Ray leaned against the window of the bus, his eyes fixed on the campus slowly coming into view.
Each brick of the sprawling buildings seemed to whisper a taunt from his past, a reminder of the time he'd spent as their punching bag. But now, those same bricks looked different, like pieces of a game he was about to rearrange.
He smirked to himself as the bus slowed to a stop. With his bag slung over his shoulder, he stepped off and made his way through the gates.
As he passed groups of chattering students, he couldn't help but notice Ethan and Nathan lounging by the fountain, surrounded by their usual entourage.
They were laughing—no doubt at the wimp returning to the college again.
Ray's grip on his bag tightened, but his face remained expressionless. Soon enough, their laughter would come to an end.
The plan was already unfolding in his mind, each detail meticulously arranged. This wasn't just a revenge.
It was an art.
----------
The morning passed uneventfully. Ray attended his lectures, keeping his head low and blending into the crowd. But during the short break before lunch, he slipped into the library. It was quiet, as usual, and the perfect place to set the first trap.
He pulled out a crisp piece of paper and began writing in neat, elegant handwriting:
"Dear Ethan,
I know this might sound crazy, but I've been watching you for a while. You're different—confident, handsome, and so much better than Nathan. Honestly, I can't stand him. You, on the other hand, are everything he's not.
If you feel the same, meet me in the spare room behind the acting club during lunch. Just you and me. I promise it'll be worth your time.
- Ashley"
The note was perfect—carefully worded to appeal to Ethan's ego while subtly insulting Nathan. It was just enough bait to make Ethan believe it was real.
He didn't even know what Ashley looked like, but that wasn't important. Her rejection of Nathan in front of the entire class had been legendary, and that was all Ray needed. The name alone was enough to stir trouble.
Even though it was clearly fake to anyone with half a brain. But Ray knew Ethan too well.
Ray waited until the corridor was empty before slipping the note into Ethan's locker. He timed it perfectly. Ethan always visited his locker right before the lunch break, and Nathan would usually be occupied with his usual crowd of sycophants.
Ray retreated to a safe distance, sipping from a water bottle as he watched Ethan approach the locker. Sure enough, Ethan opened it and froze. His eyes widened as he pulled out the note.
Ray could almost hear Ethan's thoughts from where he stood. The slight puff of his chest, the smirk forming on his lips—it was all so predictable. Ethan read the note twice, then quickly stuffed it into his pocket, glancing around to make sure no one had seen.
"Of course," Ray chuckled inwardly. "Hook, line, and sinker."
----------
Ethan couldn't contain his grin as he walked toward the cafeteria. The note played over and over in his mind. "Confident, strong, charming…" Of course, Ashley had noticed him. Who wouldn't?
But he also knew Nathan. If Nathan got wind of this, he'd swoop in and ruin it, just like he always did. Ashley rejecting Nathan in front of the whole class had been the highlight of Ethan's week, but he wasn't about to risk Nathan sabotaging his chance at "fun."
Ethan kept his mouth shut, dodging Nathan's questions and brushing off his attempts to start a conversation.
"What's got you so smug today?" Nathan finally asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Nothing, man," Ethan replied, barely suppressing his grin. "Just… good vibes, I guess."
Nathan raised an eyebrow but let it go, too preoccupied with his own plans.
----------
While Ethan was busy daydreaming about his "fun time" with Ashley, Ray made his next move.
During the lunch break, while most students were in the cafeteria, he went to work.
From his bag, he pulled out a stack of posters he had prepared this morning. Each one featuring a grainy photo of Nathan and a headline in bold letters:
"Rejected! Campus Queen Ashley Humiliates Corporate Heir in Front of Class!"
The photo showed Nathan's face faintly visible in the background of a party photo, looking clueless and awkward. It wasn't even a recent picture, but it didn't matter. The headline was enough.
Ray moved quickly, plastering the posters in strategic locations—on bulletin boards, near the library, and even on the cafeteria door.
By the time Ethan was done waiting in the spare room, every major corner of the campus would be buzzing with laughter.
----------
Ethan waited in the spare room, glancing at the clock every few minutes. He'd spritzed himself with cologne and even adjusted his hair in a nearby mirror. But as time passed, his confidence wavered.
"Maybe she got caught up," he muttered, checking his phone for no reason. "She'll come. I mean, look at me."
But by 1:20 PM, the truth was hard to ignore. No one was coming.
Ethan stomped out of the room, frustrated and embarrassed. As he made his way back to the cafeteria, he froze at the sight of a poster taped to the door.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "What the—?"
Ethan ripped it down, staring at the headline. His face turned red as he looked around, realizing students were laughing, pointing, and sharing photos of the poster on their phones.
"Hey, Ethan!" someone called out, barely containing their laughter. "Is this true? Tough luck for your friend."
Ethan clenched his fists, his humiliation boiling over. His mind raced. Who had done this? And why? If Nathan sees this -
Nathan, lounging near the cafeteria entrance, was smirking as he watched the commotion. He hadn't seen the posters yet, but Ethan's flustered state was enough to amuse him.
"What's up with you?" Nathan asked, his tone mocking.
"Nothing," Ethan snapped, crumpling the poster in his hand and shoving it into his pocket.
Nathan narrowed his eyes. "You sure about that? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Nathan's smirk faded as he caught sight of a group of students gathered around another poster near the cafeteria wall. Their snickers and pointed fingers made his stomach tighten.
"What the hell is going on?" Nathan muttered, shoving past Ethan and striding toward the wall.
Ethan hesitated for a moment, then followed, his heart pounding.
Nathan ripped the poster off the wall and scanned it, his eyes widening in disbelief. The headline was impossible to miss:
"Rejected! Campus Queen Ashley Humiliates Corporate Heir in Front of Class!"
Underneath, an unflattering photo of Nathan stared back at him—a candid shot from some party months ago, his face mid-chew and slightly out of focus. It was grainy but recognizable, especially when paired with the bold, mocking text.
The crowd around them burst into laughter.
"Man, you've got to love the confidence!" someone said, earning more chuckles.
Nathan's hands tightened around the poster, crumpling it in his fists. His face turned beet red as he glared at Ethan.
"What the hell is this?" he demanded, shoving the poster into Ethan's chest.
Ethan raised his hands defensively. "How should I know? I just found one a minute ago!"
"Oh, really?" Nathan's voice dripped with sarcasm. "And you didn't think to tell me about it? You thought it'd be better to let everyone see it first?"
"I was going to tell you—" Ethan started, but Nathan cut him off.
"Don't lie to me, Ethan. You've been acting weird all day. What are you hiding?"
"Nothing!" Ethan snapped, his tone defensive. "I didn't even know this crap existed until now."
Nathan stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "You expect me to believe that? You've been grinning like an idiot all morning, dodging my questions. And now, this happens? Don't think I'm stupid."
Ethan's mind raced. He couldn't let Nathan find out about the note from "Ashley." If Nathan discovered that he'd been duped and Ethan had kept it a secret, it would only make things worse.
"Look, I swear I didn't do anything," Ethan said, trying to keep his voice calm. "This is probably some dumb prank. Why would I embarrass you like this?"
Nathan stared at him for a long moment, his jaw clenched. "If I find out you're lying…" He left the threat hanging in the air, turning away to tear down more posters.
----------
Nathan's mood darkened as he tore down yet another poster. The humiliation was bad enough, but not knowing who was behind it was infuriating.
He and Ethan had spent the better part of an hour scouring the campus for answers, questioning anyone who had laughed too loudly or glanced at the posters for too long.
"Who put these up?" Nathan growled, cornering a nervous freshman near the library.
"I-I don't know!" the student stammered. "They had their face covered. I swear!"
"Convenient," Nathan sneered, shoving the kid away.
"Same story from everyone," Ethan muttered as he approached, tearing the last poster in half. "Whoever it was, they planned this out."
Nathan crumpled the poster in his fist. "Cowards. Too scared to show their face."
"Maybe it was someone who's pissed at you," Ethan offered, trying to sound casual but failing to hide his unease.
Nathan shot him a glare. "Don't start with your theories. This isn't the time."
Ethan wisely stayed quiet.
By the time they had ripped down every last poster, Nathan's anger had reached a boiling point. His jaw was tight, his fists clenched, and the laughter of passing students only added fuel to the fire.
And then he saw him.
Ray.
Sitting alone at a corner table in the cafeteria, a coffee cup in hand, and a book open in front of him. He looked calm, almost content—a stark contrast to Nathan's seething rage.
Nathan's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Just got an idea to renew my fear in these scumbags."
Ethan followed his gaze, immediately understanding. "What are you thinking?"
Nathan cracked his knuckles, his smirk growing darker. "I need to blow off some steam. And he's always good for that."
Ethan hesitated for a moment, but then shrugged. It wasn't anything new. Ray had always been their go-to punching bag. Beating on him was easy, routine. He never fought back, never told anyone.
Nathan strode toward Ray's table, Ethan trailing close behind. The atmosphere in the cafeteria seemed to shift. Conversations quieted, and several heads turned to watch the inevitable confrontation unfold.
Ray glanced at the duo taking another sip of his coffee.