The third week started. Ram and Can tried the IC cantina once more but this time for breakfast. After Can stacked his plate high with fresh fruit and something Ram called a Belgium waffle with syrup, he scanned the room for a table. There was nothing by the entrance so he made his way to a booth by the kitchen. The cantina was busier at breakfast than during lunch and it was hard to see all the tables with diners constantly walking in front of them. They both were hungry and ate quickly then spent some time just people watching.
"Oh oh oh, there he is" Can said with excitement. He felt his heart leap and he slightly shivered. Ram pleaded with his eyes where? "Over there by the cashier area. He's sitting alone." Ram followed the direction Can's finger pointed until he narrowed in on the lone table with just one person. OH MY FUCKING GOD Ram internally screamed. The guy Can likes is Tin Medthanan? The Tin Medthanan whose father owns something like the two top largest companies in the country?
Ram had to take a few deep breaths before he turned to his best friend who was looking at him expectantly. "His name is Tin Medthanan and he's a 3rd year in my faculty. His family is very rich. It's going to be hard for you to win his heart".
"Win his heart? I never said that. Why would you think that? I just want to teach him some manners. I mean anyone could tell he's rich but that doesn't mean he can talk to me like I'm no one. All he has to do is say hello or have a good day or even hi and I'd be happy! But at least I know who he is now so I can call him by his name next time I see him." The words tumbled out of Can's mouth so fast as if he was a contestant in a game show earning money for every word spoken in a set amount of time.
That's some serious denial going on. Ram smirked and thought of Shakespeare. Methinks thou doth protest too much.
Ram raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side as to silently say to his friend you drive me crazy but Can didn't notice since his eyes were only on Tin. Ram followed his gaze and saw the older student rise from his seat, take his tray and walk towards the dish area. Rich or not, it was refreshing to see Tin not leave his empty dishes on the table for the cafeteria workers to clear. Ram elbowed Tin and gestured his head to mean come with me and the two quickly gathered their belongings and dirty dishes and followed. Watching the slender figure of Tin as they trailed behind him out the cantina door, the anxiety Can felt the past few days faded and his steps were eager and bouncy. Tin was okay. Fingers crossed he would also be back walking the IC sidewalk that afternoon.
The table by the Student Union was covered with textbooks and notes with messy handwriting. The table was centrally located between the IC and Engineering faculties and a good place for Tin and King to study together. Tin had walked over after finishing breakfast at the IC cantina and figured he had three hours he could dedicate to hard core studying before he had to leave for afternoon class. King didn't need to study that long. He was ranked #1 in the Engineering faculty so during these occasional marathon sessions, he would mostly read a book. King knew the pressure Tin felt to get good grades so sat with his best friend to offer help if needed.
"Shit I hate Advanced Economic Theory" groaned Tin.
"Show me what you're working on."
Tin passed over his textbook and paper with the assignment details and wasn't at all surprised when over the next hour King patiently explained the various concepts and walked him through how to diagram them to be easily understood.
"Your dad is a bastard Tin. I hate how he uses me to try to shame you to get better grades." King put his pencil down and continued "Why don't you tell the old man to go fuck himself and come live with me. You've made enough money off your investments that you can easily pay your own tuition and expenses until graduation and even after as long as you live reasonably. And no having to work for the family business and marry whomever he tells you to. You could even marry that guy you see on the sidewalk all the time and your dad couldn't say shit about it!"
