Just Press Ctrl Z

Chapter 10.1

"Of course, it doesn't make sense. How can you say that to someone who doesn't have a mother?" Sean exclaimed. "Are you an idiot?"

Raine sighed. "Should I apologise?"

"Definitely, if you have a heart. By all means, do so."

Kai interrupted their conversation as he placed three glasses of juice on the table and took a seat. "What brings you two to this cafeteria?" he inquired.

Raine faced Kai with a hint of defiance. "Why? Can't we be here?"

"Finally, you're here," Sean greeted Kai. "I was about to call you."

"You guys never come here. What happened to the cafeteria in the South wing? I thought it was closer to your department."

Sean spoke for Raine, "Let's just say the food there is terrible. We had some free time today and decided to have lunch here instead."

"Whose idea was it?" Kai asked, and Sean pointed a finger at Raine. He then whispered, "I think he's obsessed with somebody here. He hasn't been acting the same ever since you guys got back from the land of nowhere. I feel like he came here to search for that girl. Don't you think so? Otherwise, why would he even come here? Definitely not for you. It's too far away from our department and we both know Raine's a lazy ass and hardly ever works out. Taking a walk here must mean there's someone worth sacrificing his feet for."

Raine ignored Sean's loud whisper, lost in his own thoughts. He couldn't pinpoint his true reason for being here—curiosity, a desire for confrontation, or something else entirely. What was he here for? He'd let his mind do the wandering, dragged an ambitionless Sean with him after he happily obliged to serve him company like the dog he was, met Kai on the spot by pure chance - he'd forgotten for a moment Kai was in Architecture - and as luck would have it, saw the person he would rather drink poison than admit was someone he most wanted to see, but now what? The road ended. Where was he supposed to go from here?

"Oi, Raine? Who are you looking at?" Sean waved a hand next to him.

"Was I looking?"

"You were," Kai said disinterestedly. "Are you here to look for Zen?" He didn't beat around the bush and dived straight to the point.

"Of course, not," Raine lied through his teeth. His friends looked unconvinced but thankfully, they quickly dropped the topic. "... Kai, listen." Raine looked at Kai dead in the eyes. "Let me ask you something. If I made... let's say, I made... fun of someone who doesn't have a mother, it's my fault, isn't it?" he struggled to voice his thoughts. "If I keep quiet about it, it makes me a horrible person, right? Even if I justify it by saying I didn't know about the mother, it still doesn't make sense unless I apologize, does it?"

"Of course, it doesn't make sense. Are you an idiot?" Kai replied.

"Cheers to that," Sean cut in.

"I don't know who you're talking about and I won't ask, but take my advice. Fix it," Kai said and turned to Sean.

Kai was right. Raine flicked his head a little to the side and this time, focussed his eyes on the object of his attention. Zenjee. His eyes locked with hers in that split-second movement before he quickly faced the other side.

"I've been wanting to ask you both. Why do you guys keep looking at Zen's table?" Kai asked. Sean and Raine both choked on their drinks.

"I wasn't looking."

"Neither was I," Sean defended.

"First, Raine kept glancing at their table, and now Sean, too, after that new guy joined them. Is there something I should know?"

"You know, Raine, class is about to start. Shouldn't we go?" Sean suggested.

"Yes, we should depart," Raine agreed, not even realizing that Sean had concocted a flimsy excuse to facilitate their escape. He began to rise from the table. The sooner he left, the better. If Kai probed further about his connection with Zen, he wouldn't know how to respond.

"You said you don't have any more afternoon classes for the day?" Kai asked suspiciously.

"Project. We have a project!" Sean interjected, shooting Raine a sharp look. Raine, who had his mouth half open to say something caught the signal and refrained from asking, 'We do?' and simply went along with it. "Yes, a project," he confirmed, somewhat puzzled by his own response. "See you later at the dorm, Kai." With those parting words, Raine and Sean bid Kai farewell.

~-~

"Guys, meet Julian," Nadia chimed, her smile beaming as she introduced Julian. "He's from my class. Meet my friends. This is Zen," she said, directing her fingers towards Zen. "And this is Madilyn."

"Nice to meet you, Julian," Zen greeted and smiled as Julian returned the gesture.

"Come on. Sit with us," Madilyn said and before Zen knew it, she had already lent Julian a chair out of thin air. As far as hospitality was concerned, Madilyn was always one step ahead of them.

"We didn't know you were in Nadia's class. How come we've never seen you before?" Zen inquired, turning to Julian, who sat beside her. His medium-length hair fell in gentle waves, framing a face that seemed to carry a hint of mystery. Zen observed the way his eyes darted around nervously as if finding trouble to spill the words.

"Zen, Julian's a very shy person. Stop intimidating him like that," Nadia answered for him. "He transferred last year and I've never introduced him to you because we never had the chance to and also because he's super anti-social, way more than you and hard to make friends with," Nadia said.

Zen noticed Julian's cheeks turning a gentle shade of pink as Nadia described his character.

"It took a while for us to form a bond, you see," Nadia finished.

"Really?" Madilyn said in surprise. "Tell us everything," she insisted.

Julian shifted slightly in his seat, his fingers nervously tracing the edge of the table. "I transferred last year," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact. Julian's voice was soft, almost drowned out by the cafeteria chatter. "After I transferred, I didn't really know anyone. Nadia and I were like strangers for most of the second year. We only started talking recently because of a project."

"That makes sense," Zen acknowledged with a thoughtful nod. "You know, Julian, you're welcome to hang out with us anytime. I went through a phase of not having friends either, in the beginning. Trust me, you're going to be just fine." Her words flowed effortlessly, surprising even herself. The sight of Julian somehow triggered an unexpected connection within her; it was as though she was peering into a mirror of her own past. His guarded posture, his hesitant steps, and the gentle tone of his voice - all painted a vivid picture of his gentle nature that resonated deeply with her own journey.

"Well, now that we've all introduced each other, we should probably head to class." Nadia pushed back her tray, glancing at her watch. "Madilyn, we're going to be late."

Madilyn sighed dramatically. "Right, right. Can't miss class."

"Zen, would you mind keeping Julian company until his driver arrives? Our practical groups don't align, so he's got some free time," Nadia asked, a hint of envy tinting her expression as she thought of Julian's leisurely afternoon. "I'll catch up with you later, Julian. Oh, and by the way, Zen, when are you moving to Aunt Elise's?"

"Tomorrow," Zen answered.

"Good. We'll catch you there."

Zen watched her friends gather their things and head out of the cafeteria. She couldn't help but be intrigued by the stark differences between Nadia and Madilyn, yet at the same time, they somehow seemed to get along, even better than sisters born from the same mother.

"Julian, want to take a walk outside?" Zen proposed. In the past, Zen knew she would have struggled to connect with someone like Julian, feeling awkward in every interaction. However, with Nadia and Madilyn's guidance, she was growing more comfortable with socializing. Also, there was something about Julian that fascinated her, something that drove her desire to learn more about him.

Julian looked surprised by her invitation, but he complied. "Sure, that sounds nice."