Chapter 79: Day To Day Life I

Gabriel's alarm rang at 5:30 AM.

He groaned, reaching out to turn it off. His body felt heavy, but staying in bed wasn't an option. He had a full day ahead, and every hour counted. After a quick stretch, he got up and headed to the bathroom.

The cold water helped wake him up as he washed his face. He brushed his teeth, took a fast shower, and changed into comfortable clothes.

Breakfast was simple—just a cup of black coffee and a sandwich. Eating too much in the morning made him sluggish, and he needed to stay sharp.

By 6:30 AM, he was out the door, walking toward the university.

Shawn invited him to join him where he lives now, but Gabriel rejected him as he wanted to live nearer the university. The time consumed in traveling can be used to study instead.

The streets were quiet, with only a few early risers going about their day.

He liked this time of the morning—it gave him a moment to think. Right now, he is studying pharmacology, learning how medicine works in the body and how to create it.

But this was only part of his plan. He wanted to finish early and move on to medical school. Becoming a doctor was necessary, but not his end goal. He wanted to be a scientist, someone who developed new treatments and made medicine better.

Shawn even complained about him not taking medicine first so that they could be classmates throughout.

Something he simply stared at him in response.

Even with his complaining, he knew Shawn was not serious.

He wouldn't meddle with Gabriel's choices.

Though there was no necessary step to follow in what to take first, Gabriel chose pharmacology in order to understand medicines first before he started studying human anatomy more deeply.

"What happened?" Gabriel asked when he saw Shawn upon getting into the university.

He was referring to Harmony's condition yesterday.

"She ended up falling asleep on the train," Shawn sighed.

They were on their way to the class they shared, since both of them are in the same pre-med course.

"Did you notice anything else?" Gabriel asked, noticing that there was still something in his mind.

"I did. But I am not sure…"

When he saw her face up close, he noticed the thickness of her makeup. The makeup application was good, as it was not noticeable unless his eyes were very close to her face.

And beneath it, around the side of her lips, he could vaguely see a wound.

He was sure it was a wound but could not just assume. And even if they ask her, surely she won't say anything.

"You are sure," Gabriel pointed out.

He pursed his lips.

"It's fine. This is her we're talking about. If we showed worry, she'd just close herself even more. And it seems that this is a battle she was adamant about fighting on her own right now. So unless she reaches out first, there is no point for us in meddling."

Shawn looked at Gabriel, and in turn, he raised his eyebrow.

"You really are the only person in this group we could ask for good advice."

Gabriel did not respond and walked a bit faster.

"Hey, wait for me," Shawn rushed after him.

The first lecture of the day started at 7:00 AM.

They entered the lecture hall, where students were already settling in. Some were flipping through notes while others chatted. Gabriel chose his usual seat near the front, where he could focus without distractions.

Shawn, as always, sat beside him, not minding wherever they were to seat.

Today's lesson was about how the body breaks down medicine. The professor explained how drugs were absorbed, distributed, and eliminated.

Gabriel scribbled down notes quickly. Understanding this was important—not just for treating patients in the future, but for designing better medicine with fewer side effects.

After the lecture, they had a short break.

Instead of socializing, he and Shawn grabbed a coffee from a vending machine and went straight to the library.

There, just like when they were in high school, they silently reviewed their notes.

Gabriel looked outside the window when he felt the warm sunlight.

It felt revitalizing to take a first step finally. He felt more alive now than when he was in high school, still only reading books and taking up online short courses.

Pharmacology wasn't just about memorizing—it required deep thinking. Small mistakes in medicine could lead to serious consequences. And studying to become a doctor requires deep knowledge of the human anatomy.

There was a lot to learn.

But this is what he desired.

Their next subject was in the lab.

He put on his white coat, gloves, and safety goggles before joining his group, the same group as Shawn's.

Today, they were studying chemical reactions. The measurements had to be precise—one wrong step and the formula wouldn't work.

"Be careful with that," his lab partner reminded him as he poured a solution into a beaker.

"…" Gabriel did not respond keeping his hands steady.

Shawn glanced at him before smiling, Gabriel's seriousness was truly something else. Sometimes he gets pulled along allowing him to increase his knowledge and output even more.

As compared to him, who was known for being a jack-of-all-trades only because he had good specs to begin with. Gabriel was someone who had the hard-working personality to reach his goal.

'I guess they are alike in that area,' he thought, thinking about Harmony.

The lab lasted two hours, and by the time it ended, they were starving.

This was their last class together, and this was also Shawn's last class for the day.

Gabriel bid him goodbye before grabbing lunch from the cafeteria and finding a quiet corner to eat. Even while eating, he kept his textbook open, reading about how different drugs interact in the body.

"You really never take a break, huh?" one of his classmates in his next subject joked, sitting across from him.

Gabriel smirked slightly, "No time for breaks. I need to finish early and move on to med school."

As compared to high school, he started interacting more with his classmates. He might find out more about the subjects he was learning.

His classmate raised an eyebrow, "You're planning to do both?"

Gabriel nodded, "Yeah. I want to be a doctor, but only so I can go further. I don't just want to treat patients—I want to create better medicine."

His classmate could only shake his head, silently acknowledging his tenacity.

After lunch, he had another lecture, and then another lab session. By the time his classes ended, the sun was already setting.

When he got back to his apartment, the first thing he did was drop his bag and stretch. He had been sitting for too long. He made a quick dinner—just rice, vegetables, and some grilled chicken. After eating, he cleaned up and sat at his desk, ready to review his notes again.

His phone buzzed.

A message from a classmate, 'Want to meet up tomorrow to study?'

Gabriel sighed. He preferred studying alone, but sometimes discussions helped.

'Sure,' he replied before putting his phone aside.

The night stretched on as he flipped through his books, highlighting important points. His eyelids felt heavy, but he pushed through. He still had so much to learn, so much to do.

By midnight, he finally closed his book. He let out a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. It had been a long day, but it was just one of many. He was tired but satisfied.