"Isn't that normal for someone like you?" Revan said to Kevin.
"Does everything have to be that way? Maybe Kevin is different; he prefers to be independent rather than being served like a king," Diana expressed a different opinion.
Huh? Diana finally spoke up to take my side, Kevin thought, feeling happy.
Kevin smiled. "Thank you."
"Hm? Why are you thanking me?" Diana asked Kevin, raising an eyebrow.
Kevin shook his head. He decided to talk about something else.
"There’s something I want to tell you. I only wanted to tell you, Diana. But fine, I don’t care if he’s here," Kevin began to speak.
The "he" Kevin referred to was Revan.
Diana suddenly felt that Kevin's tone had changed.
"I might be transferring schools. No, I will be transferring schools."
Diana didn’t respond right away. She fell silent.
Revan also furrowed his brows at Kevin’s words.
"You…" Diana didn’t continue her sentence. She remembered what Kevin had said when they were on the school rooftop. Back then, Kevin had said something ambiguous.
"Diana, you never forgot about him even after he transferred. Will you be the same with me? If the same thing happens to me, will you still remember me?"
Could it be…? Diana considered the possibility that it was true. It was obvious, especially to someone as smart as Diana.
"And actually, I'm not used to living in this house because I haven’t been here for long. I came from an orphanage. The master of this house adopted me."
No one responded to Kevin’s words. Diana and Revan were shocked by his story.
As Kevin spoke, he recalled the events from a few weeks ago—how it all began.
---
Albert didn’t come alone this time. He was accompanied by someone—a middle-aged man. Now, Kevin had to face him again.
"How have you been?" Albert asked Kevin.
"I'm fine," Kevin answered honestly.
"Yes, you look healthy," the man with Albert replied.
"Let me introduce you. This is my father, Oliver Chavez," Albert said, presenting the middle-aged man to Kevin.
Kevin nodded politely in response.
"Before anything else, I want to tell you why we’re here. I want to adopt you as my son and make you Albert’s brother," Oliver stated his purpose.
Kevin had expected it, but he still felt uneasy. He wanted to say something, but Oliver spoke first.
"I was one of your parents' close friends," Oliver began.
Kevin listened in silence, curiosity piqued by Oliver’s words.
"Before your parents passed away, we were very close. That’s why I kept searching for you. I’m sorry it took this long to find you," Oliver said regretfully.
Kevin held his breath, stunned to learn that someone had been looking for him all this time.
But this man was just a friend of his parents. Why was he being so kind—so willing to adopt and care for him? Just how close had his parents been to this man?
"You refused adoption last time. Do you still want to refuse now?" Oliver asked.
Kevin lowered his head. "You are a very kind person. I appreciate your kindness, but I’m sorry if this disappoints you—I don’t want to leave this orphanage."
"You’re sticking with your decision?" Mrs. Clark asked after silently observing the conversation.
Kevin nodded in response.
Oliver asked, "Can I speak with you alone for a moment, Kevin?"
Kevin had no idea what Oliver wanted to say or do.
"Father, you want to speak with him alone?" Albert asked for confirmation.
Oliver nodded. In the end, Albert and Mrs. Clark left the room, leaving the two of them alone.
"Tell me why you’re refusing, son. You don’t have to hold back," Oliver said kindly.
Kevin took a deep breath. "I don’t want to leave my brothers and sisters here," he answered honestly.
"Is that the only reason?" Oliver asked.
Kevin continued, "They rely on me a lot. They need me. I can’t imagine just leaving them behind."
"Being part of my family doesn’t mean you can’t come back here," Oliver responded warmly.
"Eh, that’s not the problem. You could say I help them by working to earn money. Our needs aren’t always met unless we find our sources of income," Kevin explained.
"What if I let you keep doing whatever you want? You’d be free to help them. And maybe I could help them too—I’d make sure they receive regular financial support," Oliver said confidently.
Kevin was silent for a moment, surprised by the man's generosity.
"So, I can still do what I want, and it won’t be a problem for you?" Kevin asked, starting to hope.
"Of course. If you agree, you’ll have more freedom to do what you want without being bound by the orphanage’s rules. But you also need to consider your actions. Being free doesn’t mean you can do things that might harm others, like committing crimes or anything like that. What do you think?"
Kevin smiled. "Thank you. You are truly a kind person. I would never do anything bad."
"Alright, then you can call me ‘Father,’" Oliver finally said, reaching out and gently placing his hand on Kevin’s head.
He treated Kevin like his own son.
***
"Kevin, look at this." Albert handed him a magazine featuring a school.
"Father plans to enroll you there. You’ll get a better education since it’s one of the most prestigious schools in the city," Albert continued.
"Does it have to be this way?" Kevin asked.
"You can transfer at the start of the next school year. So, you still have time."
Kevin silently examined the information about the school Albert had mentioned. "But I like my current school."
"About this, I hope you’ll consider it first. You know, graduates from this school can easily get into any university. It’s a huge opportunity for your future. You’ll have a better chance of success and be able to support the people around you," Albert explained, still trying to persuade Kevin.
Kevin eventually reconsidered, thinking about his younger siblings at the orphanage. In the end, he agreed to Albert’s suggestion.
And he didn’t forget to thank Albert.
***
"I’ll be enrolled in that school. And I’ve decided—I’ll take this opportunity," Kevin tried to smile.
"And if I leave, I can be at ease knowing someone will be there for Diana when I’m not around." Kevin glanced at Revan.
Diana was taken aback by Kevin’s words. His concern touched her deeply. Just as she had always thought, Kevin was the only one who approached her when others ignored her.
Kevin knew that Diana wasn’t close to anyone at school.
"So, as her friend, you have to be someone she can rely on when needed," Kevin pointed at Revan.
"Are you sure?" Revan finally spoke.
"About what?" Kevin asked.
"I transferred from the elite school you mentioned."
"What?!" Kevin exclaimed, and Diana was also surprised.
"Let me tell you—there are only three types of students there. First, those who stand out because of their wealth. Second, those who stand out because of their intelligence. And third, those who stand out in both wealth and intelligence. Do you think you can be one of them?"
Kevin looked confused. "I don’t get what you’re saying."
"If you can’t be one of them, you won’t survive there. And you—no offense—aren’t the smartest in class, and you just joined a wealthy family, so you don’t know how to stand out in that way either."
Even though Revan said he wasn’t insulting him, Kevin still felt annoyed. His words sounded condescending.
But instead of getting angry, Kevin asked something else when he realized something.
"Wait a minute. If you transferred from that school, does that mean you were cast out?" Kevin asked, half-curious, half-mocking.
Revan looked irritated—not because of Kevin’s mockery, but because the question reminded him of why he left.
"Even if you have both wealth and intelligence, you have to be used to competition. I left because I wanted to get away from someone."
***