Neo wasn't certain the person in front of him was the Tyrese he knew. The last time he saw Tyrese in the flesh was when the kid was seven years old.
At the time, he was a very shy boy who didn't talk much. A slow speaker who carefully articulated each word.
Now, Neo couldn't even keep up with what the kid was saying.
"Uncle Neo, you really do look the same after all these years. I didn't tell you this before but I was very skeptical about this whole thing about you waking up. And the texts you send are always robotic.
"I had half the mind to believe that my mom hired someone to pretend to be you just so she could frighten me into behaving well in the academy. But then, I also saw that clip of you beating up Alexander Wright and it was super badass by the way.
"A fake clip wouldn't trend so much. Everyone in the news was saying that you really came back. So the other half of my mind knew that you were really back. I'm super excited and sooo honored to be around you, Uncle. You know, it's even thanks to you that I got into this school and all.
"I should really be kissing your feet right now and—"
"I get it. That's enough. You can… stop talking now."
For the very first time in a long time, Neo felt a headache creeping in because of Tyrese's nonstop talking. The only other person in his life whom he knew talked this much was Bryce.
The odd thing was that Bryce hadn't uttered a word all this while. He only stood by Neo's side quietly, their bodies so close that one would think their skin surfaces were glued together.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I tend to talk a lot. Thanks for stopping me, else I would just keep going on and on." Tyrese didn't take any offense at Neo's words, instead there was a gentle smile on his lips.
The young omega really got the best genes in the family. Tyrese inherited the deep shade of black hair from his mother's side. But the color of his eyes, light brown, was gotten from his alpha father.
His small, delicate frame was in alignment with that of a typical omega, and he was five or six centimeters shorter than Neo, who was about 1.75 meters tall.
But no matter how much Tyrese had grown into an attractive and capable young man, he was still a child in Neo's eyes.
He gave an understanding hum in response to Tyrese's previous statement. Then the latter turned to acknowledge the person standing beside Neo whom he'd failed to notice all this while.
Failing to notice Bryce wasn't really the right way to put it. Bryce was too striking for anyone to look past. His height and hair color made him stand out from any crowd he found himself in.
It was only that he was too unapproachable, and nobody usually dared to try their luck engaging him for fear of angering him and befalling calamity on themselves.
But Tyrese was not nobody.
"Hello." He waved at Bryce, a faint shade of pink stained his cheeks bashfully.
Bryce's eyes were sharp and hostile as he looked at Tyrese. He did not verbally respond to Tyrese, he only gave a nonchalant nod. Then he pressed himself even closer to Neo, as if trying to hide inside Neo's skin.
Neo was irritated by this, so he tried to push Bryce away. But as usual, it was never that easy to get Bryce to leave him.
After receiving that cold shoulder, Tyrese didn't bother with Bryce anymore, deciding to ignore him as well.
He turned back to his uncle and said, "Are you ready for the orientation assembly? I heard it's starting in half an hour."
Neo nodded. His main purpose of stepping outside was to go to the assembly venue. He only wanted Tyrese to come along with him. Bryce's presence had not been accounted for in the grand scheme.
"That's good. Not many people would attend the assembly because they'd find it boring which means there'll be more space for us. And after that, we can get dressed for the Freshman welcome party."
Tyrese spoke so many words in the span of a few seconds that Neo's brain lagged in processing them for some time. When it all clicked to him, he formed a single phrase.
"Freshman welcome party…?"
In the student handbook and all the things that Bryce had explained to him about the academy, there was no mention of a Freshman welcome party.
"Oh, yes." Tyrese flanked Neo's free side, roping their elbows together as he began to walk. "It's taking place at CUSTOME. Yes, that CUSTOME. The one where people need vip passes to get into.
"But since we're Gomas students now, entry is completely free! Lots of people are going to be there, even seniors as well. We can make new friends and blend in."
Neo understood nothing.
Tyrese could see it from his uncle's puzzled expression. He shook his head and put on a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, you don't need to understand. Just follow my lead."
Having his young nephew tell him to follow his lead was not how Neo expected his day to go. Nevertheless, he was certain he had no choice in the matter so he decided not to fuss and go along with whatever Tyrese wanted.