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The afternoon sun beat down on the St. Augustine basketball court, but Yogesh felt like he was in a gilded cage. He sat on the bleachers, dejectedly swirling a straw in his fruit juice as he watched Ivan dominate the court. He wanted nothing more than to retreat to the quiet of the library, but Ivan—acting on Noah's ironclad orders—hadn't let him out of his sight all day.
"Yogesh! Water!" Ivan shouted, wiping sweat from his forehead as he pivoted toward the bleachers.
Yogesh let out an annoyed sigh, but he knew he didn't have a choice. He snatched up the water bottle and hurled it toward Ivan, who caught it effortlessly mid-air. In the meantime, Yogesh's own phone began to buzz in his pocket. He glanced at the caller ID—it was Noah. He promptly ignored it.
The ringing stopped after two rounds, but the silence didn't last long. A second later, Ivan barked from the court. He was marching toward the bleachers, his own phone pressed to his ear, his face flushed with irritation.
"Yah! Why do you always ignore his calls?!" Ivan shouted, his voice cracking with anger. "I'm the one who has to get scolded every single time!" He practically shoved his phone into Yogesh's hand.
Yogesh took it with a bored expression. "Hello?" he answered, his tone flat.
"I swear, I'm going to snap that phone in half the second I get back, Yogesh!" Noah's voice barked through the line, raw with irritation. "The only reason I tolerate this is because you're Yunah's brother. Anyone else who ignores my calls pays a price they can't afford."
Yogesh pulled the phone an inch away from his ear, wincing. "Are you done shouting? I have no interest in talking to you because you never have anything useful to say. Let me guess—you called to make sure I tell my sister you were in class today, right?"
On the other end of the line, the silence was heavy."Well... yeah," Noah admitted, his fire momentarily dampened by being caught.
"See? Predictable," Yogesh said, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips.
Noah was about to retort when a muffled, wet thud echoed in his background, followed by the desperate, guttural scratching of someone struggling against thick ropes.
In a dimly lit warehouse miles away, the "men in suit" were no longer swaggering. They were strapped to heavy industrial chairs, their expensive suits shredded and soaked in crimson. Their leader, the fox-faced man, was barely conscious, his breath coming in ragged gasps. When the struggle grew too loud, Noah shot a look of such concentrated lethality at his guards that they visibly shivered. They lunged forward, slamming their hands over the captives' mouths so their Young Master could finish his phone call in peace.
"What was that?" Yogesh asked, his brow furrowing. "What's that scratching noise?"
"It's... my dog," Noah answered, his voice instantly smoothing back into a calm, casual lie."Anyway, you know the script. Tell Di I was in every lecture. In exchange, I'll get you a front-row seat for the guest seminar at St. Stephen's. I heard your favorite professor is the keynote speaker."
Yogesh's eyes lit up, the annoyance vanishing instantly. He dropped his straw, sitting up straight. "Wait, really? The St. Stephen's lecture? Those tickets are impossible to get!"
"For you, maybe," Noah said, a trace of his proud, 'Jay' persona leaking through. "But make sure the lie is perfect. Tell her I'm still at school dealing with some Student President business and I'll be home late."
"Consider it done," Yogesh chirped, his voice now bubbling with excitement. "Rest assured, I'll take care of everything."
"Good." Noah's voice dropped an octave as he hung up.
The warmth vanished from his eyes. He pocketed the phone and turned back to the bloody figures before him. The "Student President" was gone. In his place stood the man Yunah had hired—the "ruthless psycho" who was about to show these men exactly what happens to insects that dare to crawl near his Sun.
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Back at the apartment, Yunah's fingers shook as she punched in the door passcode, her entire body trembling from the exertion of the trip. The moment she crossed the threshold, her injured leg finally gave out. She stumbled, catching herself against the doorframe for a split second before collapsing onto the couch. She let out a long, ragged exhale and closed her eyes, desperate for just one moment of peace.
Ding-dong.
The sudden chime of the doorbell made her jolt, a sharp pain lancing through her ankle. She checked her watch—her brow furrowing in confusion. It was far too early for Yogesh or Noah to be home from school, and she wasn't expecting any deliveries.
She forced herself to stand, her pulse quickening. Every instinct she possessed screamed at her to keep the door locked. The events of the previous night had left her raw, her nerves frayed like old rope. But curiosity, or perhaps a lingering sense of defiance, won out. She limped to the door and peered through the security sensor.
The color drained from her face instantly. A wave of pure, cold disgust washed over her, replacing her fear with a searing, white-hot anger.
She wrenched the door open, not bothering to hide the venom in her expression.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded. Her voice was no longer the trembling thread it had been on the phone with 'Jay.' It was a razor-edged blade. "How did you even find this place? Who gave you the right to show your face here?"