Brooke's Priority
Chapter 19's

The heavy atmosphere was so pronounced in the dining room that night. I was being indifferent to those who saw me pull Darshan's hand towards the dining room and chose to sit down to eat with him. Darshan looked nervous and did not dare to look around. Normally, I would always sit down with the three academy legends at one dining table, so they must have thought this was a magical sight.

“I don't want to eat,” Darshan said quietly, more sounds like whispering. “Let me out.”

“No. You should start eating at the hour you should. Start now!”

While Darshan was still trying to persuade me to let him go, two students approached us and one of them put his hand on Darshan's head. I recognize them. We are in the same class. They often act up if Lucas or Alex are nowhere near me.

“You are dating this weakling?” that jerk Jean was mocking me.

Meanwhile, that jerk Ron took the water and poured it into Darshan's food. “We must eat foursome.”

I'm not interested in going through this time anymore. Like going back to high school where bulldozing your friend seemed cool to some (crazy) people.

“You ready to talk?” many cold. “Can I talk?”

I let out a fake smile.

“You want to put out your harsh words again?” They both laughed.

“No. That's just later.”

I threw my tray of food in Jean's face and a glass of water in Ron's face. Before they yelled angrily at me, I kicked their precious lower half.

“You.... crazy..,” Ron whimpers in pain and Jean looks at me scared. Afraid I'd kick that part a second time.

“I hate it so much with a situation like this,” I scream in frustration. “If you bother him again, I'll break your neck. You guys are just brats who don't even dare to bother me in front of my brother.”

Then I told the other students to take them away from me but Lucas, Alex and Fanita showed up at the same time.

“What's this commotion?” Alex saw me and the two assholes. “They are looking for trouble with you?”

Alex's question must have sounded scary in Jean and Ron's ears. After all, the question was uttered by Alexrod Bartos who ranked first in the academy. To my surprise, Alex was smart and strong. I don't need to ask anymore why he could skip it. He had the nickname of an untouchable student (teachers seemed to have given up advising him to stop coming and going as he pleased).

In almost all heroic stories, the hero figure always comes too late. There may be a problem with their watches.

I then smiled happily to see the three academy legends for the first time in the dining room.

“Brooke, are you okay?” Lucas approached me with a worried face.

I'm glad he showed it. That anxious face. To be honest I was still disappointed when he let me go home on the day of the entrance exam without giving me a chance to say goodbye. He also went on strike to talk to me. It was my fault. But I remain disappointed because he was the first brother I had.

“She annoys my friends,” I complain to them with my tone of voice sad and put on a face pretending to frown. “She put water on my food.”

Actually it's Darshan's food.

More importantly, I suddenly wanted to act like a spoiled sister.

Lucas turned to look at Jean and Ron with a piercing glare. They shudder in horror because there is a reliable rumor that says if Lucas is angry even Alex will not be able to fight it.

On the other hand, Lucas is similar to my father who is famous for his cold attitude.

I saw Alex walking quickly, pulling Ron's collar and whispering to him. That jerk turned deathly pale. I'll ask Alex about the whisper later. I met a look at Fanita who looked at me with a dislike face. I was confused by him who sometimes behaved normally and sometimes acted as if I was his old enemy.

Is he in the early stages of Bipolar?

I was made to feel tired by him.

“Come away,” I pulled Darshan's hand. “Oppaharus dinner,” I said to Lucas while pulling Darshan away. I lost my appetite and hoped Lucas didn't feel it either.

I let out a long sigh a moment after we were already quite far away from that dining room. Darshan then threw out my hand and clenched his hands together.

“You.., shouldn't force me there.”

I saw his body shaking violently and looking down deeply.

“You got me in trouble. I don't want to be friends with you. I don't want to..…”

“You're ridiculous once.”

I commented spicy.

He poked his face into my eyes.

“You know what my life is about? You think I want to live like this?”

I can't blame Darshan. His confidence must have been destroyed by hearing every bad talk and justify it without him noticing. The sad thing about the victims of oppression is that they will never forget the incident for their entire lives. Hence, even the apologetic bully is difficult to forgive.

“Criminal psychology.”

Darshan never heard that word.

“I learned it,” I continued. “I also learned different things from other students. You know why? Because I'm not a person in general. So, from now on we will ignore them.”

“Object them?”

I folded my hands together with no intention of laying out the best way to ignore the other person's speech. “You like to study medicinal plants right?”

Darshan did not reply with words but the look on his face showed that he liked it.

“From now on, show everyone the books you read. Show me you're interested in that. Then, come with me for an expedition.”

“I don't understand.”

“I can't explain the details. It's still secret.”

Darshan tried to understand my words and asked, “What edition? Why me?”

“You're a medicine expert. You should be a medical expert as I imagined.”

“What?” Darshan looked surprised.

“I need a medicine expert. Prepare learning. I forced.”

It would be best to bring in a medic who doesn't look like Darshan. He's good at hiding himself. If anything happens to my group later, he can hide while we fight and come out to treat our wounds. I feel like he's the best choice. My instincts say so.

My time to prepare for the expedition to the north is only three years away. So far, Haley and Darshan have joined.

Speaking of my list, I find it very difficult to do second priority. My old life as Shin Yoo Ri still continues to shadow me.

I want a bottle of soju.

*****