The same morning, in another part of the city...Harry woke up quite early this morning. He had a quick running outside the house and continued with a short weight training in the gym inside the house. Then, he had his breakfast, along with his family members.
"You"re going to cla.s.s today?" his mother asked when she saw him holding his backpack.
"Hmm... I have a group discussion later on so I"m coming home late," Harry poured a gla.s.s of orange juice for himself and reached for the fried twisted bread. He took three onto his plate.
"Send me to school, please." Mia put down her mobile phone and looked at her brother.
"Why me? Ask the driver to send you," Harry muttered. He had no time to follow his sister"s whim.
"Henry, send your little sister to school," the empress of the house ordered.
"Fine."
Mia grinned winningly. She rubbed her nose at Harry, happy to see her elder brother"s glare. "Mom, he glares at me~"
"Henry Si!"
"That"s enough, both of you. Missus, stop being so angry. You don"t want to get sick again. Mia, eat your food. Harry, once you"re done with your school, go to the office," their father put down the coffee he was drinking and look at every one of them.
Everyone kept quiet, even their mother.
"Wait for me, elder brother," Mia cried when Harry, already done with his breakfast, got into the car and started the engine. She quickly took her seat in the pa.s.senger side and pulled on the safety belt.
"You want to leave me!" she accused, glaring at him angrily.
"It"s not my fault if you"re too slow, brat," he replied back.
"You"re bullying me again!"
"No, I am not. Stop yelling in the car. If you keep shouting, I will leave you at the side of the road," he warned.
The car was already fast heading toward her school. They were now crossing the beautiful meadow before they entered the "forest". It was actually oaks.
Mia"s eyes widened seeing rows after rows of oaks. Leaving her here?
Big brother would not be this evil, right? Wasn"t it his role to be bullied by her? Why wouldn"t he just accept his role meekly?
"You would not dare," she gasped in horror.
"Try me."
She gasped in horror. Would he really leave her at the side of the road?
"I will call mom."
"Then, I will stop here."
The fingers hovering over the screen stopped. Her widened eyes looked at Harry. He would not leave her here, would he? He would not dare to leave his little sister out of nowhere, would he?
"Just call her, then," he challenged.
She gulped. Slowly her hand lowered down, placing the phone back onto her laps.
He smirked. That would teach her not to be a blabbermouth.
*~*~*~*
Harry parked his car with a big smile on his face. Actually, the plan for today was, apart from cla.s.s and the group discussion, to meet Ryn "accidentally". Surely Ryn would come to the campus today, right? Her official "workday" should start tomorrow, so she would not skip the cla.s.s today.
She did say she has something to do today in the campus, rather absentmindedly when he asked last time during their "lunch date".
Of course, he did not tell her he wanted to spend time with her today. Hence, the "accidental" b.u.mp into her plan was created.
Whistling to himself, he rushed into the building. His mind was busy thinking how to b.u.mp into Ryn without being so obvious he wanted to see her.
His mood was quite... positive today. He was optimistic he would spend time with her today at the campus.
He walked around the campus. For others who did not know his plan, it looked like he was walking aimlessly but actually he was going to all places Ryn could be. He even went to the cafeteria!
Maybe, just maybe, she was in the cafeteria eating her fill. She did say the food there was delicious and cheap.
To his disappointment, he could not find her anywhere. He wanted to find her more but he had a cla.s.s to attend. Trying to not lower down his courage, he cheered himself up by telling himself that Ryn might be late. She was after all busy during the weekends. So it was normal for her to come a bit later on Monday.
With his shoulders slumped down because he could not help it, he started to head toward his cla.s.s.
"Harry!"
At first, he did not hear his name being called. But when the person tapped his shoulder, he turned around and smiled widely, thinking it was the person he wanted to see the most. However, the smile dimmed at the sight of the familiar girl.
"You!"
Harry"s face changed. He did not think he would see her today.
Lia smiled bashfully. At last, her plan worked. When she kept facing obstacles when trying to meet him at his place, she decided to change her tactic.
Where else would he be if not at the campus? He was after all still a student. Of course, he would be here if not at home. That was why she made sure she looked her best today. Even though the brands she wore mostly Chanel and Gucci, but today, she purposely chose to wear a simple cheongsam, to show off her slim figure and at the same time to remind him she was the same ethnic as him. She wanted to tell him with the dress she was wearing, she was still a traditional girl at heart despite being surrounded by western people during her student years. She had no doubt he would find her precious and lovable wearing this.
He would definitely fall in love with her again.
"What are you doing here?" his voice quite harsh, so unlike him, but he did not care. His mood plumbed down seeing the person he did not want to see ever again appeared again like an annoying fly. When would she understand "no" means "no"?
"Today I am quite free so I thought we can spend time together," she used the babyish voice the boys loved. It would make them protective over her, seeing how vulnerable she was. She believed Harry was like that too, weak against a weak girl like her.
"I"m sorry. I have a cla.s.s now." Without waiting anymore, he quickly turned and walked toward his cla.s.s. Another minute with her only made him angrier, remembering what happened that day.
Has she no shame coming here interrupting his life?
"Harry, wait. Why are you leaving me like this?" Lia cried. Her cheeks reddened when she noticed the look and giggle from other students who were watching them like watching a drama. "What are you looking at? Is it funny?"
The people around quickly left her. They kept whispering and giggling while glancing at her sorry self. It was so funny seeing a girl being ignored by the most famous student in the university. Had she no shame pus.h.i.+ng herself like this when it was clear he had no intention to be with her?
So shameless.
Harry stormed into his cla.s.sroom. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him. They were shocked to see him looking so angry.
What had happened?
Why would the cheerful and calm Harry look so p.i.s.sed off? Had someone actually managed to hit his bottom line?
Wow…
Their Harry actually knew how to get angry!
They watched as Harry walked toward his seat. He pulled the chair and sat on it. His face was still dark.
No one actually went to ask him what went wrong. Honestly, they were a bit scared seeing his expression right now. His expression could be rivalled to Ms Magnolia, their lecturer"s face when one of them made a mistake during her cla.s.s. Even if one of them come in late, she would give them that expression as well.
So scary!
Harry did not partic.i.p.ate in the cla.s.s. In fact, his mind was not in the subject. He was busy thinking Ryn"s whereabouts. Where could she go?
He looked down at his phone. The message he sent, asking her what she was doing, was still unread. He did not want to send so many messages, again, so he would not sound so desperate and pathetic.
He stopped himself from rubbing his face in frustration. It seemed like everything went wrong today. He could not find Ryn anywhere and that Lia even come disturbing his life again.
My G.o.d, what a rotten day is today. He just could not find the mood to even smile now.
"Henry Si, what do you think about the statement?"
Harry did not move.
The lecturer narrowed his eyes and hit his table with the long stainless steel ruler. Even the loud sound coming from the clinking did not "wake" Harry from his "dream".
The whole room was quiet. Even if someone dropped a pin, the sound of it could be heard clearly. Every pair of eyes were switching between their lecturer and the "daydreaming" Harry.
Harry, what was wrong with you? The lecturer had been calling your name a few times already.
Their eyes widened and each one of them covering their opened mouth with their hand when the lecturer stormed toward Harry and without warning, slapping his head from the back.