Chapter 50: Chapter 50

A hot guy was waiting for Ryan outside her classroom.

Students, who were walking out of the door, could not help but admire him.

‘Who is the lucky girl?’ they all wondered.

Until Ryan came out. She stopped walking when she saw him, and the guy waved his hand.

“Let’s have lunch together,” Vincent said.

The two of them went to the campus park and ate the food Vincent bought outside the school.

“Oh my gosh. Did you buy these from Lav café? Everything is expensive in that place,” Ryan nagged while rummaging through the food he bought.

Sitting next to her, Vincent answered, “Love.”

Ryan looked at him with widened eyes. Her face went red all of a sudden.

Still giving an impending stare, Vincent leaned his elbow on the table and placed his chin on the back of his hand.

“Foods are expensive in Lav. It’s delicious so I don’t care about the price. Don’t you like delicious food? Love?”

Ryan grabbed the lemonade and took a sip of the juice while avoiding Vincent’s eyes. She knew what Vincent was up to, yet she pretended to be ignorant.

Vincent never courted a woman before. He has zero experience in relationships too. Thus, he has no idea if being straightforward will help him go closer to the woman he likes for the first time.

‘I am aware that this is one-sided love. But I wanted to make advances after I learned that I have many competitors,’ Vincent thought while looking at Ryan.

“Ryan. What do you think of me?”

Ryan coughed while eating the sandwich. It took her seconds to recover.

She made sure no one was there before she turned to him and answered his question.

“It depends on your question,” she said, “if we are talking about physical appearance, then you are super thumbs up. In terms of talent, you are super-duper thumbs up.”

“But as a man,” Vincent butted in. “I believed I confessed to you before. What do you think of me?”

It is easy to impress a woman, that’s what Vincent thought when he decided to confess. All he needed to do was to do things that he rarely does. Buying lunch with someone or talking about sweet things.

Nonetheless, Vincent learned that he wasn’t apathetic to be calm in this situation. Perhaps, he fell harder than he thought.

“To be honest, I am not sure,” Ryan answered. “It was so weird; I am so confused right now. When I first met you, I knew right then that you are the kind of man that has no interest in dating. It felt like I saw the crow turn white when you confessed that you like me.”

Vincent felt the same. He was also surprised when woke up one day thinking about Ryan and admitting to himself that he romantically adores her.

“You have 30 minutes left,” Vincent said after glancing at his wristwatch.

“Oh! Right!”

Ryan picked up her pace.

It’s cute when Ryan tends to forget everything when it comes to food. Just like right now, Vincent seemed invisible when she was munching the expensive sandwich and drinking the expensive lemonade.

Thinking that Ryan had no clue what was happening around her, Vincent leaned a little closer and pecked her cheek.

Because of that, Ryan sprayed the food she was eating from her mouth.

“Pfft!”

Vincent looked at the pieces of meat, vegetables, and bread mixed with Ryan’s saliva on the table.

One word – DISGUSTING.

“That’s yuck,” Vincent complained.

********** ******************

Ryan’s POV

This isn’t two-timing anymore.

It was so ridiculous that I was attracted to four men at the same time. Was it because they are handsome?

I didn’t feel this in the beginning. All because Emily suggested experimenting with my feelings with those men, I became a villain.

“I was attracted. But I am not sure if this is what you call ‘romantic affection.’”

Indeed, my heart fluttered. But is that enough to say that I am capable of liking one of them?

“Darn, it.”

It was dawn when I walked out of the campus gate. On my way out, I saw Chaylen outside. He was leaning on his red car as if he was shooting a music video.

If only I didn’t know that this guy likes me, I would laugh at him right now. On the contrary, when Chaylen looked back at me and smiled sincerely, my heart went into a frenzy again.

‘Stupid weak heart.’

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said.

Chaylen pulled me and opened the door of his car.

This is definitely kidnapping.

I was about to punch him in the face and shout for help (which I will never do), but I noticed that Chaylen’s eyes are soggy.

‘Did he cry again?’

Let me guess.

It’s about his father again.

The only thing that can make Chaylen vulnerable is his family.

Since I have a weak heart, I accompanied Chaylen and watched him drive in silence. I thought we would go back home together. However, Chaylen brought me to a chicken and beer restaurant.

“Two beers and one plate of fried chicken wings!” Chaylen ordered.

“You’re going to drink?” I asked the obvious question.

“You love asking questions when you already know the answer,” he said, laughing.

Ryan didn’t join him, and only observed Chaylen and his soggy eyes. She was worried something bad really happened to this guy, that he even wanted to fake his expression right now.

“You picked the wrong one to accompany you,” Ryan said, signing. “Because I have no plan to drink.”

“That’s fine,” Chaylen said. “Just being with you is enough. Your presence comforts me the most.”

Hearing his answer, Ryan shut her lips.

Chaylen loves to flirt. But when he said those, Ryan could tell he was being serious. And she knew why. She found Chaylen’s birth secret, and so, Chaylen could concede his emotions and problems to her.

‘Maybe, that’s the reason why he likes me,’ Ryan guessed.

“I really need a friend right now,” he said. “I don’t know if it is alright to ask one of those men in the boarding house. I am sure they don’t see me as their pal.”

Chaylen diverted his eye toward mine.

“At least with you, I don’t need to hide anything.”

I stayed silent until his orders arrived.

I ate fried chicken and watched Chaylen drinking beer while telling nonsense stories. I know he was only trying to make himself good. And so, I endured his stories and listened.

It was all good. Not until he got drunk.

This is the worst part. I really thought he was a heavy drinker, but he was not!

“My father accidentally impregnated my mother,” the drunk man said.

He leaned his head on the table. Looking at the bubbles inside his beer glass, he continued.

“That time, my father had to marry his fiancée. He hid the truth from his fiancée and begged my mom to keep silent since it was all an accident. They were both drunk, that's why."

“…”

“I hate them both. Because of them, I felt like I was an outsider in this world. Like, I have no place.”

Chaylen took a deep breath and stared at my eyes.

“I tried to be stupid and did foolish things. It was to take my revenge on my parents. My father is… known in high society. My mother is a celebrity. If I ruin my life, I thought I could avenge my wrath against them. I wanted them to know that I am THEIR HUGE MISTAKE. But nowadays, my damn father confused me with his… his… odd behaviors.”

He looked up with teary eyes as if he was trying his best not to shed tears in front of me.

“I hate him. But I am jealous of my stepbrother for having him. Deep inside, I know I wanted attention from my parents.” He picked up his glass and drank it in one shot. Wiping his mouth, he raised his hand and called the waiter. “Hey!”

I quickly put his hand down and signaled to the waiter that we weren’t going to order any more.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

Perching down, I said, “You are drunk. Stop drinking. I cannot carry you if ever you roll around there and do stupid stuff.”

“There’s a hotel nearby,” he teased.

I hit his head with the tong from the ice container.

"Ouch!"

Chaylen glared at me with his reddened cheeks.

‘Sh*t. He’s really drunk.’

“Let’s go home. I am feeling cold.”

It was a lie that I felt cold. But it was true that I really wanted to go home.

“You feel cold?” he asked.

Suddenly, he stood up.

Chaylen sat next to me and…

“My hands are warm,” he whispered before he cupped my cheeks using both of his hands. Then he smiled sweetly.

Just like what he said, his hands are really warm. My heart beats crazily again.

‘I didn’t expect that it would be possible to feel attracted to this man, and the other four men.’

“Warm right? Just like my feelings for you,” Chaylen whispered before he lost consciousness and leaned his head on my shoulder.

Things… are getting complicated.