Asher looked up at Aria and then said calmly, "Stop acting clueless. You already know that I am ugly, so no one asked me to dance."

Then he paused for a moment, looked at the other students dancing and laughing, and continued in an unsure tone, "Or maybe they hate me because I almost punched every girl’s face present here."

Aria looked at him for a moment and then said, "It is probably both reasons, though the latter has more impact on this situation."

Asher then looked towards Noah, who was somehow dancing with a girl and had a weird smile on his face.

"Even that idiot got a partner. I guess girls really like less intelligent men. Whatever, I guess. Since he’s happy, good for him."

He then looked at Aria and asked, "What about you? You should have probably gotten many invitations."

Aria looked at the others dancing and then said, "I rejected everyone. I did not want to dance with anyone."

Asher just nodded and started eating his food again.

For a moment, no one said anything.

Then Aria finally said, "Would you like to dance with me?"

Asher stopped eating his food and looked at her.

While Asher was looking at her, Aria’s expression remained indifferent on the outside, but internally she was cursing herself for suggesting it.

’Are you an idiot? You just said you didn’t want to dance, and now, only a moment later, you’re suddenly asking him to dance?’

But Asher just looked at her for a moment and then said calmly, "I don’t know how to dance with someone. I only dance alone, and that too only when I feel like dancing. I don’t need some occasion like this party or a reason to dance."

Aria quietly listened, sighed internally, and then said, "Okay."

Asher then started eating again, and after finishing what he was eating, he stood up and started walking towards a quiet part of the garden where no one else was present.

Aria, who was standing beside him, looked at him leaving and asked, "Where are you going?"

Asher turned back towards her and said, "I’m just going for a night walk. Do you need anything from me?"

Aria looked at him for a moment and then said, "Nothing. Can I join you?"

Asher looked at her and replied while turning back toward the garden corner, "You can if you want. It’s your choice. No need to ask me."

After that, they both started heading towards a quiet part of the garden, away from where the party was taking place, where no one was present other than them.

While they were walking in silence, Aria suddenly stopped.

Noticing this, Asher also stopped after a moment at some distance from her and looked at her.

"What happened?"

Aria looked at him and said, "Nothing. I just wanted to ask a question, or more like get your opinion about something."

Asher looked at her with surprise and said, "What is that question that you’re asking a weird person like me for an opinion on? Whatever, it doesn’t really matter. Ask anyway."

Aria looked at him and then asked, "What do you think about emotions? Are they a flaw or a necessity?"

Asher listened to the question, and his expression turned confused.

"Emotions are just emotions. We feel them in certain situations, and then they disappear. They are fleeting. Sometimes we feel them, and after some time they are gone. How can they be a flaw?

The real flaw is that some people take actions or make decisions based on those fleeting, temporary emotions, only to regret them later."

Asher then paused for a moment before saying,

"Just make decisions based on what you truly want and on logic, instead of emotions and desires like lust."

He looked ahead for a moment before continuing,

"People want to be happy all the time, and they chase emotions because they think those emotions will make them feel whole. But I think that when your emotional state is tranquil, that’s when you actually feel whole."

He paused briefly.

"And for that, just do what you genuinely want to do."

Aria listened quietly while deep in thought, then asked,

"And how do you know what you really want?"

Asher looked at her and said,

"I don’t know. You figure that out on your own."

He paused for a moment before continuing,

"Everyone is different and wants different things. Some want fame, some live for their family, some for their lovers, some want to help people, some want to research something, and there are many more things."

He shrugged.

"Only that person knows what they truly want. You just live your life, and eventually you find it."

Aria then asked,

"And what do you live for?"

Asher looked at her and replied,

"You already know that I am just a selfish person. I don’t really care about anyone else. I just want freedom and peace."

He glanced at her for a moment.

"And stop assuming that what other people want is what you want. They are not you."

Aria then said,

"And if you do what you really want and still can’t achieve it?"

Asher replied immediately,

"Then your will was just weak, and so were you. To achieve what you want, you also need to be strong enough for it."

He paused for a moment before adding,

"Wanting something alone doesn’t mean you deserve it. You need the strength to reach it as well."

Asher paused, looked at her, and then said,

"But why are you asking something this simple? Everyone already knows that."

Aria looked at him for a moment and then said,

"Yeah, I guess you’re right. It was really a simple thing. I was just overthinking things, I guess."

She paused briefly before continuing,

"Anyway, thanks for your opinion. I feel much better now."

Then Aria said,

"Okay, bye. I am going back now. You can enjoy your night walk."

Asher nodded.

Then, suddenly, he looked up toward the sky and smiled.