Ryvan sighed as he said goodbye to his fiancée after the fair. Wherever she went, Averie was never afraid to stand out. And as if fate was playing a twisted game with him, the blonde also always managed to fit right in. Ryvan was always left behind at the sideline, wondering how to be more like her. 

Lost in thoughts, Ryvan walked to his next destination, the run-down house that was Taren’s home. The Crow’s shirt was in his bag and he almost regretted having to return it. It was proof that they had met, proof that Taren had helped him. Ryvan wanted to treasure it like a souvenir from a faraway place, knowing that he could never visit it again. But alas the shirt had to be returned to its rightful owner.

Unsurprisingly, the doorbell at Taren’s place didn’t work. The panel looked like it hadn’t been used in a century, the labels long faded and covered in cobwebs. It didn’t matter: the door stood half open anyway. The door leading to Taren’s flat wasn’t a hindrance either; it had now completely fallen from its angles and was leaning against the walls as if taking a long-needed break. 

Before Ryvan knocked on Taren’s door, he paused—there were noises. Leaning in, he tilted his head in an attempt to hear better. A girl moaning softly. Immediately, his face reddened and he knew he was listening to something he wasn’t supposed to, nor wanted to. Like a thief caught red-handedly, Ryvan looked around—nobody had seen him, the corridor was empty. 

Taren had no decency! Lectures hadn’t even started and he was already sleeping around... The sour expression on Ryvan’s face didn’t change even as he arrived back at the student union.

“Ryvan!” Milun’s cheerful voice disturbed his increasingly negative thoughts. “What took you so long? Couldn’t get away from your fiancée, could you? Your face is all red! What happened? I need the details!” 

Ryvan smiled; if there was one thing he had mastered in his life, it was faking emotions. No matter how dissatisfied and frustrated he was with his life as heir to the Nightingale Corporation, his lips always knew how to curl the right way when required. 

“Fine then, never mind. Hope you had some fun at least.” Milun didn’t pursue the topic any further. “Let’s head inside and join the party. Wren is saving a table for us. Maybe we’ll even get to talk to some chicks, what do you think?”

Mechanically, Ryvan followed his friend. Inside, the venue had completely changed. Instead of exhibition booths, there were now multiple smaller tables and a band was setting up their equipment. The lighting also had been dimmed with colourful lights giving the scene a discotheque-like atmosphere. Even though the party was just starting, it already smelled of booze and people were already cheering, screaming, and having fun. 

Wren had indeed reserved a table from them, although he struggled to keep other students away—the relief was written in his face when Ryvan and Milun returned. 

“Guys, I forgot to tell you something important!” Milun sat down. “I met this girl earlier at the fair, she’s really cute, her name is Autumn. I think I might like her.”

“Is that even her real name?” Wren gave him a sideways glance as he shoved over a beer to his friend. “She probably just said that because you scared her.”

“Autumn wouldn’t lie to me! She studies physics, I bet she’s really smart, too… I should’ve asked for her number!”

Wren ignored his friend and put a bottle of beer next to Ryvan. “Don’t be so stiff, it- it doesn’t suit you. Ah, let’s talk... What, ehm, made you study management?” 

Milun didn’t think long. “Because I can get a well-paid job and be popular with the girls. Isn’t that why everyone is here? What about you?"

Wren answered equally as quickly. "Revenge."

There was silence for a moment as neither Ryvan nor Milun knew what to say. "How scary! What do you need revenge for? Your school grades?” Milun then remarked but became too distracted to comment further. “Hey look, that’s Autumn!” He enthusiastically pointed to the dance floor in front of the stage. 

Ryvan followed Milun’s gaze. It wasn’t very bright and the coloured lights made it difficult to recognise anything. Yet Autumn still stood out. She was indeed pretty, with curly brown hair and eyes that radiated even though she didn’t seem to be using much makeup. 

Wren was also staring at her. “That chick’s got boobs!”

“Hey, don’t talk like that about Autumn’s breasts, she’s just well-endowed! More importantly, why is she with the Crow?” Milun’s facial expression changed from smiling wildly to a huge frown when he saw Autumn dancing with Taren, their limbs closely entwined. “Don’t tell me they’re dating! Why would she like a ruffian like him? Seriously, how is he better than me?”

“Maybe because he is handsome.” Ryvan didn’t know why he replied. “He also has a nice side and truly cares for his friends.” And he was also an arrogant womanizer who threatened people with a knife. 

“Sounds like you wanna date him—which is fine with me by the way because Autumn will be free for me. Hey, how do you even know the Crow that well? Did you speak to him?”

Dating Taren? After finishing his beer the idea sounded almost acceptable. He imagined being in his arms again—this time without deadly steel in between them. Was he supposed to feel that way about another guy? Ryvan didn’t know the answer but for the moment, it didn’t matter.

"I know nothing about him," he replied finally. Taren had kept all his secrets while Ryvan had given him almost all of his. 

“Anyway, that girl is way out of your league, no matter how you look at it,” Wren concluded, focussing on the issue at hand. 

“Everybody is in everybody's league. Leagues don’t even exist!” Milun countered, frustrated. “She’s a person just as much as I am.” But despite his strong words, his facial expression looked like he was about to cry.

Wren looked at his friends, one more miserable than the other. All he could do was shove drinks their way with the hope that their moods would improve.