CHAPTER 27: The Secrets Kevin Won’t Tell

Alicia and Kevin walked side by side toward the cafeteria. As they neared the entrance, Alicia’s shoulder brushed against someone passing by. Before she could even turn to look, the person had already moved past her, walking briskly as though carried away by the wind.

She stopped abruptly.

Kevin, who had walked a few steps ahead, turned back when he noticed she wasn’t beside him anymore.

“You should keep walking, Alicia,” he called.

Without thinking much about it, she continued forward and matched Kevin’s pace again.

“We should go outside to eat after we get our food,” Kevin suggested.

Alicia didn’t particularly care where they ate. At that moment, all she wanted was to hear whatever Kevin had to say.

They reached the food counter and ordered their meals. Alicia chose a sandwich with a milkshake, while Kevin ordered fried chicken, a few slices of pizza, and a soda.

With their trays in hand, they walked toward the back entrance of the cafeteria that opened to a wide grassy field. They found a wooden carved bench far from the building and sat down.

Balancing their trays on their laps, they both took their first bites.

Kevin cleared his throat lightly before speaking.

“How is your roommate like?”

Alicia barely hesitated.

“Arrogant. Impulsive. Also annoying.”

She took another sip of her milkshake before asking, “Why did you ask?”

“Just wanted to know,” Kevin replied without meeting her eyes.

Then he continued almost immediately.

“Look around you, Alicia.”

Confused, Alicia glanced around. All she could see were stretches of low grass and tall trees swaying gently in the distance.

She returned her gaze to Kevin.

“It seems like it’s only us here,” he said slowly. “But we aren’t the only ones.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“There are trees. Grass. Everything around us carries sound. Words travel farther than we expect. You have to be careful about what you say. You never know whose ears might hear it… or what trouble it might bring.”

Kevin looked directly into her eyes while saying this.

Alicia simply blinked at him before casually sipping her milkshake.

“Not everyone is who you think they are, Alicia,” he continued quietly. “And not everything is what it seems. There are secrets everywhere… secrets that could cost you dearly if you try too hard to uncover them.”

Alicia slowly lowered her milkshake.

“Should I be scared or just cautious, Kevin?” she asked, a spark burning in her eyes. “Because you’re not exactly telling me what I want to hear.”

She leaned slightly forward.

“You could start by sharing the little secrets I need to know to survive.”

Her voice was steady, but there was determination behind it. She wanted to understand herself and the strange new environment she had found herself in.

Kevin exhaled softly.

“I shouldn’t tell you more than you should know, Alicia,” he said quietly. “You should listen to me.”

His gaze drifted toward the field, distant and thoughtful.

Then he heard it.

Movement.

Soft footsteps.

He already had a strong idea of who those steps belonged to.

Without warning, Kevin stood up and picked up his tray.

He began walking away.

“A moment,” Alicia whispered.

He stopped.

Her voice was barely audible, but the words reached him clearly.

“Sometimes… I hear growls.”

Kevin slowly turned back.

For nearly forty seconds, he simply stared at her.

Then he spoke.

“It’s just your mind playing tricks on you.”

His expression remained unreadable.

“See you in the next class.”

With that, he turned and walked away across the field, his tray still in his hands.

Alicia remained seated on the bench, quietly chewing her sandwich.

A small thought formed in her mind.

What is so difficult for him to spill?

When she finished eating, Alicia stood up to leave.

That was when she noticed someone standing nearby.

A middle-aged man.

He looked decent and well dressed. Round glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, and what struck Alicia the most were his unusual silver eyes.

He had been staring directly at her.

Without saying anything, Alicia politely bowed her head in greeting before walking away from the field.

Later, during their final lecture of the day, Alicia scanned the classroom.

Kevin wasn’t there.

He hadn’t attended any class after their conversation at lunch.

A small smile crept onto Alicia’s lips.

Perfect.

This gave her the opportunity she needed.

After lectures, she planned to visit him.

If Kevin refused to reveal things to her as a friend, then perhaps… a little attraction might loosen his tongue.

“...and in the next class, we will discuss the next chapter.”

The moment the lecturer finished speaking, Alicia was already on her feet.

Within seconds, she was out of the lecture hall and heading straight toward her dormitory.

She had a plan.

First, a shower.

Then she would dress in a way that would make it very difficult for Kevin to ignore her.

If he wouldn’t talk easily, she would make him want to.

When Alicia reached her room, she noticed the door was half open.

Inside, a girl was sitting on Raymond’s bed.

Alicia recognized her immediately, the same brunette she and Kevin had seen with Raymond in the library.

But Alicia didn’t care.

She dropped her bag on her table and quickly unloaded the items inside, arranging them neatly.

With a soft sigh and a sweet smile, she hummed a quiet tune.

Ignoring the girl completely, she walked toward the closet and began searching for something perfect.

Something bold.

Something seductive enough to capture Kevin’s attention.

Eventually, she found it.

A short, low-cut gown.

The neckline was daring, revealing just enough cleavage to be impossible to ignore.

Satisfied, Alicia placed the gown on the bed before heading into the bathroom.

She took a quick bath and washed her hair using her favorite strawberry-scented shampoo. She made sure to brush her teeth carefully, wanting her breath to be fresh.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, a towel was wrapped securely around her chest.

She moisturized her skin, then slipped into her lace underwear.

After drying her hair, she applied a sweet-smelling hair cream and brushed it carefully until it fell smoothly around her shoulders.

Finally, she picked up the gown.

The floral dress hugged her figure perfectly, stopping high enough to reveal her smooth thighs.

Alicia stepped in front of the mirror and twirled slowly, a pleased smile forming on her lips.

Her eyes wandered across the room.

For a brief moment, they met the brunette’s gaze.

But Alicia quickly noticed her phone lying on the bed.

She walked over, grabbed it, and headed straight for the door still completely ignoring the other girl in the room.

As she walked down the dormitory stairs, she could already feel eyes turning toward her.

Whispers followed.

Students in the hallway stared openly as she passed.

Alicia continued walking confidently toward Kevin’s floor.

Halfway there, she suddenly realized something.

She had forgotten to spray perfume.

She paused briefly.

But turning back now would ruin everything.

So she kept walking.

Soon, she stood in front of Kevin’s door.

She raised her hand and knocked softly.

The door opened.

Kevin stood there.

The moment he saw Alicia, his expression froze.

She looked… stunning.

Different.

Not the usual Alicia who carried fire in her eyes and sharp determination in every step.

This version of her was softer. Warmer.

And incredibly beautiful.

Kevin simply stared, his mind going blank.

Alicia smiled, a smile he had never seen from her before.

“Hey, Kevin.”