Next Target

The late afternoon sun filtered through the spotless windows of Ethan's apartment in Elmwood, casting a warm glow over his carefully curated space. Everything about Ethan screamed perfection—his life, his appearance, and especially his apartment. The place was immaculate, not a speck of dust in sight, every surface gleaming. His obsession with cleanliness bordered on compulsive, but that's how he liked it. His clothes, always perfectly folded, were mostly white. He loved the crispness of white clothes, and they matched his obsession with keeping everything in pristine condition. Today, he wore baggy corduroy pants and a white hoodie, his typical look, and yet it somehow made him look effortlessly attractive.

Ethan stood in front of the mirror, his sharp jawline framed by the neat braided twists that fell just past his ears. He adjusted his glasses, glancing over his features with a quiet confidence. He knew he was good-looking—he had heard it enough times to believe it. His eyes were dark and intense, a contrast to his clean, fresh look, and his full lips always seemed to have a smirk, like he knew exactly what effect he had on people.

Despite trying to remain low profile, Ethan was more popular than he wanted to admit. Especially in the School of Computing and Mathematics, where he was a second-year student majoring in Data Science and Analytics, his name was whispered in more conversations than he realized. His gentle but closed-off nature only added to the allure. Girls were drawn to his mysterious aura, and no matter how much he avoided their attention, they seemed to flock to him. His easy charm made him irresistible, and it didn't help that he was always polite, never rude enough to turn anyone away.

The problem was, the other guys noticed too. Ethan's popularity with the female students didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the campus, particularly by the guys whose crushes were easily swept away by Ethan's effortless charm. They avoided him, not wanting to compete with someone who could capture attention without even trying. His detached demeanor made him seem even more unreachable, and that only heightened the attraction girls had for him. Ethan, however, wasn't interested in anything serious. Commitment was not in his vocabulary.

He'd learned early on from his older brother, Liam, to steer clear of relationships during college.

"Campus girls are a trap, bro. All they want is to mess around, nothing serious. They'll sleep with you one night and be gone the next. Trust me, you don't want to get involved."

Liam's warning had stuck with him, and Ethan had seen the truth of it. He wasn't looking for love, or even for a steady girlfriend. He liked keeping things casual—no strings attached, no commitments. In fact, he had had three past relationships, two of which had ended with the girls—who were once best friends—fighting over him. That was enough drama for a lifetime.

Still, girls threw themselves at him, and Ethan, ever polite, was too nice to say no outright. He didn't mean to lead them on, but it was just easier to entertain them than to push them away. The result? He'd invite them over, they'd stay the night hoping for something more, and he'd act as though nothing had happened. When they realized he wasn't interested in anything beyond their company, they left, angry and heartbroken, cursing him for making them feel special when all he had done was be himself.

His phone buzzed, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Ryan: "Dude, you should see the new batch. Freshmen everywhere. Perfect time to swoop."

Ethan smiled to himself. His best friend, Ryan, had always been eager, a bit too wide-eyed for his own good. Ryan looked up to Ethan, admiring his effortless way with girls, even though Ryan had only just joined campus life as a freshman. They'd known each other since high school, but Ryan was new to the world of university, and Ethan often found himself giving him advice on how things worked.

Ethan: "Freshman girls are easy targets. They fall too fast."

Ryan: "That's what I'm saying! Get in the class group chat, man. You won't regret it."

Ryan was majoring in Public Relations, the same course as Sophia Mills, the new girl Ethan had already heard about. She wasn't like the others, at least not from what he'd seen. Her profile picture in the group chat showed her in a simple yellow hoodie, with a natural beauty that didn't need filters or heavy makeup. She looked innocent, almost too innocent for what Ethan had in mind.

Ethan: "Add me to the chat."

Ryan: "Why? I thought you didn't do this stuff."

Ethan: "Just do it."

A few moments later, Ethan received the invite and quickly joined under one of his many fake aliases. He had a habit of using fake identities online, sometimes even claiming he was Muslim to add a layer of intrigue. He wasn't Muslim, of course, but it gave him an edge, made him seem more interesting than the average guy. In the group chat, he scanned through the introductions, noting the new faces and names. His eyes paused on Sophia's profile again.

She was fresh, naive, and exactly the kind of girl Ethan knew would be easy to charm. But he needed to stand out. A basic "Hey" wouldn't work—she'd probably leave him on read. No, he needed something that would grab her attention.

Ethan (private message): "Hey, quick question—have the products arrived yet?"

It was vague, mysterious, and something that would make her wonder what he was talking about. Girls loved a puzzle, and Ethan was good at creating one.

Ryan messaged him again, curiosity clear in his text.

Ryan: "What's your play here?"

Ethan smirked to himself.

Ethan: "Just having some fun. Watch and learn."

Despite all the attention he received, Ethan wasn't interested in dating on campus. Liam had been right about one thing—campus relationships were messy, full of drama, and the girls? Well, they were too casual for his taste. But that didn't stop him from enjoying the thrill of the chase. He liked toying with their affections, letting them believe they had a chance, all the while knowing he'd never commit to any of them. His polite nature and reluctance to say no made him seem like he was leading them on, but in truth, Ethan was just playing the game.

And now? Sophia Mills was his next target.