Dylan led Stephanie to the parking lot, where his scooter was parked.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low but tense.
"Isn't it obvious why I'm here?" Stephanie shot back, annoyance flickering in her tone. "It's been almost two months since you last showed up. You don't answer my calls either. Do you know how long it took me to find you?"
"I'm sorry. I've just been busy with school," Dylan said, trying to sound calm. "You know I got delayed a year, right? I really have to take things seriously now."
That wasn't the full truth. In reality, his attention had simply been caught up with Flynn.
Stephanie crossed her arms, her eyes scanning him from head to toe. "Out of all the schools you could've gone to, why did you choose this one? It's crowded, chaotic—and look at your shoes, they look older than you! And your uniform... is that a rag?"
"Take that off already. Don't tell me your da—"
"Sshh..." Dylan quickly covered her mouth before she could finish.
"Don't say anything. The students here don't know about my background—especially my classmates. And I want to keep it that way."
"Since when did you become some kind of undercover agent?" she teased, rolling her eyes.
"It's not like that," Dylan said, sighing. "I just want to live simply here. I want people to treat me normally, not because of who I am."
"Wait—don't you have class right now? Don't tell me you skipped just to come see me?" he asked.
Stephanie shook her head. "I requested a leave today. We just finished our exams, so they allowed it. Besides, I missed you... so I found a way to see you."
Dylan let out a long breath. "And how am I supposed to spend time with you if I've got classes every day?"
"So what? I can wait for you after class. Or better yet..." She gave a small, mischievous smile. "I can stay at your place."
Dylan sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "What am I even supposed to do with you? Fine—you're already here. But promise me one thing: don't cause any more scenes like earlier. I want you to stay as lowkey as possible, got it?"
"I can't promise that," Stephanie muttered, clearly struggling with his condition.
"Then you can't stay here for long," Dylan said firmly.
"Okay, okay... I'll try," she replied reluctantly.
Dylan gently patted her head. "Good. So—what exactly happened with Lexie earlier?"
"I've been here for a while," Stephanie admitted. "I saw her flirting with you during the tryouts."
Dylan sighed, shaking his head. "You really are a hothead, Steph. Always have been."
"Can you blame me?" she said defensively.
"Don't worry, okay? She's nobody. I didn't even pay attention to her."
Stephanie simply nodded, still pouting slightly, but the tension between them slowly eased.
"Hey, Flynn!" Dylan called out as they approached. Flynn, who had been waiting patiently nearby, turned toward them.
"Flynn, this is Steph," Dylan introduced, gesturing between them. "Steph, this is Flynn. He's the person I'm closest to here at school."
"Closest? That's kinda corny," Flynn teased, laughing.
"What? It's true, isn't it?" Dylan shot back with a grin.
Stephanie looked between the two, almost in disbelief. Dylan was smiling—really smiling—and she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him like that.
"Dylan, I'm starving," she cut in, her tone turning playful. "How about we grab dinner somewhere? My treat."
"Sure," Dylan replied. "But would it be okay if Flynn came with us?"
"Of course! No problem at all," Stephanie said cheerfully, flashing a warm smile at Flynn.
While they were eating, Stephanie couldn't help but notice how Dylan treated Flynn. Every few minutes, he kept placing slices of meat onto Flynn's plate.
"Hey, try this—it's really good," Dylan said as he added another piece of meat in front of Flynn.
"That's enough, Dylan. My plate's already full," Flynn replied, half laughing. "Shouldn't you be taking care of your girlfriend instead?"
"Exactly!" Stephanie chimed in, pretending to pout. "This is the first time we've seen each other in months, and yet you're fussing over him instead of me. I feel like I'm the third wheel here."
"It's not like that, babe," Dylan said quickly. "It's just Flynn's first time in a place like this. I'm just... excited for him, that's all."
"Oh really? Since when did you start getting excited for someone else?" Stephanie said with a teasing yet pointed tone.
"Flynn's just different," Dylan said, smiling a little. "You know, during the first few weeks, we couldn't stand each other. He was stubborn, always acting so proud, and he'd sleep in class all the time. But even then, his grades were always high. He's got great handwriting too—I even ask him to help me sometimes. And he sings really well. At first, he looks cold and distant, but once you get to know him, he's actually got a soft side."
Dylan's voice carried a kind of pride that didn't go unnoticed. Stephanie felt a faint sting of jealousy as she listened to how fondly Dylan spoke about Flynn.
"Wow. Two months apart and you've already changed," she said, forcing a smile. "Since when did you start paying so much attention to other people?"
"You just don't get it," Dylan said with a small laugh. "Once you spend enough time with Flynn, you'll understand what I mean."
"Don't you have any other topic besides Flynn?" Stephanie asked, rolling her eyes slightly.
"Other than Flynn?" Dylan paused for a moment, thinking. "Hmm... none, I guess."
Stephanie frowned, clearly unimpressed. She turned her attention toward Flynn, who was quietly focused on his food.
"Flynn, right?" she asked.
"If you're about to ask how Dylan's doing at school, he's fine," Flynn said matter-of-factly, as if already anticipating her question. "He doesn't do anything except annoy me all day, so you don't have to worry about him flirting with anyone else."
"Oh? How did you know that's what I was going to ask?" Stephanie said, raising an eyebrow.
"Because he's got a long-distance girlfriend too," Dylan jumped in with a chuckle. "So he knows exactly how it feels, right Flynn?"
Flynn just nodded quietly.
After dinner, they decided to head home. As they stepped out of the restaurant, Stephanie suddenly leaned closer to Flynn and whispered,
"Hey, Flynn. Next time, I'll give you my number. If Dylan ever messes around or flirts with another girl, you better tell me right away, okay?"
Flynn laughed softly at her playful tone. "Don't worry. I doubt he'd ever do something like that."
"Just making sure," Stephanie said with a wink before hurrying to catch up with Dylan.
Since Stephanie was with him, Dylan wouldn't be riding home with Flynn that night. "Hey, Flynn. I can't give you a ride today, alright?"
"It's fine," Flynn replied with a smile. "Go enjoy your time with Steph."
Dylan started his scooter and handed Stephanie the extra helmet before they drove off.
As they left, Stephanie waved at Flynn with a teasing grin, as if to say she'd "won."
Flynn just smiled back at her, shaking his head slightly.
Once Dylan and Stephanie had left, Flynn suddenly felt a wave of boredom. It was the first time in a while he had felt this restless, walking alone without anyone to talk to.
Ever since Dylan had arrived, quiet days had become rare. The constant teasing, the nonstop energy—it had been exhausting but oddly entertaining. Now, walking home alone felt strangely dull.
As he walked, Flynn sensed someone following him. He didn't panic. Instead, he spun around, ready to confront whoever was behind him.
"Why are you following me?!" Flynn demanded, gripping the man's shoulders firmly.
"Ahhh... wait, Flynn! It's me!" the man shouted, startled.
"Nathan? What are you doing? Why are you following me?" Flynn asked.
"Following? Haven't you forgotten that our way home is the same?" Nathan pouted. "Since you've been spending so much time with that troublemaker, you've totally forgotten about me."
Flynn paused, thinking about Nathan's words. Ever since he'd grown close to Dylan, it felt like Dylan's shadow was always around him—looming over every place he went—and he no longer spent much time with Nathan.
"Why do you walk so slow—and right behind me, too? You should've told me earlier," Flynn muttered.
"I was planning to surprise you," Nathan said. "I didn't know your radar is so sensitive. But hey... why are you walking alone? Where's your so-called best friend?"
"Best friend? Ha!" Flynn scoffed. "He's with his girlfriend."
"What? Dylan has a girlfriend?" Nathan asked, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Why are you acting so shocked?" Flynn teased.
"Really... How about you now?" Nathan said, shaking his head.
Flynn playfully punched Nathan's shoulder. "Stop teasing me about Dylan. By the way, why are you just showing up now? I thought you went home earlier."
"Ahh... some people blocked me at school earlier. They wanted me to join Mr. Campus as the representative for the regular department. Said it'd give us a chance this year," Nathan explained.
"Ehhh?! Really... you?" Flynn asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know either," Nathan admitted.
Flynn stopped teasing, noticing the worry on Nathan's face.
"What did you say?"
"Actually, I wanted to join the theatrical show. I auditioned and got accepted as the male lead. It's a show for all the departments and one of the highlight events."
"So... what's the plan for Mr. Campus?" Flynn asked.
"That's the problem—I don't know how to balance both. And besides, I'm terrible at the question-and-answer part—you know that," Nathan replied, looking stressed.
Flynn patted Nathan on the back. "So what was the point of being friends with me?"
"Really? You'll help me?" Nathan asked hopefully.
"Of course. But not the whole journey—I've got my own commitments too."
"No problem. Just cover for me in other things so it's easier, and I'm good," Nathan said, smiling.