Chapter 13: Unspoken Longing

**Sebastian's POV**

Three days have passed since I saw Jasmin at the coffee shop, and I've been going there every day to buy coffee just to see her. She always looks surprised whenever she sees me, but then she quickly reverts to her usual self, acting as if she doesn't know me.

Even though her coworkers flirt with me, she doesn't seem to care.

F*ck! I actually assumed she would care about me. But damn, no matter how much I try to avoid her or push her out of my mind, I just can't. It's like she's glued to my thoughts, stuck so tightly that she won't leave.

I've tried flirting with other girls, but it's no use. Every time I try to kiss them, I end up thinking of her, and then I feel like I'm betraying her.

I don't know what's happening to me... If love potions were real, I'd think Jasmin used one on me to make me feel this way.

I feel so affected by the fact that she doesn't pay attention to me. And why am I even affected? She's nothing to me!

F*ck! I really hate this kind of feeling. I feel like I'm going crazy. Why am I wasting my time on her?

I stood up abruptly from my seat in the library. It's the same spot I sat in the first time I followed Jasmin here. And now, I'm here again, not knowing why, staring at her like a fool while she reads a book.

I got up so suddenly that the noise from my chair drew everyone's attention, including Jasmin's. But after a brief glance, she went back to reading her book.

I walked to the shelves, grabbed a random book, and approached her table.

"I want to borrow this book," I said, placing it on the table in front of her.

She put down the book she was reading and took out a record book. She opened it and slid it toward me without even looking at me.

"Is my face so bad that you can't even look at me?" I asked.

"Please write your name and the return date," she replied without glancing at me, focusing back on her book.

Annoyed, I snatched her book, closed it, and slammed it on the table, making a loud noise.

She looked at me, startled and afraid. It was the first time I'd seen fear in her eyes because of me.

I placed both hands on the table and stared at her intensely. She didn't look away, and we locked eyes in a silent battle.

"Excuse me," someone interrupted.

She broke eye contact and turned to the guy who had approached.

"I'd like to borrow this book," he said.

She smiled at him and took the record book in front of me to hand it to the guy. Seeing her smile at him made me even more irritated.

I slammed my hand on the record book before the guy could write anything and glared at him.

"Didn't you see I'm still here?" I said harshly.

The guy paled in fear. "S-sorry, I thought—"

"Shut up!" I shouted, drawing everyone's attention in the library.

I grabbed his shirt and raised my fist to punch him, but Jasmin stepped between us.

"What's your problem?" she snapped at me, trying to pry my hand off the guy's shirt.

Annoyed, I let go of the guy and pushed him and Jasmin aside as I stormed out of the library.

Outside, I punched the wall in frustration.

"Dammit!"

**The Next Day**

Nathan, Alex, and I were walking down the hallway.

"Isn't that her—what's her name again?" Alex asked, pointing at a group of girls, focusing on one in particular.

"Jasmin," Nathan answered. "Oh!" he exclaimed as one of the girls poured her juice on Jasmin's head.

"Tsk! Let's go," I said, walking ahead. The two followed me.

"Did you order that?" Alex asked while sitting on top of a table.

We were hanging out in an empty classroom, our usual spot when we didn't have classes or were too lazy to attend.

"Order what?" I asked back, twirling a pen in my hand. I remembered this pen—it was the one Jasmin had lent me.

"C'mon, bro. We know you don't usually go after girls, but you have your own way of punishing them when they cross you. And everyone's talking about how she yelled at you," Nathan said while scribbling on the board.

"I don't need to order anyone to do anything. Someone will do it for me willingly. And I'm not wasting my time on that girl," I replied nonchalantly.

"Really? Because you've been talking about Jasmin nonstop for days. You've even ignored the girls at the bar because she's all you think about," Alex said.

Tsk.

"Bro, it's simple. If you want her, get her, and end this. Or are you losing your nerve when it comes to Jasmin?" Nathan teased with a grin.

"If you can't win her over with words, use action. They all play hard to get at first, but once they feel the pleasure, they give in," Alex suggested, high-fiving Nathan. I threw the pen I was holding at Alex, but he caught it.

I'm not the type to force a girl—but, well, maybe slightly. Jasmin is the only one I've kissed forcefully.

I stood up and took the pen back from Alex's hand.

"Almost every girl in this university likes you, Basti, even with your bad attitude. So it's no surprise they'll target Jasmin, especially after she yelled at you," Nathan said, erasing his scribbles and drawing on the board.

"What are you going to do now?" Alex asked, sitting beside me.

"Nothing," I replied dismissively.

Nathan stopped what he was doing and turned to us. "You're just going to let them bully Jasmin?"

Why should I care if they bully her?

"That's not my problem," I said.

They both shrugged at my response.