The huge gates bearing the name, 'State Institute of Technology,' lumbered open as one guard yawned and the other checked his wristwatch with impatient taps.A convoy of college buses rolled through. When the last one cleared the threshold, a third guard shouted, "Count forty six, all buses arrived," prompting the pair to drag the heavy gates shut again.
The final bus rumbled down the long road and settled in the vast open ground where forty five others already waited. Engines coughed to silence. Almost immediately, boys and girls spilled out in a hurry, their chatter and clattering footsteps filling the air until the bus emptied, then emptied again, leaving behind only the scent of diesel and the echo of fading noise.
Within moments, the ground sank into quiet. The sudden stillness made the wide space feel abandoned, almost lonely. Perhaps that was why the remaining three boys, still seated near the back, finally shuffled out, their deliberate stomps loud enough to comfort the vacancy.
The one on the right stood tall and muscular, broad shouldered, already resembling an adult more than a student. The one on the left was average in height but carried himself like someone accustomed to attention, his branded clothes flaunting money and his charming face advertising trouble. Between them walked the shortest of the trio, lean and fit, moving with an easy warmth. His smile, gentle as a mother's lap, made him instantly noticeable.
The muscular boy reached out and caught the middle one by the sleeve. Seeing him walking ahead, he tugged him back."Ajin, why are you in such a hurry? Classes are not starting anytime soon, so come to the canteen with us," he said.
Ajin halted. Before he could answer, the stylish boy on the left cut in."Let me guess. 'I do not have any money,' right? That was what you were going to say, Ajin?"
Ajin blinked at him, expression unreadable. The stylish boy scoffed and turned to the muscular one."Jack, forget it. He never brings money and he never lets us pay for him. Going to the canteen with him is a waste of ti—"He stopped mid complain and swivelled back toward Ajin. "Actually, Ajin, what do you do with your scholarship money?"
Ajin's warm smile grew even warmer.
Seth, the high class teen, looked a little guilty.
Ajin pulled a single crumpled note from his pocket and lifted it with mock grandeur."Do you want your favorite beer, Seth? I think I can treat you?"
The ridiculousness of it made both Seth and Jack laugh.Seth shook his head with a grin. "You think you can treat me with that? If my mother had known, she would have never spent so much on my gifts."
Jack slung an arm around Ajin's shoulders. "You cannot even get the cheapest beer with that. So use it to buy your own food while Seth treats me."
Seth groaned. "Why am I treating you every day?""Because you are rich," Jack replied without hesitation.
Seth considered it, then nodded with an exaggerated impression of wisdom. "Makes sense."
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In front of the cafeteria, Jack stretched his arms and yawned."Later. See you in the bus," he said before turning away with Seth.
Ajin watched them go, then opened his thin wallet. Only one note lay inside.He sighed, "Enough for lunch at least."
He slipped the wallet back into his pocket and headed toward his classroom. In the corridor, someone grabbed his sleeve. A boy his age glared at him.
"Did you finish the assignment?" the boy demanded, rude and impatient.
"I already uploaded it in the group chat," Ajin said. "Copy it onto paper and submit it to sir."
The boy's expression shifted into a mocking grin. "Really? I thought you would skip it this time. You have a lot to deal with, you know, being the college president and all."
Ajin's warm smile did not waver. "If I do not do it, who in our class will? Besides, it did not take much time."
"Thanks, bro!" the boy blurted, then sprinted down the opposite hallway.
Ajin continued forward and stopped outside his classroom. After the lecturer lifted a hand to signal him in, Ajin walked quietly to his seat.
Twenty minutes passed before the boy from the corridor reappeared at the doorway."Sir, may I come in?" he called loudly.
The lecturer ignored him. The boy tried again, louder. And again. Finally, after several interruptions, the lecturer slammed his chalk on the desk and turned, face tight with frustration.
"Jason, can you not be early even once? Can you at least try being regular? You are already twenty minutes late, and now the whole class is distracted. Go roam around the college like you always do, but do not stay in my sight."
He spun back to the board and resumed teaching.
A few moments later, Jason's voice rose again, this time almost theatrical."I completed the assignment. It was very tough and took a while, but I did it. I finished at two in the morning and when I went to the canteen to eat, I slept, and I am late."
The lecturer slowly set the chalk down again. "Your story is, like you, garbage. But I will attempt to be considerate. So show me your completed assignment."
Jason did not miss a beat. "Ajin has it. I gave it to him before I went to the canteen."
A collective shift went through the room as every head turned toward Ajin, including the lecturer's.
"Ajin, do you have Jason's assignment?" the lecturer asked.
"Yes sir," Ajin replied. He opened his bag and retrieved the neatly stacked papers.
As he stepped forward, the lecturer raised a hand. "Keep it for now. During the break collect everyone's assignments and submit them to me."
He addressed the class. "If anyone fails to submit, I trust you are already prepared for the consequences."
Finally, he gestured toward Jason. "Go sit."
Jason strutted in and slumped into the last bench, acting as though he had won something.
Once Jason sat, "Why did you cover for him? Did you forget he tried to beat you last time?" the kid beside Ajin hissed, voice full of outrage.
Ajin only answered with his usual warm smile. He rose and walked toward Jason.
Before he could speak, Jason smirked up at him. "I think I forgot to write my name on the assignment. Write it for me before you hand it in."
Ajin's expression tightened. "It is wr—" He stopped as Jason abruptly stood.
Jason stepped in close, staring straight into Ajin's eyes. Then he pressed a crumpled biscuit wrapper into Ajin's hand.
"Throw this away on your way, Prez. You do not mind, right? After all, it is part of your job to sweep, I mean, to keep the campus clean."
"Yes," Ajin said softly, still smiling, though the smile carried a strain only a few could detect.
He crossed the room, dropped the wrapper into the dustbin in the far corner, and returned to his seat.
"You worked hard on that assignment and you just give it to him like that? How can you be so nice? Sometimes you look like a coward," muttered the friend beside him.
Ajin gave a little laugh, gentle as always. "Maybe I am a coward. But it is easier to write the assignment again than to fight someone I cannot beat."
The two boys glanced back at Jason. He was staring at Ajin with the silent hunger of a predator. Both friends shuddered.
"It will not take more than thirty minutes to write it again," Ajin added calmly.
Just then, a girl with striking features and a confident stride approached their bench. "It would take me less than twenty minutes," she said. "If you want help, I can do it."
Ajin met her eyes, smiling with quiet sincerity. "Thank you. But I do not want to trouble anyone. I will do it myself."
She flushed and stepped back to her seat.
"Students, back to your seats," the teacher called as she entered, clapping her hands once.