Chapter 41 || Friendship Sure Is Strange

Chapter 41: 41 || Friendship Sure Is Strange

Nolan and Kyle walked along the academy streets, their footsteps blending with the noise of students passing by.

"So, what was that about?" Nolan asked.

Kyle glanced at him. "What?"

Nolan stopped walking and turned to face him.

"First, you wanted to get the money back. Then, out of nowhere, you changed your mind and told us to leave. What was the point of all that?"

Kyle continued walking, his hands in his pockets.

"Relax, Nolan. I know what I’m doing."

Nolan hurried after him, still looking unconvinced.

"So we’re really letting them keep the money?"

"Yes." Kyle’s lips curled into a faint smile. "But I have something in mind. Those Grents will get what’s coming to them."

Nolan caught up with him, his expression gradually brightening.

He grinned.

"I like where this is going."

...

7:30 p.m.

Code stood in his room, already dressed in his uniform. He adjusted his watch, making sure it sat properly on his wrist.

Beep!

A notification sounded from his phone.

He picked it up from the table and turned on the screen.

[Your account has been credited with 500 Bronze coins]

The sender was Ken.

Code stared at the notification for a moment.

’Ken...?’

He switched off his phone and slipped it into his pocket. Then he headed for the door, turned off the light, and stepped into the hallway.

A short distance away, Torin stood outside Caden’s room. Caden stepped out a moment later and pulled the door shut behind him.

Torin turned when he noticed Code approaching.

"You’re late today, Code," he remarked. "Usually, you’re already gone for your job by now."

"I overslept."

"Figures."

Code shifted his gaze to Caden.

Something was off about him. He looked unusually downcast, his attention fixed on the floor.

"Caden, do you have any idea why Ken would send me 500 BC?"

Caden’s head snapped up.

"What?"

Torin let out a sigh and rested a hand on Code’s shoulder.

"You don’t need to concern yourself with that, Code. You won’t gain anything by worrying about it. Just keep the money. You deserve it."

Code said nothing. Instead, he took out his phone and transferred the money in his account, along with the 500 BC Ken had sent him.

Beep!

Caden pulled out his own phone after receiving a notification.

[Your account has been credited with 1000 Bronze coins]

He stared at the screen, then slowly looked up at Code.

Torin frowned.

"Why would you—"

"Caden wanted to save up for a camera," Code interrupted. "So he deserves to keep the money for himself. I don’t really need it."

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and walked past them.

Caden remained where he was, staring at the notification. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"...Right."

Code’s footsteps echoed down the hallway, gradually fading into the distance.

Torin turned and started walking.

"Come on. We’re getting late."

Caden put his phone away.

"...Yeah."

He followed Torin, keeping a little distance between them.

’This is all... my fault.’

...

The next morning—

Code took his seat and placed his bag beside the desk. He unzipped it, reached inside, and pulled out The Fool.

He handed it to Aria.

"Thanks for lending it to me."

Aria lowered the book she had been reading and accepted it.

"You’re welcome."

She placed the book in her bag.

"I’ll let you know if I have any other books you might like."

Code rested his cheek against his palm.

"Sure."

Aria studied him briefly before picking up her book again.

"I’ve figured out more about what a Master can do."

"A Master?" Code asked, not turning to look at her. "What kind?"

"The Master of the Grents, Servitors, and the other ranks." She paused to arrange her thoughts. "Apparently, a Master can assign slaves to their classmates. There are currently two Servitors who don’t have Grents serving them. And Cassian supposedly has the authority to assign them Grents who already belong to other Servitors."

"I see."

Code’s gaze drifted towards the front of the classroom.

"I guess the Grents are lucky to have someone like Riven."

He lowered his head onto the desk and closed his eyes. Within moments, he was drifting off to sleep.

Aria watched him for a moment before turning her attention towards Riven, who sat at his desk talking with Juro.

She lowered her eyes to her book.

"Right..." she whispered. "We truly are."

Meanwhile—

The back door slid open, and Ken entered the classroom.

He didn’t spare Caden or Torin a glance. He simply walked to his seat and sat down as though nothing had happened.

Caden watched him briefly before returning his attention to the manga in his hands.

Torin, meanwhile, continued writing notes in his book.

Not one of them said a word to the others.

...

The Grents had changed into their uniforms for the SERVE course, with aprons tied over them. They stood in a spacious kitchen divided among five worktables.

Each table had a gas cooker with a pot on top, along with vegetables and various cooking utensils. Four of the tables had five students assigned to them, while the last had only four.

The burners hissed beneath the pots, filling the kitchen with the smell of simmering curry.

At one table, Aria stirred the mixture while Juro helped Kira peel potatoes. Across from them, Ivy sliced carrots, the steady tap, tap, tap of her knife sounding against the chopping board.

Code stood nearby, wearing a green apron over his uniform. He watched the others work without saying anything.

Ivy continued cutting as she spoke quietly.

"The boys seem to have fallen out. They haven’t spoken to each other at all, which is unusual for them."

She sighed and set another carrot on the board.

"I don’t know why they keep fighting. The last time, I managed to reason with them."

She stopped cutting and turned towards Code.

"You’re their friend, so why don’t you help them sort things out?"

Code gave her a brief look.

"I don’t like getting involved in people’s personal affairs. It’s better to let them settle things themselves."

Ivy picked up another carrot and began slicing it.

"That won’t do, Code. You’re their friend. You’re supposed to help resolve any disagreement between them."

"Is that so...?"

Ivy smiled at him.

"Don’t worry. I’ll be with you every step of the way, so you won’t have to handle it alone."

She tilted her head slightly, looking at him.

"...Okay?"

Code stared at her smile for a moment.

"Yes."

"Great." Ivy turned back to the chopping board. "We’ll talk to them after class."

...

The evening sun shone through the café windows, casting an orange glow across the tables.

Code and Ivy sat beside each other, each with a cup of coffee in front of them. Across from them sat Caden, his head slightly lowered.

Code lifted his cup and took a sip before setting it back on its small plate.

Ivy leaned forward a little.

"Have you tried talking to Torin and Ken since then?"

"No, I haven’t." Caden’s fingers rested against the edge of the table. "It’s not like they’d listen to reason anyway."

He fell quiet for a moment before looking at Code.

"Hey, Code..."

Code looked at him.

"Did Ken say anything to you?"

"No."

Caden lowered his head again.

"Okay."

Ivy gave him a reassuring smile.

"It’s fine, Caden. We’ll help you sort this out."

"...Thanks, Ivy."

Caden stood up without another word and walked out of the café.

Torin was next.

He sat across from Code and Ivy, his expression already tense.

"Why should I apologize? Ken’s the one who’s wrong, not me. He should be the first to apologize, but instead, he does nothing and makes everything more complicated than it needs to be."

He shook his head in frustration.

"If he would just apologize, everything would be fine."

Neither Code nor Ivy replied immediately.

Ivy lightly nudged Code’s shoe with hers, reminding him to speak.

Code let out a quiet sigh and looked at Torin.

"If Ken refuses to apologize, why can’t you do it instead? Aren’t you making things more complicated by refusing to apologize too?"

Torin shook his head.

"Code, if I’d done something wrong, trust me, I would’ve apologized. I’d have done whatever I could to make things right with you all. But this time, I’m not the one at fault. Ken is. He should take responsibility and do what’s right."

Ivy forced a small smile.

"...Right."

Code picked up his cup and took another sip of coffee.

After Torin left, Ken came and sat across from them.

He looked directly at Code.

"I’m not going to apologize to Torin. This whole thing started because of him. If he’d listened to me and done what I asked, we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place."

Ken folded his arms.

"So if anyone should apologize, it’s Torin. Not me."

He rose from his seat and looked down at Code.

"I appreciate you trying to make things right, Code. But if Torin can’t admit that he’s at fault..."

He sighed and shook his head.

"...Then I don’t think this is going to work."

"But Ken—" Ivy began.

Ken had already turned away.

He walked out of the café, leaving the two of them behind.

Code glanced down at his empty cup.

’I tried.’

Ivy released a weary sigh and stood up.

"I’ll go pay for the coffees."

"Okay."

...

Code stood outside the café, gazing at the orange sky. A few birds flew high above the academy buildings, their silhouettes passing across the fading light.

On either side of him, students occupied some of the chairs beneath the large umbrellas outside the café.

The door slid open with a soft hiss, and Ivy stepped out with her bag.

"Let’s go."

Code slipped a hand into his pocket, and they started walking.

"I don’t know what to say," Ivy admitted. "Torin refuses to apologize because he thinks Ken is at fault and should apologize first. Ken thinks the same way, and Caden..."

She turned to Code.

"So what should we do now?"

Code kept his gaze ahead.

"We’ve tried talking to them, and nothing came of it. It’s probably best to leave the matter alone."

He continued walking.

’I don’t understand why anyone would willingly put themselves in situations like this.’

’Letting people into your life gives them the chance to hurt you. Sometimes, they put you in uncomfortable situations you’d rather avoid. You fight, argue, explain yourself, apologize, and eventually make up.’

’Then, sooner or later, the same problems return, and you’re right back where you started. So why bother trying to fix a relationship when you might end up going through the same thing all over again?’

Code raised his eyes towards the sky.

’Friendship sure is strange.’