9
A line of notification flashed on the translucent panel in front of Rajesh Kumar.
[You have listened to the class for 6 minutes. You have received 60 experience value points. You have 289 experience value points remaining in the Experience Pool.]
"Learning from his experience, skill proficiency upgrading shouldn't be done during lesson time." Rajesh Kumar's heart ached so badly. He quickly walked out after packing up.
In the past, Rajesh Kumar would usually wait for Meena Sharma to go home together.
But Meena Sharma had already left. If this had happened in his previous life, Rajesh Kumar would be very upset, but right now he was not affected at all.
"Rajesh Kumar, over here." Just as he stepped out of the school gates, a clear and pleasant voice rang out.
The person who called out to Rajesh Kumar was Priya Patel. She was also Rajesh Kumar's neighbour.
She was wearing a loose-fitting sweater that covered her petite body and a pair of black-framed glasses that covered half her face. A plain hat covered her hair and forehead.
Priya Patel looked plain and ordinary.
Hearing Priya Patel's voice, Rajesh Kumar paused, and the smile on his face suddenly became bright.
In his previous life, when he failed the university entrance examination and his parents met with a traffic accident, Priya Patel was the only classmate who came to pay respects to his parents. When he was handling his parents' funeral, Priya Patel stood by him and never deserted him.
After the university entrance examination, Priya Patel was admitted to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). During the holidays, she always came to hang out with Rajesh Kumar, encouraging him not to give up.
Priya Patel then went on to do very well in life. But even so, she would visit and chat with Rajesh Kumar whenever she could find time to do so.
Rajesh Kumar naturally knew Priya Patel's intentions. However, because he had been in such a sorry state in his previous life while Priya Patel was doing so well, he felt unworthy of her.
As such, he was deliberately hurtful toward her.
Priya Patel then left with a broken heart.
"Priya Patel." Rajesh Kumar suppressed his overwhelming emotions and walked over to Priya Patel.
"Eh, why isn't Meena Sharma with you?" At the mention of Meena Sharma, a hint of gloom flashed in Priya Patel's eyes. But in front of Rajesh Kumar, she could only suppress the bitterness in her heart and act as if everything is alright.
Usually, the three of them would go home together. Rain or shine, Rajesh Kumar would wait for Meena Sharma.
"Where is she?" Rajesh Kumar pointed to the opposite side. Meena Sharma was smiling and walking side by side with Rahul Verma.
Rahul Verma also noticed that Rajesh Kumar was looking over. He flashed Rajesh Kumar a victorious smile and deliberately walked closer to Meena Sharma, parading himself like a triumphant peacock.
"She seems to be in a relationship with Rahul Verma." Rajesh Kumar smiled casually and continued, "In the future, the two of us will go home together."
Priya Patel had wanted to say something, but when she heard Rajesh Kumar say "The two of us will go home together", a shy expression appeared on her face, and her heart started beating wildly.
"Yes." A mosquito-like voice came out of her mouth.
Rajesh Kumar looked at Priya Patel's shy appearance and cursed himself for being so blind in his previous life.
Priya Patel appeared plain now because she had deliberately dressed this way to cover herself up.
After graduating from university, she took off her black-framed glasses and exchanged her loose-fitting sweater for a white dress. With some light makeup, she looked like a fairy who had walked out of a painting.
She was beautiful and elegant.
"Let's chat while we walk." Rajesh Kumar and Priya Patel walked side by side. "I'm planning to sign up for the Junior Informatics Programming Competition."
"That's great. Our form teacher also talked about it in class today, but only Rahul Verma signed up." Priya Patel nodded. Her face was still flushed. When she said Rahul Verma's name, she even secretly glanced at Rajesh Kumar, worried that he might be irritated.
"The registration has to be done in a team. Each team can have a maximum of three members." Rajesh Kumar didn't pay attention to this detail. He continued to speak.
"One is in charge of mathematical modelling, one is in charge of programming, and the other is in charge of liaison."
"For now, there is only me in my team. Would you join me on my team?"
Priya Patel nodded without hesitation. "Sure!"
"Alright, then when I sign up tomorrow, I'll fill in your name as well." Rajesh Kumar's smile became wider. In his previous life, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was Priya Patel's first choice. However, her results weren't good enough, as such she couldn't enrol in IIT.
Rajesh Kumar couldn't change Priya Patel's academic performance, but he could send Priya Patel to IIT, her dream school, via the Junior Informatics Programming Competition.
Along the way, Priya Patel chattered about the interesting things that happened in class. Rajesh Kumar had a gentle smile on his face as he kept nodding and saying a few words occasionally.
Soon, the two of them arrived downstairs.
"Rajesh Kumar, I realized that you've changed!" Priya Patel had always been worried that Rajesh Kumar would be angry, upset, and sad because Meena Sharma and Rahul Verma were together, and that he was faking the smile on his face.
Along the way, she carefully observed Rajesh Kumar's reaction. She realized that he was very calm, very confident, and genuinely happy.
He didn't look like he was faking it at all.
Instantly, she felt relieved.
"You've become more confident! Your eyes have become especially lively."
"Also, I feel that you have suddenly become very mature, like an uncle who has experienced endless vicissitudes," Priya Patel said half-jokingly.
Rajesh Kumar smiled. "I've matured, and I'm in better spirits now."
"That's why I have now realized that you are the best. In the past, I was blind to this. Now that I have cleared my mind, I will naturally cherish what I have."
Rajesh Kumar's words were like a bolt of lightning, making Priya Patel's mind go blank.
After being stunned for more than ten seconds, she came back to her senses.
Her face instantly turned red, and even her neck instantly turned pink.
Happiness, shyness, nervousness, and panic overwhelmed her at once, making her all flustered.
She panicked and ran back home, and couldn't even recall exactly how she responded to Rajesh Kumar.
Rajesh Kumar smiled as he watched Priya Patel return home before walking back home.
...
...
"Rajesh Kumar is back. Do you want bread or noodles?" Leela Devi, who was preparing food for him in the kitchen, asked with concern.
Rajesh Kumar got teary-eyed.
"Mom! Noodles, please. I like the noodles you make the most." Rajesh Kumar suppressed his voice, but he still choked and sounded nasal.
In his previous life, he was young and ignorant. He took his parents' concern for him for granted and even found them annoying sometimes.
After his parents were gone, he realized that only his parents would give him the type of unconditional love that he took for granted.
"My child, why are you crying?" Leela Devi brought out the noodles. When she saw Rajesh Kumar's red eyes, she immediately panicked.
"I just miss you guys too much!" Seeing his mother's familiar face and the heartache on her face, Rajesh Kumar could no longer hold it in and went forward to hug her.
"Were you bullied in school? Tell us." Leela Devi comforted him gently.
His father, Ravi Kumar, was originally sitting on the sofa with a stern expression. He had already received the teacher's notification of Rajesh Kumar's exam results.
He was prepared to have a "good talk" with Rajesh Kumar.
...
Seeing how Rajesh Kumar was now, he immediately panicked. "Rajesh Kumar, who bullied you? Tell Daddy, I will stand up for you."
Rajesh Kumar let go of Leela Devi and rushed forward to hug Ravi Kumar. "Daddy, no one bullied me. I just missed you guys."
If he counted the time in his previous life, he had already been separated from his parents for decades.
"This time, I promise I won't disappoint you again. I'll get into university."
"I will make the two of you proud." Rajesh Kumar said earnestly.
"Alright, we don't care if you make us proud. We just hope that you can become a capable person so that one day when we're no longer around, you can support yourself and live a peaceful and dignified life," Leela Devi said with a smile.
"Come, let's not talk about anything else. Let's eat the noodles first."