Fishpond Crash

: Wall-Slam

4

In the blink of an eye, the new semester had started. I was worried I might awkwardly run into the Campus Prince, but then I remembered he was a year ahead of me and would likely be swamped preparing for internships this term.

My peaceful, wonderful campus life continued, and so did my life as a Devotee. 'Crushes are just consumables, after all. Losing one is no big deal.'

Just today, a call came in from Ron Rivers. I had to check the caller ID several times to make sure it was really him—the one and only Ron Rivers from Aethelgard Sports Academy, the muscular, dark-skinned guy with a buzz cut who stood 192 cm tall in his shoes. I finally answered once I was certain it wasn't a mistake.

"Hello? What took you so long to answer?" A magnetic, lazy voice came from the other end of the line. Its playful lilt always suggested someone who liked to toy with people and be in control.

I sidestepped his question. It's not like I could explain that I was busy confirming it was really him. Instead, I put a smile in my voice and asked, "What made you call me today? Did you miss me?"

A disdainful scoff came through the phone, but he didn't deny it. Instead, he got straight to the point. "We have a basketball game this afternoon. Bring two milk teas to my campus."

I agreed in a heartbeat. Aethelgard Sports Academy was heaven on earth! A whole campus of walking hormones, all showing off their youthful, untamed energy. I felt like just being there, even doing nothing, would add years to my life.

I expected Ron Rivers to hang up as soon as he'd given his order—that was his usual style. But to my surprise, he uncharacteristically lingered on the line. "I haven't reached out in a while. How was your winter break?"

'Alarm bells immediately went off in my head.'

'Based on my years of experience as a Devotee, when something seems this out of character, there's always a catch. A man who's used to being put on a pedestal won't suddenly start showing concern for one of his admirers for no reason.'

After careful consideration, I gave a safe, standard reply. And just as I expected, Ron Rivers cleared his throat twice, as if he felt he'd done enough of a preamble. He lowered his voice and said, "When you come, bring a pack of pads. My girlfriend got her period."

"You have a girlfriend?"

A long silence followed on the other end of the line. Then, in a voice tinged with scorn, he said, "What's it to you?"

I said, with all sincerity, "I wish you both happiness."

Then I ran the full sequence: block and delete.

I'm a Devotee with principles. I don't go after guys who are already taken.

My luck has been terrible lately. I've lost two crushes in a row. It's tough being a Devotee these days…

I was in the middle of sighing over my misfortune when my afternoon class ended. As I was walking out of the academic building, someone suddenly grabbed me. The world spun, and I was slammed against a wall in a perfect Wall-pin, straight out of some campus romance drama.

Dizzily, I opened my eyes and was hit with a blast of fervent, youthful energy. I had to tilt my head all the way back just to see his sharp jawline. A brightly colored jersey was stretched tight over his dark skin, radiating a wild charm. The partially concealed lines of his muscles were enough to set my pulse racing. His sharp brows and intense eyes were fixed on me, like a wolf ready to tear out a rabbit's throat.

I stared, shocked and terrified. "Ron Rivers?!"