After the fight ended, Yaraa collapsed to the ground. Kathir, panicking, shouted to the crowd, “Who the hell has the antidote?!”

  A person standing in the corner stepped forward and said, “If you want this, you have to come with me.”

  Kathir nodded without hesitation. The person handed over the antidote, and Kathir give that to yaraa and left with him.

  Soon after, a few people came and carried Ramesh’s unconscious body away. One by one, the crowd slowly dispersed.

  Some time passed.

  Yaraa woke up, groggy and disoriented. He looked around—the place was completely empty. He tried to stand, but his body refused to cooperate. His head spun, and his legs trembled. The poison effect still there, he tried to walk, but stumbled forward, about to collapse.

  Someone caught him from behind.

  He turned around—Kathir.

  But Kathir looked different. His face was covered in dirt, his clothes torn, and bruises marked his body. Someone had clearly beaten him, but he didn’t say a word. Yaraa didn’t ask.

  Kathir silently helped Yaraa back to his room and left without explanation.

  Moments later, Yaraa’s roommate walked in. He looked at Yaraa seriously, and Yaraa returned the same look.

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  “I can’t move, buddy,” Yaraa muttered. “Help me to bed.”

  His roommate didn’t respond—he simply picked him up and laid him down gently.

  The Next Morning

  Yaraa’s roommate woke him up early.

  Still sore, Yaraa groaned and began recounting everything that had happened. After listening carefully, his roommate smirked.

  “So.. a girl proposed to the ruler of the college, huh? Interesting. I’d love to meet her.”

  Yaraa rolled his eyes. “I haven’t even met her in person yet. Bro—I almost died, and you're already asking to meet a girl?”

  His roommate laughed. “But you're alive now, right? Also, I’ve been thinking about the college system. You’re thinking the same thing, aren’t you?”

  Yaraa nodded. “Yeah. So what do we do now?”

  His roommate leaned in. “Got a plan?”

  “Yeah,” Yaraa replied. “But as I said—don’t get involved in any trouble. Not unless I give the signal.”

  His roommate nodded. “Got it. But hey—one more thing. Who was the guy who dropped you off last night?”

  Yaraa gave a small smile. “He’s not a big deal.”

  After that, they got ready and headed to class.

  In Class

  Yaraa walked into the classroom, heading toward his usual seat—only to find Kathir already there, lying across the bench, still in his clothes from the night before.

  Yaraa immediately understood what had happened.

  Kathir never went home.

  Yaraa gently shook him. “Hey, Kathir... why didn’t you go home?”

  Kathir opened his eyes slightly and whispered, “Because I was scared…”

  And just like that—he passed out.

  Yaraa took off his jacket and laid it over Kathir, then sat down beside him. The class was about to begin.

  But before it started, Yaraa’s thoughts wandered to Thara.

  He hadn’t seen her since the proposal. For now, he was Tamizh’s lover, but something about Thara lingered in his mind.

  She hadn’t shown up to class.

  The lesson began.

  To be continued