Chapter 5
“Do you have class tomorrow?” he messaged
- me.
. “Nope.”
I saw Ulric’s chat window show he was typing, but then no message came through for a long time.
The next day, I walked out of class, and there he was, standing right outside the door.
“Whoa, Ulric,” I heard my classmates whisper in surprise.
I glanced toward the door, spotting him leaning casually against the wall, the warm sunlight framing his face.
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What was he doing here?
“Hey, do you think Ulric’s waiting for someone to finish class? Maybe one of you is secretly dating the senior, someone murmured.
Our design department had fewer than sixty students, so everyone pretty much knew each other, and since we were all freshmen, we got along pretty well.
“Wait, I think I saw Ulric near the girls‘ dorm last night. That guy drives a luxury car! I’d love to ride shotgun with him someday!”
“Haha, keep dreaming” came the teasing reply from behind me.
Liora, sitting a few rows ahead, seemed fidgety and cleared her throat loudly.
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Jora wasn’t exactly a fan of Liora.
Ever since they’d started sharing a dorm, Liora had casually dropped mentions of her brother, Alpha Asher, about three times a day. Jora had taken it upon herself to antagonize ⚫ her ever since.
“What’s up? Did you go out for some fancy food with your ‘amazing‘ brother again? Did it make you sick or something?” Jora taunted.
“You’re just jealous. You’re like someone who’s too short to reach the grapes, but still claims they’re sour.” Liora shot Jora a cold glare, then flicked her hair behind her ear. “Ulric’s just waiting for me to finish class.”
At Liora’s words, the air around me seemed to freeze. Everyone gasped.
“Yeah, right,” Jora rolled her eyes, clearly
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skeptical.
Some of our other classmates couldn’t hold back either, leaning in to ask more questions.
“Liora, how do you know Ulric?”
“Liora, is Ulric seeing anyone?”
“Liora, are you two dating?”
Liora turned toward them with a soft smile, “Ulric and I are just good friends. But anyway, it’s class time now, so let’s focus and get back to it.”
The students around me were a bit disappointed but didn’t press her further. They instead turned their attention to whispering among themselves about Ulric.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class.
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As I packed up my things, I noticed that no one around me was moving. When I looked up, they were all staring at Ulric by the door.
It was obvious–they were all hoping for ⚫ some drama.
“I heard the cafeteria’s serving my favorite steak today, but… I’m sticking around to watch Liora make a fool of herself,” Jora said, her grin mischievous.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re so sure Liora’s going to embarrass herself?”
“Come on, it’s obvious. A girl like her and Ulric? They’re from totally different worlds,” Jora patted me on the shoulder. “Honestly, I think you’d be a better match for him.”
“Don’t say that.”
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Liora adjusted her skirt, tossed her hair back, and walked out, her every move under the scrutiny of our classmates.
I couldn’t help but wonder–was there something between Ulric and Liora?
I watched as Liora approached Ulric, standing next to him. Though her back was to us, I couldn’t see what they were saying or doing.
They must’ve talked for about a minute
before Liora returned, holding her skirt in one hand.
“Ulric wants me to grab something from my dorm. He’s taking me out this afternoon,” Liora said, walking back to her seat and starting to pack her things.
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Ulric was still standing by the door.
For some reason, I felt… uneasy.
Once I finished packing up, I exchanged a look with Jora. “Let’s go. I’m not missing out ⚫ on steak.”
Jora looked like she was ready to watch the drama unfold.
“It’s definitely suspicious. But I’m not jumping to conclusions yet. I’ll keep an eye on it,’ she said, her voice low and curious.
7
