I jerk my arm back, stepping out of his reach.
"I have class," I say, a little too abruptly. "I'm late."
Sejun blinks, looking hurt for a split second before the mask slides back into place. He tilts his head, his eyes scanning me with a sharpness that doesn't match the innocent act.
"Class?" He checks his imaginary watch. "But it's lunch time in twenty minutes. Walk with me? I have so much to tell you about Europe. The Alphas there arehuge, but none of them are as handsome as you."
He tries to link his arm with mine.
I dodge him like he’s holding a live grenade. "Seriously, Sejun. I have a project due. I have to go."
"Oh, come on." He giggles, stepping into my path again. He’s tenacious, I’ll give him that. "Don't be mean. We’re still friends, right? Plus, I've been hearing some interesting tidbits."
He lowers his voice, leaning in. The vanilla scent intensifies, and I feel a sheen of cold sweat break out on my forehead. I hold my breath.
"I heard there's a new Alpha in the department," Sejun whispers, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Kang Donghwa? They say he's rich, scary, and totally hot. You know him, right? Introduce me."
Of course. That’s what this is. He doesn't want me; he wants the new shiny toy.
The thought of Sejun anywhere near Donghwa makes a low, ugly growl vibrate in my chest before I can stop it. It’s possessive and irrational, and it terrifies me.
"No," I snap.
Sejun’s eyebrows shoot up. "No?"
"He's not interested," I say, stepping around him. "And neither am I. Move."
I start walking, fast. My legs are long, and I use that to my advantage, putting distance between us.
"Hyung, wait!" Sejun calls out, his footsteps pattering behind me. "Why are you running away? Are you jealous?"
I don't answer. I just keep walking, my hand clamped over my nose and mouth like I’m stifling a cough, trying to filter out the smell of sugar and manipulation. I need to get to the design building. I need fresh air.
"I'm coming with you!" Sejun announces cheerfully, catching up and matching my pace, though he has to practically jog. "I'mtaking Visual Comm electives this semester. We're going to the same place!"
I squeeze my eyes shut for a second as I walk.
Great. Just great. I’m bonded to a chaotic freshman who likes to stick his tongue in my ass, and now my ex-boyfriend is back to torment me with his vanilla stench and social climbing.
I need a drink. Or a fight. Or, god help me, I need to find Donghwa and bury my face in his neck until the world stops smelling like a candy factory explosion.
By the time we reach the lecture hall, I am holding my breath until my lungs burn, taking shallow, strategic sips of air through my mouth.
"So, I was thinking," Sejun chirps, oblivious to the fact that I am currently fighting a war against my own digestive system. He swings around to block the doorway, effectively trapping me. "We should grab coffee after this. There’s that new place near the gate? I heard their caramel macchiatos are to die for."
Caramel. Just the word makes my gorge rise.
"I can't," I say, my voice sounding a little strangled. I adjust my bag strap, trying to maneuver around him without physically brushing against his sweater. "I'm cutting caffeine. Messes with my... creatine absorption."
It’s a lie so stupid I almost wince, but Sejun just blinks those wide, wet eyes at me.
"But you love coffee," he points out, tilting his head. "You used to drink three shots of espresso before your morning swim."
"New regimen," I say shortly. I manage to squeeze past him, holding my breath as I enter the scent-neutral zone of the lecture hall. "Coach is being a hardass about diet."
"Oh." Sejun’s face falls, his bottom lip jutting out just enough to be pitiful. "Well, maybe a smoothie then? Or dinner? I really missed you, Hyung. Europe was fun, but it was lonely without my favorite Alpha."
He reaches out, his fingers brushing the sleeve of my jacket. The contact sends a jolt through me—not electricity, but a wave of pure biological wrongness. It’s like touching a hot stove when you’re expecting ice. My skin crawls.
