8. Do you want grandchildren?

Karel walked calmly toward his classroom, his fingers busy scrolling through his iPad, which displayed practice questions. Occasionally, his brows furrowed when he encountered a particularly difficult problem.

As he walked, the eyes of many students followed him, some whispering quietly to one another. A few girls passing by didn't miss the chance to flash flirtatious smiles or give him a small wave.

When he reached the classroom door, something caught his attention. His gaze shifted from the screen to the back corner of the classroom, where the male protagonist was being bullied by a group of students.

"Damn it! how dare you make Karen cry!" A guy in a disheveled shirt impatiently kicked Daniel's chair, causing it to slide a few inches.

"I don't know who that Karen is that you're talking about" Daniel replied calmly, pulling his chair back into place. He tried to remain patient, not wanting to cause further trouble that might jeopardize his scholarship.

"Stop pretending, you idiot! Kara said you rejected her letter. Acting all high and mighty, huh? You're just a poor guy!" the bully sneered, his tone dripping with mockery.

Bang!

The sound caught the attention of several students, making their heads instinctively turn toward the source.

Karel, the one responsible for the noise, lifted his gaze from the iPad, his expression exuding a lazy disinterest. He stared at the group of students gathered behind him.

"Shut up! why are you guys so noisy" he barked while casually digging his finger into his ear as if their voices truly annoyed him.

"Soo...rry" the guy muttered, swallowing hard.

"Damn it" cursed one of the thuggish students inwardly. Normally, Karel would join in on bullying the poor student, but today, it seemed like he was indirectly helping.

"Let's go" the bully added, casting a sharp glance at Daniel before finally walking away.

Daniel shot a brief, puzzled look at Karel, shook his head, and then returned to reviewing his textbook.

o0o

The morning physics lesson began. Last night, Daniel had decided to go to bed early to avoid feeling sleepy during class. He even drank a cup of coffee this morning to stay sharp.

After class ended, Karel grabbed Daniel and pulled him along. When the other students saw Karel holding Daniel's hand, they rubbed their eyes in disbelief to make sure they weren't seeing things.

Outside the classroom, Daniel stopped and yanked his hand free. "Where are we going?"

"Shut up and just follow me,".

Daniel closed his eyes, trying to keep his patience, and eventually followed Karel. His brows furrowed as they approached the teachers' cafeteria, a place students typically avoided unless they had a good reason to be there.

In front of the cafeteria, a young, friendly-looking female teacher noticed them and greeted them with a warm smile. "Karel, Daniel, what brings you here?"

Of course, the teacher knew their names. Karel was a top-performing student who always ranked first and was also the heir to a major corporation that significantly supported the nation's economy.

Karel gave a sweet smile and responded politely, "Ah, the cafeteria is quite crowded today, Ma'am. Since we're preparing for the upcoming Olympiad, we planned to study while eating here. Would that be okay?"

"Of course, that's fine, but don't forget to take care of yourselves and make sure to rest as well."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Karel replied cheerfully, even mimicking a salute.

Beside him, Daniel struggled to suppress his disgust at Karel's two-faced demeanor.

The teacher smiled, touched by the enthusiasm of the student. "If all students were like Karel, perhaps all teachers would live peacefully," she thought.

"What are we even doing here?" Daniel muttered.

"Eating," Karel answered lazily.

While enjoying their meal, the two continued an intense discussion about the upcoming exam material.

Sitting in the teachers' cafeteria, the quiet atmosphere made it easier for them to focus on their conversation.

As Karel was about to take another bite, he caught a reflection in the glass in front of them and saw Arthur entering the cafeteria.

"Finally, the moment I've been waiting for," he thought, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

Karel's eyes focused on the glass reflection, which showed Arthur approaching them with a surprised expression.

Karel leaned closer to Daniel and whispered softly into his ear, "Bring your ear closer."

"Huh?" Daniel lifted his head in confusion.

Karel moved even closer, almost pressing his lips to Daniel's ear. The sudden proximity made Daniel's body stiffen in an instant.

From behind, their interaction looked like a romantic scene. Arthur's previously neutral expression was now filled with jealousy and barely-contained anger.

While eating, Arthur kept glancing at the two, his focus entirely on them. After a while, he noticed Daniel his top-ranked student grinning sheepishly.

To make things worse, Arthur saw his boyfriend, who usually looked indifferent, laughing happily beside Daniel.

And what was that? He also caught Daniel looking at his boyfriend with a captivated expression.

Clink!

The sound of a spoon hitting the floor caught everyone's attention, including Daniel's.

"Sorry," Arthur said in a calm tone before walking out of the cafeteria with clenched fists.

Karel's sly smile widened. "How much longer can he hold on?" he wondered with a thrill of excitement. Once the exams were over, he would know whether his plan had worked.

He was determined to make that man his, no matter what it took. He had already seen the cracks forming and couldn't wait to bring him down.

o0o

[A Few Minutes Earlier]

Daniel leaned closer to Karel's ear. "You've been smirking nonstop. Either stop that or pay your debt right now."

Karel only grinned wider, his usual sly demeanor intact.

Daniel frowned. "What's wrong with his brain?" he thought, though he didn't dare say it out loud. Instead, he simply nodded and followed Karel's instructions, as he really had no other choice.

Awkwardly, Daniel forced a smile that looked strange on his face.

Seeing Daniel's awkward expression, Karel couldn't hold back his laughter.

"HAHAHAHA!"

Hearing the laughter, Daniel dropped his smile and lowered his head in embarrassment. Was he really that unattractive?

He glanced at the man who was laughing so freely. Karel's brown eyes were slightly squinted, with small creases forming at the corners.

The face that usually looked stern now appeared soft, handsome or perhaps even beautiful.

Daniel clutched his chest as he felt his heart beat slightly faster than usual. He didn't know why, but he wished time would stop at that moment.

His eyes stayed glued to that smile until a sound snapped him out of it. Quickly, he shook his head and even hit himself a few times to get back to his senses.

o0o

Daniel lay on his small bed, staring wide-eyed at the dusty ceiling of his room. He had been so busy that he rarely had time to clean his room thoroughly.

His thoughts wandered to the past few days he had spent with Karel studying. The memory of Karel's laughter began creeping into his mind, and that soft sound kept lingering in his head.

"Daniel, hurry up and eat!"

Hearing the call, he quickly went out and found his mother serving food. The two-person family ate quietly together.

"Mom!" Daniel called mysteriously.

Ny. Ashford lifted her chin, looking at her son, waiting for him to speak.

"Do you want grandchildren?"

Ny. Ashford, who was in the middle of scooping rice onto her plate, almost choked on it. She raised her head, staring at Daniel in shock!

Daniel lowered his head, unable to meet his mother's eyes, because he suspected he might be gay.

o0o