The Manhattan skyline outside the window shed its neon glow, taking on the gray-blue of dawn. Won-bin awoke in a state of exhaustion mixed with soreness and a strange satisfaction. Hawk was no longer beside her; the other side of the bed was cold.
Fragments of last night's stormy memories flooded her mind, instantly flushing her cheeks and making her heart race uncontrollably. She wrapped the sheet around herself and sat up, looking around the cold, luxurious bedroom, which was nonetheless infused with Hawk's strong presence. A feeling of unreality lingered.
Cautiously getting out of bed, the hidden ache in her body was a stark reminder of the night's intensity. She put on her wrinkled shirt and skirt, stepped barefoot onto the soft, cool carpet, and opened the bedroom door.
In the living room, Hawk was sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee. He wore only pajama bottoms; the morning light highlighted the strong, full lines of his upper body.
Won-bin was hesitating, unsure how to speak, when the "beep-beep" of the fingerprint scanner and deliberately hushed voices came from the entrance.
"Ugh, finally home. I need serious sleep..."
"Wait, Won-bin?"
"Mr. Hawk!... Uh, Won-bin, you're here too?"
Goo Ja-yoon and Shin Si-ah walked in, looking tired. Goo Ja-yoon saw Hawk in the living room and Won-bin clearly emerging from the bedroom. Her eyes flickered, and she quickly looked away, trying to subtly hide Shin Si-ah behind her. Shin Si-ah, completely oblivious, yawned widely, looking at the two with innocent curiosity.
Hawk turned, sipped his coffee, and scanned them with a calm gaze. "Late night out? Just getting home?"
Goo Ja-yoon immediately reacted like a cornered cat, stammering, "No... didn't go anywhere... just... wandering around." Her eyes darted, avoiding Hawk's look.
Shin Si-ah, the honest child, looked directly at Hawk and dutifully added, "Ja-yoon Unnie went to a nightclub. The lights were so flashy, and the music was so loud! Ja-yoon Unnie didn't get drunk at all," she paused, seemed to remember something, and looked at Goo Ja-yoon with confusion. "But Unnie, I think you forgot to pay? That manager guy said he'd charge it to the account..."
Goo Ja-yoon's face instantly went scarlet. She wished the floor would swallow her. "Shin Si-ah! Shut up!"
Hawk didn't flinch, as if he expected this. He put down his coffee cup, his tone flat. "The bill is being sent to my house?"
Goo Ja-yoon shrank her neck, mumbling, "Sent to Columbia University..."
Hawk's eyes widened. He stood up with a clank, nearly flipping the sofa, a twitch at the corner of his eye. "Go pay it right now! If my professors and classmates think I'm drinking at a nightclub and skipping the bill, how am I supposed to hold my head up?"
Goo Ja-yoon managed an embarrassed laugh and nodded repeatedly.
Hawk glanced at Goo Ja-yoon's jacket, noticing what looked like splattered blood. "What's that?"
Goo Ja-yoon looked down at her sleeve and waved it off.
Shin Si-ah spoke up first: "A few men tried to put their hands on her while she was drinking. Ja-yoon Unnie taught them a lesson."
Hawk turned his attention back to Goo Ja-yoon, who offered an innocent smile: "Don't worry, no one died."
Hawk finally let Goo Ja-yoon off the hook, then looked at the confused Shin Si-ah, who was still trying to recall details. "From now on, you're with Won-bin." He gestured to the still-awkward Won-bin. "Let her teach you some manners, especially basic common sense like 'paying the bill.'"
Shin Si-ah immediately nodded happily. "Okay, okay! Hi, Won-bin Unnie!" She greeted her with a smile.
Then, her clear, big eyes bounced between Won-bin and Hawk, finally settling on Won-bin's noticeably messy hair, slightly swollen lips, and the subtle, reddish mark on her neck. She asked innocently:
"Ah! So Won-bin Unnie and Mr. Hawk were together last night too? Why did you both come out of one room? Won-bin Unnie looks a little tired, right?" She pointed at Won-bin, then at Hawk in his pajamas, her face a picture of pure curiosity.
The air instantly froze. Goo Ja-yoon rolled her eyes and covered her face. Won-bin's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and her eyes darted around in panic. She wished she could disappear.
Hawk paused, looking at Shin Si-ah without expression.
"We were watching a movie," Hawk broke the silence first.
"Yes! Watching a movie! A horror movie! It scared us so much we couldn't sleep well!" Won-bin immediately caught on and quickly backed him up, trying to salvage the embarrassing situation. "A very long movie..."
Shin Si-ah tilted her head, looking from one to the other, her eyes filled with a "Really? I don't believe you" skepticism. The trio's obvious discomfort made her suspect that things weren't that simple, but seeing Mr. Hawk's undeniable composure, she temporarily swallowed her full belly of questions, only muttering, "What kind of movie is that scary... that it makes people tired..."
Hawk ignored Shin Si-ah's grumbling, put down his coffee cup, and walked straight toward his master bedroom, as if the awkward exchange had never happened.
"Wash up and change. I have class today."
....
Columbia University. Economics lecture hall. The old professor on the podium was passionately lecturing on the "law of diminishing marginal utility."
"So, who can tell me why a diamond is more expensive than water, even though the total utility of water is far greater than that of a diamond?" The professor pushed up his glasses.
Silence.
"Because of scarcity and marginal value." A low, pleasant voice sounded.
Swish! All eyes focused on the window seat in the back row. Hawk Lane was resting his chin on one hand, his posture relaxed.
"Bingo!" The professor's eyes lit up. "Lane, care to elaborate?"
Hawk spoke eloquently, his logic clear, his words precise, making the dry theory sound like Wall Street insider secrets. The classroom was filled only with his voice and the suppressed gasps of the female students.
"Wow... Senior Hawk is really handsome... and his voice is so nice..."
"I know, right? I specifically come to this class just to see Hawk."
"I heard he's dating Professor Emilia..."
"Shh! Don't spread rumors! He and Emily the cheerleader are a couple, right? Someone saw him pick her up in his sports car last time."
"Jenny, the Art School's beauty queen, who's a fantastic dancer, has also come looking for Hawk."
"And Olivia from the student council? The way she looks at him isn't normal. She's the Mayor's daughter, definitely the most likely one. Is this guy a menace? A collector? When will he come collect me?"
"I heard the new girls who transferred into the Economics department did it for Hawk. They're all campus-belle material!"
Among them, two new S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, disguised as Asian straight-A student Kobayashi Miu and sporty sweetheart Catherine Miller, were also in the classroom, their eyes constantly glancing at Hawk, trying to detect something.
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