Nobela ni Ra_ven

Shaun woke with a jolt. The light in his room was already too bright for comfort. He reached for his phone, and the moment his eyes focused on the time, his heart sank. Late. “Why do I always wake up late?” he groaned. And today, of all days. The lecturer had a reputation one Shaun had no interest in testing. He shot out of bed in seconds, moving on instinct rather than thought. A rushed shower, clothes pulled on haphazardly, bag slung over his shoulder. He had booked a cab before even dressing, and now, outside, it was already waiting. Relief barely had time to settle before his foot struck something solid. Pain shot up his leg. “Ah!” he hissed, but didn’t bother to look back. Whatever it was could wait. He limped into the cab and shut the door, breath coming fast. “Good morning, sir,” he said, forcing calm as the car pulled away. The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “You seem in a hurry.” “I’m already late,” Shaun replied. “Can we get there in fifteen minut

Nathan woke up tired. Not the kind of tired sleep could fix. The kind that settled deep in his chest and refused to loosen its grip. He showered, dressed, grabbed his keys, and drove to school on autopilot, his mind moving slower than his body. He had a test that morning. No matter how rebellious he appeared, grades were never something he treated lightly. He showed up. He passed. He stayed at the top. That much had always been simple. The test went well. Matthew groaned the moment they stepped out of the lecture hall, dragging a hand down his face like he’d just survived a war. “I failed.” Nathan glanced at him. “I gave you notes.” Matthew sighed dramatically. “I studied all night. I’m just not built like you.” “Excuses,” Nathan muttered. He tried not to think about Shaun. Tried. “Eli! Pass the ball!” The voice cut cleanly through his thoughts. Nathan stopped walking. The basketball court lay just ahead. Shaun was there laughing, loose, alive in a way th

Shaun rushed to class, heart racing. He didn’t notice the blonde guy until he bumped right into him. “Oh! I’m so sorry,” Shaun blurted, pushing off quickly. “I—uh—” He nodded and hurried toward the lecture hall. After the lecture, Shaun walked out, drained. “Who’s worse… Nathan or this lecturer?” he muttered to himself. A hand swung casually over his shoulder and draped around his neck. “I don’t know who Nathan is,” the blonde said, voice teasing, “but the lecturer is worse.” Shaun whipped around, ready to push him off. “The guy from earlier?” he asked cautiously. Eli smiled. “Yep. Same class. Cool, huh?” “Yeah… sorry about earlier,” Shaun said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was in a rush.” “It’s okay,” Eli replied with a quirky grin. “I wasn’t looking either so technically, we’re both at fault.” Shaun’s eyes fell on Eli’s lip ring. A flicker of curiosity and admiration passed through him. “You want one?” Eli asked. “Naa,” Shaun shook his head, chuckling. “

Monday arrived, and Shaun strutted into lectures with his head held high. He resolved that if he went straight home after class, he could avoid running into Nathan entirely. During the break, Shaun hid in a corner, quietly eating his lunch, hoping no one would disturb him. His hope was quickly dashed when Cassie appeared, her expression sharp and annoyed. “What did you tell Nathan?” she demanded. “He broke up with me.” Shaun rolled his eyes, leaning back against the wall, his patience thinning. “Go ask your boyfriend. I didn’t tell him anything,” he said flatly. Cassie’s eyes narrowed. “You told him you know someone who’s better than me… and that the person is a good kisser,” she accused. Shaun froze, dumbfounded. “The hell? I didn’t say that!” Cassie sneered, muttering something under her breath Shaun wasn’t ready to hear, and walked off. Shaun’s jaw clenched in frustration. He could feel the anger bubbling up. Nathan had to be behind this somehow. And Shaun knew exactly what

After his shower, Shaun reluctantly pulled his clothes back on. They still smelled faintly of alcohol and sweat, but he preferred that discomfort to the thought of borrowing Nathan’s clothes and having yet another reason to come back here. He checked the bathroom and bedroom carefully, making sure he had not left anything behind, then stepped out of the room with a firm resolve to leave immediately. He tried ordering a cab on his phone, but the app refused to load. Shaun frowned at the screen and tried again, only to get the same result. “Join me for breakfast,” Nathan said casually from the kitchen. “I’ll drop you off after we eat.” “Ew, no thanks,” Shaun replied immediately. “Who knows what you might have put in the food.” Nathan laughed, genuinely amused. “It’s been years since someone’s made me laugh this hard,” he said. “And why would I put something in your food?” “I don’t know,” Shaun shot back. “You’re bad news. Besides, you just kissed me like it was nothing back there.”

Shaun sat at the far end of the crowded living room, his body angled away from the noise even though his attention was fixed firmly on one place. Across the room, Nathan stood with Cassie tucked comfortably against his chest, his arms wrapped around her in a way that was far too intimate to be accidental. Cassie laughed at something he said, her fingers resting lightly on his arm, and the sight made Shaun’s chest tighten painfully. Cassie was his girlfriend. The party itself was loud and chaotic, exactly what one would expect from an after party thrown for the university basketball team after winning a major competition. Music blasted from speakers, vibrating through the walls and drowning out most conversations. Alcohol flowed freely, laughter echoed from every corner, and bodies pressed together as students danced and celebrated without restraint. Yet none of it mattered to Shaun, because his focus never strayed far from Nathan and the way he was holding Cassie as though she bel