Chapter 2

When the lecture finally ended, Kian let out a breath and got up, heading out, followed by his friends. "Now what was up with that Kian. Doesn't seem like you 'aren't interested in business' as you said" his other friend, Darren spoke.

Kian only smiled innocently "I just wanted to hear what he thinks"

"Well alright, I have to go ahead and head home, take care you two" Darren bids the two goodbye and Arno also goes his separate way.

After the talk, the teacher had privately apologized to Arsen while the other teacher walked over to Kian, grabbing him roughly by the arm and leading him out, right outside the school, at the back.

"Kian, what was that? What are you doing? How can you be so rude as to talk that way to Mr. Fell? Are you out of your mind?!" The teacher scolds him.

"You think you're so smart that you can do that? Didn't you care about your reputation? You're on scholarship right? You know the school will not tolerate any rude behavior." With that, Kian looks at him, wide eyed at the risk.

"I know I've been wrong, I was insensitive and I let my emotions take the best of me." He looks down.

"Emotions? What emotions. Jealousy? Because his family paid for him to get good education? Are you jealous your family didn't do that? That you had to do dirty degrading work to get here?" The teacher corners him against the wall and for once in a long time, Kyris felt so small, his back against the wall. He couldn't say anything.

"I.. deserve to be here" he muttered.

"What was that?" The teacher spoke.

"I deserve to be here, don't I?" He spoke louder, meeting the teacher's eyes and the teacher scoffs.

"Do you? When all you do is-" before the teacher could finish, there footsteps that could be heard approaching and the teacher stepped back.

Kian could only look down, biting his lower lip as he clenched his fist. This was humiliating. He hated it, so much.

~

After a long day of school, a bar was just the way to go. Kyris usually frequented this bar only to drink and look around, having only gotten service once or twice when he was in his lowest.

That was how he ended up stopping by. Only there to get a few drinks. While doing so, Kian's phone would often light up with notifications. They were from his brother.

Despite the fact that he was practically disowned from that family, there was still one person who cared for him. His older brother and the future ceo of the Elrod group, Caleb.

He was the only person who would check up on Kian. However, he tends to go overboard at times. When Kian doesn't answer, after a few minutes he'll be knocking by his door. He didn't know if he just really cared or he was monitoring him, to make sure he's not doing anything to damage the company. However, in Kian's eyes his brother was sincere.

It was then that he heard someone approach.

"Hey," it was Arsen. "Shouldn't you either pick that shit up or turn it off?"

Upon hearing the male, Kian looks over at him. "ah, yes, sorry to bother you" he goes over to quickly turn his phone on and texts his brother to stop bothering him and that he's spending time with his friends.

He turns back to Arsen "is that alright now?.. did you have a bad day or something?" He smirks a little tauntingly.

Arsen hadn't--and still didn't--recognize Kian or else he would've already freaked out about a student seeing him in a place like this. He would've also exchanged words with the bartender to make sure that they screened entrants to the place more carefully because college students had no place here.

Arsen thought Kian looked vaguely familiar, but the environment they were currently in was just too different for his mind to associate his face with the same student that had apparently taken issue with him earlier. "Don't see how it's any of your fucking business, but I'm flattered you're interested," he shot back dryly.

Kian only smiles "it's just formality, please don't flatter yourself" he spoke before turning back to the bartender and ordering a drink. Earlier in school his hair was neatly brushed while now it was a little messy, some strands on his face. Kian wore non-branded clothes yet still looked wealthy as he was rather composed and elegant with the way he represents himself.

When the drink arrived, he quickly takes a sip.

Arsen snorted at Kian's response, still not picking up on the fact that he was the same antagonistic student from earlier. "You look a little young to be here, kids ought to just head on home." Arsen's sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the sides of his writing hand were smeared with ink. He took his drink and sat right beside Kian.

Kian looked at him in confusion, leaning away.

"well it's a little flattering for someone to say I look young. Though I assure you I'm old enough to be here so you don't need to worry about getting into trouble" he smiles innocently.

After a few rounds, Kian soon felt his whole body turning hot and heavy, he was already feeling drowsy and tipsy. Arsen stayed seated beside him though he was minding his own business. His gaze stuck to his phone while taking a few sips of his drink.

Kian went to order another glass after finishing his 6th one and placing them in a row. He was really planning to get drunk and didn't care how he'd get home, even considering just sleeping here.

Arsen at first wanted to monitor this person as he did seem suspicious of his young appearance. Soon enough he started to pity him as he drank and drank, thinking he was helpless when suddenly. He's finally realized when the spotlight shone on them for a moment that the boy looked incredibly familiar.

He scoffs, flipping his hair back as he resisted to urge to laugh. "How are you going to pay for that, young one?"

Hearing the person beside him, Kian turned to look at him "I'm broke" he simply answers as the bartender places his 7th drink and he drinks half of it for now.

"Then your genes must be really good. Are the son of a prostitute? A single mother? Maybe your father is rich you know" Arsen spoke, considering that at first glance the young male exceeded the aura he'd normally see in people of his own status.

Kian looked at him again but this time looking utterly confused. "what?"

Arsen let out a low laugh "I'm just saying you have a pretty face" he looks at him fondly. "Despite offending me earlier, you entertained me tonight. I'll pay for your drinks"

Kian was surprised as the man said that. If there was one thing he hated the most, it was owing someone. He didn't want to get things out of pity.

"h-hey, I said I was broke but I can still pay for all of these" he says motioning for the glasses in front of him. He didn't know what the guy wanted and what would benefit the male by talking to him.

"You're wasting your money on things you don't need. I know you work hard for that" Arsen calmly says however Kian was not convinced.

"well aren't you doing the same thing? I mean even worse, 'wasting' your money on such things and even wasting your money and time with me" he says bravely as he stared at the man before him. He clicked his tongue, he only came here to sulk about his day, he wasn't planning on talking to anyone and making acquaintances or maybe doing someone a favor since he still didn't know what the man wanted from him at all. He checked his phone for a bit and then immediately looked back at the man as he ordered them both three shots, he then looked at the bartender "No thank, I'm good"

"Aw, finished already, young one?" Arsen pushes the male's phone down and takes the glass, moving it close to Kian's lips.

"Come drink with me, I'll pay for your drinks and you keep me company, hm?" He tilts his head, glancing at Kian's lips, moving the shot glass a little closer so it was touching.

Now it Kian who scoffed "alright, I'll play your game" he says at first, parting his lips, letting the male tilts the shot glass to let the liquid in.

"There, not so hard isn't it?" Arsen puts the glass down and pours the content of the other glass in it before taking a sip himself.

"So, how old are you?"

'Ah this again' Kian was getting annoyed that he was called a kid when he clearly wasn't, compared to him he did look quite young, Kian was 20 years of age.

Kian takes one shot glass and drank. As he gulped it down, he felt himself now getting more drunk, his eyes were getting tired and heavy and he felt like he could fall off of his chair at any moment. "We're still at this? I told you I'm old enough to be here, 20, how about you?"

"Me? I'm 27" Arsen smiles, now confirming that he was legal to be here so he shouldn't worry about getting into trouble.

"Then, you want to be my sugar daddy?" He joked and took another shot even though he was already clearly drunk, he had one more glass left. And he held it, he stared at it with furrowed eyebrows, internally debating whether he should drink it now or wait. He looked like he was having a staring contest with the shot glass.

He noticed a pair of eyes checking him out and apparently Arsen did too, noticing how the ceo glared at the man.

"You know, you're suspicious but you aren't so bad" Kian smiles, this time sincere. Just then, his phone suddenly made a notification noise which prevented him from seeing the kind of face Arsen made when he heard that.

Kian picked up his phone and check on who it was before responding to the text message. The person texting him was his older brother once again.

As he was doing so, Kian could still feel the male's gaze on him. It didn't exactly make him uncomfortable but it was still weird.

Putting his phone down, he let out a sigh before turning to face him, moving his face closer to his. This was all so weird to him, he didn't know the basis of the action of the man before him, did he fall in love at first sight?

"Are you into me?" Kian asked.

Without a word, Arsen leaned in.

Kian felt as if everything stopped.

'What'