Rell checked his watch, the minutes ticking away lazily as he waited for Leansei in the grand hall. In his hand, he loosely held a cup of lukewarm coffee he had just grabbed from the vending machine. The moment he spotted Leansei walking down the corridor, Rell straightened up to call out to him—but the words died in his throat. His brow furrowed into a tight, hard knot. Beidhen was there, his arm slung casually, smile widen around Leansei's neck.
He stared at the pair as they walked away.
' As far as I know, Kean has absolutely no intention of getting close to anyone from the Vcheroi family. But these past few days... Kean has been acting like he isn't Kean at all. It's like he's someone I don't even know. A total stranger. '
Rell vigorously shook his head, trying to snap himself out of the bizarre train of thought. ' What kind of ridiculous ideas am I letting into my head? That's literally impossible. '
With a sigh, Rell turned around on his heel, his mind still entirely preoccupied. Because he wasn't looking, he didn't realize someone was walking directly behind him. He collided against someone's chest, and the cup of coffee instantly sloshed forward, spilling everywhere.
Rell gasped. The dark, sticky liquid drenched the stranger's pristine uniform. To make matters worse, the force of the impact knocked a heavy stack of papers right out of the person's hands. The sheets scattered across the floor, fluttering down into the puddle of coffee.
"Oh no..." Xeilin breathed out. He immediately dropped to his knees, frantically trying to salvage the undamaged papers from the edges of the spill.
Panicking, Rell threw himself down to help. "I'm so sorry! It's—" He couldn't even finish the apology. Xeilin snapped his head up, glaring at him with pure venom before looking back down at the ruined, cockled sheets of paper rapidly absorbing the coffee.
"I'll help you—" Rell reached out again.
"No! It's fine! Just..." Xeilin squeezed his eyes shut, forcing a deep breath into his lungs as he tried to rein in his temper. Carefully, delicately, he peeled a rippled page from the floor. "Don't do anything. Just stay right there."
Dazed, Rell slowly stood up and ran a hand through his messy hair, looking down at the boy on the floor. Now that he was looking closely, the uniform seemed slightly different from the standard design, and the boy's sharp face looked incredibly familiar. Then, Rell's eyes caught the glimmer of a polished golden pin pinned to his chest—the unmistakable symbol of the Supreme Student Council. It was the exact same pin he always saw on Kean's uniform.
' Look at him,' Rell thought, a bizarre wave of amusement hitting him. ' He cares way more about a few sheets of paper than his completely ruined uniform. '
A sudden, quiet "Pfft" escaped Rell's lips before he could stop it.
Hearing the mocking, unprompted laugh, Xeilin's hand balled into a tight fist, crushing the wet paper in his grip. He shot up to his feet, fuming with an exasperated, murderous expression. He was absolutely livid; a report that had taken him over half an hour of meticulous work to finish had been utterly destroyed in a matter of seconds. Those pages should have been sitting safely on the manager's desk by now. Instead, the grueling clock had just been reset, forcing him back to the absolute beginning.
Realizing his blunder, Rell immediately wiped the smirk off his face, cursing himself for letting the laugh slip out loud. "Look, I'll apologize—"
Xeilin coldly turned his back on him, his posture rigid. "No need."
Rell stared at the boy's stained back for a fraction of a second. Before Xeilin could take another step, Rell reached out, grabbed his wrist, and forcefully pulled him down the corridor. He dragged him across the skybridge toward the adjacent building, taking the stairs straight up to the third floor where the student locker rooms were located.
"L-let me go! What do you think you're doing?!" Xeilin exclaimed, violently struggling against Rell's grip, his face flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Ignoring the protests, Rell threw open the door to the locker room and marched over to his personal locker. He spun the lock, yanked the door open, and pulled out a fresh, unused spare uniform. He turned around and thrust it into Xeilin's chest.
Xeilin stared at the fabric, his pride screaming at him to reject it. But a quick glance down at his coffee-soaked shirt reminded him that he had left his own spare uniform at home. He had absolutely no choice.
"Give me your flash drive," Rell commanded suddenly.
Xeilin blinked, entirely confused by the abrupt demand, but his hand instinctively reached into his pocket and handed over the small plastic drive.
"Go take a quick shower and change," Rell said, offering a small, reassuring nod as he stepped back toward the door. "Don't worry, that uniform has never been worn. I'll be back."
Once out in the hallway, Rell casually tossed the flash drive into the air, catching it and spinning it expertly around his index finger as he made his way toward the campus library. When he pushed the heavy glass doors open, he was disappointed to find the place entirely packed. It was peak study hours; every single chair, table, and cubicle was occupied by stressed students buried in textbooks.
Ambling past the rows of desks, Rell walked straight up to the main circulation counter. Behind it sat Ma'am Linda, the head librarian. She wore her signature grumpy expression, aggressively scanning a stack of returned books.
"Hey, Ma'am Linda," Rell greeted her, pitching his voice into his most polite, charming tone.
The cantankerous librarian snapped her head up, ready to scold whoever was interrupting her, but the moment her eyes landed on Rell, her sour expression instantly melted into a warm smile. "Mr. Rell! What brings you into my library today?"
"I desperately need a massive favor," Rell said, tilting his head while his index finger kept idly spinning Xeilin's flash drive. "I completely need to use the staff printer."
Ma'am Linda chuckled softly, waving her hand. "Come on back, then. I'll let you use our desktop."
Rell beamed, instantly slipping behind the restricted counter and pulling up the comfortable swivel chair next to her desk. "You're the best! Thank you so much, Ma'am Linda. I'll make sure to treat you to some fresh lemonade the next time I stop by. Oh, and my mom mentioned she has a little gift she wants to pass along to you, too."
"Oh, tell your mother she shouldn't trouble herself! But say thank you for me," Ma'am Linda replied warmly, completely won over.
Rell nodded back with a smile. He quickly woke the computer screen from its sleep mode, turned on the heavy-duty printer beside it, and slotted the flash drive into the CPU. He opened the file directory and blinked in surprise. There were only two files on the entire drive.
He clicked on the one labeled under a standard project file name. It opened immediately—a massive document spanning over thirty pages. Without wasting any time, Rell hit print, and the machine immediately roared to life, churning out pages at lightning speed. Before closing the window, Rell's eyes drifted back to the directory. His gaze locked onto the second file. This one had a heavy password-encryption icon sitting right over it—it was completely locked.
A sharp, intrigued smirk played on Rell's lips. He stared at the encrypted file for a moment longer before the printer gave a final, loud beep. It had taken less to print the 30 minutes tire multi-page report.
Gathering the warm, crisp sheets of paper into a neat stack, Rell politely thanked Ma'am Linda one last time and bid her farewell. He slipped the flash drive back into his pocket and stepped out of the quiet library, preparing to head back to the locker rooms. But as he walked down the main corridor, the ambient noise of the school changed. He slowed his pace, his ears picking up a sudden, frantic wave of whispers and murmurs spreading rapidly among the students crowded near the windows.
"Have you heard?"
"What is it?"
"Those rumors about Seleigh's fiancé are actually true!"
"Seriously?"
"How do you even know that?"
"Well, maybe it really is true."
"They honestly look perfect for each other."
Rell slowed his pace, the voices filtering through the crowded hallway. ' Seleigh? ' he thought, his mind instantly racing to connect the pieces. ' Isn't that Perial's old childhood friend? '
A sudden spike of worry hit him. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and immediately dialed Perial's number. He held it to his ear, listening to the monotonous ringing tone until it finally dropped to voicemail. She wasn't answering. Rell scowled, cutting the call and shoving the device back into his pocket before turning back toward the locker room.
When he pushed the heavy door open, he stopped. Xeilin was standing by the benches, casually rubbing a white towel through his damp, dark brown hair. Rell found himself staring for a lingering minute. He had never looked closely at the guy before, aside from Kean but now he realized Xeilin was surprisingly cute and attractive. His hair fell in soft strands that just reached his neck.
' Noted, ' Rell thought, a small spark of interest flaring in his mind.
He flinched slightly when Xeilin suddenly snapped his head up and caught him staring. Quickly recovering his composure, Rell flashed a conceited smile and held out the neat, crisp stack of more than thirty pages.
"Consider this my official apology," Rell said, his tone dripping with mock arrogance.
"Next time, don't be stupid while you're walking." Xeilin snatched the documents from his hands, glaring at him with a fiery look. "Next time, don't hold your cup of coffee in such an idiotic way."
He hissed out a frustrated breath, carefully setting the fresh papers down on the bench. He grabbed the plastic bag containing his stained uniform, looking down at it to avoid Rell's eyes. "I'll... I'll wash this and bring it back to you," he murmured, his voice turning uncharacteristically hesitant.
"Or maybe you just want an excuse to see me again?" Rell teased, his gaze lingering.
A sudden, fierce heat rushed straight to Xeilin's cheeks, turning them a deep crimson. He quickly shoved Rell's hand away, his eyes wide with a mix of frustration and embarrassment. "As if! I'd be perfectly happy never seeing your face again, you absolute idiot!"
Without waiting for a response, Xeilin gathered his things and hurried out of the locker room, his footsteps echoing down the tiled hallway. Rell remained standing there, the smirk still playing on his lips as he watched the empty doorway. The interaction had taken an unexpected turn, and the tension between them was undeniable.
"Interesting," he whispered, finally turning to his own locker.
_____
After that day, Rell didn't catch a single glimpse of Xeilin in the university hallways. Sitting at his desk, Rell idly stared at a blank piece of paper, the memory of Xeilin's innocent, naive face drifting into his mind. Unconsciously, a quiet smirk curved onto his lips.
A sharp, three-times knock on his office door snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Enter," Rell called out.The door swung open, revealing the executive assistant to the company's president, holding a stack of three thick folders.
"Sir, you need to examine these files—they are due in exactly four days," the assistant said, stepping forward to carefully arrange the documents on the polished wooden desk. "Also, the president requests your presence in his office immediately."
Rell let out a deep, heavy sigh, standing up from his leather chair and unbuttoning his tailored blazer to ease his posture. "Understood. Let's go." As Rell walked out of his office, the assistant pioneered ahead down the carpeted corridor. Passing through the open-plan workspace, various staff members bowed and greeted him politely, and Rell returned each gesture with a disciplined, professional nod.
They stepped into the private executive elevator, riding it smoothly to the building's top floor—the restricted level reserved entirely for the offices of the president and the board of directors.
The floor secretary bowed gracefully upon seeing him, immediately assisting Rell toward the heavy double doors of the president's room. Stepping inside, Rell was greeted by the sight of his father standing near the expansive, floor-to-ceiling glass window. A premium cigarette was nestled lazily between his index and middle fingers.
The room was heavy with the thick, lingering odor of tobacco smoke. Hearing the door, Mr. Felin Cesius turned around, offering a brief nod before discarding the smoldering cigarette into a nearby crystal ashtray. He walked over to press a button on the wall, turning on the high-powered air freshener to quickly shove off the heavy smoke and unpleasant smell.
A warm, paternal smile broke across Felin's face as he gestured toward the seating area. "Please, son, take a seat," Mr. Felin instructed.
Rell walked over to the modern lounge set and sat on the single sofa, leaving his father to sit oppositely. Looking across at him, Rell could see his own reflection in his father's features; despite being in his mid-40s, Felin retained the same sharp, black hair and commanding bone structure that Rell had inherited.
"Why did you call me up here?" Rell asked, getting straight to business.
"Well, we have a minor crisis. One of our primary investors from Singapore just pulled out of the project," Mr. Felin explained, his tone turning serious as he picked up a thick manila envelope from his desk. He slid it across the surface, pushing it toward his son. "That leaves us with no choice but to convince Mr. Vsergch to back us instead. I need you to go directly to his son and talk him into a meeting."
Rell reached out, lifting the flap of the envelope to inspect the contents. It was filled with detailed dossiers, background checks, and contact sheets for the prominent Vsergch family, including their elusive eldest son.
As Rell's eyes locked onto the profile photograph, a sudden, mocking smirk curved onto his lips. The face staring back at him was incredibly familiar.
' What absolute fate, ' he thought.
Mr. Felin caught the look, raising an eyebrow. "You know him?"
Rell immediately wiped the amusement from his expression, keeping his voice carefully neutral.
"Where can I find him right now?" Rell asked, closing the file.
"Use your power, son. You're a Cesius, after all," Mr. Felin said with a confident wave of his hand, turning back around to sit at his main executive desk. Taking that as his cue, Rell stood on his feet, offered a formal bow, and walked out of the president's room. The moment the heavy doors shut behind him, he thrust the envelope into his waiting assistant's hands.
"I want to know exactly where he is right now," Rell ordered sharply, not breaking his stride as he walked toward the elevator.
While waiting for the doors to slide open, he retrieved his phone from his blazer and dialed a number. The line rang for a few agonizing seconds before a sharp, incredibly irritated voice exploded through the speaker.
[ Why are you calling me three times in a single day?! ] Perial hissed on the other end, her tone dripping with annoyance. [ Do you have any idea how incredibly distracting that is? ]
"Mom wants to see you this week," Rell said smoothly, stepping into the elevator. As the doors opened onto his office floor, the surrounding staff bowed and greeted him again, but he ignored them, keeping his focus entirely on the call as he marched back into his private workspace.
"Am I your girlfriend or something?" Perial snapped back, her voice raising a defensive pitch. "Why on earth would I need to go see Aunty?"
Rell closed his office door with a soft click, cutting off the outside noise. He stopped walking, narrowing his eyes. "Did something happen while you were at your shoot today?" He knew Perial's attitude better than anyone. She only lashed out with this specific, hyper-defiant edge whenever she was deeply bothered, or when something genuinely annoying had disrupted her personal space at work.
A heavy, telling silence stretched across the line for a few seconds before Perial finally grumbled. "Fine, fine! I'll go see her. Look, I'm hanging up now—we are in the middle of watching a movie! Bye!" The line went completely dead.
Rell shook his head, a faint smile touching his lips as he pulled his phone away. He tossed his smartphone onto the desk, grabbed his leather briefcase, and shrugged back into his structured blazer coat.
The moment he stepped back outside his private office, his assistant was waiting for him, panting heavily for air and wiping sweat from his forehead as if he had just run a marathon down the building's stairwell.
"Sir, I found him," the assistant gasped out, desperately scrolling through his tablet to verify the data. "Our sources confirm he is currently at this address. It's located right near V University."
Rell's eyes darkened with sudden intensity. "Send the exact coordinates to my car navigation system immediately."
"Yes, sir! Doing it right now!"
.
Rell clicked his key fob, the crisp beep echoing through the executive parking garage as his sports car flashed its lights. He climbed into the driver's seat, tossed his briefcase onto the passenger side, and started the engine. The powerful motor roared to life just as a chime turned his attention to his phone. It was the precise address from his assistant.
Rell memorized the location, shifted into drive, and tore out of the garage.
It took only a few minutes of navigating the city streets before his navigation system signaled his arrival. He pulled into a secured, private parking lot, stepped out of the vehicle, and locked it behind him.
The venue before him was an incredibly famous bar, a notorious hotspot catering exclusively to high-society citizens, wealthy tycoons, and influential politicians. It was known throughout the city for its impossibly expensive imported alcohol, extravagant architectural designs, and exclusive late-night sets from popular indie bands.
He pushed past the heavy, soundproofed doors, and an old, melancholic blues song immediately wrapped around his senses, accompanied by the thick, familiar scents of premium alcohol and high-end cigarette smoke.
Rell's eyes swept across the dim, ambient lighting of the room. He froze, his gaze locking onto a specific silhouette sitting solitary at the far end of the marble counter. It was a familiar, dark-haired back. Rell knew this exact layout well—this bar had been his own personal comfort place for a long time.
Ambling forward with smooth, calculated steps, he slid onto the leather barstool directly beside the boy. The bartender looked up, his face instantly lighting up with recognition.
"Bro! It has been an absolute minute since you last stepped foot in this place," the bartender grinned, wiping down the surface.
Rell smirked, leaning his elbows against the counter. "Give me the usual."
"Coming right up." With the order placed, Rell subtly turned his head to glare at the person beside him. Xeilin looked utterly exhausted, his dark brown hair completely messed up. He was staring intensely down into an empty shot glass, his posture heavy and his mind clearly preoccupied by something deeply troubling.
Rell opened his mouth, about to drop a teasing remark to snap him out of it, when a stranger suddenly materialized from the crowd. The man approached Xeilin's other side, sliding a fresh, brightly colored drink across the marble.
"I'm completely new to this place. Mind helping me finish this?" the guy asked, a sly smirk playing on his lips. Rell went entirely poker-faced, his eyes narrowing as he watched the interaction play out.
Xeilin kept his head down, offering the stranger a brief, dismissive glance. Without a single word of caution or hesitation, he snatched the glass and downed the liquid in one aggressive gulp. He slammed the empty glass down and wiped his mouth. "Now leave me alone," Xeilin hissed, his voice dropping into a cold, lethal register as he returned his gaze to his empty shot glass.
Rell's smirk returned, a wave of genuine interest and amusement washing over him. He had never imagined that behind Xeilin's innocent, perfect student council mask lay such a fierce, unbothered attitude.
' He is surely becoming the most interesting thing in my week, ' Rell thought.
But the stranger didn't budge. He stayed hovering, a predator waiting for its prey. Suddenly, Rell's internal alarm bells went off. A powerful, titillating scent drifted into his personal space, originating directly from Xeilin. The boy's head had dropped entirely against his chest, his shoulders shaking as he began panting heavily, his breaths turning ragged and desperate. It was a shockingly sweet, intoxicating aroma—a scent Rell had never, in his entire life, experienced coming from another man. Rell glanced sharply around the room. The bartender's expression had turned tense, and several patrons at nearby VIP tables were leaning forward, casting lecherous, predatory looks straight toward Xeilin.
The stranger smiled widely, reaching a hand out toward Xeilin's trembling shoulder. "Hey, you don't look too good at all. Let me help you—" The sentence was cut violently short. Rell lunged forward, his hand snapping out like a whip as he forcefully shoved the stranger's arm away before it could make contact.
"You!—What the hell do you think you're doing?!" the guy barked, his face twisting into an annoyed, aggressive scowl as he stepped back.
Rell didn't even look at him. His eyes remained locked on the trembling boy beside him.
"Mr. Dim. Call the police immediately. Someone drugged my friend," Rell ordered the bartender, his voice vibrating with absolute authority. Hearing the threat of law enforcement, the stranger's aggressive facade crumbled into sheer panic. He pointed a shaking index finger at Rell, backing away into the shadows of the lounge.
"Don't ever think you're going to get away with this!" he hissed out before turning on his heel and sprinting toward the emergency exit. Rell didn't bother chasing him. He pulled his leather wallet from his blazer, slid several high-denomination bills onto the counter, and gave the bartender a tight nod.
"I'm paying for his drinks and mine. I'll visit again properly next time."
"Go, take care of him," the bartender replied, his face grim.
Without waiting another second, Rell leaned down, slid one arm under Xeilin's knees and the other securely behind his back, lifting the boy up in a sudden bridal carry. The moment Xeilin's body pressed against his chest, the sweet, titillating scent exploded against Rell's senses. Xeilin was burning up, sweat pooling at his temples while a deep, breathless flush stained his cheeks a heavy crimson.
Rell gritted his teeth, his mind descending into a fierce, chaotic battle against his own instincts.
' Damn it, he looks so... cut it out, you absolute bastard! The more you let your mind wander, the less you're going to be able to resist! '
He violently shook his head in sheer annoyance, trying to clear his thoughts as he navigated out to the parking lot. He had never felt a sensation this primal before. The sheer potency of that sweet scent was actively fighting against his internal discipline, igniting a war with his own rising lust.
Managing to drive safely back to his private apartment complex, Rell carried the semi-conscious boy through the door and walked straight into the master bedroom. He placed Xeilin down onto the plush mattress with utmost care. Kneeling at the edge of the bed, he gently slipped Xeilin's shoes off his feet and pulled the heavy comforter up to his chest to keep him secure.
His duty done, Rell turned on his heel, desperate to flee the room as quickly as possible before his self-control shattered entirely. But he wasn't fast enough.
A burning, frantic hand shot out from beneath the blanket, wrapping tightly around Rell's wrist. Before Rell could register the grip, Xeilin pulled with a sudden, desperate surge of strength. Rell lost his footing completely, plunging forward and landing flush on top of Xeilin's burning body.
Xeilin's eyes were completely unfocused, glazed over with a feverish intensity. He lifted his free hand, pressing his hot palms directly against Rell's sharp cheekbones.
Rell froze, his breath catching in his throat. Up close, stripped of his rigid uniform and defenses, Xeilin was violently attractive. The sheer proximity made Rell's head spin.
"Please... help me," Xeilin whispered, his voice incredibly soft, cracked, and completely broken.
"What?" Rell whispered back, his brain completely stalling, unable to process the words through the haze of the intoxicating scent. Xeilin's fingers tightened against his face, a soft whimper escaping his lips. "Whaatttttttttt?!" Rell suddenly roared inside his own mind, his heart hammering against his ribs like a structural explosion.