Part 7

Fachri let out a frustrated sigh as Airin quickly rose from her seat, responding to her ringing phone.

"Excuse me for a moment, Sir. I'll take this call." With a slight bow, Airin excused herself. Fachri couldn't stop her, especially since the call might be important, evident from Airin's swift departure.

"Damn. If only her phone didn't ring, I might have known who the guy she's involved with is by now," Fachri cursed inwardly. He rubbed his face harshly, regretting that Airin had hurriedly left. This was a missed golden opportunity, and he might not be able to get Airin to reveal much about her boyfriend afterward.

"With whom?" Airin asked as she reached the end of the terrace outside Fachri's third-floor office. She also made sure there was no one else around. She was confident the unknown number calling was Zidan's mother.

Hoping for the same, as Zidan had mentioned his mother would call when things started improving.

"Is this Airin?" a woman at the other end of the call inquired. From her voice, it became evident that she was a middle-aged woman, further convincing Airin that it was indeed Zidan's mother.

"Ah, yes, this is Airin. Who is this?" Airin casually asked, pretending not to know that the caller was Zidan's mother.

"This is Mom, Rin."

"Oh, Mom... how are you? I hope everything is fine. Oh, by the way, how is Dad doing?" Airin quickly inquired. She was acting somewhat awkwardly when answering the call from the woman claiming to be Zidan's mother.

"He's fine, Rin. Mom is doing well too. We're just waiting for Dad to wake up. Luckily, Zidan arrived quickly; otherwise, Mom doesn't know what would have happened to Dad. Please forgive Zidan for leaving you alone there. Mom is sure you weren't satisfied with meeting Zidan just once."

"It's okay, Mom. I understand. I know Dad needs Zidan more than I do. Besides, we can meet again anytime. It doesn't have to be just now."

"Thank you for your understanding, Rin. Mom hopes you'll continue like this, understanding his position and Zidan's condition. So that your relationship stays smooth until marriage. And Mom also hopes you'll always keep your relationship with Zidan a secret until you're married. Mom is afraid that if Zidan's business associates or relatives find out he's in a relationship with a student like you, it might cause problems. Sorry again, Mom isn't trying to belittle or anything. Mom just wants to preserve your relationship. You know, Zidan is handsome and wealthy, so there are many women out there who want to be his wife. Mom just wants your relationship to remain intact until later. Understand, Rin?" The middle-aged woman emphasized once again that Airin shouldn't reveal her relationship with Zidan to the public.

With reasons she had heard from Zidan repeatedly, and had grown tired of hearing. 

"Yes, Mom. I understand and know what I should do," Airin whispered, gazing at the beautiful campus from where she stood.

If Zidan backs out of his responsibilities, it seems he knows where to go to solve the problem quickly. However, Airin immediately dismissed this foolish thought. She would never do anything foolish that could make her look ridiculous.

Unexpectedly, Airin's contemplation was exploited by the middle-aged woman to end her call because she ran out of words to speak with Airin.

Remaining silent at the end of the call, Airin received a short message apologizing for the abrupt ending due to a doctor's summons. Airin, who had already believed in the drama created by Zidan, could only sigh. She stared at her phone, now dark as she hadn't touched the screen.

With heavy steps, Airin returned to Fachri's room. Uncertain whether to continue lunch or proceed directly to the assignment her lecturer had given.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Sir. My mother called from the village earlier. If not answered promptly, she's afraid my allowance will be cut," Airin said, reseating herself.

"No problem," said Zidan. He immediately turned his laptop so Airin could see the grade data table. "Organize and input the scores from this folder. After that, calculate the average so we know their overall performance. I'll check the results of the other exams."

Airin nodded, clearing away her lunch to work more comfortably on the task Fachri assigned her.

"Don't you want to continue lunch? You barely ate anything, Rin," Fachri suggested, observing Airin, who chose to work instead of finishing her half-eaten lunch.

Airin shook her head, maintaining her gaze on the laptop screen. "I'm not hungry, Sir. Continuing lunch is just not enjoyable."

"Is it the unappetizing lunch, or is it because I'm in a bad mood? Because I saw you change drastically after receiving that call. If I may ask, what happened?" Fachri inquired, hoping for another chance to find out who the man close to Airin might be.

However, this time Fachri had to be patient, as his opportunity was limited. Airin then responded, "No, Sir. I'm fine. It was just my mother informing me that the money for my rent will be sent a bit late. I'm asked to request leniency from my landlady. And Sir, do you know what brought my mood down?" Airin raised her eyebrows.

"What?"

"My landlady is nosy and gossipy. I don't want to be the talk of the boarding house residents."

"Oh, that?" Fachri sighed. "In that case, after class, I'll take you home and pay your rent. In return, you have to act as me here. And I won't accept any refusal!" he asserted, leaving Airin surprised.

Her eyes blinked. Airin didn't expect Fachri to say such a thing to her. Fachri would come and pay the rent? Really? She hadn't even reached the due date for the rent. She paid just a month ago. Meanwhile, the boarding house fee is paid once every three months.

Airin grinned, forcing a smile so that Fachri wouldn't see the fear now nesting in her heart. She was afraid of being caught lying and being mistaken for a campus flirt, especially since she came with a different man today.

To make matters worse, Fachri's status as her lecturer would undoubtedly become a rare sight and the hottest gossip. It was unimaginable if the gossip persisted until Zidan came to pick her up. It would undoubtedly create problems for her relationship with Zidan.