Chapter 67 : Her worries
Eiden made his way down the corridor, his footsteps a little heavy but his face neutral. After what had happened during the project presentation, he decided it was best to get a copy of the submission for his own record.
He reached the office door, knocked once, and stepped inside after hearing the professor’s usual grunt of acknowledgment.
"Professor," Eiden started, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "I, uh... forgot to make a copy of the project for myself. I got so caught up with the final touches and... yeah. Is it alright if I could get a copy now?"
The professor looked up from his laptop, blinked once, then offered a rare, almost approving smile. "Of course. I assumed someone would forget. Here." He opened a drawer, pulled out a USB drive, and handed it over. "That’s your project file. Don’t worry, I’ve already copied it into the official hard drive," the professor said, waving his hand. "You won’t get into trouble for anything."
Eiden took the pendrive and gave a small, grateful bow. "Thanks, professor." With that, he left the office, feeling slightly better now that he had the project in hand. A piece of evidence to find out how the project changed so suddenly and who did it .
But before he could fully process the relief, a heavy smack landed on his back. "OW !" Eiden stumbled forward, catching himself before he tripped. Turning his head, he saw the all-too-familiar grin of Harry. "Man!" Harry beamed. "Since when were you this smart, huh? Everyone’s talking about you!" Eiden winced, rubbing the sore spot on his back. "What the hell was that for?"
Harry ignored his protest and smacked him again, less harshly but still annoying. Eiden flinched and rubbed the spot again with a scowl. "Come on, bro," Harry grinned wider. "Linda told us everything. She said you filled in her part of the work and basically carried the whole damn thing. The prof said it was high-quality stuff. I didn’t even know we were allowed to be that good!" But it feels like you are her simp though .
Eiden sighed. "Shut up, Harry. I wasn’t being a simp or anything. I just... figured it was best I do it. That’s all." Harry chuckled, nudging his elbow. "Yeah, yeah. Keep saying that. You did her work even though she rejected you. That is peak simp behavior." Eiden’s face twisted in irritation. "I swear, I’ll punch you if you keep talking." "I’m just saying, man. But hey " Harry suddenly brightened again, "I haven’t gotten an A+ in anything this entire term. But this one? This project? I got an A+. So it’s my treat, alright? We’re going out to eat. You and me."
Eiden shook his head immediately, holding up his hands. "Nope. Not happening. I’ve got housework, errands, a mountain of stuff to do today. Sorry, bro. Rain check." Harry groaned exaggeratedly. "Lame excuse. Lame, lame, lame." "I don’t care," Eiden said, already turning away. "Tell someone else to feed you."
As Eiden walked off, he let out a long exhale.
And now, that decision was rippling outward.