, taking pictures, and asking about the portrait. 

However, she was enjoying what she was doing because of the hobbies she had. She enjoyed studying the history of every portrait inside the museum and shared the knowledge with others.

"This place is peaceful while watching them..."