IT'S been two weeks, and every night, I find joy in the company of my new friends. Tristan introduced me to his circle of friends at the same university, and I'm enjoying myself with them. After my class, we always hang out because they are avid party-goers. Tristan usually accompanies me when they have plans, and tonight, I'm sitting here with him because I suddenly felt dizzy earlier.
"Did you drink the alcohol Seriah gave?" Tristan asked while massaging my palms. We were in a corner, and he didn't really leave my side.
My head hung over the couch, and I rubbed my eyes. My vision was really spinning.
"That blue thing?" I replied weakly.
"Yeah, she's mixing something with the drink, and you might have had it. Sometimes, our stomachs hurt because of her experiments," Tristan said.
Tristan continued massaging my palms, and the soothing rhythm started to alleviate my dizziness. His concern was evident.
"Seriah can be a bit experimental with her drinks," he chuckled. "But don't worry too much. You're in good hands. I'll make sure you're okay."
I managed a weak smile, appreciating his comforting presence. The surroundings seemed to stabilize, and the dizziness slowly faded away.
"Thanks, Tristan. I didn't expect this sudden lightheadedness," I admitted.
He grinned, his warm eyes reflecting genuine care. "Well, sometimes our bodies just give us unexpected signals. Good thing I'm here to take care of you."
"Yeah, I thought you would leave me."
He gently squeezed my skin. "When did I ever leave you? Since I got close to you, I can't remember leaving you, Lau." He answered with warmth and kissed my hand.
Tristan confessed to me the other day, knowing that I'm in love with someone else. I didn't tell him who because I couldn't trust him yet. He silently had a crush on me, and he shared that he's the one who approached me on the first day of class, but I always avoided him even among my classmates.
"You know, I've been thinking..." he softly spoke again.
"Hmm?"
"Does Professor Contreras have another sibling?"
I adjusted my sitting position, uneasy with his question. I wanted to avoid talking about him, but his name echoed everywhere on campus. We were avoiding each other inside the university, and I thought he might be affected, but it seems he's okay. I'm the one who's too affected.
"I... I met his younger sister."
He looked at me, and I subtly avoided eye contact.
"Oh, I know his younger sister. In Block 2, right? She's the class president. Intelligent too."
I nodded, knowing that as well. I just didn't understand why, whenever we bumped into each other, he wanted to be close. I didn't really know him that much.
"But... I heard that they have two more siblings. Zaen is the only one still studying, while the others are already working."
I pondered on this. I hadn't paid much attention to the other details of Professor Zaiden's life because I didn't care about anyone else; he was my sole focus. Recently, however, I found myself digging deeper into his family, particularly his siblings.
"How did you find that out?"
He didn't hold my hand, but instead, picked up his glass of alcohol and took a sip. People around us were dancing on the floor, but we were relatively isolated in our corner, allowing us to hear each other over the relatively low music.
"Jorih has a huge crush on the oldest sibling, and she claims to have met them last month. She even attended Professor Zaiden's engagement party."
I fell into deep thought, realizing Jorih's taste in people. Jorih is our age and quite gullible.
"But the thing is... she really likes the older one. The oldest sibling is already 33 years old and a single parent. Why do women sometimes prefer older ones? Don't they like someone closer to their age?"
I smiled, feeling a bit touched. Professor Zaiden is already 30 years old, and I'm still in my 20s. A 10-year gap? I don't really care about age, though.
"Hey... hey... you're talking about my future husband!"
We turned around due to Jorih's sudden interruption. She was already drunk, swaying as she drank, and then turned to throw herself into an empty chair.
"That was great! The DJ is handsome! But Architect Contreras is even more handsome!"
"Oh, I thought he's a lawyer," someone else chimed in. It was Seriah, now being embraced by her boyfriend.
"What lawyer? No, the other one is the lawyer... the second sibling."
"Wow... all professionals! No doctors? Hehe! That would be perfect for our single friend!" They all looked at me.
Feeling the tension, Tristan coughed. "Why not? Isn't he suitable for a nurse like her?"
They hesitated to laugh and nudged each other. "Just kidding, don't be jealous!" Seriah teased and pinched her boyfriend's cheek, and they started being affectionate in front of us.
Tristan gently grabbed my hand and suggested, "Lau, do you want to step outside for a moment? It might be better to have a quieter place to talk."
I agreed, and we found a rooftop. I preferred a quieter place for now. Tristan knows me, and I noticed he's aware that I haven't been comfortable lately. Even though I want to get used to being happy with people around, I still don't feel comfortable.
We approached the railings and were greeted by the cool night breeze. I felt lighter, and the dizziness disappeared.
"Are you okay now?"
I smiled at Tristan and glanced at him. He's handsome, kind, and thoughtful. I could say he's perfect as a boyfriend. But, a person's feelings don't just disappear, and I can't reciprocate what he feels for me because no matter what I do, my heart still belongs to one person.
I could feel the warmth of Tristan's hands as he held mine. Suddenly, he adjusted my hair and smiled.
"Tristan, you've been really kind to me tonight," I said, but before I could continue, he lifted his hand and gently held my face.
I was briefly stunned as he kissed me unexpectedly. I didn't anticipate his action, and for a moment, I remained motionless.
Before I could push him away, another hand tugged at his collar, and I screamed when I saw him fall to the floor. I didn't even look at who approached me, but I turned when I was pulled, and there he was.
I was about to shout and confront the man when I checked him out, noting his brown long sleeves with two undone buttons, jeans, and black shoes. His hairstyle, once a middle part like in Korean K-pop, was now neatly combed, making him look like a different person.
Is it really him? Or did he just change his appearance? But why?
"I'm gone for a few days, and you're already kissing someone else," he said with a hint of irritation, tightening his grip on my wrist.
Tristan stood up and approached me. "Who are you? Why did you push me?"
I was confused, looking at Tristan. What is he saying? Obviously, this is Professor Zaiden; why does it seem like he doesn't recognize him?
His stern gaze bore into me, and his grip on my wrist tightened. He didn't answer Tristan's question, treating it like the wind was blowing in his direction. "Laurene, explain yourself. Why were you kissing him?"
I stammered, caught off guard. "I... I didn't kiss him, Professor. Tristan was just being kind, and then he suddenly..."
He cut me off, his eyes narrowing. "Enough excuses. I saw what I saw."
Before I could respond, he forcibly pulled me down from the rooftop. Tristan followed us, visibly angry, and also held my hand.
"Hey, she's with me!"
Professor glared at him, attempting to take Tristan's hand from mine. "I don't care. I'm the one with her now. If you don't step back, I will cut your balls and force you to eat them."
Tristan winced at Professor's words. Professor glanced at me, then pulled me again. I couldn't do anything as he seemed enveloped in darkness.
As we descended, he was met by other women, but he ignored them, brushing them aside like grass. We quickly walked out of the bar. Jorih saw me, and I didn't understand why she was staring at Professor Zaiden.
Professor abruptly released me upon reaching the car, and Tristan angrily followed us. He opened the car and gestured for me to get in. I didn't complain because the dizziness returned.
After a few seconds, he was in the car, opening the glove box. I observed as he took a small towel and dampened it with mineral water. He lifted my face and wiped my lips. His eyebrows were furrowed while wiping my lips.
I stopped his hand and looked at him angrily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm wiping that bastard's kiss. I should be the only one kissing you." His response was soft, but instead of feeling happy, I pushed his hand away and turned my face.
"Stop it."
"I will, I'm just wiping that k--"
I looked at him sharply. "Stop it, Professor. Stop engaging with me. Stop being nice and stop sending mixed signals!"