Alvano remained silent, gripping the melon jam sandwich Theo had given him. His mind was full of questions.
Joshua leaned back in his chair, observing Alvano's expression. "So, what's your plan now?"
Alvano didn't answer right away. He unwrapped the sandwich and took a slow bite. Not because he was hungry, but to give himself time to think.
"I don't know," he finally said. "I don't even understand why they're interested in me."
Theo exhaled, folding his arms on the table. "If they're interested in you, that means they know something—something you might not even realize yourself."
Joshua nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and that could be a good thing… or a bad one."
Alvano stayed quiet, his thoughts spinning. There was no clear answer. Everything had happened so suddenly—William Aubert, the student council, that strange dream he had.
But he also knew that thinking too much about it now wouldn't solve anything.
Theo, as if reading Alvano's mood, clicked his tongue. "Alright, let's drop it for now. There's no point blowing up our heads overthinking this."
Joshua shrugged. "Agreed. For now, let's just go about things as usual."
Alvano let out a long sigh. "Yeah… maybe that's for the best."
As if on cue, the bell signaling the next class rang. The next lesson was about to begin.
Some students who were still chatting hurried back to their seats. The Math teacher entered the classroom, placed his books on the desk, and started explaining the material.
Alvano stared at the whiteboard blankly. Rows of numbers and formulas written there shouldn't have been unfamiliar to him. Normally, he could understand the patterns and logic behind math problems without much effort. But this time, everything looked like meaningless scribbles. His eyes were fixed forward, but his mind wasn't in the room.
His thoughts kept wandering, trapped in a circle of questions with no answers.
They kept spinning in his head, making him increasingly uneasy. He wasn't the type to be easily bothered. Usually, if something bothered him, he would dig until he found the truth. But this time, he had too little information. He felt like someone lost in darkness, without any clue or way out.
"Alvano, try solving problem number three on the board," the Math teacher's voice suddenly cut through his daze.
Alvano flinched, as if suddenly realizing he was still in class. A few seconds passed before he finally stood up stiffly. He walked toward the board hesitantly, realizing he hadn't been paying attention at all.
Once in front, he picked up a marker and began writing the solution. His hand moved automatically, but his mind was still elsewhere. When he finished and stepped aside, the Math teacher's deep voice rang clearly in his ears.
"Alvano, this is completely wrong."
The room grew even quieter. Alvano stared at the board, trying to understand where he'd gone wrong, but he couldn't even remember how he'd arrived at that answer.
Some students started whispering; others stifled laughter. Even Theo and Joshua just shook their heads, as if they had seen it coming.
"You've been daydreaming through the whole lesson—no wonder the result is like this!" The Math teacher scolded sharply, drawing everyone's eyes to Alvano.
He could only lower his head, feeling uncomfortable with the situation. He could feel the stares directed at him—some full of curiosity, others carrying faint mockery.
"I'll be giving you a low mark for this. Next time, make sure you actually focus!"
Without saying a word, Alvano returned to his seat. He sighed deeply, frustrated with himself. This wasn't like him. He had never failed this badly in any lesson, but today, he couldn't even control his own thoughts.
The Math class dragged on for what felt like forever—an hour and a half—before finally switching to Biology.
When Biology began, the atmosphere in the classroom began to lighten again. Theo, as usual, started cracking his trademark jokes. A few students chuckled, including Joshua, who occasionally added his own comments.
But unlike usual, Alvano stayed silent. He didn't react at all, not even showing signs that he heard Theo's jokes. His eyes were fixed blankly on his notebook, his fingers occasionally moving as if to write something, but ended up making meaningless lines instead.
Theo watched him from the side, realizing something was really off with his friend. Usually, even if he didn't laugh, Alvano would at least grumble or show annoyance when Theo's jokes were too lame. But this time—nothing. No reaction whatsoever.
Joshua noticed it too. He glanced at Theo, as if asking whether they should say something. But Theo just shook his head slightly.
They both knew what Alvano was like.
He wasn't the kind of person who got easily unsettled, let alone lost focus all day. But this time was different.
Something was really bothering him.
And until he found the answer, he wouldn't be at peace.
The bell finally rang, marking the end of what had felt like an unbearably long lesson for Alvano. But before he could even take a deep breath, Theo slammed his hand on the table with an irritated expression.
"That's enough, Alvano," Theo said firmly, staring at him sharply.
Alvano turned with a lazy look. "What?"
Joshua, sitting beside him, chimed in—his tone softer but still serious. "We've both been trying to let this go for now. Why are you the one sinking deeper into it?"
Alvano fell silent. He knew they were right. But unlike Theo and Joshua, his mind worked differently. When something bothered him, he couldn't just let it go.
Theo exhaled harshly, leaning back in his chair with a frustrated look. "Whatever. If you keep acting like this, then I'll be the one to meet the student council."
Alvano turned sharply. "What?"
Theo met his gaze without fear. "You heard me. If you can't think clearly, then I'll find out myself. We can't just sit around waiting for something to happen."
Before Alvano could respond, Joshua grabbed his arm. "But before that, let's eat first."
"I'm not hungry," Alvano tried to refuse.
Joshua only grinned. "Not an option."
Before he could argue, Theo helped drag him from his seat. With their combined effort, Alvano was forced out of the classroom toward the cafeteria, with no chance to resist.
All the way there, his mind was still trapped in the same question—What's really happening?
When they arrived at the cafeteria, already filling up with other students, Joshua confidently walked to the counter.
"I'll take three bowls of level-five spicy ramen," he said casually.
Alvano widened his eyes. "What?"
Theo smirked, patting his shoulder. "We heard from some students that if you eat this spicy ramen, your brain will wake up instantly and you'll focus again. You've got to try it."
Joshua added, "And there's a rule. If you can't finish it, you have to pay double the normal price."
Alvano scoffed, slightly annoyed. "So this is a trap?"
"We call it therapy," Theo said casually.
Soon, their order arrived. Large bowls of ramen with bright red broth steamed hot, the spicy aroma sharp and burning. Alvano stared at his bowl skeptically, while Joshua and Theo watched him eagerly.
"If you don't start now, the broth will soak into the noodles and make it even spicier," Joshua teased.
Alvano let out a long sigh. He knew they only wanted to help him refocus, so he chose not to argue anymore.
Slowly, he picked up the chopsticks and took his first bite.
Instantly, a fiery explosion of heat spread in his mouth.
"Ugh… annoying…" Alvano muttered, his face turning red.
Theo laughed. "How is it? Feels hotter than that chaotic mess in your head, right?"
Alvano didn't reply. He just kept chewing, swallowing, and taking another bite. Sweat began to drip down his temples, but he didn't stop.
Joshua whistled, impressed. "Wow, he's serious."
Bite after bite, Alvano finally finished his ramen. He set down his chopsticks, breathing heavily, then grabbed a napkin to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Seeing his success, Theo and Joshua immediately burst into applause.
Some nearby students turned their heads, curious about what was going on.
"Ladies and gentlemen, a miracle has occurred!" Theo joked, while Joshua tried to hold back laughter.
Alvano just shook his head—but inside, something felt different.
For the first time since that morning… his mind felt clearer.