Curiosity Killed My Reputation

"But Satisfaction Might Bring It Back"

ᑕᕼOᖴᖴIEᒪEᔕOᑌᒪᐯEᔕ

Theo had built his entire reputation on three solid principles:

1. Never care too much.

2. Never chase anyone.

3. Always leave them wanting more.

Simple, effective, and absolutely unshakable—until today.

Because today, Theo was standing in the middle of the art hall, gripping his sketchbook with white-knuckled fingers, staring at a name on a flyer like it had just insulted his entire bloodline.

Wren Carson.

This wasn't normal behavior for him. He wasn't the type to fixate, obsess, or—god forbid—get curious. That was for desperate people. People who needed romance to fill the void in their souls. Theo? Theo had flings. Fleeting, physical, and forgettable. He was in control. Always.

And yet.

Yet.

He couldn't stop thinking about the damn letter.

"Theo."

His head snapped up.

Kai was leaning against the lockers a few feet away, arms crossed, looking entirely unimpressed. Pasha and Rule flanked him, and Lux stood slightly apart, silent but watching. They all looked way too entertained for his liking.

"What?" Theo snapped, shifting his sketchbook under one arm like he wasn't just standing there having an existential crisis over a girl's name.

Kai raised a brow. "We've been calling you for five minutes. You good?"

"Yeah," Theo said, then immediately followed it with, "No." Then, "It's not important."

Rule smirked. "You sure? Because you're staring at that flyer like it owes you money."

Theo rolled his eyes and turned away. "It's just... a name." He was trying to convince himself more than them.

"A girl's name." Pasha gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "Theo. Are we having a moment right now?"

"Absolutely not," Theo deadpanned.

Kai narrowed his eyes. "Wait. Wait." His expression shifted from teasing to something far more dangerous. "This is about that letter, isn't it?"

Theo's stomach did a violent somersault.

There were very few things in life worse than Kai figuring something out.

Lux stiffened at the mention of the letter, but Theo barely noticed. He was too busy glaring at Kai and trying to think of a way to back out of this conversation before he became the subject of every group chat on campus.

Unfortunately, Rule was already grinning. "Damn. Theo, are we about to witness your downfall? Because this is history in the making."

"There is no downfall," Theo hissed, but it was too late.

Kai ripped the flyer off the wall and waved it in his face. "Wren Carson, huh?" He let out a low whistle. "So, you're obsessed with her now?"

Theo was going to commit a murder. Multiple. In broad daylight.

"I am not obsessed," he gritted out.

Pasha grinned. "Then you won't mind if I—"

She reached for the flyer.

Theo lunged.

Too late.

Pasha spun away with a devilish grin, holding the flyer above her head. "Ohhh, this is good."

Theo sighed. "Give. That. Back."

"No."

"Pasha."

"I'm just saying," Pasha said, eyeing him like he was some rare, fascinating creature, "it's kinda poetic. The king of flings, flustered over a girl? And one he's never even met?"

Theo groaned. "It's not—"

Rule clapped a hand on his shoulder. "This is the best day of my life."

"I hate all of you," Theo muttered.

Lux, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke. "So... what are you going to do?"

The question hung in the air.

Theo knew what he should do. He should throw the letter away, burn the flyer, and pretend this whole thing never happened. Stick to his three unshakable principles.

But something in his gut told him that wasn't an option anymore.

He was already too deep.

And for the first time in his life, Theo had no idea what came next.

📌ᖴᒪIᖇTIᑎG ᗯITᕼ ᖴᗩTE

Theo had never been one for mystery. He was a man of bold choices and dramatic exits, not... whatever this was.

This unsettling, itching feeling.

It was like having a pop song stuck in his head, except instead of lyrics, it was Wren Carson.

Wren.

Carson.

A name that meant nothing to him. A person he'd never met. And yet, here he was, still thinking about that damn letter.

Not just the words, but the way it was written. The hesitance, the way it circled around emotions like it was afraid to land too hard. It wasn't his kind of love letter—no drama, no passion, no fiery confessions. Just quiet, sincere longing.

And he hated how much it intrigued him.

"Are you still thinking about that girl?"

Theo nearly jumped out of his skin.

Kai had materialized beside him, sipping his iced coffee with the air of someone who knew everything and was enjoying it way too much.

Theo scowled. "First of all, I don't think."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "That explains a lot."

"Second of all," Theo continued, ignoring him, "I'm not thinking about her. I'm thinking about—"

He shut his mouth.

Nope. Not saying it.

Not giving Kai ammunition.

Kai, of course, saw right through him. "The letter," he said smugly. "Wow, Theo. You're down bad."

"I am not down bad," Theo snapped.

Pasha, who had just arrived (as if summoned by chaos itself), gasped. "Wait. Is this about Wren Carson?"

"Oh my god," Theo muttered. "Why is everyone obsessed with this?"

"No, babe. Why are you obsessed?" Pasha smirked.

Theo groaned. He turned to Lux, desperate for backup.

She just sipped her tea, completely unbothered. "You are thinking about her a lot."

Betrayal. From his own people.

"Look," Theo huffed, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair, "I don't care about her. I just... I just have a letter. That isn't mine. And I feel like I should give it back."

Kai and Pasha exchanged a look.

Rule, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. "You've literally never returned anything in your life."

Theo opened his mouth. Closed it. Squinted.

"...That is completely irrelevant," he decided.

Pasha sighed dramatically. "So you're telling me you, Theo Laurent, ultimate heartbreaker and absolute menace to the male population, are suddenly worried about doing the right thing?"

Theo crossed his arms. "Yes."

Pasha gave him a slow, delighted smile. "I love this plot twist."

Theo groaned.

"Alright," Kai said, cracking his knuckles. "If you're so determined, just give it back already."

Theo tensed. "I would... if I could find her."

Lux, who had been watching him the whole time, suddenly tilted her head. "You really haven't seen her?"

"No," Theo admitted. "Not once."

Not in the halls. Not in the library. Not even in the engineering building, where she was supposedly buried under mountains of coursework.

The girl was like a cryptid.

Rule whistled. "Damn. You're obsessed with someone you haven't even seen."

"I AM NOT—"

Kai patted his shoulder. "We believe you."

Pasha nodded. "Yeah, totally."

Rule smirked. "Not obsessed at all."

Theo exhaled sharply. "I hate you all."

Lux just sipped her tea again.

And for the first time in a long time, Theo Laurent—the boy who never chased, never cared, and never let himself get curious—realized something.

This was only the beginning.

And he had no idea where it would end.

📌ᖴᒪIᖇTIᑎG ᗯITᕼ ᖴᗩTE

That night, Theo sat at his vanity, running a brush through his perfectly styled hair as he stared at the letter lying on his desk.

It was still there. Still taunting him.

He had two options:

1. Ignore it.

2. Give it to Wren and forget she ever existed.

But there was a third option—an option his brain refused to let go of.

Option 3:

Read it again.

Maybe it was because he'd never seen love written like that. Maybe it was because Wren Carson was a ghost, and he had a sick fascination with things he couldn't have.

Or maybe...

He was just nosy.

He groaned, flopping onto his bed dramatically. "I'm losing my mind."

A beat of silence. Then his phone buzzed.

Pasha: So, did you find your invisible crush yet?

Theo sat up so fast his silk sheets nearly betrayed him.

Theo: SHE'S NOT MY CRUSH. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HER. I JUST NEED TO GIVE IT BACK.

Three dots appeared.

Then disappeared.

Then reappeared.

Pasha: Babe. You're spiraling. And I love it.

Theo screamed into his pillow.

———

The Next Morning...

He had one mission.

One.

Find Wren. Give her the letter. Move on.

Simple.

Except it was not simple because she was still nowhere to be found.

Theo leaned against a locker, scowling as he scrolled through his phone. He had already asked around—casually, of course. ("Wren Davis? No reason. Just making sure she's not a government experiment.") But everyone gave the same answer:

She's busy.

Always busy.

Kai had suggested checking the engineering building, but Theo had standards. He wasn't about to walk into that concrete dungeon uninvited. He had a brand to maintain.

And then, just as he was about to give up—

"Hey, Laurent!"

Theo turned.

It was one of his past flings. (Jeremy? Jared? Josh? Something with a J.)

J-guy grinned. "You looking for Wren?"

Theo nearly choked. "WHAT?"

J-guy chuckled. "I heard you asking around. What, you two got some secret thing going on?"

Theo forced a laugh. "Oh, honey, no. I wouldn't survive a day with an engineer."

J-guy shrugged. "Well, if you wanna find her, she usually eats in the lab."

Theo blinked. "She... what?"

"Yeah. She's a total workaholic."

Theo filed that information away.

"Cool," he said. "Thanks, uh... Jacob?"

"Justin."

"Right. That's what I said."

Theo strutted away before he could embarrass himself further.

———

The Engineering Lab – A Place of Doom and No Wi-Fi

Theo stood outside the door, letter in hand.

This was it.

The moment of truth.

He could finally be free.

He took a deep breath—

And then the door swung open so violently he almost died.

A stressed-out student stomped past him, muttering something about circuits and the downfall of humanity.

Theo peeked inside.

Machines. Wires. Chaos.

And absolutely no Wren Carson.

He exhaled slowly.

This girl was actually avoiding him.

And for the first time, Theo Laurent wanted to be found.

📌ᖴᒪIᖇTIᑎG ᗯITᕼ ᖴᗩTE

Theo refused to be ignored.

Not by exes, not by professors, and certainly not by some overworked, lab-dwelling cryptid who didn't even know he was trying to return her stupidly sentimental love letter.

This wasn't even about Wren anymore.

It was about him.

His pride.

His sanity.

His unshakable need to win at everything, even things he wasn't actually competing in.

So, instead of walking away from the engineering lab, he pushed open the heavy door like he owned the place—which, to be fair, was his default setting anywhere.

Inside, it was exactly as he expected:

Dim.

Messy.

Filled with students who looked like they hadn't seen sunlight since birth.

He strutted in, completely unbothered by the confused looks thrown his way.

"Excuse me, future billionaires and socially inept geniuses," he announced, placing a perfectly manicured hand on his hip. "Where is Wren Carson?"

A guy with dark circles deep enough to be classified as trench warfare looked up from a circuit board. "She's not here."

Theo resisted the urge to groan.

He was about to leave when someone else spoke up.

"She was here earlier," a girl in safety goggles muttered, not even looking up from whatever she was soldering. "But she left before lunch."

Theo blinked. "Lunch?"

"Yeah," she said. "She actually left the building for once."

He frowned.

Left?

Wren Carson actually went outside?

Fascinating.

It wasn't like he was obsessed with her. He just...

Okay, he was curious.

And curiosity had already ruined his life once this week, so what was one more mistake?

———

The Courtyard – Otherwise Known as The Land of the Normal People

Theo found Pasha, Kai, Rule, and Lux lounging under a tree, each in varying states of not doing their assignments.

Pasha spotted him first. "Oh my god, did you actually enter the engineering building?"

Theo plopped down beside her, disgusted. "Yes. And I think I need to be sanitized."

Kai smirked. "So? Did you find your wife?"

"She's not my wife!" Theo hissed, smacking Kai's arm.

"Did you at least see her?" Lux asked, sipping her usual tea.

"No," Theo admitted, tossing the letter onto the picnic blanket between them. "She vanished. Again."

Pasha picked up the letter and waved it in the air dramatically. "The ghost of Wren Carson strikes again."

Theo groaned, flopping backward onto the grass. "This is humiliating."

Rule smirked. "So what now? Gonna hire a private investigator?"

Theo snatched the letter back. "No. I'm going to give this to her. Even if it kills me."

Pasha gasped. "So dramatic."

Theo huffed. "I refuse to let this random girl win."

Kai grinned. "Oh, Theo. Sweet, delusional Theo. She already has."

Theo scowled, but deep down, he knew it was true.

📌ᖴᒪIᖇTIᑎG ᗯITᕼ ᖴᗩTE

Theo had never chased anyone in his entire life.

People came to him.

They fawned. They flirted. They wrote love letters and giggled in the hallways and sent long messages about how he was a "beautiful disaster." (Which, by the way, was entirely true.)

So why, in the name of all things holy, was he the one running around like a madman for Wren freaking Carson?

It wasn't even her letter.

It wasn't even his problem.

And yet, here he was, standing in the middle of campus, gripping the love letter like it was some forbidden manuscript of power, trying to track down a girl who had the audacity to have zero presence outside of engineering hell.

"Are you sulking?"

Theo whipped around to find Kai looking at him like he was a science experiment gone wrong.

"I don't sulk," Theo said, flipping his hair. "I brood."

Kai snorted. "You look like you're losing a fight you didn't even sign up for."

Theo groaned. "I just want to return this stupid letter and move on with my dazzling life."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Then throw it away."

Theo gasped. "Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

Why not?

Because.

Because it was too well-written to be discarded.

Because it was meant for someone.

Because something in Theo's overly dramatic, attention-starved heart wouldn't let him ignore it.

"...I don't know," Theo muttered.

Kai hummed. "Sounds like an obsession."

Theo gasped again. "IT'S NOT."

Kai grinned, clearly enjoying this too much. "Theo Laurent. Gay legend. Fashion icon. Unknowingly falling into a mystery romance trope?"

Theo pointed a manicured finger at him. "Take. That. Back."

"Nope."

Theo dramatically turned away. "You're dead to me."

Kai just laughed.

———

Lunch – Otherwise Known as the Time Theo Lost Control

Theo plopped down next to Pasha, Rule, Lux, and Kai, slamming the letter onto the table.

Lux barely looked up from her tea. "That's still here?"

"Because Wren is nowhere to be found!" Theo whined, grabbing Pasha's arm for emotional support.

Pasha, ever the enabler, picked up the letter and dramatically unfolded it.

Theo blinked. "What are you doing?"

"What?" Pasha grinned. "I'm reading it again myself."

Theo gasped. "You absolute gremlin, that's not yours!"

"Well you read it already in front of us that day. Remember?"

But it was too late.

Kai and Rule leaned in. Lux sipped her tea like she was watching peak entertainment.

And then—

Silence.

Pasha's eyes widened.

Kai whistled. "Damn."

Rule smirked. "That's intense."

Theo crossed his arms. "What? What's so intense?"

Pasha slammed the letter onto the table. "Whoever wrote this was down BAD."

Kai laughed. "You sure this isn't for you, Theo? Feels like the kind of desperate worship you'd inspire."

Theo rolled his eyes. "Shut up. It's for Wren."

Lux froze.

Only for a second.

Then, as if nothing happened, she took another sip of tea. "Huh."

Pasha grinned. "Damn, I kinda want Wren to read this now."

Theo sighed, rubbing his temples. "SAME. But she's practically a myth."

Rule smirked. "So what now? Gonna keep it?"

Theo scowled. "No. I'll give it to her. Eventually. If I can ever find her."

Lux set her cup down, voice unnervingly calm. "Maybe she'll find you first."

Theo scoffed. "Unlikely."

But deep down, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Theo did not like the way Lux said that.

"Maybe she'll find you first."

What did that even mean?

Was Lux secretly manifesting Wren's sudden appearance just to mess with him?

Theo squinted at her. "That sounded suspiciously cryptic."

Lux smiled—the kind of smile that made people feel like they were missing something important.

"I just mean," she said smoothly, "sometimes things find their way to where they belong."

Theo stared at her.

Then at the letter.

Then at her again.

Something wasn't adding up.

Lux had been calm this entire time. Too calm.

No comments. No teasing. Just tea-drinking and mystery.

That was not normal Lux behavior.

"...You're acting weird," Theo said, narrowing his eyes.

Pasha, oblivious, was still clutching the letter to her chest like it was the holy grail of love confessions.

Kai was still smirking.

Rule looked too amused.

And Lux?

Lux just sipped her tea.

Unbothered. Untouchable. Hiding something.

Theo would investigate later.

Right now, he had a bigger problem:

Wren Carson.

The human equivalent of an urban legend.

And the only person standing between him and peace.

———

Engineering Building – One Last Attempt Before He Gave Up and Burned the Letter

Theo found himself back in front of the engineering lab.

This time, he was ready.

He smoothed down his outfit. Checked his reflection in his phone screen. Took a deep breath.

Then—

He marched inside, confident and determined.

...Only to find zero Wren Carson.

Again.

Theo let out a slow, suffering sigh.

A girl with safety goggles glanced up. "You again?"

Theo scowled. "Yes. Me. Again."

"Still looking for Wren?"

Theo threw his hands in the air. "What do you think?"

She snorted. "She's on the rooftop."

Theo blinked. "...The rooftop?"

"Yeah." The girl turned back to her work. "She goes there to avoid people."

Theo scoffed. "Rude."

"Relatable," she muttered.

Theo exhaled, muttered a very long string of dramatic complaints, and turned on his heel.

Fine.

If Wren wanted to be an elusive rooftop cryptid, then Theo would just have to drag her back to civilization.

———

The Rooftop – AKA Where Theo Finally Found His Target

The first thing Theo noticed when he stepped onto the rooftop was how quiet it was.

No students.

No background noise.

Just the sound of wind and distant traffic.

And Wren.

Sitting near the edge, hoodie up, completely lost in whatever project was in her hands.

Theo stared.

He hadn't expected... this.

Wren wasn't hiding.

She wasn't avoiding him out of malice.

She was just... existing.

Alone.

Like she belonged to an entirely different world.

And for the first time since this entire mess started, Theo hesitated.

Maybe she didn't want to be found.

Maybe he was about to ruin something sacred.

Maybe—

Wren suddenly looked up.

Their eyes met.

Theo's entire plan fell apart.

Because in that split second—

Wren Carson finally existed.

And Theo wasn't ready for it.