: Little Milk Dog

3

I looked up to see a smiling Puppy, who had appeared behind me at some point.

His features were gentle, and a smile graced his face. He was like soft moonlight—no sharp edges, no aggressive air. He shone with a gentle yet firm light from behind, illuminating the path forward. All you had to do was turn around, and he would be there.

I recognized him immediately. He was a Junior from my university, a first-year named Ryan Chau.

Seeing me look at him, he lowered his head to meet my gaze and chuckled softly. "Senior, we meet again."

The Campus Prince was furious. "How many other guys do you have on the line?"

"Don't be ridiculous." I snapped back to my senses and declared righteously, "I have principles. To avoid any messy relationships, I never devote myself to two idols in the same circle. At our university, I was absolutely devoted to you and only you!"

The Campus Prince gritted his teeth. "So you're a devotee with principles, huh!"

The Puppy stepped between us, ignoring the Campus Prince. His eyes were full of mirth as he said, "It's so late and cold out. How about I drive you home, Senior?"

The Campus Prince seemed to choke on his words. He probably realized he had just dragged me out here on such a cold, late night with a single phone call, and his confidence evaporated. So, as he watched me leave with the Puppy, all he could do was stand there and clench his fists, not saying a single word.

The Puppy was thoughtful and considerate, even pulling open the passenger-side door for me before I got in.

The sky was already starting to brighten, but the cold wind was still blowing relentlessly. I rubbed my shoulders and glanced back, not at the Campus Prince, but at the thought that I probably wasn't getting my thermal container back.

I sighed and had just settled into my seat when the Puppy quickly got into the driver's seat and suddenly leaned his entire body toward me.

"What are you doing?" I paled in alarm, instinctively raising my guard.

But he was just fastening my seatbelt for me.

I realized I had overreacted and was instantly mortified. That, combined with the warm air blasting from the car's heater, made my face turn beet red.

He simply smiled, saying nothing. Other than asking for my address, he was silent for the rest of the drive. It wasn't until he dropped me off at my building and watched me start to head upstairs that he suddenly asked, "Senior, are you going to break up with that Senior?"

I froze for a moment, then shook my head. "I was never with him to begin with. I was just his devotee."

"But I'll definitely be drawing a line with him now," I added. "After this whole mess, I'm not in the mood to be his devotee anymore."

"That's wonderful," the Puppy said, his smile radiant. I could almost picture a big, brush-like tail wagging happily behind him.

I opened my mouth to say something, but he quickly said goodbye, not giving me the chance to get the words out.

I was filled with a mix of complicated feelings.

Flirting with such a good, innocent boy would be a sin, wouldn't it?

: Wall-Slam

4

In the blink of an eye, the new semester had started. I was worried I might awkwardly run into the Campus Prince, but then I remembered he was a year ahead of me and would likely be swamped preparing for internships this term.

My peaceful, wonderful campus life continued, and so did my life as a Devotee. 'Crushes are just consumables, after all. Losing one is no big deal.'

Just today, a call came in from Ron Rivers. I had to check the caller ID several times to make sure it was really him—the one and only Ron Rivers from Aethelgard Sports Academy, the muscular, dark-skinned guy with a buzz cut who stood 192 cm tall in his shoes. I finally answered once I was certain it wasn't a mistake.

"Hello? What took you so long to answer?" A magnetic, lazy voice came from the other end of the line. Its playful lilt always suggested someone who liked to toy with people and be in control.

I sidestepped his question. It's not like I could explain that I was busy confirming it was really him. Instead, I put a smile in my voice and asked, "What made you call me today? Did you miss me?"

A disdainful scoff came through the phone, but he didn't deny it. Instead, he got straight to the point. "We have a basketball game this afternoon. Bring two milk teas to my campus."

I agreed in a heartbeat. Aethelgard Sports Academy was heaven on earth! A whole campus of walking hormones, all showing off their youthful, untamed energy. I felt like just being there, even doing nothing, would add years to my life.

I expected Ron Rivers to hang up as soon as he'd given his order—that was his usual style. But to my surprise, he uncharacteristically lingered on the line. "I haven't reached out in a while. How was your winter break?"

'Alarm bells immediately went off in my head.'

'Based on my years of experience as a Devotee, when something seems this out of character, there's always a catch. A man who's used to being put on a pedestal won't suddenly start showing concern for one of his admirers for no reason.'

After careful consideration, I gave a safe, standard reply. And just as I expected, Ron Rivers cleared his throat twice, as if he felt he'd done enough of a preamble. He lowered his voice and said, "When you come, bring a pack of pads. My girlfriend got her period."

"You have a girlfriend?"

A long silence followed on the other end of the line. Then, in a voice tinged with scorn, he said, "What's it to you?"

I said, with all sincerity, "I wish you both happiness."

Then I ran the full sequence: block and delete.

I'm a Devotee with principles. I don't go after guys who are already taken.

My luck has been terrible lately. I've lost two crushes in a row. It's tough being a Devotee these days…

I was in the middle of sighing over my misfortune when my afternoon class ended. As I was walking out of the academic building, someone suddenly grabbed me. The world spun, and I was slammed against a wall in a perfect Wall-pin, straight out of some campus romance drama.

Dizzily, I opened my eyes and was hit with a blast of fervent, youthful energy. I had to tilt my head all the way back just to see his sharp jawline. A brightly colored jersey was stretched tight over his dark skin, radiating a wild charm. The partially concealed lines of his muscles were enough to set my pulse racing. His sharp brows and intense eyes were fixed on me, like a wolf ready to tear out a rabbit's throat.

I stared, shocked and terrified. "Ron Rivers?!"