The tutoring session had gone better than expected, which honestly intrigued Ryan. Though he had been a bit nervous going there, knowing exactly what Adrian's personality was like, he had gone expecting and bracing himself for a lot of things.
But none of that happened.
It went smoother than he expected.
They started with accounting, which he had marked as a weak point, and Adrian had taken his time to teach him, breaking down every point better than his accounting lecturer could have. And even answered his every question both annoying and reasonable ones
Though internally, he questioned why Adrian had suddenly changed his attitude, how different he seemed different from the usual Adrian he knew. But he couldn't bring himself to ask him about it.
"I should just go with the flow and not question it," he said to himself.
By the time they were done, Ryan felt something tugging at his chest. Maybe it was excitement, maybe relief, but whatever it was, he felt like his life was about to get much better and simpler since getting into college
He thanked Adrian, and before leaving, muttered a goodbye to the butler, who bowed back in acknowledgment.
Ethan, of course, was impatiently waiting for his roommate, eager to find out how everything had gone. To him, everything was happening at once. Ryan's family had suddenly visited, he had broken down on the floor, visited the hospital the next morning, and sent a text saying he was going to the tutoring session with Adrian before heading back.
Though Ethan wanted to ask about everything that had happened before, the only question he could actually ask was the one involving Adrian.
And the moment Ryan got back, Ethan pounced on him, asking exactly that.
_____________________
The club fair night had been announced a week ago. First by their course rep, then posted on notice boards and blasted across group chats until it became background noise. Ryan had decided he wasn't joining any club. He barely had time for lectures, his shifts, and now the tutoring with Adrian. Adding extracurricular activities to that mix sounded like a joke anyone would laugh at.
Still, Ethan refused to let it go.
"Just come," he said earlier that evening. "You don't have to sign up for anything. We can just hang around and enjoy the moment."
Ryan had weighed it quietly and decided to go afterwards, because compared to the last social thing he'd gone to, the party, this had higher pros than cons. He wouldn't have to spend on anything, get overly drunk, and wouldn't have Ethan leaving him to himself. He could just watch the performances, and wouldn't have to get overly dressed, just his usual casual wear.
The fair was already alive by the time they arrived with ropes of lights hung across the open space, glowing softly against the dark sky. It had booths lined up in rows, each decorated in its own chaotic way, banners slightly crooked, tables cluttered with flyers, posters, and props. With music playing from different directions, some loud, some barely noticeable.
People moved around in clusters, laughing, calling out to friends, stopping to listen, then drifting away again. The air smelled with a mix of grilled meat, drinks, popcorn, and something fried from a nearby stand. It felt busy and noisy but not uncomfortable.
They watched performances and walked from booth to booth, listening as club members talked endlessly about their clubs. Ethan also forced Ryan to join a participation game at one of the booths, something ridiculous involving quick questions and hand gestures. Ryan refused at first, standing his ground, but later gave in and ended up having so much fun, more than he expected.
After loitering from one booth to another, either enjoying a booth's display or making fun of it, they arrived at the Art Club. That was where Ethan slowed down. His eyes wandered over the paintings and drawings on display, lingering longer than before. His eyes glistened with awe at the details and creativity.
Somehow, Ryan knew that was the club Ethan would eventually choose. He had seen Ethan sketch in his notebooks during lectures, careless at first glance but clean if you looked closely. And his sketches looked great, at least to Ryan.
A red-haired club member noticed Ethan's interest, the way his eyes lit up and how his hands hovered over the paintings. He walked up behind them and said something.
They turned toward him, and suddenly he smiled wide.
"Oh, it's you," he said, grinning at Ryan.
Ryan blinked, caught off guard, his eyes lingering on the red hair that somehow felt too familiar, but placing the face wasn't clicking fast. "Me?"
"Yeah. BAD party. Aperol Spritz. The club's bar. Does it ring anything?" the guy added, like he desperately wished for Ryan to remember.
"Oh, I do remember. The one who wouldn't stop talking."
"Huh?" Chase chuckled in disbelief. "That should be you who wouldn't stop talking, though."
Ethan let out a soft laugh, clearly amused by the interaction playing out. He covered his mouth, trying to stop the laugh from slipping out. "Sorry about that," he said, though a muffled laugh still escaped.
Having calmed down a bit, and Ryan shooting him an embarrassed look, he added, "Um, sorry about that. It was just a bit funny."
Ryan gave him a side eye while Chase remained rather indifferent.
Ethan, still looking between them with a confused expression, asked, "You guys know each other?"
"Barely…" Ryan replied.
"Yeah," Chase jumped in. "Ran into him at a party once but had no way to reach him afterward. I'm glad we met again here." He grinned and turned to Ethan. "You seemed interested in these pieces. You thinking about joining the art club?"
"Um, not really. I was just admiring the beauty of it."
"That's bad," he paused, extending his hand. "I'm Chase, by the way. The Creative Director for the club."
Ethan took the hand. "I'm Ethan."
"Ethan?" His eyes flicked from Ryan to Ethan.
The two friends looked confused as well.
He added. "You look different. Like totally different from that night. Did you change overnight? Did you shrink in size?"
"What do you mean?" Ethan asked, turning to Ryan.
They both turned to Ryan, demanding an explanation.
"Um, that night it was another person," he muttered.
"You met another person that night?" Ethan asked right away.
It was Adrian. Ryan flinched, realizing his little white lie was about to fall apart. He hadn't told Ethan the full story of that night. He'd just said he couldn't remember anything after Chase.
How was he supposed to explain that Adrian had been there? He had forgotten it at first, then remembered later at the library.
He quickly snapped back, "Yeah, I think I did. I remembered a bit later. It was a stranger, but the pieces aren't really coming together."
"A stranger? He seemed to know you well," Chase said, clearly puzzled.
"Maybe he did, but he's just a stranger to me. Hehe," Ryan shrugged, avoiding Ethan's gaze. "I'll just leave you to finish your registration then," he added and bolted.
"Hey, wait!" Chase called after him. "You can meet the club president over there to guide you on it if you eventually change your mind," he told Ethan, pointing toward a corner of the booth, before hurrying after Ryan to catch up.
As soon he was far enough, he let out a big sigh, silently praying Ethan would buy his story. And also quietly appreciated the fact that he'd managed to escape before Ethan could probe any further.
He wandered around the fair, watching costumes and performances, completely oblivious to the person following behind, trying to catch up.
After a while, he spotted a bench nearby at a quiet corner and sat down, needing a rest and to wait for Ethan.
"You walk really fast for someone small," Chase huffed, bending over with hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
Ryan looked up, eyes narrowing slightly. "Were you following me?"
"Yeah," Chase said, finally sitting beside him. "You expect me to miss an opportunity like this after you left like that last time?"
Ryan didn't answer immediately. He shifted on the bench, subtly trying to ignore Chase's presence, while a quiet curiosity tugged at him about why Chase had even followed him out here.
"You know," Chase said, still catching his breath, "I was hoping we'd get a proper conversation this time. Maybe even exchange numbers."
Ryan finally turned to him. "Why? Why would I do that?"
Chase blinked. He hadn't expected the question to come out like that. He leaned back on the bench, eyes locked on Ryan's.
"Because," he said slowly, "I enjoyed our conversation, and you seemed fun to talk to. And I'd like to get to know you better."
"I'm not fun to talk to."
"Well, in my definition of fun, you are."
Ryan frowned slightly. "What's your definition of fun?"
Chase smiled, folding his arms. "You'll find that out when we finally know each other better and hang out more."
Ryan scoffed and looked away, his eyes drifting back to the crowd. "You assume I'd want that?"
"Yeah, because you haven't told me no yet."
"I'm not saying yes either."
"I don't mean harm, though. Is it bad I want to get to know you?" Chase pressed on, refusing to back down.
At this point, Ryan was getting uncomfortable with the whole thing
"You said you want fun from me. Well, I don't have that to offer. I already have a lot on my plate so I don't have the luxury for your fun." He stood up. "I'll go meet my friend. I think he should be done by now."
He walked off before Chase could catch up or stop him. He knew he had rushed out of the booth earlier to avoid Ethan's suspicions, but right now he would rather face Ethan and cook up all sorts of lies than have Chase hovering around him.
Behind him, Chase only smiled. A stubborn one.
I guess I'll have to get his friend to join the club then, he thought, leaning back on the bench and running a hand through his hair as Ryan disappeared into the crowd.