Chapter 9 - 2.3 : A Smelly Afternoon
The clock struck four in the afternoon. The dismissal bell had just rung.
Al stood up sluggishly from his seat, stretching with a small yawn. He packed his things at an unhurried pace, like someone with absolutely no plans for the rest of the day—because he truly had none.
Then, suddenly, he turned to the boy next to him. Neat appearance, calm face—the kind of kid you’d expect from an upper-class family.
"Hey, mind if I ask you something?" Al said out of the blue. "Do rich kids always go straight home after school?"
His friend, who was in the middle of organizing his books, turned with a confused expression, like, wait what?
"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked, bewildered by the random question.
"I mean, like... is it a rule for rich kids to head straight home once class is over?"
Still confused, the boy answered anyway.
"Uh... usually, yeah. At least in my family, everything’s scheduled. Every activity has to be efficient and safe."
Al raised an eyebrow. "But... I’m asking about rich people. Not you." he said half-jokingly
His friend’s face darkened. He fell silent immediately.
Al chuckled lightly—