Dean
Home… sweet home. I despise this family nest! Lately, I’ve had to force myself to come back here through sheer willpower. And it’s not just because of my father, our constant clashes, or his frequent disapproval. The real reason is my stepmother. Because of her, I now regret being born into a wealthy, respected family. Honestly, I wouldn’t wish this kind of “blessing” on anyone. When you’re the son of a former senator, people pile a mountain of expectations on you and scrutinize your every move outside the walls of the Grover estate. But inside this fancy-looking mansion, a fury named Irene reigns supreme. My stepmother manipulates my father’s moods like a conductor with a baton. One subtle hint from her, and the old man flies into a rage. But if Irene pleads, “Don’t be too hard on the boy, he’s trying so hard,” my father transforms into a kind, attentive, and generous man. I pity him, but her? I loathe her. I can’t show it openly, though, because that witch could easily “accidentally” suggest to my father that he write his only son out of the will. So I’m stuck tolerating her flirtations and… her touches. But one day, I’ll outsmart her. I just need to bide my time. They’ve turned me into a two-faced monster themselves. Behind the mask of a charming twenty-four-year-old university star lies the real me: domineering, driven, resilient, ruthless, cynical, cunning, and virtually without weaknesses. To blend into society, I show a watered-down version of my true self. I’ve got the patience to wait for the day I can finally be myself. Until then, even with my flings, I have to play the part of the spoiled rich kid. But I don’t need much from them—sex and adoration are plenty.
“Dean, good to see you made it back for breakfast,” my father says, setting aside his newspaper and giving me an approving look. “I heard you led the university team to another victory.”
“Gave it my all,” I reply with a tight smile, taking a seat at the table. They say my restrained smiles to my father look more like a grimace. “How’s things at the company? I heard there’s been a shake-up in the board of directors?” I need to stay in the loop because one day, this massive, billion-dollar company will be mine.
“Oh, our boy is back!” Irene glides into the dining room, enveloped in a nauseating cloud of her perfume. “We’ve missed you, darling,” she coos, leaning down to kiss my cheek while “accidentally” brushing against my crotch in a way my father doesn’t notice. These are the games she plays—it turns her on. Her subtle harassment keeps her energized. I’m worried one day I’ll find her naked in my bedroom. So it’s high time I bolt back to the dorms. I haven’t been paying for a room there for years for nothing. My father won’t care, and Irene will just have to shift her attention to the driver or the gardener because I’m done with her twisted games.
“Well, look who’s gracing us with his presence! And with luggage, no less,” Patrick, my roommate, greets me with a crooked smirk. “Staying long?”
“Definitely until the end of the semester. So your free ride’s over—no more bringing girls here to fool around. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?”
“Other than an epic party at Megan’s, it’s been dead as a swamp,” Pat snorts. “We’ve gotta plan something big. It’s our last year, after all. You heading to class?”
“Nah, I’ll skip,” I say. I’m not one of those nerds obsessed with grades. I’ll catch up on missed work later. I’ll get my diploma with honors anyway—thanks to me, our university became state baseball champs. Today, I just want to unwind, hang out with one of my flings, get some affection, and not think about the one I shouldn’t be thinking about. I’ve got to keep myself in check. I’ll save her for dessert. Yukita will be my reward for graduating. I’ll have her on the day of the diploma ceremony. That’s the plan.
The grand, ostentatious steps, over a hundred and thirty years old, are the favorite hangout spot for the university elite. We don’t sit on the grass like the rest. From here, we see everyone, judge everyone, and no one slips past us. I’m not sure when things went sideways. We were just chilling, chatting, cracking jokes. I’m not hung up on love—I don’t have a steady girlfriend. One day I’m with one girl, the next with another, and I couldn’t care less who they’re seeing. I’m fine with casual, no-strings-attached relationships, free of guilt trips or dramatic tears like, “I loved you so much, and you just left me.” But suddenly, Stella and Brooke lose it, exploding with curses and grabbing each other by the hair.
“Been a while since girls fought over you,” John chuckles, watching them roll around on the grass. “That’s what jealousy does. They couldn’t decide who gets to warm your bed tonight.”
“Whatever. Neither of them will. After this, I’m not even interested. Think I should step in, or let the student body enjoy the show and get riled up?” I grimace, finding nothing amusing about this. The real me doesn’t like seeing girls stoop this low. I turn away and… catch her scent. Yuki slipped past me without noticing. She’s the one who cares, the one who always has the guts to call out a crowd of seniors. Instantly, I’m reminded of that day I pulled her out of the water and dragged her onto the yacht. Since then, I keep dreaming of her long, beautiful legs and those lips that spit out, with contempt, “Don’t you dare touch me!” But I will, Yuto. We’ll wait a little longer, and then you’ll be mine. I want you for real. For now, though… let’s play.
Yukita
After a shower, I slip into my room, drop the towel on the floor, grab a bottle of body lotion from the shelf, and start pampering my skin, reveling in the pleasant scent and the silky smoothness it leaves behind. It’s one of the few habits I’ve happily adopted from my older sister. Lindy somehow convinced me that women need to take care of their skin from a young age so they can thank themselves later in life. I think about her often, but for the past two years, I’ve ignored all her attempts to reconcile. I touch the scar on my leg, and the memories of that day come flooding back, sharp and vivid…
“What do you mean the parental account is empty? Mom and Dad specifically saved that money for my education,” I say, my voice trembling as all the excitement of my sister inviting me for a weekend yacht trip with her friends evaporates. “Lindy, what did you do? You know how important it is for me to finish college!”
“And you will finish it, kitten, no need to freak out. I’ll pay for your tuition, I promise. It’s just… at the time, I needed the money. I planned to invest it in a deal to double the capital, but I lost it. Stuff like that happens in life, but I know how to bounce back. I found a job that’ll support both me and you.”
“And what kind of job is that? Do assistants to obscure directors make that much money?” I don’t hide my skepticism since my sister has never been eager to work.
“Alright, I’ll tell you, but please, take it calmly and with understanding. …I provide sexual services to wealthy men,” Lindy says it so casually, almost with pride. “And, if you’re curious, some of them are willing to pay a pretty penny for virginity. Think about it. I don’t see the point in clinging to your purity like it’s some sacred treasure. You could have your first experience not with some pimply college kid, but with an experienced, generous man who’ll value your innocence as it deserves. Men spoiled by luxury love being the first in everything. Why give away your treasure for free at a drunken college party like I did? I don’t even remember that idiot’s name. But you’ve got a chance, Yuto.”
I can’t accept this. It hits me like a punch to the gut, almost as hard as when I learned about our parents’ death.
“So these aren’t even your friends?” I say in a voice that doesn’t feel like mine, dripping with disgust. “Don’t you dare follow me!” I turn and jump overboard, my sister’s furious shout echoing behind me.
“Yuki!!!”
Thank God we hadn’t gone far—the shore was still visible from the deck, and I was confident I could swim it. I’m a strong swimmer. But I didn’t account for the chaos in my heart or the tears choking me. My strength drained with every wave, weakness overtaking me more and more. The current started pulling me away, and the shore didn’t get any closer. At one point, I just sank under, losing consciousness. When I came to, I was back on the deck, someone’s hands turning me onto my side so I could cough up water. A double shock—two traumas in one day. I don’t believe in coincidences like this, that out of everyone cruising Lake Michigan that day, the one to fish me out of the water was… Dean Grover. The arrogant, insufferable king of our university, the rich daddy’s boy who gets away with everything, who’s annoyed by the color of my hair and my disdain for his pompous self. Dean’s convinced he’s everyone’s type, no exceptions. Yet this redheaded freshman somehow isn’t into him.
Considering everything, he must’ve had to give me mouth-to-mouth. The thought of his lips on mine makes my stomach churn.
“Trying to set a record by swimming across the lake, or is this just a lame attempt to end it all?” I hear his mocking voice above me. “Lucky for you, I spotted that bright mop of hair from a distance,” he says, trying to help me up, but I suddenly start thrashing wildly.
“Don’t you dare touch me! Who asked you to?” I yell, turning my furious face toward him. Better to be angry than to cry from helplessness.
“I don’t need to be asked. And I hate being told what I can’t do. I do what I want, regardless. Calm down, you idiot, you’ve got a deep cut on your leg—we need to stop the bleeding!”
“And I said keep your hands off me, Grover!” I’m hysterical after Lindy’s words, and Dean’s presence is driving me up the wall. I can’t stand entitled jerks like him who later… buy a girl’s virginity just because they’re bored with life.
“Even though you’re a rabid, feral brat, I’m still helping you,” he snaps, grabbing my wrists and deftly tying them with a rope. Sailors know how to tie knots fast—within seconds, I’m securely bound to the metal base of the mast. “Why are you glaring at me like that now, when there’s no other way to deal with you?” A mocking smirk twists his handsome lips. “Relax, red fury, or I’ll tie your legs too,” he says, grabbing a first-aid kit and tending to my wound with the ease of someone who’s done this before. It stings like hell, and I wince but endure it. I stop struggling, not wanting to piss this jerk off even more.
“You’ll need to go to the hospital for stitches,” he says, bandaging my leg and snipping off the excess with scissors.
“Untie my hands right now,” I hiss, not taking my eyes off him, knowing full well this incident won’t make us friends—quite the opposite.
“Only after we dock. What if you freak out and jump overboard again or try to bite my throat out? That’s exactly what’s written all over your pretty little face. Things always go my way, Yuki. Remember that for the future…”
I jolt at the sound of a new message, snapping out of my memories and reaching for my phone. After half a day, the stranger finally decided to reply.
“I’m in Chicago right now. And since we’re sharing personal details, I’ve got one question for you. Is your heart taken, or is it completely free?”