direct question".

Vitus left with a broken heart, dragging his steps along the narrow path leading to nowhere. The sun was setting, but the sky did not look beautiful to him—just a dull canvas reflecting his feelings. The cold air brushed against his face, but he didn't care.

"I'm a fool..." he muttered, barely audible. How had he managed to deceive himself like this? How had he allowed hope to creep into his heart? He thought they had finally accepted him, thought they had seen him as a friend... or at least as a person. But he was just a burden, just a tool for getting closer to Aurelius.

He sat on the edge of the school's outer wall, leaning on his arms, closing his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to see the world because the world didn't see him. Inside him, a voice kept speaking, repeating the same harsh truth: "Of course, I'm just the son of a poor family, the stupid, foolish, ugly one... And him? Aurelius? He belongs to another world, a level beyond reach. Even if every single person in this village worked until their hands broke, they would never reach his status."

He opened his eyes and let out a bitter laugh. How ridiculous, how pathetic. He should have realized this from the start. Aurelius was different... smart, handsome, elegant. Someone like him would never need Vitus... would never need a failure.

But then why? Why did he befriend him? Why did he stay by his side? Why hadn't he abandoned him from the beginning? Was it just guilt? Just pity?

His expression darkened slightly as he lifted his head to the gray sky. "But… he accepted me as a friend."

He remembered how Aurelius always tried to include him in conversations, how he defended him when others mocked him, how he treated him like someone worthy of respect.

But another voice in his head sneered at him, a voice that echoed the words of one of the students: "Aurelius only pities you, nothing more."

His fists clenched, and he squeezed his eyes shut as if that could stop his thoughts. Then, as if finding an escape from this internal torment, he muttered, "I'll ask Aurelius. I'll ask him directly. What am I to him? Just some pitiful person in need of charity? Or a friend?"

He stood up abruptly, ignoring all risks. He knew that Aurelius' father had forbidden them from seeing each other after the last incident, but he didn't care. He no longer cared about anything except knowing the truth.

He arrived at Aurelius' house late in the evening. The lights were still on in the upper floor, where his friend's room was. The night was silent, interrupted only by the rustling of trees in the cold wind.

He picked up a small pebble and tossed it gently at the window. Nothing happened. He waited for a moment, then picked up another and lightly struck the glass. After a few seconds, the window creaked open, and Aurelius' face appeared.

He looked pale, but his eyes still held that familiar spark. When he saw Vitus, he smiled and quickly rushed outside, disregarding all the warnings he had heard about his illness.

When they met in the backyard, the first thing that broke the silence was Aurelius' laughter—a warm, effortless laugh, as if Vitus' presence had made his night less lonely.

"Why did you come?"

There was no reprimand in his voice, only quiet curiosity. But Vitus wasn't in the mood for jokes. His heart felt too heavy to even lift his head and look Aurelius in the eye.

"I need to ask you something."

Aurelius raised an eyebrow, then grinned lightly. "Don't tell me you've discovered that I'm actually a secret prince of some lost kingdom."

But Vitus didn't laugh. His face was serious, in a way that made Aurelius stop joking. He waited as Vitus spoke in a low voice:

"Am I your friend? Or just someone you pity?"

The smile faded from Aurelius' face. He wasn't expecting that question. He remained silent for a moment, as if the words had gotten stuck in his throat.

"Vitus…" he started, but before he could finish his sentence, a furious voice interrupted them from behind.

"What are you doing here?!"

Vitus felt his blood freeze. He turned around slowly and found Aurelius' father standing at the garden door, his face twisted in anger, his eyes glinting under the porch lights.

"Didn't I forbid you from seeing Aurelius? How dare you come here?!"

Vitus couldn't utter a single word, but Aurelius stepped in front of him, as if trying to shield him from his father's wrath.

"Father, it's not Vitus' fault. I came out to see him!"

But his father wasn't interested in excuses. He pointed sharply at Vitus and snapped:

"Get out of here immediately, and don't come near my son again!"

The words stabbed deep. He had known he wasn't welcome here, but he hadn't expected to be cast out so cruelly.

Then, suddenly, he felt Aurelius' hand grip his—firm, unwavering. He turned to look at him and saw a face he had never seen before—a face filled with anger and determination.

"He's my friend, and I won't let you treat him like this!"

That was the answer he had been searching for. He didn't need any more words. Aurelius was willing to stand against his own father for him. It wasn't pity. It wasn't charity… it was real friendship.

But his father wasn't willing to listen. He grabbed Aurelius by the arm and dragged him inside, while Vitus stood there, alone in the darkness, feeling a strange mix of sadness and relief.

He had found his answer at last. But he also knew… that this friendship was about to face a greater test than he had ever imagined.