𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋 √𝐀𝐋𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐌

029 // STATUS UNKNOWN

It was weird.

Extremely weird.

Sure, you could understand how no one would recognize a new person if they had enrolled in the university. It would be outrageous if somebody recognized another immediately unless their name was Itto. Or if they were friends before enrolling at Teyvat University.

But for no one to know who Alhaitham was?

It was as if he was a side character in a story at the university.

"Alhaitham? Isn't that the name of... ah, I forgot. But no, the name doesn't ring a bell."

"I've never heard of them."

"Why don't you just go to the student advisor and say you've been having issues with someone with that name? I'm sure you'd find your answer quicker than asking around."

"I've heard that name come out from a blond boy's mouth often. I hope the guy isn't talking about himself in the third person. It would be a bit concerning if that were to be true. Is that why you're asking? No? Oh, alright then."

"Hm, Alhaitham? I've never met anyone with that name before. But they sound smart."

"Sounds like a narcissist. Are you trying to get some intel on them?"

Every answer to the question you asked had similar tunes. Your eyebrow twitched in frustration while you walked away from the girl that called your boyfriend a narcissist. There wasn't a reason to get mad at everyone who answered if they didn't know him. The looks on their faces confirmed the truth in their words. As the saying goes, don't ask the question if you're not prepared to hear the answer.

But if you had brought up Childe's, Itto's, or Kaeya's name, their tone of voice changed in a heartbeat.

"Arataki Itto? Everyone knows him."

"Hm, yeah, I've heard of Kaeya. He's the opposite of his brother. I'm surprised those two haven't killed each other."

"Again, why don't you obtain more information from the student advisor if you're that curious? If you want me to introduce you to them, you're out of luck. I'm a passerby in their eyes."

"I think everyone knows the names of those three individuals. Didn't you know Childe almost found himself caught up in Itto's prank last year?"

"If someone doesn't know Childe, then they're living under a rock."

You threw your head back and held back a groan. There was no point working yourself up over the situation or throwing your brain into overtime. A stray thought burrowed itself into your brain, though you dug it up and threw it out.

There is no way Alhaitham could tell people to act like he doesn't exist. He isn't some mastermind of a big scheme.

Your eyes roamed the campus grounds as students filed out of the school buildings, the small groups merging into one big mass. It seemed about right for midday at Teyvat University, as this was one of the breaks scheduled for lunch. Your lunchtime matched with Alhaitham's, but the two of you had yet to meet up during the lunch hours. You found this out earlier in the week when Alhaitham texted you and asked when your break for lunch was. Which dining hall would he eat at anyways? Would he even eat inside one of them?

Students would eat around the endless available spots on campus. Some liked to sit outside in the vast fields between the buildings, while others preferred to sit under the outdoor shelters that provided picnic tables and drink vending machines.

Of course, there were still numerous dining halls that students preferred to eat in. There was plenty of room in each one as the campus provided five dining halls for the number of students it held. The largest dining hall, Puspa, is the one that the majority of the students tend to flock to. Not because it's the largest, but because it's conveniently closer than the other four.