The tutoring room was small, with a single desk, a blackboard, and a window dripping with the monsoon rain. Aria walked in with her two best friends, Siya and Rhea, practically bouncing with energy.
"Okay, ladies," Aria whispered, nudging them as they entered, "remember the plan. Stay calm… or not. Honestly, chaos is more fun."
Rhea rolled her eyes. "We're only here to witness the disaster. Trust me, it's going to be hilarious."
Siya gave a mock salute. "Operation 'Drive Kian Crazy' is a go."
At the far side of the room, Kian Malhotra was already seated behind his desk, his dark hair slightly damp from the rain outside. His expression was calm, precise, almost unreadable, and he looked up at the three girls as if they were an unexpected storm.
"Aria Kapoor?" he asked, voice steady, controlled. "The three of you are all… here?"
Aria grinned, ignoring the slight tension in his tone. "Yes! We thought math is more fun with friends. Right?"
Kian's eyes narrowed fractionally. "I work with students, not… chaos groups."
"Chaos groups?" Rhea whispered to Siya. "He's already judging us. Epic."
Siya shushed her, but couldn't stop a giggle.
As the session started, Aria immediately leaned toward Kian, trying to peek at his notes. "So… how serious are we taking this?"
"Serious enough to improve," Kian said calmly, almost like reciting a fact.
Rhea leaned back, whispering to Aria: "Improvement or torture? I can't tell."
Aria ignored her and scribbled down the first problem, pretending to struggle. "Wait… this doesn't make sense. Are you sure this is right?"
Kian didn't even look up. "Check your calculations carefully."
"That's boring," Aria muttered. She glanced at her friends. "Guys, idea!"
Before Kian could notice, she made a small paper airplane out of her worksheet and flicked it across the desk. It barely missed Kian's hand and landed on the floor.
"Aria!" Siya hissed, trying not to laugh.
Kian looked up this time, dark eyes meeting hers. "Stop it." His voice was calm, but there was something… sharp in it.
Aria leaned back in her chair, acting innocent. "Stop what? Flying is a natural skill."
Rhea snorted. "I think he likes it… or he hates it. Either way, perfect."
Kian, clearly trying not to react, returned to his notes. Aria watched him quietly for a moment, fascinated by his focus and silent intensity.
Halfway through, Siya whispered: "Aria, be careful. He's… scary. In a mysterious, I-could-read-your-soul kind of way."
"Good," Aria whispered back with a grin. "I like mysterious. Makes things interesting."
Rhea leaned forward, elbowing her friend. "You're actually enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Shh!" Aria warned, but she couldn't hide her smile.
By the end of the session, the three girls had:
Teased Kian endlessly
Made small paper airplanes fly
Whispered jokes to each other under the table
Somehow learned a few math concepts along the way
Kian's calm, controlled demeanor had only cracked in the tiniest ways—a flick of his eyebrow, a subtle tightening of his jaw.
As they packed up to leave, Aria whispered to her friends: "This… is fun. He's annoying, but… not boring."
Outside, Siya nudged Rhea. "Oh boy. This is going to get interesting."
Rhea grinned. "Very interesting. And probably chaotic."
And somewhere inside, Kian watched them leave, noticing the little chaos trail Aria had left behind—and feeling… oddly unsettled.