At Zayn's side was Minho, who was tending to his wounds, while Anastasia paced back and forth.
— Well, I'm going to go eat. You can join me once you're done, she said finally.
— You were the one who insisted on staying. I knew you'd get tired of it, you're always so impatient!
— I didn't want to leave you alone with a stranger, but I didn't think it would take this long.
— Lucky for you, I just finished. Let's go before you die of hunger.
A few moments later, Tora arrived as well. He passed by Anastasia and Minho in the hallway, then hurried to check on Zayn's condition. From the way he looked, he resembled a German Shepherd peacefuly sleeping.
Not wanting to wake him, Tora decided to skip his classes and stay by his side for the next couple of hours. It was the least he could do. In the meantime, he grabbed a book titled The Fall of the Frima-Encastriche Empire. The story wasn't to his liking, but it was all he had at hand.
The infirmary was huge. Several beds were lined up along the walls, each separated by curtains, probably to maintain a semblance of privacy. A glass cabinet housed various medications, secured with a lock, and ironically, the key was posted right next to it. Even stranger, there didn't seem to be any staff assigned to the place. It felt as though this room had been set up just to give the illusion of a real infirmary. It wasn't very reassuring for a school that prided itself on being self-sufficient.
When Zayn finally opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was Tora picking his nose. He immediately closed his eyes again, pretending not to notice, while laughing quietly to himself. Then, he shifted slightly, trying to nudge Tora into realizing he was awake.
— Ah, you're finally awake !
— How long has it been ?
— Two hours.
— Did you do all this ?
He pointed to his arms, which were completely covered in bandages.
— No, you were already like that when I got here, and there's no nurse here, so I have no idea who could've done it.
— Anyway, that person saved my life. It'd be nice to repay them somehow.
— Yeah, you're right. By the way, I wanted to ask you. When we entered the classroom, you said this school was full of delinquents. How did you know that ?
— This school has a bad reputation. The budget is extremely limited, the buildings are cramped and in poor condition. There are rumors circulating about murders and other grim events. All of this explains why the tuition fees are so low (20€ instead of the usual minimum of 900€). It's no surprise that so few "normal" people choose to come here. It mostly attracts those who can't afford anything else, and society's rejects, like Daniel. In short, a lot of delinquents end up here. But you should already know that, right ?
— Oh ? I had no idea !
— You're kidding, right ? You came here without knowing what you were getting into ?
— …
"What a fool I am !!"
Zayn cleared his throat before continuing.
— I had no idea what was going to happen. If I had known, I wouldn't have even gone out to the bathroom! I just had a bad feeling… But now that I think about it, I should never have left you alone in class. It's all my fault.
"It's true that if Daniel hadn't left, maybe he wouldn't have come to ask me to team up with him, and all of this could have been avoided. But it's better not to mention that to him."
— You're wrong, it's because you came back in time that I was able to get through it. Without you, I'd already be dead by now! And anyway, it's all in the past now, so let's forget about it.
— What do you mean by that ?
Tora then told him everything he had learned from Assistant Belova, including the impressive arm lock she had executed.
— What ? This is the first time I've heard something so ridiculous. Who do they think they are ? An independent state ?!
— I thought the same, but in my situation, I can't really complain.
— You're right. Sorry, I got carried away.
Zayn's stomach growled, interrupting his thoughts. Tora then pulled a sandwich out of his bag and handed it to him.
— I didn't know what you wanted, so I just got the same as mine.
He looked at his injured hands for a moment.
— Wait, I'll hold it for you.
— No, you don't have to go that far, Zayn grumbled, embarrassed.
— Don't be like that ! You can barely lift your arms. Tora retorted.
Not finding anything to say, Zayn thanked him and accepted his help. He must have had quite an appetite, as he devoured half in no time. A few pieces fell here and there, and Tora took care of cleaning up after him, which made him feel like he was taking care of a patient in a hospital.
— Why did you choose to come here ?
Caught off guard, Tora asked him to repeat his question.
— Ah… It's simple, really. I had no idea what I wanted to do, and I was also afraid of wasting my time somewhere that didn't appeal to me. So, I decided to go where I would have the most opportunities, because apparently, if you finish this school, you're guaranteed to get a job, even if you can't do anything that requires a high level diploma.
"Well, there's that, and also the fact that I probably wouldn't have made it in any other school anyway. I don't even know if I'll be able to succeed here, which, after all, has the lowest level of difficulty in the country."
— So you knew that much. I understand better now, but you could've paid a bit more attention.
— Argh, fine, let's not talk about it anymore! he sighed, embarrassed. And you ?
— What, you want to know ?
— When you ask a question like that, you should expect to be asked the same in return.
— I see, but it's even more trivial. I just didn't have the means to go anywhere else.
— And what would you have wanted to do if you'd had the choice?
— Probably to be a teacher.
— That's surprising.
— You think so ? I think the more you hate teachers, the more you want to prove you could do better than them.
— Not wrong. I've always thought a good teacher should make students want to study, even those who don't want to, instead of leaving them aside and turning them into outcasts. But so far, I haven't met anyone like that.
— That's beautifully said. Speaking of that, shouldn't you get back to class ?
— I don't really feel like it, with everything that's happened.
— I understand, but you should clear your mind. I can go with you if you want.
— In your condition ?
— Yes, I feel much better, and anyway, I'll have to go down the stairs eventually. The next class is just downstairs. That way, it'll be less to walk all at once.
Tora checked his schedule, which was laid out prominently in his bag, and indeed, the next class was on the second floor.
— You have an excellent memory !
— I just read it on your schedule. It was sticking out of your bag, haha, he chuckled, amused.
— Oh, I'm silly, Tora mumbled, scratching his head, embarrassed.