Ren's Point of View
There are few things in this world I enjoy more than watching Rain Chen completely lose his composure.
It's a short list.
Espresso. Firearms. Winning court arguments.
And now—Sky Wang.
She's a hurricane in lip gloss and glitter clips. And Rain, the infallible, untouchable, suit-clad god of intimidation, is absolutely—without question—getting wrecked.
By coffee.
By a girl who color-codes her pens and hums in lectures.
By sprinkles.
I lean back in my seat and observe the scene like a man at the opera.
Sky practically skips into class today. She's holding what looks like a bakery in one hand and an oversized iced sugar bomb in the other. And then—like it's nothing—she plops the whole mess on Rain's desk and beams at him like a sunflower on caffeine.
He just stares.
I can practically hear the static coming off his brain. Poor guy. Probably hasn't been this confused since he got stabbed in Naples and refused to go to the ER.
"Peace offering," she says.
Peace offering. I choke on my own laugh. Oh, this is better than Netflix.
Then she pulls out pastries.
Strawberry and chocolate.
She even wrapped them in floral napkins. Floral. Napkins.
Rain looks like someone just handed him a live grenade. He blinks at her like she's speaking Martian. Then—miracle of miracles—he takes a sip of that abomination of a drink.
I nearly fall out of my chair.
Later, when she's busy taking notes (read: doodling rainbows in her margins), I lean over and whisper:
"So. How's your sugar daddy era going?"
Rain doesn't look at me. "Shut up."
I smirk. "You like her."
"I don't."
"You drank the marshmallow fluff, bro."
Silence.
"She got you pastries."
"She ruined my shirt."
"She replaced it with sugar and joy."
Still nothing.
I grin wider. "You're so screwed."
Rain finally looks at me. That patented glare of his, the one that has made grown men shake in negotiations.
But I know better. I see it.
A crack.
A single, infinitesimal shift in expression. The corner of his mouth twitching—not quite a smile, but close.
Victory.
Sky Wang: 1
Rain Chen: emotionally compromised
Me: thoroughly entertained