"Flynn? Really dad?"
"Yes, Flynn!"
"No way!"
"He won't bother you."
"He will!"
"I won't!", a slender, tall figure entered the lounge. It was a young man, who was around twenty years old.
Flynn!
Rhea's cousin. The only son of Mr.Frank's younger brother, Raymond Frank who was a director in Swevyn. Flynn would become one of the directors in the future.
He was reading for an undergraduate degree in business administration in a reputable university in California. Presently, he was on a vacation, ergo, was working as an apprentice to Mr. Frank in Swevyn. Him, being a trainee was just for the sake of adapting to the company environment.
If someone had observed Flynn's routine, they would have easily believed he was busy.
College, Business...
But in truth, he had no better job than annoying Rhea! If being an intern was related to his profession, annoying Rhea was more like his passion!
In Flynn's viewpoint, Rhea is like his little sister whom he will annoy without a limit. But for Rhea, he is her friend turned foe.
Yes, foe!
Once upon a time, Flynn was nice to her. He was living in Fairbanks, his hometown. They used to play a lot when they were little. Maybe that's because they got to see each other once in a while. Rhea couldn't find out his true personality back then. But after a few years, Flynn's family moved to Anchorage.
Flynn became Rhea's neighbor!
As the two met each other often, he became a bully!
He would say crazy things to her, frighten her with his horror stories, call her with weird nicknames, steal her toys...
There was an incident that Rhea would never forgive!
One day, he got dressed in an old Halloween costume, hid in her cupboard, and gave her a panic attack! She fainted that time!
As a little girl, Rhea couldn't immediately adapt to his insanity!
Although he was her neighbor, he stayed with Rhea most of the time.
For her, it was like living with a ghost under the same roof!
He was like a time bomb that may explode anytime!
He had no plan of rectifying himself.
Most of the time Rhea endured his pranks.
With time, she started to counter-attack!
But.... she never complained to her father!
That was because of her uncle Raymond.
Unlike Rhea's dad, he was strict. If Rhea had complained Flynn would have been doomed already!
Even at that time she fainted, she just told her dad that she saw 'something' and got scared. That 'something' was sitting next to her dad with puppy eyes then!!!
In conclusion, Flynn is crazy!
It was one of the reasons why she can't let him go with her.
What if he spoils Ryan's mood just like he always spoils hers?
Additionally, there was a substantial reason for her repudiation.
Flynn already knows her secret!
A few months ago Rhea had to run an errand for her father. She didn't know that Flynn would arrive that day. So she didn't take any precautions! She had left her laptop in the living room.
When Flynn arrived, he saw the deserted laptop on the console table, immediately found out it was Rhea's from the stickers on it!
He was not a halfwit to squander the opportunity! He turned on the laptop!
It asked for the password. He checked the password hint. It said "Flynn"!
'Me?' he wondered.
It'll take a lot more time to crack the password, so he just tried some guesses.
He randomly tried three passwords.
Incorrect Password
Incorrect Password
Incorrect Password
A message popped up!
-The account is locked-
"Are you kidding me? She's changed the account logout policy! Smart girl", he praised her.
Yes, it was a smart move. She had set the account logout threshold to three. Thus, only three attempts were allowed!
'She must have set the logout duration within thirty minutes...' he predicted!
He sat there and waited for about thirty minutes. This time he was seriously thinking about her password. It must be something related to him!
Once the thirty minutes were over, he tried again.
-Incorrect password-
-Incorrect password-
'Ok Flynn! Calm down... Take a deep breath... You've got only one more chance. What am I to her?'
He conducted a Q&A session inside his head!
'What have I been doing to her all these while?'
'Annoying her!'
'How did she react every time?'
'She was angry. She used to say you are my only trouble!'
'So what am I to her?'
He opened his eyes wide in excitement.
'Found it'
He slowly typed the password, letter by letter...
< a r c h n e m e s i s >
-Welcome-, the message popped up!
"Flynn, brilliant boy!"
As he was praising himself, Rhea's laptop display came to his sight. The wallpaper on the screen attracted his whole attention.
"Whoa!" he cried. At the same time, Rhea had already reached the living area.
"What are you doing Flynn?" she hurriedly leaped towards the sofa. He was still gaping!
"Flynn!", she hauled the laptop, closed it, and hugged it tightly, then glared at him!
"When did you get a boyfriend?"
"What?"
"Isn't that your boyfriend?", he pointed to the laptop.
"Don't talk rubbish!"
"Then is that your unrequited love?"
"Stop it or I'll punch you on the nose!"
"Is he from China? Will uncle agree?"
Rhea got fed up. She kept quiet and gathered her energy...
After a few minutes, she came up with a question.
"Did you crack my password?", she was enraged. Isn't this a cybercrime?
"I didn't. I guessed it right. Arch-nemesis", he replied with a proud face.
"Does that make you righteous?"
"Do you have any proof to pronounce me guilty?"
Rhea couldn't cheekily answer back! She got no solid proof. So Flynn became the victor of the trial!
In the near future, Flynn questioned her a lot about 'the man on her desktop wallpaper' to which she never answered. He used to call Ryan her "dream boy".
But one day, Rhea told him that he was the one who is obsessed with Ryan! She even asked him if he had fallen in love with 'the man on her desktop wallpaper' at first sight!
It worked! Since then, Flynn never brought Ryan's topic again. Rhea believed he had forgotten it. But if he saw Ryan as her guest, Rhea couldn't figure out how he'll react!
"You are not coming, Flynn. That's final."
"Uncle!" Flynn looked at his uncle with pleading puppy eyes!
He was exhausted recently. He desperately needed a 'real' vacation. So Flynn didn't want to let go of this amazing opportunity. He was persistent.
"Rhea, I've arranged his estate for your stay. If he didn't come it'll be difficult"
"His estate?"
"Yeah... Didn't you want to visit Fairbanks? I couldn't find a hotel with presidential suites at the moment"
Rhea did want to go somewhere tranquil and beautiful. Denali and Fairbanks were all she could think of. She didn't have any problem with the estate either. But she was still not willing to be accompanied by Flynn!
"Uncle, I'll protect her with my life!"
"You'll protect me? I would not be even surprised if you kill me in the way."
"Sweetheart, I got nothing to worry about if you let him accompany", her dad almost pleaded.
Her dad... Her weakness!
Just like how Mr. Frank will make all her wishes come true, Rhea also will never ignore his care. If he'll be relieved, she could do that.
Rhea reluctantly agreed!
Rhea's car reached the hotel. Though Flynn had asked her to let him drive, Rhea didn't. Rhea was a very good driver. She had got her license when she was sixteen.
Ryan was staying in a luxury hotel. The majestic grandeur of the hotel and the picturesque surrounding will impress everyone, every time they go there. But Rhea couldn't be impressed. Her mind was still anxious. She couldn't guess how Flynn will react when he sees Ryan, the guy on her desktop wallpaper!
As Flynn was going to talk to the receptionist, Rhea saw Ryan who was already in the lobby with his luggage. Ryan saw her too. He started to walk towards her.
"Him?" a surprised voice came from behind. Of course, it was that chatterbox, Flynn.
"Isn't this your.... ", as he was going to say 'dream boy' Rhea stamped on his foot.
"Ahhh," he almost shouted then stabilized himself but still curiously glanced at Ryan!
A man in his formal dress was following Ryan as he reached them. That man was mountainous! He looked like a candid wrestler! His posture and style told Rhea that he is the bodyguard.
Ryan smiled at her instead of greeting her. Then he introduced the man next to him.
"This is Xander" he didn't explain more since there was no need.
"Hello" Rhea nodded then smiled at Xander.
While Rhea was introducing herself properly, Ryan dubiously interrupted.
"He is…?"
"I'm Rhea's bodyguard!" Flynn replied in Chinese!
He was boasting that he understood their conversation! Ryan was talking in Chinese! Of course, Flynn knew Chinese but only a few words!!!!!
"This is the one I told before," Rhea told him with a mild embarrassment.
"It's ok. Let's use English", Ryan told Flynn with a smile.
Ryan always used to talk in Chinese with Rhea, because he felt comfortable. With all the others, even Xander he used to communicate in English. His English fluency was impressive!
Now Rhea looked at Flynn. He didn't expect Ryan to be so good in English. He was dumbfounded.
Rhea tilted her head and smirked at Flynn to celebrate his defeat when Ryan was talking with Xander in English!
Once he finished giving instructions to Xander, he turned to Rhea.
"Let's move"
"Sure"
They reached the car park.
"Who is gonna drive?"
"Me" Rhea replied.
Ryan opened the front passenger seat door and got in the car!
It was Flynn's seat!
Ryan had captured the seat which belonged to Flynn thirty minutes ago!
Besides, it was the first time for Flynn to see a man who is 'kind enough' to let his bodyguard sit in the back seat, instead of him!
Flynn glared at Rhea in doubt.
'What's going on?', his eyes asked her.
Rhea ignored him as usual at got in the car.
Flynn ended up in the back seat with Xander.
The car started to move. Ryan turned towards Flynn.
"Sorry, I couldn't introduce myself properly. I'm Ryan Jin. Your name?"
"I'm Flynn"
"Nice to meet you"
"It's a pleasure meeting you as well"
"You're Rhea's …." He hesitated.
'This is it!' Flynn got the opportunity he was waiting for. 'Let's drive a wedge between these two!' Flynn conspired.
"It's quite complicated. If Rhea's a butterfly, I'm her flower! If Rhea is a wave, I'm her seashore! If Rhea is the Earth, I'm her Sun. She is my admirer who revolves around me!" the falsifier dramatically blurted from behind.
All the other people in the car were shocked, including Rhea.
It was unexpected. 'What the hell is he up to?'
She glared at Flynn through the rearview mirror. He was sitting with a smirk on his face as if he had achieved something great in his life.
Rhea understood! Mr. Villain is trying to get on her nerves.
Rhea peeked at Ryan. He had already drifted his gaze from Flynn to the road. He was indifferent!
"I'm not the one who follows around. It's you! Call yourself the moon" she rattled off.
"So I'm the moon! Then have you got another Sun?", Flynn butt in with a curious face.
This was a question to which Rhea couldn't answer. She kept quiet without proper words.
Ryan who was staring at the road turned his head towards the window. Rhea couldn't see his face now!
Flynn too kept silent for a few minutes. He was seriously thinking or conspiring to be precise.
Then he brought his head forward in between Rhea and Ryan and exclaimed!
"Rhea, we've got a solar eclipse here!!!"
Solar eclipse... The moon comes in between the Sun and the Earth...
Without a second thought, Rhea gave him a clip round the ear!
As the two were cousins, they usually spill over each other's secrets in public. This happens rarely with Rhea. But her brazen cousin successfully spilled it!
'This scoundrel', Rhea couldn't help but curse him inside her head!
"Ouch!" he sat back rubbing his head.
Rhea glared at him through the rearview mirror once again. She was incandescent!
Flynn made an innocent expression again then gestured a zipper lips!
"Mr. Ryan, Mr. Xander... Please ignore him. He hallucinates often!" she said.
Xander turned his head towards Flynn with a pitiful expression!
Hallucination at this age! Isn't that pitiful?
Ryan who was looking outside the window replied.
"Ok"!
A secret smile was hovering on his lips that time! His right arm was on the armrest all this while. Thus he comfortably, stylishly hid his smile behind his fist.
Within a few minutes, somehow Flynn and Xander started to interact with each other.
It must be because Xander pitied Flynn! Another reason was Flynn's talent!
Flynn can talk all the time. He can drag anyone into a conversation as well. He somehow intrigued Xander to have a very long conversation with him.
They were noisy. They even argued at times. As for Rhea and Ryan, they couldn't talk anything in the mess that's happening behind. Rhea was smiling once in a while listening to their arguments. Ryan was busy looking outside the window.
Rhea was also observing Ryan and sharing some of the facts she knew about the places they were passing by. Ryan had asked her to stop the car three times to take photographs of the locations which were extraordinarily beautiful.
Ryan took his time photographing each of the locations. He seemed to be in another world.
All the three times, Flynn was continuously exasperating Rhea. Finally, Rhea ended up hitting him with a snowball. Shortly the quarrelsome duo started fighting. But thank god, it was a snowball fight!