"Lucian?!"
The name cut through the silence like a dropped shard of glass. Both Rowan and Steven turned to see Kai emerge from the shadow of the administration building, his gait a little too fast, his eyes sharp and dark.
"Kai, what are you doing here!" Rowan hissed, throwing a quick, desperate glance at his father that begged, 'No, not now!'
Kai stopped a few paces away, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his worn leather jacket. "My home is near the University. I have to pass by this way, you know that. Why did you ask?" His tone was flat, almost accusatory.
"Ah, actually, I—what are you doing out so late, right?" Rowan stumbled, the perfect composure he maintained in public crumbling.
Kai's gaze flicked to Steven, then back to Rowan, a predatory smile touching his lips. "Oh, I just came back from Lucian's house. I saw Uncle's car outside and tried to sneak by. But... did I hear something about Lucian's name?"
Rowan felt a cold sweat break out despite the cool night. He launched into a hastily constructed lie, his voice tight. "Ah, yeah, actually, our club is estimating a project for the countryside trip, and they asked for funding from individual students. Lucian mentioned his family might help the club, so I asked if my dad knew about his father's contacts. They run big businesses, right?"
Steven, confused but loyal, simply nodded, reinforcing his son's words.
"Ah, yeah," Kai drawled, his eyes never leaving Rowan's. "Lucian's father and mother are both from big business. They're usually abroad, not here. Uncle definitely wouldn't know them." Kai paused, letting the silence stretch.
"Hmm. You seem so close to Lucian, you even know his family background." Steven asked, his confusion turning into suspicion.
Kai stepped closer, the air around him becoming tense. "Yes, Uncle. We're both childhood friends. His mother and mine were classmates and friends. I am very close to his family." He let the word 'very' linger, a silent threat aimed at Rowan. "Okay, bye. It's late. Bye, Rowan. Nice to see you, Uncle."
Kai turned and walked away, melting back into the darkness from which he came.
"Are you both too close, Rowan?" Steven asked once Kai was gone.
Rowan sighed heavily. "Dad, what's in your mind? I've known Kai for three years—he's a fellow third-year."
"But you've known Lucian for just three months," Steven countered, his logic sharp. "You went to Kai'shouse dozens of times, but he never mentioned having a childhood friend like Lucian until Lucian joined your university. Don't you think that's strange?"
"Nothing is strange, Dad. You think too much. Let's just go home!" Rowan snapped, his heart racing not from fear of his father, but from the realization of how deeply Kai was entangled with Lucian.
Meanwhile, in his own small apartment, Kai was pacing, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool room.
"...is that about Lucian?" Steven's voice echoed in his mind.
No, no, no way.
This couldn't be happening.
"Lucian is mine,"
Kai ground out, his hands clenching into fists until his nails bit into his palms. "He will neverleave me. Anytime. Never!" The frustration and fear of abandonment threatened to consume him whole.
Sunday arrived, bringing with it the promise of the countryside trip. The air in the university courtyard crackled with excitement. Two buses were lined up, packed with students buzzing about the change of scenery.
President Sima and Vice President Rohav stepped onto a makeshift stage to address the crowd. "Everyone ready?!"
"READY!" the campus roared back, already fueled by adrenaline and gossip.
Just then, Rowan approached, looking effortlessly handsome with his leather bag slung over his shoulder. Sima grabbed his arm and pulled him center stage.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Rowan protested, confused.
Sima flashed a mischievous grin. "You're the main focus, darling! Make them go crazy like this!"
The crowd went wild, cheering Rowan's name.
Sima continued, instructing the groups: "The first bus is for seniors and second-years. The second bus is for third-years and fresh students. Rohav and I will be assigning partners! You must help each other—this is a team-building project."
Sima and Rohav started handing out badges, deliberately swapping partners to create romantic pairings, egged on by the students. Sima held up a hand. "Heyy! Don't forget this trip is for a project, not for all your love drama!"
Then Sima spotted Lucian, looking nervous. "Ohhh, Lucian! Let me choose a partner for you! Haa! Rowan is the best!"
Sima took two matching badges. "Rowan, take care of Lucian until the end of the trip. This is your partners' badge!"
The badges were clipped onto their bags. Rowan and Lucian stared at each other in confusion, but the campus was ecstatic.
"OMG, look at them! They're made for each other!" The gossips started immediately.
Before Lucian could even process the pink badge, a booming voice cut through the cheers, stopping the entire crowd dead.
"No one needs to take care of my Lucian!"
Everyone froze. Kai stood at the edge of the courtyard, his chest heaving as if he had run the entire way. He wore no badge, but his eyes were blazing with a dark, primal possessiveness.
"Kai, what are you doing here? Did I say don't come to the project, this—" Lucian began, his voice laced with dread and worry.
Kai strode forward, every step radiating raw frustration. "Lucian! Why are you trying to avoid me? Why are you stopping me from coming?" His expression was demanding, fueled by suspicion.
Sima stepped in quickly, trying to diffuse the bomb. "Heyy, hey, calm down, Kai. He said your health wasn't good, so I gave you permission to skip the project. It's fine, okay? You're here now, let me give you a partner—"
Sima's words died in his throat. In one swift, deliberate motion, Kai dropped his bag and seized Lucian's hand, pulling him forward in front of the entire campus.
"He's mine partner now. I'm going to the bus."
He gave Sima a hostile look, then, with a sharp tug, he dragged Lucian toward the second bus. As they moved, Kai's fierce, angry eyes met Rowan's. Rowan's face was a mask of confusion and tense rivalry.
Kai gave Rowan one final, dark look—a clear declaration of war—and hauled Lucian inside the bus.
A silence fell over the courtyard. Then, the silence broke into a flurry of excited chatter.
"OMG! Look at them! This is crazy! A love triangle right before our eyes!"
Lucian was trapped, pulled by Kai's possessive strength, his heart sinking as the drama he tried so hard to avoid was now the main attraction of the entire trip.