The Encounter
There’s been a lot of trouble lately—too much ragging, especially on campus. I need you to be careful, Cosmo."
"Relax, Auntie," Cosmo replied, adjusting his collar. "I’m a grown man. I can look after myself. Besides, it’s late—you should be sleeping."
"Who was that, babe?" a voice called out from the other room.
"Nobody, hun. Go back to sleep."
The next morning, the sun fought its way through the blinds, hitting Cosmo square in the eyes. He prepped for the day with a mechanical efficiency—breakfast finished, lunch packed, mind set. Let’s do this. His college was a mere seven-minute walk from the dorms, but as he stepped onto campus, it felt like entering a different world. He navigated the corridors until he found his lecture hall.
"Professor? May I come in?"
The man at the podium barely looked up from his notes. "Sit."
Cosmo scanned the room, spotted a vacancy, and slid into the seat just as the lecture began. An hour of academic monotony followed. When the bell finally chimed, Cosmo let out a long, audible breath. "Well, that was the most mind-numbing hour of my life."
The guy sitting next to him chuckled. "Freshman, right?"
Cosmo gave him a side-eye. "What gave it away?"
The stranger laughed, a bright, easy sound. "Just a hunch. You’ve got a sense of humor, though. I’m Casio. I moved here from Thailand for the tech program."
"Cosmo. I’m from Tokyo, originally. Came for the reputation of the schools, stayed for... well, I'm still figuring that out."
"Nice to meet you, Cosmo. I have a feeling we’re going to get along just fine."
Months bled into one another. The casual acquaintance between the two had solidified into a ride-or-die friendship.
"You actually look decent in that hoodie, Cosmo," Casio teased one afternoon. "I'll take full credit for fixing your fashion sense."
"In your dreams, Cas," Cosmo shot back. "But fine, let's celebrate my 'transformation.' Meet me at Hare Bar. Seven sharp."
Cosmo arrived first, taking a seat at a corner table. Before Casio could show up, a girl slid into the booth beside him. She was striking—short skirt, shimmering crop top, and a gaze that didn't just look at you; it interrogated you.
"Got a partner?" Cosmo asked, leaning back. "Or were you waiting for me to be the one?"
She smirked, her eyes tracing the lines of his leather jacket and the cross hanging from his neck. To her, he looked like something out of a dark fairytale—pale skin, dark curls, and eyes that held the depth of a winter night.
"I think I might be in love, babe," she whispered, leaning in until their breaths mingled.
Cosmo didn't pull away. He moved his hand to her waist, drawing her closer. The air between them was electric, and for a moment, the rest of the bar vanished. He leaned down, his lips brushing the column of her neck.
CRACK.
The sound of gunfire shattered the moment.
Cosmo instinctively shoved the girl toward the floor, shielding her as the room erupted into chaos. "They're back! Run!" the shop owner screamed, diving behind the counter.
Panic was a physical weight in the room, but Cosmo found himself paralyzed. Not by fear, but by the figure standing by the entrance.
The man was an absolute pillar of shadow. He stood well over 180cm, draped in an impeccably tailored black suit that screamed old money and hidden danger. An expensive watch glinted on his wrist, but Cosmo’s attention was locked on the man’s face.
His lips were full, unnervingly smooth, as if carved from stone and polished. His eyes were a piercing hazel-blue—cold, furious, and sweeping the room with lethal intent. His hair, dark and reaching his nape, framed a face that was dangerously handsome.
"Cosmo! Snap out of it, bro!"
The spell broke. Casio was suddenly there, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him toward the exit.
"Thank God the police showed up," Casio panted, glancing back at the flashing blue lights. "Five more minutes and this place would’ve been a graveyard."
Cosmo didn't respond. He couldn't. His mind was still back in the bar, locked on the gaze of the man in the black suit.
