Gen and Theodore kept discussing the otome game while Kayden chimed in every once in a while with a few questions. After having disturbed the flow of the conversation once or twice, he realized that it wasn't a matter he would be able to pick up in one or two conversations.

This led him to the next best option, a quick search.

​​

Anonymous User (Kayden): Quickly, my friends are all talking about some Yandere? What do I say? And what's a Yandere? Responses ASAP, the conversation is ongoing.

Random Passerby: You may want to run away right about now. Good luck! I'll light incense for you!

Random Passerby #2: Good luck! I'll also light you an incense.

Buddhist Random Passerby: Incense lighter here, selling incense, light one for this poor soul, and pray for his/her livelihood!

Random Passerby #3: I'll light him/her one!

Random Passerby #4: Me too! This guy/girl really seems like he/she'll be needing it.

Random Passerby #5: I'll join in!

Anonymous User (Kayden): ???

'How did this go from asking advice to lighting incense? Who are you lighting one for? I, your father, am not dead yet and I don't plan to die before you do! Humph!' Kayden's eyebrows furrowed in both confusion and annoyance.

Dumbfounded, he put his phone away and just sat quietly like a good kid listening to this conversation that he was unable to make heads or tails of.

It was as if the other two were speaking in a different language.

He could understand every word separately, but when they were strung together into sentences, his brain didn't seem to be armed with the skills to understand what was going on.

What flags? Main events? And blond who? What do you mean he looks like he has an evil glint? How are his eyes different from all the other ones? You want to follow which path now? And what's this destruction route you keep bringing up?

Looking at the little angel of a 2D character they were talking about, he was truly wondering if it was he who went crazy or his two friends who were just speaking gibberish that he couldn't understand.

Speaking of which, why the hell did it look and feel like he was the odd one out.

Gen and Theodore spoke so casually and in sync that one would think they had known each other for years. They were totally on the same wavelength, meanwhile Kayden… he was lost in translation.

It was quite sad, but Kayden didn't linger on the thought.

Gen walked with the two boys to their dormitory, which ended up attracting a lot of attention from both the first years and some of the second years who were in the area.

"Hey, isn't that the guy who rejected that pretty senior sister? Who's that girl next to him?"

"I'm not sure either, maybe she's a second-year? I don't think there's anyone like her in our department and if I had seen her in the meet-up for the freshmen, I would have remembered her for sure."

"No, she's not from our year either, though I can't say that I know all the second years, I would have also known if someone like her."

"Maybe a third year?"

"True, how come I didn't see any pictures of her in the campus forum, I'm sure she could at least beat out the department beauty in whichever department she's from. Maybe with the exception of the Mood Goddess from the acting department."

"Maybe she's why the Freshmen Heart-throb rejected that pretty senior sister. Though she was pretty, she probably can't compare with this senior sister here."

These were just some of the conversations that could be heard from the peanut gallery who lived for gossip.

"How are there so many gossipmongers at this school?" Theodore questioned at some point. It was truly baffling to him, how this elite school hosted so many people who seemingly had nothing better to do.

'And seriously.'

'What's up with this Freshmen Heart-throb thing…' Theodore recalled how Kayden had mentioned this previously and he was still at a loss for words.

"Hahaha, you have to know, this is also a school of information. Information is key here. Anything that is seemingly unimportant to one person can become valuable in the hands of another. And I'm sure you've heard the saying: Information travels fast, and rumors always travel faster." Gen giggled at the thought.

Many would think that these top schools hosted either prim and proper students or wildly arrogant ones, and though this was in some way, shape, or form, true, there was also a reason why there seemed to be so many people who lived off of gossip.

All the people here could be said to be incredibly talented and even the people who weren't particularly smart had an IQ that was above average.

They knew the essence of adaptability in society and that was connections, information, and more connections.

And the easiest way of forming connections?

Having something the other person needs. And what would these prodigies with no lack of recourses need?

Opportunities.

And the easiest way to grasp opportunities, was, of course, information and connections.

This was how an environment filled with interactions where people both gossiped and exchanged gossip was formed. Of course, there were still some people that provided incredibly reliable intel which will be expanded on at a later date.

It all went full circle and so in the end, every one of the students was out for all kinds of information all the time, rather than a chore, it was more like a habit.

And so, this was how all the students here developed the 'good' habit of gossiping, all the time.

Even if the information wasn't particularly accurate, it must have come from somewhere, whether it was fabricated by someone or from a real event.

The credibility was for these young geniuses to discern.

Theodore nodded at Gen's previous comment after pondering on it for a few moments.

"By the way, why does it sound like no one knows you? Not even the second years." Theodore found this strange right when he heard the side comment from one of the second years.

"Haha, that must be because of Gen's bad habits. Considering how it was a couple of years back, it isn't at all shocking that Gen wouldn't be noticed when she could even hide back when she was still in high school, where pretty much everyone knew everyone else." This time, it was Kayden who responded, and his response was met with a slap to the back of his head.

Theodore: There are bad habits that make it so that you aren't noticed by a whole grade of people who have supposedly spent at least one year with you???

Seeing his confusion, Gen released a depressing sigh.

"Well, I guess he's not wrong when I don't clean up. I guess I go pretty under the radar." She unwillingly disclosed.

Kayden broke into a peal of crazed laughter.

"Hahaha, pretty under the radar? More like 6 feet under. Absolutely undetectable!" And it was no surprise that Kayden was met with yet another slap to the back of his head.

"My head is already iron-hard from all the tempering Gen… you can stop it now, or I'll really go dumb and say even more dumb things than I already do," Kayden complained indignantly.

This was a serious threat.

Well, as serious as it could get.

Gen just scoffed and looked at him with disdain. She was nearly at the level where she was about to shake her head.

"Let me show you, I have a photo of how she norma---" Kayden was quickly silenced with a jab to his abdomen.

Gen wasn't going to let her efforts go to waste before having achieved her goals. She was finally setting her priorities straight!

"So, by the way. You have some really neat tricks, want to teach me some?" Gen asked.

Theodore: Even for me… isn't this transition/ topic changing, a little too forceful?

Kayden was stupefied for a second.

Kayden: Can you be more obvious…

***

Cute little chibi Kayden who was constantly hit is currently drawing small circles at the little corner of there. That small grey cloud causing the drizzling doesn't seem to be helping out his mood either!

Vote to lift up his mood a little!