Cole's grip on Ryan's arm was gone in an instant, and a hand pushed him away.
"It's not nice to randomly grab people on the street." Carl's voice was stern, not leaving room for a rebuttal.
"This— This…" Cole faltered. He was clearly a bit intimidated by the man who just showed up. "This is between me and my boyfriend."
Carl arched a brow lazily, his gaze shifting to Ryan. "Is this true?"
"No," Ryan said simply, his tone even, like he wasn't involved. "We're not familiar,"
On the outside, he looked calm, but internally, his mind was already in overdrive. Of all the people he could have met, how did he end up running into Carl here? Professor Ken usually parked behind the department since it was closer to his office. There was no reason for Carl to be here.
"Ryan, I–" Cole started.
"I already made myself clear." Ryan cut him off sharply. "Do you want me to call the police?"
Cole's gaze flickered between Ryan and Carl, something clicking in his head. "It's because of him, right?"
Ryan frowned. "What?"
"He's the reason you want to break up with me." Cole let out a bitter laugh. "It's fine, I don't mind. I cheated, and you cheated in return. It cancels out. I forgive you."
"Are you drunk? What does he have to do with anything?" The way Ryan was looking at Cole changed, like he was looking at a crazy person. "You're the only reason I want to break up with you."
Cole's tone turned hostile, "Even though he's better looking than me, he obviously doesn't have any real work going on for him. Someone like him. Someone who relies on his face to survive can't be trusted. He's going to scam you at the end of the day. Compared to him, I'm a better—."
Without missing a beat, Ryan punched Cole before the man finished speaking.
Cole staggered back and landed on the asphalt, looking up to Ryan with shock in his eyes.
"You… you hit me. How could you hit me?"
"Is your mind clear now?" Ryan asked coldly.
Cole's mouth opened and closed like he was trying to find words but couldn't.
He remembered the first time he met Ryan. After a night out at the club, he had been too drunk to drive. Walking down the road in the early hours of the morning with the hopes of finding a cab along the way.
Two men had jumped out of the shadows with knives, demanding his phone and money. Ryan had been the one to save him. Like a knight, he appeared, swiftly disarming and beating those men to a pulp. Seeing they had no hope of winning, the muggers had taken off running.
"Are you okay?" Ryan had asked back then, pulling him to his feet. Afterwards, he had even given Carl a ride to a hotel on his scooter. It was that night he had fallen in love.
The seemingly clumsy man wasn't a weak nerd. He could fight and fight hard.
Rayn seemed cold, but was warm and kind. He tried everything, chasing Ryan for months. And he had succeeded, but he blew it.
Now the same man looked at him with disgust, just like he had looked down at those muggers that night.
"I'm warning you," Ryan said, stepping closer. "If you don't want to get beaten up, don't show up in front of me again."
Cole scrambled to his feet and ran off, leaving the bouquet he'd brought lying on the ground.
"Good evening. We meet again." Carl's shoe came down on the flower, crushing the soft petals under his feet. "Ryan."
"Your flowers," he lifted a foot, smiling innocently at Ryan. "I didn't mean to. I'll get you a new bouquet. What type do you like?"
Ryan took a small step back, keeping his expression neutral.
"Nice hit," Alex's voice broke in cheerfully as he came to stand next to them. "Hi Carl. What a surprise."
"Hello," Carl greeted easily. "I'm here to pick up my dad. He's over in the car."
Ryan's gaze flicked toward the sleek black car, the same as the one from the weekend, making him remember what happened the last time. He shook his head, pushing it back down.
The three of them walked toward the parked vehicle.
"Ryan, are you alright?" Professor Ken's voice came from the passenger seat as the window lowered.
"Yes, sir," Ryan nodded. "I've handled everything."
"Send his details to the security unit," the professor instructed. "They'll make sure he won't be able to set foot in the premises again."
"Yes, sir."
"How about we give you a ride?" Professor Ken's gaze returned to Ryan. "In case he's still waiting nearby."
Ryan shook his head. "I don't want to trouble you, Alex, and I live in the opposite direction."
"Don't worry about that. I'm going out to dinner with some friends– your house is on the way." Professor Ken assured them.
Left with no choice, Ryan didn't push further. He and Alex slid into the backseat.
The professor glanced at Carl, who had just gotten into the driver's seat. "Take good care of Ryan when you can, alright."
Carl smiled faintly. "Naturally. He's your favorite disciple, isn't he?"
After adjusting the mirror, Carl pulled out his phone from his pocket. "Why don't you give me your number?" His eyes caught Ryan's in the reflection, a playful smirk on his lips, daring him to say no. "So it'll be easier to take care of you."
Ryan silently keyed in his number. Well played. Carl knew he wouldn't want to make things awkward in front of the professor, so he intentionally asked at that moment. He could only swallow this loss.
"Third time's the charm." Carl mouthed through the glass.
The tension didn't last long. Ryan, Alex, and the professor spent the rest of the ride talking about work, the new papers they were reading, and upcoming conferences.
--------------------------
Ryan spent the rest of the evening grading assignments in his study until the clock above the shelf chimed— 11:00 PM. He needed to go to bed soon or he would be late for his 8:00 AM class the next day.
His phone buzzed.
He leaned back in his chair and picked up his phone, his left hand absently stroking Adalia, who had been accompanying him to work.
A message came in. Ryan looked at the unknown number in contemplation. Was it Cole texting him with a new number?
He frowned, opening the message..
"Are you still awake?"
"It's me, Carl. We just got home."
Then.
"I was wondering if you would like to get dinner together sometime."
A pause. Then another couple of messages.
"Seems like you're asleep."
"Goodnight then."
The messages finally stopped.
Ryan stared at the screen for a moment before setting it face down. He had just resolved one problem, but another, bigger one was still waiting for him, ready to pounce.