Chapter 112: A talk about love

"What is it you wanna talk with me about?" Shivani asked reluctantly. She didn't want to have a conversation, however, since it was her class teacher asking her something, she had to agree to it.

"Well, I wanted to talk about today's events. I heard that you were a part of the group that caused that gloomy atmosphere, so…" Taro didn't want to word it that way, however he could only do so for some odd reason.

Hearing Taro's words, she sighed. "Yea, you could say that. There was a giant misunderstanding from the other team's part, so that mood was caused. I apologize." She bowed her head.

"Ah, don't bow your head so easily when it's not even your fault." Taro tried stopping her when she looked up to him in confusion.

"How do you even know that it wasn't my fault?" She asked.

"You see, I asked someone else about today's events as well." Taro spoke the truth.

"Hmm, if that was the case, why even talk to me about it? I mean, you know I'm not at fault, right? Then how come you're talking to me about it?" Shivani asked.

"That's because I heard from the person about the relationship that you had with the person you had your argument with." Taro yet again hid nothing from her. He was one who believed that speaking the truth will only benefit in the long run.

Shivani sighed once again in this brief interval of time. "Ha, it's Abhirami, isn't it?" She asked in annoyance.

"Well, it could be. However, how are you positive that it could be her? It could be someone else, you know?" Taro didn't outright deny it because he was curious how Shivani deduced it.

"That's simple. There's only a handful of people who know about what transpired between me and Ansar—and Abhirami is one." She replied.

"Then she'd just be one suspect out of the many, right? How come you're so sure about it?" Taro asked.

"Again, that's because I know her so well. She's the only one among the people who know about it to have a loose tongue that basically reveals every info to the entire world. And I know her relationship with you, so it has to be her." Shivani stayed grounded at her point.

"Hmm, that's a solid argument. You know she talked about it as loud as she could before the teachers?" Taro asked.

"Ha… This girl would get me caught up in some shit, huh?" The annoyance in Shivani's increased tenfold as she heard the news. "Well, I guess it'd be fine. They knew about the time when I asked out a guy back in ninth grade and did nothing about it. So, hope it works out that way." She was hopeful in this case.

"Ah, you used to get the Juan treatment, huh?" Taro chuckled.

"A mild version of it, yes. Juan is basically an unleashed dog at this point. Dude's free to do anything. It's not the case for me. If I mess up big time, it'll reach my mom's ears, so there's that." She replied.

"Anyway, you falling in love with someone is something that I never expected." Taro replied.

"Hey! Don't call it love. I had an infatuation for him. That's it. I don't who termed it as love before you, however all I did was ask him out. I wasn't in love with him or something—no matter how that douche spreads those rumors." She spoke.

"Well, I've heard the word 'love' been thrown around for literally everything. So, a mild infatuation would also be termed as such here." Taro shrugged.

"That's what I hate. Can't ask out people at this point without people thinking that I'm a crazy person who's asking out literally every person in this world." She replied.

"Nice, you avoided the slur!" Taro spoke.

"Ah, I can't call myself a you-know-what, right? Because I'm not one. I just don't want to fall in love with the wrong person. And for that I won't shy in asking out people on a date." She gave out her answer.

"Great! Anyhow, as I said before, you asking out someone was something that I couldn't imagine." Taro chuckled.

"I'm a human as well, you know. I get attracted to certain people. It's not like you haven't found people attractive, right?" She asked.

"Hmm, I found an actress attractive. Does that count?" Taro asked back. He was talking about an actress from back in Wados, however didn't feel the need to specify.

"Well, it's not like it doesn't count. However, it would be better if you tone down your preferences a bit and look around yourself for a bit." She suggested.

"If I'd only find a person, I'd like to date by toning down my preferences, I'd rather stay the way I am—single. It's not like I'm actively looking for someone to hook up with." Taro replied.

"Ah, I feel ya on that. Sometimes, being single is way better. Nothing to worry about, you know?" She took in a deep breath as she spoke.

"You know you're a seventeen-year-old, right? You still got a long way to go with relationships and stuff." Taro replied.

"Sixteen." She corrected him.

"Huh?"

"I'm sixteen." She reiterated.

"What? How is that even possible? You're in twelfth grade, so-" Before he could complete his deduction, he was cut short by Shivani.

"I'll be seventeen in a month." She smiled.

"Wait! Then you're not sixteen. You're seventeen!" He argued.

"Not yet, though." She countered back.

"Well, you win on that, I guess." He was quick on admitting defeat in that case, knowing that Shivani won't give up if he didn't.

"Anyway, being sixteen is kinda like the age that most experience relationships. Hell, I've seen people way younger than me proposing—PROPOSING their classmates. You should've seen that. It was crazy as hell." She spoke.

"Maybe it's this image that love's all fluffy in their mind. They'll probably get over it once they experience it." Taro replied.

"I guess so as well. Anyway, I'd have expected for you to have experienced at least one relationship in your—how old are you, anyway?" She asked.

"Twenty-seven, nearing twenty-eight. So, near to the thirty side." He replied.

"My goodness. You're that old and never had a girlfriend? But, why? You look pretty fine to me. Is there some kinda reason behind it?" She asked.

"Well, I was not in a situation where I could go on a relationship with someone." He replied.

"Family matters, maybe?" She asked.

"You could say that." He replied. After his parents died, he didn't have enough time to think about stuff like getting in a relationship. He was quick to turn his attention to part-time jobs.

"I understand." After that, she didn't ask any further, thinking that she might hurt his sentiments.

Noticing this, Taro led the conversation. "You know, it'd be great if I get to date someone someday." He replied.

"With your preferences, I deem that one as impossible." Shivani chuckled.

"Never say never, gurl. Who knows, maybe someone who matches my preferences might just pass by me." He spoke with enthusiasm in his tone.

"Wait. I didn't ask much about your preferences before when I heard that you crushed on an actress. However, what's your actual preference?" She posed the question before him.

"Hmm, if it's dating someone, preferably with good looks. I mean, we'd only be dating, right? I can always drop out after getting to know her behavior. However, if it's for a serious relationship, I'll look at their character. Someone I genuinely like that actually likes me back. I don't want someone who's just in the relationship for his/her convenience. I hate people half-assing relationships." Taro replied.

"His or her?" Shivani stared at Taro once she heard that.

"Well, it's not like I can predict my future self's decision right now, can I? For now, I'm straight." He replied.

"I don't think that's something that could be changed so easily." She replied.

"Who knows? Maybe you're right on that.But, let's see." Taro spoke.

Shivani sighed. "Never would have thought that I'd be talking about relationships and stuff to a teacher and a male one at that." She replied.

"Shows how cool I am, right?" He spoke with pride filled in his face.

"Yup. You're cool!" She nodded to that statement.

However, Taro hadn't expected for her to say that and was surprised. "Yea, I'm cool!" He reiterated his previous statement, as if he was boosting his morale up with that.

"Anyway, it was a productive conversation. I liked it." She replied. She felt thankful that Taro actually forced a chat from her when she didn't want to have one. If that wasn't the case, she wouldn't have experienced this situation and she probably would've continued feeling pissed about her fight with Ansar.

"Likewise." Taro gave out a smile. He could think about something that he placed in the backseat for the longest time, so he was pretty satisfied by this conversation as well.

Conveniently enough, by the time they completed their conversation, they had already reached the ground where the lads were waiting for them. Thus, they headed back to the Holy Land in a rather pleasant mood.

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