“Why are they increasing exponentially?” Zeno exclaimed as more and more people continued to chase them.
“Zeno, please! Let me touch you once.”
“Run faster, everyone!”
“Zeno, we won’t bite! Please take a photo with us.”
Zeno glanced back for a second and saw a woman with around 813 teeth showing.
He highly doubted they weren’t going to bite.
“Come on,” Zeno exclaimed, pumping his legs faster. Eli could barely keep up.
“This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t come here!” Eli exclaimed.
“Save your breath,” Zeno said. “We can’t get caught.”
Eli was practically wheezing from tiredness.
However, as he glanced at Zeno, it seemed he wasn’t even breaking a sweat.
Seriously, who the heck was this man?
Zeno, being in Y University, had also reached social media.
– Zeno is in Y Unversity? I’m on my way.
– After seeing that man on Sing or Sync, I can’t get him out of my mind. I’m from the next university. Is it illegal to climb the fence between X and Y University?
– Have you chased him?
– He runs so damn fast.
– My friend saw him in a math competition. He demolished the two geniuses of the Mathematics and Physics Department!
– Release the damn video.
– No one has it. I want to cry.
Zeno and Eli reached the gates. However, it was filled with what seemed to be students from the nearby universities.
There seemed to be a few people from nearby offices, too, which Zeno found quite strange.
Did the demographics of his fans already reach the workforce?
“Here!” Eli exclaimed, pulling him away.
The two of them ran for what felt like another mile before they finally reached a secluded area.
Zeno surveyed the area and found that, indeed, no one was around.
It was the dumpster area.
The two of them finally stopped and caught their breaths. Well, at least Eli did. Zeno still appeared fine.
“Why are… you… not out of breath?” he asked.
Zeno paused and reflected. “It must be because of those stairs before our apartment. They strengthened my cardiovascular resistance.”
Eli sighed and drank some water, finally relaxing his breathing.
Then, he clicked his tongue.
“Seriously, do you know how big of a trouble you’ve caused?”
“Now, the whole school knows that I’m acquainted with Zeno Han!”
Zeno smirked. “Why would you care? You’re leaving anyway, right?”
Eli froze, and then he quickly tried to reverse his statement. “I mean, it’s still annoying,” he muttered.
“And we went through all that trouble in the math competition and didn’t even get the money!”
“Oh, you mean this money?” Zeno asked, showing him the envelope that contained the million won.
Eli’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “H—how did you even get that?”
“I couldn’t leave without it. Those guys can’t rip us off when we won fair and square.”
Then, he placed it on Eli’s hand, making the latter frown.
“What is it now?”
Zeno crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“Keep it,” he said.
“The tuition, too,” he added. “I paid for it not out of pity or obligation. I just… wanted to do it.”
“It’s not that simple,” Eli muttered, avoiding Zeno’s gaze.
“It is,” Zeno said, clicking his tongue.
“You need money. I have money. That should be the end of it.”
“You want to be a doctor. You wake up early. You sleep late. You work twice as hard as anyone else because you think you have to. Money is the only thing in your way, but it is something I can give. So I am giving it.”
“But I can’t just take it,” he reasoned out.
“You can,” Zeno insisted. “Humans have a strange way of making things difficult. You want to do everything alone. You think struggle makes your dreams more valuable. It does not. It just makes things harder.”
Zeno continued. “You act like accepting help is a weakness. It is not. It is part of what makes you human. If people can help, they should. That is why you want to be a doctor. You want to help. You think it is different when it is you, but it is the same.”
“That’s really coming from you?” Eli scoffed. “You’re the one who doesn’t like accepting help.”
“Because I don’t need it,” Zeno answered without any hesitation.
“Anyway, I’m not taking back the money,” he continued. “It’s up to you whether you want to keep it or not.”
“The million won, too,” he added. “You can just throw it in the dumpster if you don’t want it.”
“Although, I bet you want to send it to your family or use it for rent. Minji and Doha will also be happy if you continue with your dreams,” Zeno ended.
“Now,” he clapped. “I need to go. I’m heading to our company because Bobby needs me there for some reason.”
Zeno was about to leave when Eli spoke in a soft tone.
“You’re going back there?” he muttered, pertaining to the crowd. “You’re going to get eaten alive.”
Zeno stopped in his tracks, but he didn’t bother turning around.
“I—I’ll pay you back,” Eli exclaimed. “I already have a stable night job.”
Zeno smirked. “Alright,” he muttered. “I’m charging a ten percent interest for every month, okay?”
Eli sighed. “You might as well become a loan shark.”
Zeno chuckled. “I’m joking,” he said. “Just… pay me back when you become a doctor.”
Somehow, the thought of Eli becoming a doctor made Zeno feel quite satisfied. Eli would be a good doctor, and Zeno probably would have gone back to Avalis at that point.
Eli was silent for a few moments. He was trying his best to hold back his tears.
He kept telling himself that it was all right to let his dream go. However, in the end, he was just trying to convince himself.
He truly wanted to continue pursuing this field.
As he looked at Zeno’s stance, he couldn’t help but smile and shake his head.
“Thanks, Zeno,” he said, almost inaudible.
Still, Zeno heard it, and a small smile appeared on his lips.
“Don’t mention it,” Zeno said.
“That’s what friends are for, right?”
Eli scoffed at his cheesy line, but he also appreciated it.
[Come to good terms with Eli: Accomplished]