Alvano could still feel the effect of the level 5 spicy ramen he had just finished. His eyes were now wide open, his mind felt clearer, and his energy seemed to have been fully restored.
Joshua and Theo clapped their hands enthusiastically, as if they had just witnessed someone come back from the brink of death.
"I'm really back to the real world," muttered Alvano, letting out a long sigh.
Joshua laughed. "See? What did I tell you? That spicy ramen is like a restart button for your brain."
Theo clicked his tongue. "Except when that restart button ends up making your stomach explode."
Joshua was still chuckling as he got up from his seat. "Hold on, I'll buy some cold drinks so you don't overheat."
He hurried off toward the vending machine located quite far from their table.
But the moment Joshua was truly gone, the atmosphere in the cafeteria suddenly changed. The sound of chatter that had filled the room gradually faded away.
Everyone went silent, as if their mouths had been automatically locked shut.
They all lifted their heads, simultaneously looking toward the entrance.
Two senior students entered the cafeteria casually.
One of them was a tall boy with slightly messy brown hair. He wore his uniform with a loosened tie and yawned as he walked in relaxedly — a face very familiar to many students, including Alvano and Theo.
Beside him stood a girl with short shoulder-length hair and round glasses. Her sharp gaze swept across the room as if searching for someone.
It didn't take long before the girl exclaimed, "Found him!"
Every eye in the cafeteria instantly turned to the table where Alvano and Theo sat.
Alvano swallowed hard. He hated being the center of attention like this. Truly annoying.
Theo glanced briefly at the brown-haired boy and clicked his tongue quietly. "They're seriously annoying."
The two walked toward them calmly. The girl with glasses immediately locked eyes with Alvano once she reached their table.
"You're Alvano from class 10-B, right?" she asked bluntly.
Alvano nodded, realizing that both of them were wearing student council pins on their uniforms.
The girl continued, "We're here to inform you that you're invited to an important meeting in the Student Council room."
Theo narrowed his eyes, immediately understanding that this was just an excuse so other students in the cafeteria wouldn't get suspicious.
Alvano stared at the girl for a few seconds before finally nodding. "Alright, I'll come," he replied shortly.
A faint smile formed on the girl's face. "Good. See you later."
As the two of them turned to leave, the brown-haired boy glanced briefly at Alvano, then whispered to the girl, "Weren't you being a bit intimidating?"
The girl only smiled faintly. "It did look that way, huh?" she said with a small chuckle.
At their table, Theo let out a heavy sigh. "Damn, they're really targeting you, Van."
Joshua, who had just returned with the cold drinks, looked at them in confusion. "Why do you both look like you've just been interrogated?"
Alvano took the drink from Joshua and sipped it slowly. After lowering the cup, he looked at Joshua with a blank expression.
"I was just invited to the Student Council room."
Joshua frowned. "So, what now?"
Theo clicked his tongue. "I'm going to go with him," he said, making Alvano glance at him.
Joshua rolled his eyes. "Then I'm coming with you guys too."
Alvano shook his head. "I don't know. It's better if not too many of us go. I have a bad feeling about this."
He looked toward the cafeteria exit, where the two seniors had disappeared.
Something bigger was happening, and now he was part of a game more complicated than he had imagined.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break.
Alvano, Theo, and Joshua walked leisurely down the corridor toward their classroom. But their thoughts were still focused on the sudden invitation from Student Council.
Joshua, with his usual laid-back expression, started the conversation. "Maybe Alvano acted cold toward one of the Student Council members, and someone got offended and reported it."
Theo immediately smacked Joshua's back hard enough to make him flinch.
"Joshua, sometimes I admire your intelligence, but this time you're really an idiot," Theo said sarcastically.
Joshua rubbed his back, grumbling. "What's wrong with being realistic? It's possible, isn't it?"
Alvano chuckled softly. Even though he still felt a bit tense after being the center of attention in the cafeteria, at least Theo and Joshua's presence made him more at ease.
However, no matter how he tried, he couldn't shake off the curiosity and unease about the real reason Student Council had called for him.
Theo turned to Alvano and lightly patted his shoulder. "You don't have to worry. I'll go with you later."
Joshua, walking on the other side, narrowed his eyes with a displeased expression. "Huh? Why just Theo? I want to go too."
Alvano sighed, looking at Joshua patiently. "The Student Council probably wants to talk directly without too many people around. If the three of us show up together, it could be seen as rude or too obvious."
Joshua snorted, stuffing both hands into his pockets. "Still, it feels unfair. I want to know what they're going to say."
Theo patted Joshua's shoulder this time, though gentler than before. "Relax. You can wait outside the room and keep watch. If anything happens, you'll be the first to react."
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… so I'm like a bodyguard watching from outside, huh?"
"Pretty much," Theo replied casually.
Joshua sighed heavily. "Fine, fine. But if something interesting happens inside, you have to tell me every detail."
Alvano only gave a faint smile. Though he still felt somewhat anxious, he was grateful to have friends like them.
When they arrived back in class, they immediately sat in their seats. But Alvano's focus had already started to drift. He stared out the window, his mind tangled in possibilities about what the Student Council wanted to discuss later.
The last subjects that carried them until dismissal were history and etiquette.
Theo was clearly suffering during the final lessons. Etiquette was not his favorite subject — he had to sit straight, speak politely, and hold back from making jokes, something he found torturous.
Meanwhile, Alvano had no trouble at all. He was already used to this class — in fact, last semester, he scored a 98, the highest in the class. Only two other students could match him: Joshua and the class secretary.
Joshua, though a bit lazy, still managed to follow along. Theo, on the other hand, sighed several times as if every minute in this class was pure agony.
But eventually, the class passed without incident. Alvano was no longer distracted by Student Council. He had already prepared himself for what was coming and didn't want to overthink it until the time arrived.
The clock showed 3:30 PM when the dismissal bell rang. The entire class immediately moved, putting books and stationery into their bags. Joshua was the most excited of all.
Seeing this, Theo couldn't resist teasing, "You're awfully excited, Jo. Do you have a crush on one of the Student Council members?"
Joshua turned with a deadpan look. "Yeah, right. This is just the first time I've ever felt tortured waiting for the bell to ring." He held his backpack like a kindergartener.
"I'm seriously dying to know why they called Alvano like that," he muttered. Theo shook his head.
The three of them then walked casually toward the elevator, descending from the third floor to the ground level. The main building was quite far from their location, so taking the elevator was the best choice.
Alvano stayed calm, observing his surroundings. The day had gone smoothly so far, but he knew that whatever awaited him next might not be that simple.