1.23. Desperate to Know

<Pu'er Greenwood>

He looked at me! He finally looked at me.

Hmph. You can't trick me that easily. I'll make sure your plan backfires.

Oh, I can't lose focus. Today is exam day, two very important papers. English and Mathematics. I have to be able to recite the answers for the literature component and then practice the methods of doing algebra, especially the one with 'to the power of two'.

This time.. definitely. I'll clinch all As!

His miasma gauge had fallen yet again. How odd..

"Morning~"

Brunette swiped Terry's seat, which was in front of me and took a seat in an inverted position.

"Morning. How's your preparation coming along?" I asked.

"Pretty bad.. I couldn't even finish revising the circles chapter."

"For maths?"

"Yes, for maths."

"You can't just revise, you have to actually put on pen and paper if not it won't stick."

"Then how do you do this?"

Brunette scrolled over a sample question. Calculated angle x of circle when the line is subtended at the..

[Received an emergency message from Ares!!]

"W-What message?!"

"Pu'er?"

"Uh.. nothing!"

"So.. how's preparation going? Oh, open your inbox Pu'er, there's something important there."

A-ares?! What's going on?!

"What's important?!"

"Oh you know, a little someone's crush is losing his love for hir."

"Oh, that."

"Yes exactly."

Don't make fun of our relationship!

["Avner just got a message from that student back in the baking club. I caught a glimpse saying that he'll meet her at her class at 1 pm."]

"W-Which class?"

"I don't know.."

Ares made his voice painfully low, taking a slow peek at Avner who fortunately was busy studying.

"What the hell happened to him? Doesn't he normally hang out with his friends?" Brunette quipped.

"Am I not his friend!?" Ares retorted.

True. It's as if Avner has become an entirely different person.

"You just left him all alone."

"I need to study too, you know?"

"Then study."

"Okay."

Ares went across the class and took Brunette's chair.

"Why in the world.."

"There's not enough seats, your's is the only one empty."

"You.. whatever. Pu'er help me solve this question please.."

"A-Alright.."

Ugh.. that Avner. What in the world is going on with him?!

"What, you can't even solve that?"

"Shut up."

"Um.. you first compare these two angles. Since both of them are parallel lines, this angle and this angle have the same degree.."

I did my best to explain what I could to Brunette. One of hirs weaker subjects is in mathematics. X is fine with the other ones.

"Thank you! I can only hope that this exact question comes out in the exam.."

"Pu'er, I'll tell you if I find out anything else about Avner. Do you need the location for their meeting?"

This is a trap isn't it? I'm going to say yes, you're going to tell me where and then when I reach there, some dramatic scene will play out to make me jealous.

"It's alright. I'll follow him myself."

"If that works with you."

"Pu'er has evolved into a stalker, congratulations!"

"Am not!"

"Am true."

Brunette you meanie..

Nevertheless. I'll make sure things don't turn out the way you planned Avner.

"What?"

"Nothing."

You aren't getting away with this too Ares.

===

Alright! Easy peasy!

I finished it in record time and had the time to recalculate everything twice. I'm definitely going to score 90 this time around!

Moreover, the English paper wasn't as hard as I thought.

'The most important day' was the topic I chose for the essay. I wonder which one Avner chose?

[BEEP. BEEP.]

"Please everyone check your names and then pass up the tags."

"Darn it! I don't know how to answer that last question!"

"What answer did you get for question 16?"

"What was question 16 again?"

The tags were returned to the teacher and everyone was allowed to leave.

"How was it?" Aiwyu, my friend came and prodded me.

"It was alright for me."

"Definitely going to score a high mark again.."

"Are you confident that you'll be able to beat Julien and Allen this time?" Tiffany asked an impossible question. She always does this.

"I don't know, maybe?"

I noticed Avner making his way out of class. That's odd. Doesn't he normally come to me to confirm..

"Excuse me, I have to go to the washroom, I've been holding it in throughout the exam."

"Oh, sorry, sorry. Go quick."

"See ya!"

I packed my bag and chased after him.

"Where did he go?"

"I think he went to the fourth floor. That's where the upper classes are located."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Somehow, I went with the flow and ran alongside Ares and Brunette. I was starting to question if Ares was involved in Avner's plan. What if it was just my imagination?

"Shush!"

"D-did he see us?"

"I don't think so.. Class 4I. Yeah, I think that's what I saw too."

"Why do they want to meet?"

"No clue."

Ares doesn't know why either? Is he planning to trick both Brunette and I?

"Exam is over."

A cacophony of timers were set off echoing in the halls.

It wasn't long before students began pouring out of the class.

"It's her!"

"Something doesn't feel right, what do you think Pu'er?"

I hadn't noticed that I was biting my lips.

Did Avner like taller girls?

They had a short chat, but it soon ended when the boys appeared. The girls scattered, leaving Avner in the wake of..

"Huh? What is.."

"She left?"

"Avner is in trouble."

"Whoah there, you can't just butt in.."

"Then what should we do?!"

I leaned closer and tried to catch the contents of the conversation.

"You're picking on her?"

"No. I'm just concerned."

Concerned for her.. what did Avner mean by that?

"Concerned about? Telling her that she'll contract the disease and saying that it can be cured?"

"My bad."

What disease? NtBM? What did Avner do?

It all happened so suddenly. The movements of his hand and Avner's swift dodge.

"Woah, he's got some good moves."

"Bro, you just got owned."

"Who are you supporting here?!"

"So, you're the one who called me over, not Lynda?"

"Who else? You insulted her, what gives you the right? I'm here to tell you to stop."

"Got it. I'll apologize."

My knees touched the ground.

"Pu'er?!"

"H-Hey, it's probably just some misunderstanding. Avner probably doesn't like her.."

"Ares, help me carry hir."

"On it!"

I didn't know what happened after that. When I came to, I realized that I was standing before his locker.

A handwritten letter in hand.

===

dotturndot: Looks like someone is jealous. I'm such a cruel author, poor Pu'er, you'll get your chance, don't cry.