First World Problems (Kai)

[Malachai Roen]

Kai didn't notice the resentment filtering into Zach's features and words as their interaction continued; he was just happy to be taking a break and had met someone that, as far as he could tell, wasn't a complete ass. Perhaps someday he would learn not to flaunt his wealth and status so openly, but... Today was not that day.

For all he knew, he was making a new acquaintance; perhaps not a friend, since they didn't seem to have a lot in common, but someone interesting nonetheless. He mistook the tension in Zach's voice for stress, and nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean," he mused. "It's hard to consider spending time on someone else when you're working your ass off just to get yourself through life."

He didn't mean to speak patronizingly; it just sort of came out that way. In fact, he realized, Zach was probably older than him, which meant he'd been dealing with this for longer, too.

As they walked back to the library, Kai sipped carefully at his hot coffee, trying to keep up a decent amount of small-talk, but he finally began to feel like something had sort of changed in the air between them, and he felt just a tad relieved when they made it back. "Well... It was nice meeting you, Zach," he said sincerely, offering a hand. "Good luck with your studies. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

[Deleted]

Unfortunately for Kai, Zach did think he was patronizing him. It was hard enough just getting through the classes, but Zach didn't have a choice but to spend much of his spare time on his family, it wasn't an option to 'consider'.

Kai spoke most of the way back. Zach did only when he had to, and with short, in-elaborate answers, not caring if Kai noticed

"Yeah, nice to meet you," he returned politely. Zach felt obligated to shake the man's hand now, just because it'd been offered. He'd have looked like an ass if he refused. "Right, see you around."

He debated just throwing away the coffee out of spite, but that would have been counter-productive. That, and Zach knew he had no real reason to be irritated with Kai. It was just his own dissatisfaction with himself that was aggravating him. Being next to Kai, listening to him innocently flaunt out how much better he was than Zach, only highlighted that sense of inferiority.

Zach took another bitter sip of the coffee and returned to his study room.