MP CH 3 (Patreon)

(AN: As a reminder, this is the unedited raw version. Will do complete edit and might change some little details when it's finally ready for WN.)

"Congratulations to the two of you!"

"Tsk. It pains me to say this, but yeah– Congratulations to you Natasha, and also you, Book. Though I didn't doubt for even one second that Book wouldn't be chosen. You have always been her favorite."

Adam nodded. He had nothing to be ashamed of because his grades were indeed near the top. Though there was also some nepotism involved. The perk of having a cool aunt.

He then smirked at Sae.

"Perhaps you would be more popular with her if you did not call her an old hag the first time you two met."

"Kuh!" Sae gripped her chest painfully as she groaned while Alberto and Natasha snickered.

Indeed, the four of them have always been seated in the same place since their first year.

The simple reason was that despite being the highest-ranked, they were also the kind who didn't pay attention in class and would even disturb it sometimes.

They were accused many times of cheating at first because the professors couldn't accept how such undisciplined students could have a high rank.

Well, it was more Natasha, Sae, and Alberto. The integrity of Adam had never been doubted since he was a scholarship student.

In fact, the teacher initially thought those three were bullying him and forcing him to write their own assignments.

'It's always easier to kiss the ass of the teacher when you look like a nerd.'

It was the bad thing with stereotypes.

People thought that the first of the class should always be nerdy and the last one should always be a jock. Well, Adam did not mind playing with this perception.

"So guys, do you have any other classes for today?? If you are free, how about going somewhere for dinner? " Alberto asked as they began to walk toward the door.

"Sorry, but I will have to go back home. My father was invited to a party tonight and I need to prepare myself."

Natasha answered with a frown. Well, it wasn't really a surprise. Natasha's family was extremely rich and important.

Her father worked in the technology industry and was a rather successful businessman. Even though she wasn't the heiress of her family, Natasha had many important duties to attend to, such as going to parties and looking pretty.

"Keh! Will your father try to hook you up with some rich dude again?"

Sae snickered on the side as she mocked Natasha. But somewhere, a little bit of worry could be heard.

"Blyad! My father is so old-time. But not this time. It's an important deal for him and he can't waste his time trying to set me up with some arrogant bastard."

"I see. Then I wish you good luck! Who knows ? Perhaps you might find someone you like."

Alberto hugged Natasha tightly before turning to face Sae and Kei.

"As for me, I am part of the committee for our Halloween Party!! So I will participate in the meeting. Ugh! It will finish rather late in the night."

"I do not have any other classes but I need to go prepare for my part-time."

Alberto frowned a little and gazed at the dark circles around Adam's eyes. He wanted to say something but in the end he simply held back and simply smiled and patted Adam's shoulder.

"Too bad. Let's do this another time then."

'You are really a good man.'

Adam sighed inwardly. One didn't need to be a detective to see that he was tired. His part-time job as well as his studies were making it so that he barely had any time for himself.

Sae smiled ambiguously on the side but Kei ignored her. He knew what she wanted to say,

"You won't meet the girl from the library?"

"I already told you you are misunderstanding. She is just an acquaintance."

"Heh~! If you say so. Though looking at her following you with puppy eyes every time you two are in the same room is rather funny. I don't know if you are dense or if you are doing it intentionally."

"Are you for real? You call me dense even though Steve never remarked on your feelings for him after nearly two decades?"

"Guh!" Sae covered her face in shame.

"I don't know how to go through that blockhead short of throwing myself at him."

"Hum…" Natasha tilted her head, "I might seem weird saying this, but why don't you, you know, just confess?"

"You think I didn't!? On the last day of high school, I was in his room and I told him I really loved him. Do you know what the dumbass answered me? That he also liked me very much and that I didn't have to worry. I was so happy! But only later did I understand that he misunderstood my confession and thought I only liked him as a friend! Fuck! How could I confess again after such an epic fail?"

"Ouch!"

Adam and Natasha winced at that. Indeed. Confessing was something that took one all his or her courage to do.

Having to do it a second time was basically ten times harder.

Alberto coughed a little with an unnatural face, perhaps hiding a laugh.

"Well, talking about love is great and all but I am in a hurry. See ya!"

Looking at his watch, Adam waved his hand and began to walk away.

"Sayonara!"

"Arrivederci!"

"Proshchay!"

Each of them waved goodbye to him in their own languages as they separated.

It was so cringe but at the same time it was their way of showing how close they were.

-------

Kei, now walking alone in the wide hallway of the university, could now relax himself a little bit.

He didn't mind being close to those three and even liked them quite a bit, but at the end of the day, he could only really feel at ease when he was alone with himself.

This allowed him to think about his current situation and what he had to do.

But it was then that his phone vibrated. At first he dismissed it, but as the vibration became more frenetic he couldn't help but wonder what happened.

'Why is Shuri calling me like this?'

He wondered if it was something about his internship.

[Hello. Adam, where are you now?]

"Me? Still at school. Why?"

[Adam. I need you to calm down and listen to me.]

A foreboding feeling arose in his heart and his throat became dry.

"You know very well that telling someone to calm down only has the opposite effect."

[... Sigh…She didn't want me to tell you but. I can't keep this for myself. You are not a kid anymore. Adam...Your mother collapsed during work. I am currently with her at the hospital.]

Adam felt like the sky was crashing on his head.