<b>Chapter </b><b>142 </b>
As the duet ended, the audience apuded with a scattered, awkward rhythm. They stared at their freshly elected campus king and <b>queen </b><b>as </b>the <b>pair </b>stepped off stage, their faces unreadable, their performance burned into everyone’s memory like a fever dream.
Never in their lives had they seen campus royalty with so little concern for appearances.
Shoneport University’s campus idols weren’t actual celebrities with mizable influence, but they still had ess to exclusive opportunities, elite internships, and first–pickworking circles. Those weren’t things just anyone could get. But with that performance, they might have thrown the opportunities away.
The guy who had first suggested that Frank and Briar perform was now stumbling off to a corner<b>, </b>curling up in shame.
He knew he’d screwed up. He was full of regret. He really shouldn’t have said anything.
All he’d wanted was to see the gorgeous campus queen dance. Instead, he got a deadpan, overly cheerful rendition of “You are my sunshine.”
And now, the tune wouldn’t leave his head.
No one dared suggest the duo perform ever again. That performance had nearly shattered the collective fantasy. Any remaining filter of untouchable perfection was hanging by a thread.
Pretending nothing had happened, the crowd quickly pushed other students to the stage to revive the mood.
Backstage, Mason dragged Ted over and plopped down beside Frank and Briar. shing a huge thumbs–up, he grinned. “You Weaponizing cringe? Whose idea was that?”
guys
are vicious.
Frank chuckled. “What are you talking about? Do we look like the scheming type?”
Mason snorted. “Maybe not Briar. But you? A guy with tons of schemes? Please. Swear on something sacred, and maybe we’ll believe you.”
At first, Mason had been truly baffled by that performance. But after Ted patiently walked him through the logic, it all made sense.
This was Frank’stest genius tactic. He self–sabotaged in public to avoid being mobbed by female admirers for the rest of the year. Reputation damage in exchange for peace and quiet.
This was the kind of spotlight others would kill for. However, these two were desperate to escape it.
Frank raised an eyebrow<i>, </i>amused. “Well, well. Look who’s catching on.”
Mason puffed up proudly. “Hey, I’m not the same meathead you met freshman year.”
Frank didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, right. Robert probably exined the whole thing to you.”
They’d been friends too long for Mason to fool him. The guy had muscles for days but not <b>a </b>single strategic bone in his body. Whatever brains he had were used up just getting into Shoneport University.
And ever since he started getting all touchy–feely with Ted, his IQ had dropped even further.
Frank was half–convinced the guy would forget to breathe if Robert wasn’t around.
Mason was speechless.
He decided <b>to </b>pretend he hadn’t heard that. Real friendship means <b>letting </b><b>some </b>things stide.
<b>Ted </b><b>shook </b><b>his </b><b>head</b>. <b>“</b><b>You </b>really went to all <b>this </b><b>trouble </b><b>just </b><b>to </b>avoid <b>a </b><b>few </b><b>girls </b><b>chasing </b><b>you </b><b>around </b><b>campus</b><b>? </b><b>You’re </b><b>graduating </b><b>soon</b>, <b>What’s </b><b>one more </b>
year<b>? </b>
<b>10:35 </b>Mon<b>, </b><b>18 </b>Aug
Besides, starting next semester, their entire research group would be off–campus doing hospital rotations. They’d barely have time to breathe, <b>let </b><b>alone </b>
socialize.
Frank gave a meaningful nce at Mason and Ted. They were still holding hands like it was the most natural thing in understand my pain.”
Only then did Mason realize their hands were still firmly sped. His ears turned red
as he awkwardly tried to pull away.
world. “You wouldn’t
20
Though they were often close in private, he was still self–conscious in public.
But Ted held tight and didn’t let go. “Don’t tease him, Frank. He’s not exactly built
for subtlety.”
Frank surrendered with augh. “Alright, alright. I’ll behave.”
Honestly, calling Mason “dense” in matters of the heart was being
generous.
They shared an apartment, a room, and even a bed. Ted had basically stake
his im
sign, and somehow Mason still hadn’t caught on.
Everyone in their group knew. Everyone but him.
That paper–thinyer of usible deniability hadn’t been broken yet. And somehow<i>, </i>Ted had the patience of a saint.
If it were hot–tempered Ashton…
Frank nced sideways at Briar, who was
s seate
I quietly nearby, sipping from a stic cup like she hadn’t just sung a luby on stage.
‘Hang on. Now that I think about it, Ashton isn’t doing any better. He still hasn’t managed to get anywhere with Briar, has he?‘ Frank mused to himself.
He couldn’t help but click his tongue. ‘Love really does make fools out of everyone.’
Briar sat peacefully, watching Mason and Ted’s tightly sped hands. She smiled faintly.
Having grown up in Qathana and spent her formative years at a certain special ops base with an almost exclusively male roster, this kind of dynamic was practically normal to her. Male–male pairings were somon they were practically expected.
Ted caught her gaze and looked
Over.
Briar didn’t look away. She raised her
<i>Cup </i>in a faux–toast and said smoothly, “You know, I’m pretty skilled in traditional medicine. Especially when it
Ted choked on his own breath.
His eyes darted from their interlocked hands to… somewhere a little more south.
Ted coughed hard, trying to cover up the sudden awkwardness.
“Thank you. But I think we’re good <i>for </i>now,” he stammered, yanking Mason away before thetter could react.
Frankughed out loud. “Briar, you’re too much.”
But honestly, he couldn’t help it. He’d seen a lot. Even if he didn’t have firsthand experience, hanging out with yboys like Hamish and those other wild types had definitely broadened his horizons.
“I’m being serious,” she said, touching her nose.
<b>Back </b><b>at </b>the special ops base, there was no shortage of guys sneaking over to ask her for <b>prescriptions </b><b>to </b>help them stay <b>in top </b><b>form</b>.
<b>Frank </b>chuckled. “You’re so open about this stuff. Does Ashton even know you’re <b>like </b><b>this</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>
TU.35 <b>Mon</b>, <b>18 </b><b>Aug </b>0
Briar replied with a perfectly straight face, “He doesn’t need any help. He’s in perfect shape.”
Frank couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst outughing.
76/1
<b>20 </b>
“See? Women who use their looks to get ahead really are something else. She’s not even trying to hide it. She’s already hitting on guys in public again<b>.</b><b>” </b>Mia sneered, her voice full of contempt.
Le was gripping her wine ss so tightly it looked like it might shatter. “What’s the point of being jealous? Isn’t it tradition at Shoneport University for the campus king and queen to pair up?”
But even as she said it, the jealousy in her tone was obvious to everyone.
As the former campus sweetheart, Le never had the luck to be the perfect match with Frank.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t good enough. It was just that Frank went out of his way to avoid her, never giving her even the slightest chance to get close.
Because of that, Le ended up being the punchline of jokes in their high–society circles for a while.
“My sister isn’t like that. Don’t forget, she’s the one who’s closest to Ashton now,” Beatrice’s soft voice chimed in.
Robert<i>, </i>sitting next to Beatrice, scoffed. “Come on, Beatrice, stop sticking up for Briar. With the way she’s acting right now, she doesn’t have even a shred of decency as Ashton’s girlfriend.”