Chapter 1: War

Chapter 1

CLOUD was shaking his head as he walked towards Enzo. He is friends with Enzo and has been a classmate since the first year of college in the Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineer course here at Saint Vincent University. Their barkadahan was formed because they were in a block section. They are getting really bored. They are graduating this year with their six other friends.

Their group consists of nine people. Les, Chuck, Reus, Guji, Kei, Chase, Enzo, Rein, and him. Rein is not their classmate because he is two years younger than their eight. Rein became their friend because he became a member of the tennis club which also included eight of them.

In their conversation, Enzo was the oldest — only a month apart from them — while Rein was the youngest. Reus, on the other hand, is childish. He is the most handsome.

The nine of them have different habits but despite the differences, their habits click ... sometimes.

Reus is pissed that in their barracks, he is said to have the highest pride. Cloud admitted there. If pride is measured, maybe his pride is as high as the Eiffel tower. If pride seems taller, he may be taller than Yao Ming today. That Cloud always just answers with a grin.

Maybe the reason for this was his background. All of them are friends Cloud can say belongs to the high level of society. His parents were well-known painters here and abroad. He took all his luxuries, everything he wanted. But Cloud knew his limit.

Cloud scratched his eyebrow. He is here today on the open court because they have a practice game as members of the tennis club. They usually use this open court. If they are not the ones scheduled, the ones on the volleyball team.

But here Cloud is now looking for his missing-in-action partner Les. He was nowhere to be found, which was new. When they have a practice game like this, Les comes first to the court. This is an ideal vice-captain.

So Les is what he is looking for now because this is his doubles partner. When there is a practice game, they always partner or team up. They are called the Golden Duo because once they team up, no one can beat them.

"Captain Enzo, where's my ever-loving partner-in-crime? I miss him," Cloud said as he approached Enzo.

From the small notebook he was reading, he immediately turned to her. He even adjusted his glasses to the eyes which he knew were gradeless and decorative only. Its eyes are not blurred. According to Reus, the only reason Enzo mirrors is to enhance its beauty. They laugh at it but of course it's secret. When Enzo found out and heard that he and Reus were going on a trip, they were sure to break up.

If Cloud and Reus were as strong as the trip, Enzo would be twice as strong. It's not just obvious because it's serious. It's simple to retaliate but they are all upset about it. If it does not clean the whole court, it will rotate them twenty times. Sometimes, fifty more. That's the way Enzo traveled. Brutal. Sadist.

"Les is with his pretend girlfriend right now," Enzo replied seriously then looked back at his notebook.

"I'm more handsome than that notebook of yours, Coach. So just look at me. You won't regret it," Cloud joked uncontrollably, knowing he would pay a lot.

"Hey. Cloud is jealous of Enzo's notebook? Kelegs," Reus whispered. He did not realize that his friend was close. In its hand is the racket it is still waving.

"Twenty laps around the court, now!" Enzo suddenly shouted and Reus pointed at them both.

I knew it.

He just sighed as Reus shrugged. It had already run around the court. Cloud was about to follow when he saw a figure approaching Enzo.

Enzo is approaching a woman. A tsinita and a beautiful woman. It was still far away but he immediately noticed the beauty it contained. Its face is gentle as if asking for protection from the people who look at it. Its eyes are narrow and its nose is moderately pointed. But its best asset is the red and it looks like a kiss on the lips.

The woman stopped right in front of Enzo and Cloud. Cloud remained standing even though Enzo had already ordered him to circle around the court. She is curious what this woman is up to in court. Then it is difficult. Based on its appearance, Enzo may have just cried a little.

Cloud did not stare at the girl carefully. His forehead furrowed g his face seemed familiar to him. It was as if he had already seen it. It was as if a light bulb lit up his brain when he remembered where he first saw the woman.

How could he forget that innocent face? It was years ago but the memory was still vivid in his mind, as if it was only yesterday. It was his first day at SVU as a freshman ...

THERE WAS A HURRY on Cloud's walk. It was the first day of school but he woke up late. Maybe his alarm clock rang but most likely, he did not wake up. So here is the outcome. He wanted to have a good first impression to his classmates but because of his damn alarm clock, he was failing.

He was tired last night because of a walk with the family. It took them almost dawn outside. Only once if their family is formed. His parents were always abroad while his little sister was living in the province with their aunt. That's why when they form a family, they really make the most of it.

The outcome? He is late now. If it's not crazy, first day is still first day.

Due to Cloud's haste, he did not even notice his surroundings. He was just shocked when he collided. Because the reflexes are fast, he immediately supports what he collided with.

A girl.

His arm was wrapped around his waist and he looked like a fool staring at its face. Cloud had seen cute and pretty girls and some of them liked him but this was the first time he became enthralled like this.

"I'm sorry," he said, colliding and saying nothing and turning his back on her.

It was a short meeting but it left a deep impact inside of him. Cloud just shook his head. Instead of rushing to the classroom because he was late, he was able to look up and think of things.

And he even managed to see the distant figure of the woman who collided! Lintek naman.

"What's gotten into me?" Cloud whispered softly to himself as the wind blew.

"Are you Enzo?" that woman's voice aroused Cloud's recollection.

So, it's really her, huh? he said in his mind.

Cloud glanced at the woman again. He noticed that almost no change had taken place here. She was still as pretty as before. If not more.

"He is Enzo," Cloud answered uncontrollably even though the woman was not talking to him or asking him.

Not because he wants her to talk to him or because he wants her attention to be focused on him. He just thought that Enzo might make him cry. Maybe it's like other women who have a bad look and Enzo just scolded, already doing it.

But Cloud was wrong.

It turned to him and he noticed its obvious glance all over him. Cloud wasn't being conceited but he knew he was handsome. Stares from girls wasn't a new experience to him. But what surprised him was the sudden frown on his forehead and his simple smirk.

What the fuck ?!

What's wrong with this girl?

"Are you the one I'm talking to?" its tongue raised an eyebrow. Cloud didn't know if it was just his imagination but it seemed to deepen his gaze on her.

Its gentle face earlier seemed to transform and become a tiger ready to devour at any time. Who said this girl has an innocent face again? Definitely not him.

"I'm just being nice, Miss—"

"Pwes, I don't need your kindness," he said. And he was right, he looked at her deeply. If it just looks deadly, maybe the pogi in SVU has decreased.

He could not help but wonder at its appearance. He also couldn't help but feel annoyed because it was insulting him. He is already helping it but is this still the one who wants to beat him? Where is the justice there?

"Just come, Miss—"

"Don't be so mean when you're not being talked to!" again it was stabbing him. It did not even bother to finish what he was saying.

Cloud closed his eyes tightly as the wind blew. He did not know why this one was insulting him. He did not know if he had done anything wrong here to hit and punch him like this. It is not his habit to cut the woman because his parents did not raise him that way but this one is consuming his patience in remembering that he is as long as EDSA.

"Hey—"

"I'm still not talking to you so shut up!"

"Because—"

"Just go, Cloud. I'm asking you to do something, right?" Enzo groaned as he forgot he was there too.

He was blown away by the wind and then nodded to Enzo. "Okay."

Cloud turned around and left the two now talking. His mind could not fathom the reason why that woman laughed at him. He did not remember anything wrong with it. As he grew older, their first and last meeting was when they clashed on his first day as a freshman.

Did he got rejected so it hated him? He is unlikely to remember that.

Cloud shrugged as he ran around the open court as annoyance arose in his chest. Annoyed because a woman suddenly cursed and laughed at him for reasons she did not know. Annoyed because it ignored him or even admired him. Annoyed because he did not ask its name.

This is probably the first time that instead of admiration, a woman met him with annoyance.

It was hard to admit to herself that she was disgusted because that woman had violated her pride and ego.

Cloud immediately wiped the sweat dripping down his neck when he finished running around the open court ... twenty times. Lintek and Enzo really. Very brutal.

He did not feel tired. After all, it seems that his body is used to it because that is how Enzo always punished them. Then despite his wealth, his parents taught him to stretch his bones. They taught him to be independent.

He just did not know what that had to do with running twenty times around the court.

Cloud's proper drinking of water stopped when he noticed from the corner of his eye the figure of the female university gym show. It was that girl.

He dropped the bottled water on the bench and then silently approached — or followed — the woman. 'The woman did not even notice that she was following him because of her deep thought.

He was about to tap the woman on the shoulder to announce her presence when she suddenly collapsed. It even knelt on the concrete floor. If it had not been able to keep its hands on the floor, it might have even kissed its face on the floor.

"Aw. Shit!" he heard the woman's language.

Cloud without hesitation held the woman in both arms then supported her to stand. He did not even think that he had laughed at her before, all he thought about at that time was the injured girl. He just wanted to help it.

"Are you okay?" he said worried the woman.

It slowly turned to him at the same time as its face turned red. Maybe because of embarrassment. His gaze deepened on her then shrugged from his grip on her arm.

"I'm fine. Don't touch me," he said.

Cloud raised both palms. "Easy."

It just smirked.

He noticed the woman turning violently towards him and the slight redness on her face. Probably a factor as to why they're doing so poorly.

"Tell me, Miss. What have I done wrong to you and you seem so mad at me?" Cloud asked the woman uncontrollably.

He noticed the sudden clouding of the woman's eyes but it also disappeared immediately.

"You don't care if I want to bite you! Just leave me alone!" it salted him.

Cloud couldn't stop grinning when he thought of something silly. He folded his arms and then raised an eyebrow at the woman. "Maybe you like me, don't you? And I didn't notice you so now you are so mad at me."

His eyes widened even more and to Cloud's surprise he suddenly without warning punched him in the face. Although surprised, he slightly avoided due to the quick reflexes but his fist still touched his jaw.

Cloud rubbed his jaw. "Why the hell did you do that ?!" he could not help but smirk at the woman.

"Because you are so full of yourself! You are not porket handsome and you are rich you should brag about it! And you are not porket handsome you should hurt other people's feelings! For your information, you are not the only one who is handsome in SVU ! " it shouted at him then he turned away. It almost ran just to get away from him.

Cloud was left dumbfounded as his gaze followed its figure. He could not believe that a woman had the courage to seduce him and say things. It was a new experience to him.

He clicked his head while massaging his jaw.

Was she in love with him before and he did not notice it? Hmm. Still, what she did was unforgivable.

"You want war, huh? I'll give you war," he said softly to himself while rubbing his jaw. He slowly grinned.

Nobody gets away from Cloud. If that girl wanted war, he would gladly give her war.