It had been more than a week since Blue and Winter had that conversation in the underground parking lot of XX Hotel.
'I shouldn't have reacted that way.' Winter told himself.
He was currently sitting in an empty lecture room, too fixated on his thoughts. Whenever Winter managed to find time for himself, he would always remember what happened to Blue and regret his actions.
He had overreacted. He had crossed several lines. At least, Winter thought so. When Blue rejected him, he should've accepted the rejection and offered to keep trying his best to become someone worthy of being his character model.
But he had stupidly gone off and blew a fuse on Blue, telling him all sorts of things. Winter feared that his hunt was over before it even began.
Though he believed that all the blame shouldn't be put on him. Blue, too, was at fault. Even if he had noticed something was off with Winter's personality, there was absolutely no reason for him to call it out.
He should've just went along with the act! Like everyone else! Why'd he have to be so stubborn and bold?
"Bro, what are you still doing here?" Someone walked into the lecture room, calling Winter out.
Winter lifted his head and saw Logan standing a few feet from him with a strange expression on his face.
"What is it?" Winter responded with a sigh, grabbing his bag and standing up from his chair.
Logan frowned and said, "We were supposed to meet with the other guys at Dot's Café. Have you forgotten?"
Yes, Winter had forgotten. And he didn't even recall who the 'other guys' were. There were a lot of people who attached themselves to Winter, deluding themselves that he was a part of their friend group.
Winter mostly went along with everything that he was invited to because of his reputation, but right now, he didn't feel like faking a smile in front of a group of people that he wouldn't remember in a few hours' time.
"I would rather put up with an Alpha who would say nonsense things to my face than with one that wears a mask 24/7."
Those words echoed inside Winter's head as he walked over to Logan. They made him angry enough for his expression to go dark and his fists to tighten.
"Is something wrong?" Logan asked Winter, noticing the change in the latter's demeanor.
Winter shook his head and waved away Logan's question. "Nah. Just remembered something annoying."
Logan didn't bother asking any follow-up questions. This was because annoying things happened to Winter on a daily basis to stabilize his bad mood at all times. Asking him about what put him in a bad mood this time wouldn't be beneficial.
"Okay, then. Off to the café."
In Dot's Café, Blue and Adam were already seated. Adam with a cappuccino in front of him and Blue with a blank-screened laptop in front of him. The scenery gave off a sense of déjà vu.
"Any progress?" Adam inquired.
"Nope." Blue said, then resigned with a sigh, closing up his laptop.
"Then why haven't you called him up?" Adam asked Blue with a slight frown on his face.
This made a frown appear on Blue's face as well. He knew that the 'him' Adam was referring to was Winter.
After what happened that day, Blue went straight home without returning to the party. But Adam has been too drunk and happy to notice Blue's absence.
The next day, the two met up and Blue told Adam all about what happened in the parking lot. Adam annoyingly advised Blue to apologize to Winter and accept his offer.
However, Blue picked up a knife and almost demonstrated how he would rather stab himself than apologize to an Alpha. Adam dropped the matter at that time. But since then, he would always suggest Blue call up Winter and ask for help.
Blue refused to do so every single time.
"Stop it, Adam. I'm not going to call him—"
"Hi!" An overexcited voice unintentionally cut Blue off.
Blue lifted his head to go off on the rude newcomer but stopped himself when he saw Winter beside the person.
"Logan! Winter! What a surprise!" Adam exclaimed, smiling at the two of them. Blue's mood dampened considerably.
"We're here to meet up with some people, but we saw you guys and had to stop and say hi." Logan spoke fluently in front of his crush.
An improvement from his previous failures of blushing too hard and stuttering foolishly whenever he came in contact with Adam.
"Well then, hi!" Adam matched Logan's energy.
Meanwhile, Winter and Blue seemed to be in another world of their own making. Though they weren't even staring at each other, a passerby could easily guess that something was going on between the two.
Adam and Logan sensed this as well and the air grew tense around the four people.
"So… the group of people you guys were supposed to meet…?" Adam said, trying to make a conversation.
Winter came off his icy horse and looked around the café, then said, "It seems they're not here yet."
"Oh…" Adam drawled with a disappointed tone and his eyes focused on Blue.
Blue could already predict Adam's next words. His eyes drew into narrow slits and his expression clearly spelled, 'Don't do it.'
Adam did 'it' anyway.
He looked at Logan and Winter with a bright smile on his face, then said, "Why don't you guys hang out with us for the meantime? When your friends arrive, you can change tables. Good, right?"
Blue mentally exploded.
Logan's cheeks tinted red. "Ah, we don't want to intrude."
"It's not intruding. Trust me." Adam said with a reassuring tone.
"Okay!" Logan agreed too eagerly.
Winter almost facepalmed himself because of Logan's lack of tact. Now, he had no choice but to sit down next to Blue, who looked like he didn't want him to sit down.
It was a very awkward sitting arrangement. Blue wanted to leave but he came here with no money for a cab or anything. This was an apology lunch from Adam to him for making him wear those clothes that day.
Blue didn't think to come with money, placing all his bills on Adam's pocket. Now, he was seriously regretting his decision.
Just then, Adam's, Winter's, and Logan's phones began to go off with multiple notification sounds. Adam was the first to pick up his phone and look at the screen.
He blanched immediately.
(Mini theater):
Adam: Come sit with me.
Logan: I don't want to intrude.
Adam: It's not intruding. You-
Logan: Okay! (Sits down immediately).
Blue and Winter: (facepalm themselves in disappointment).