Kinn chuckled. “I’ll pick you up this evening,” he said with a smile. “Wait for me at your college building.”
“No! I’ll go back myself,” I replied stubbornly.
Snap! Kinn flicked my forehead.
“Shit!” I swore under my breath, rubbing at it. I shouldn’t have slicked my hair back today!
“Don’t be so pigheaded, Porsche,” he said as we got moving again.
I kept arguing about him coming to pick me up at the Sports Science building, but Kinn eventually won, insisting he’d pick me up. I was too tired to continue trying to convince someone like him. I knew how spoiled he was—I was still crazy enough to argue with him, though.
“Ooh, someone got dropped off in a BMW,” Tem teased. He was sitting on the wooden bench outside our building. I quickly changed the subject.
“Where’s Jom?”
“In the cafeteria. I’m waiting for my photocopies to finish printing out, then I’m gonna go eat,” he answered. I nodded and slumped down next to him. When he was done with photocopying, we headed to the cafeteria together.
“I was so worried about you last night. After we heard the gunshot, we looked for you everywhere.” Jom was talking with his mouth full, and Tem made a sound of disgust.
“And are you guys okay?” I asked, concerned.
“Of course. Pete ran over to us and sent us back to our dorms,” said Tem. “At first, we wouldn’t let him, but he said you’d already gone home so we didn’t worry too much.”
“It’s good that no one got hurt.” I was relieved. I didn’t want my friends to get caught up in this shit, too.
“So, were these the same people that were hunting you down in the forest?” Jom asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t know anything about it at all,” I admitted.
“Just be careful when you go out,” Tem said, still looking fretful. I nodded.
I was beginning to worry—I didn’t know who was after me or what they wanted. Why were they coming after me so relentlessly?
I ate my food and chatted with my friends for a while.
Ding! A LINE notification rang out, so I quickly pulled out my phone.
KINN: What are you doing?
My eyebrows rose when I saw Kinn’s name. What was he messaging me for?
PORSCHE: I’m eating.
KINN: Do you want to go out for Japanese food tonight?
PORSCHE: Are you paying?
KINN: No, we’ll split the bill.
PORSCHE: Then I’m not going!
KINN: I’m kidding! Of course I’ll pay. I really worked you to the bone last night, so you can eat as much as you want. My treat!
PORSCHE: Bastard!
“Porsche! Porsche… Porsche!” Jom’s voice made me jump. I quickly looked up from my phone and raised my eyebrows at him.
“What?”
“Who are you talking to? I called your name like, a million times.”
Tem and Jom looked at me without blinking, their eyes curious.
“No one.” I shoved my phone back into my pocket and carried on eating.
“Are you…in love?” Tem lowered his voice. Both my friends were still staring at me questioningly.
“What do you mean, in love?!” I snapped, grabbing a cup of soda to drink.
“Well, you kept staring at your phone and smiling… Who are you talking to?” Jom put his spoon down and pointed at me with a calculating look. Was I smiling? When did I smile?!
“Mind your own business!” I barked, and turned my attention back to my plate.
“You’ve got a different vibe… And your skin is practically glowing. Y’know, like a girl who just did it for the first time!”
That made me choke. I pounded my chest, coughing. Tem hurriedly passed me some water.
“What, did you lose your virginity? How? Who?” Jom started yelling. The hell is he talking about, losing my virginity?
“Stop talking!” I said between fits of coughing. “We have to get to class, bastard!”
Having changed the subject, I got up to put away my plate. Tem and Jom didn’t give up, though—they kept trying to get an answer out of me all day. I kept evading their questions, acting irritated and snapping at them until they eventually stopped.
“Wait, should we go to the gym for a bit?” Jom asked as we walked out of the classroom.
“I can’t,” I said. “Maybe next week.”
“Just ten minutes. They’re busy selecting athletes. If you don’t show up, people will say you’re not pulling your weight,” Tem said. If you put it like that… So much had happened lately that I could barely pay attention to college activities.
“Ugh… Fine, I can do ten minutes,” I conceded.
I picked up my phone and opened LINE to send Kinn a message.
PORSCHE: Tell me when you get here. I’m going to the gym to watch them select athletes.
KINN: As you wish.
I looked at his answer and pursed my lips. What the hell is going on with Kinn? He’s never this polite…except when he was telling me not to tense up when we… Shit, what am I thinking about?!
“You’re smiling again, you motherfucker!” said Tem. “You’re keeping secrets from us now.”
“The fuck are you talking about?” I grumbled. “Are we going to the gym or not?”
I walked ahead of them into the gym. Everyone seemed surprised that I showed up. I greeted the seniors with wais and received greetings from the juniors. They all looked a bit amazed and alarmed at my presence. What, was it really that rare for me to make an appearance?
“It must be raining,” joked P’Beam. “I should take a photo… You made it all the way here!”
I stood there with my arms crossed, watching the juniors take turns grappling and throwing each other onto training mats.
“We’re competing next week,” P’Beam said with hope in his voice, coming to throw his arm around my shoulder.
“Let me check if I’m free. If I am, I’ll sign up,” I said. P’Beam sighed but left me to continue watching the juniors practice their judo skills.
“Oh, Vegas! You’re here early again,” P’Beam called out. I immediately spun around to look.
“I finished up early. Didn’t know where else to go,” Vegas said to P’Beam, then saw me. “Hey, Porsche!” he said, walking straight over to me. I backed away. Didn’t he have his own university to go to? Why did he keep showing up here?
“How are you, Porsche?” Vegas asked, concerned. I frowned when I thought about what happened in the car last night. “Ah…are you afraid of me? I’m sorry about last night. I really didn’t mean to do anything to you, Porsche.”
I wasn’t afraid, honestly. Just nervous. I had no idea what Vegas was really thinking.
Tem and Jom saw my displeased expression and immediately came over to stand by me.