* * *

"Some of you didn’t get a passing mark on today’s quiz, so make sure to make up for it on the next one, especially student athletes. Quizzes and assignments make up 15% of your total grade. If you keep failing, I’m afraid you’ll have to take make-up classes. After the first examination, which will be next month, I’ll announce who will need to take them,” the professor announced, earning a few groans from the students aside from Reese.

“That’s all for now. Don’t forget to study in advance for the exam,” the professor added before finally dismissing the class. As always, it was like a race as everyone hurriedly packed their things, with some even starting to leave the room. But Reese took his time, as he no longer needs to go to the cafeteria to buy food. Since the second day of class, he had been making his own lunch and eating in the classroom. It was the best decision for him because nobody stayed in the classroom after class, allowing him to eat peacefully by himself.

“I prepared quite a lot today…” Reese whispered to himself, putting his lunchbox on his desk while waiting for all the students to leave the room. As expected, he still hadn’t made any friends yet, so as usual, no one paid him any attention. However, that’s what he wanted, so he didn’t really mind. Reese waited a bit longer until all the students were finally gone, signaling him to at last open his lunchbox.

He had just bought five kilos of rice and, since he had a lot of time this morning, he was finally having a rice meal today. He didn’t usually cook rice, so he made a mistake and cooked a lot. Thankfully, even if he didn’t finish it now, he could still have it later for dinner. Reese briefly admired his own creation, ready to dig in, when he noticed that not all the students had actually left. Some were peeking inside the empty classroom. He was confused at first, but he soon found out why everyone was looking and whispering.

“So that’s why I couldn’t see you anywhere…” someone suddenly said from behind him, startling Reese as any normal person would be.

“Ack! L-Lan! What are you doing here?!” Reese exclaimed in shock. It had been three days since that night, and he could say he had gotten closer to the Alpha. Usually, Lan would leave early in the morning and come back late in the afternoon, but after he started giving Elven the space he wanted, Lan was spending more time in their dorm. They had even started eating both breakfast and dinner together.

“I came looking for you. I’ve been waiting to see you at three different cafeterias for the past three days now, but I couldn’t find you anywhere… Today I decided to wait for you to finish class…” Lan replied, sounding a bit upset, which Reese found rather confusing. First of all, why would he even look for him during lunchtime? And second, he could have just asked. They were chatting a lot, but Lan had never brought it up.

“Uhmm… why are you looking for me?” Reese asked awkwardly, watching the Alpha find a chair to sit on.

“You said I can hang out with you,” Lan replied, still sounding upset.

“I did but…” Reese began, his eyes shifting to his classmates who were pushing each other to see from the doorway. All of them were whispering, and he became anxious, not knowing what they were talking about, although he had a pretty good idea. Since Lancel Mo was a popular individual on campus, it was natural for everyone to know him. Despite being a transfer student, Reese knew that Lan didn’t hang out with anyone other than Elven and his cousins. He also knew that during this time, Lan would usually be with Elven in their exclusive spot in the mini forest to eat lunch. It’s like common knowledge inside the campus and so people are confused as to why the Alpha was in a different classroom, talking to a different person.

Since this was likely the first time Lan had intentionally separated himself from Elven, it was also probably the first time everyone saw him talking to someone else. Reese recalled Lan mentioning that he deliberately kept his distance from classmates because he understood their intentions and didn’t have the energy to entertain them.

“But what? Are you taking back your words now?” Lan asked, sounding sad, which made Reese panic. Knowing Lan was still heartbroken, Reese didn’t want him to feel even sadder. Besides, he understood that Lan didn’t have any other friends aside from Elven, which explained why the Alpha was looking for him.

“What— No, no, of course not! I was just surprised. But if you had asked me, we could have met somewhere… with fewer people watching,” Reese sighed in frustration, mumbling the last sentence. He didn’t mind hanging out, but he disliked being watched. What if people started to notice him and find out about him? He couldn’t afford that. Luckily, nothing had spread about him yet, but if the Alpha kept approaching him like this, it could become a problem soon.

"I wanted to, but I always enjoy our chats so much that I forget to ask for your number," Lan replied with a pout, scratching his head while smiling helplessly. Seeing this, Reese froze for a moment, looking at the handsome man in front of him. He had said it before and would say it again: 'Ugh! Why is this guy so incredibly handsome!? I could just stare at him all day and never get bored,' Reese thought, admiring his roommate's perfectly almond-shaped eyes and with long, curled lashes. His pupils were brown, but in the right light, they shimmered with a pretty shade of golden amber. His brows were straight and thick, giving him an obedient appearance anyone would fall for. Not to mention his pointed nose and sharp jawline, as if sculpted by Michelangelo himself.

Furthermore, his lips… they looked so smooth and pink that he felt an urge to touch them. Even the Alpha’s hair looked like he was modeling for a high-end shampoo brand. At this point, he didn’t even want to mention how perfectly smooth the Alpha’s skin was or how well-maintained his body appeared. He didn’t mean to stare, but it was hard not to when the man kept walking around the room shirtless. It made his heart flutter every time, and he had to constantly remind himself that the Alpha was straight!

"Reese?" Lan called out, noticing the Beta had been staring at him for a while. He’s used to people staring at him due to his appearance, but Lan wondered why Reese seemed to be paying more attention now than when they first met.

"Ahh… Sorry… My mind wandered off for a moment," Reese apologized, snapping out of his thoughts with a pinkish hue on his cheeks. "What was it again?" he asked awkwardly, secretly wanting to slap himself for having inappropriate thoughts about his only friend.

“. . .” Not replying, Lan looked at Reese, then shifted his attention to the group of students who had been watching them since he entered the classroom, his expression turning to a frown.

"Lan?" Reese called out, his turn to speak as the Alpha suddenly stood up with a serious expression and silently walked towards the door.

"Excuse me… Can you please stop staring at us? It's bothering my friend, and I don't appreciate it," Lan addressed the group of students. Despite wearing a friendly smile, his tone carried a hint of warning, as if he was subtly threatening the students not to continue staring.

"U-Uhmm, sorry," some of the students responded simultaneously. Lan smiled at them before closing the door abruptly, then turned to Reese, silently asking if he had handled the situation well. Though Reese hadn't explicitly mentioned his discomfort with crowded places and being stared at, Lan could sense it. And he was right because Reese appreciated Lan's protective gesture. It eased him from being the center of attention in the crowded room.

"So I was saying… I don’t have your number yet…" Lan continued, returning to his seat across from Reese with a charming smile. Meanwhile, Reese, mesmerized once more, discreetly pinched himself to snap out of it before Lan found him acting strangely.

"Ohhh, my number…! W-We didn’t exchange numbers, did we? I’ll give you mine now," Reese stuttered slightly, hurriedly taking out his phone. "If you could tell me your number, I’ll give you a call," he added with a nervous smile, trying to cover up his initial fluster.

"Okay, here…" Lan nodded, taking Reese's mobile phone and typing in his number. He took the initiative to save it and made a quick call to confirm. When his phone rang, Lan nodded in satisfaction before handing it back, leaving Reese slightly dumbfounded by the Alpha's uncharacteristic insistence.

"Thanks… I've saved my number. Now I'll save yours," Lan said, taking out his own mobile phone and tapping a few keys. After finishing, he looked up at Reese with an even more satisfied smile. Reese felt confused by the whole situation as he stared back at Lan. After a few seconds passed and Lan didn't leave, Reese became even more perplexed.

"Uhmm, do you need anything else?" Reese asked tentatively, unsure of why Lan was lingering. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wondering if there was more Lan wanted to discuss or if there was another reason for his presence.

"Lunch... I'm eating lunch with you from now on..." Lan stated plainly, as if it were a settled matter, leaving Reese utterly flabbergasted. He knew Lan might be feeling lonely after Elven's rejection, but openly hanging out like this could cause trouble especially to him who wanted to stay low.

"Your expression says otherwise. Are you going back on your word now? You promised to help me with Elven and move forward if it didn't work out," Lan recalled, his frown deepening. Despite the tipsy state they were in when they made the promise, he did remember the Beta saying he’d help him no matter what.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Reese hurriedly replied, his mind racing to find the right words. "It's just... I didn't expect it to be so public all of a sudden. But you're right. I promised to help you, and I will. It's just... people might talk, you know?" He looked genuinely concerned, trying to convey his thoughts without offending Lan.

"I don’t care, and you shouldn’t either. If anyone tries to hurt you, just let me know. You have my number now, so you can contact me anytime," Lan assured with a reassuring smile, prompting Reese to sigh softly. He gazed at Lan for a few moments, recalling the Alpha's recent heartbreak. He couldn't help but wonder if Lan's newfound openness was a way to mask his pain or if he plans to do something. But at the end,  feeling sympathy for him, Reese ultimately nodded in agreement, realizing he couldn't turn down Lan's offer of support.

"Fine... but I don’t have another spoon for you to use, so just use a fork for now," Reese conceded, deciding it was best to let things be for the moment. He shifted his attention to the lunchbox, which had been exposed for a while now. It seemed like if he kept questioning the Alpha’s intentions, they’d never get to eat lunch, so he chose to concede for now and resolve his thoughts later. Furthermore, the more they finish the meal, the less reason for the Alpha to stay.

"Okay, fine by me..." Lan responded cheerfully as they both began to dig into the lunchbox. At least now, with the Alpha joining him in for lunch, he wouldn’t have to worry about whether he would finish the food he had prepared or not.

* * *

To be Continued…