SINFULLY YOURS

Chapter 15: Chapter 15. Weird Departure

Chapter 15. Weird Departure

Rosa Lin’s POV

"Okay, bro. I don’t know who the fuck you think you are or what gives you the guts to step over here and act like you own the place, but this is just a total invasion of privacy," Mia said instantly, leaning against the table and flashing him a hard glare.

The fellow raised an eyebrow, tilting his face and looking at Mia like she was merely a disturbance. He smiled, chuckled, and raised both of his hands.

"Um, okay. So, I think maybe you must have the wrong idea here," he said.

Well, as for me, I really did not know about that. I was pressed back against my chair, arms folded, staring at him uneasily while clenching my fists tightly together. It was just weird—totally weird, the way he had come up to us yesterday, paid for the drinks, and just vanished. And now, he was here. What the hell was he doing at our school? The fact that he was here on campus confirmed one thing: maybe that was just how he knew my name.

Are you sure he’s not one of the haters—one of the keyboard warriors on the school forum who backlashed me and made me feel like crap?

What did he want with me?

"Can you explain yourself?" Mia demanded, leaning across the table and flashing him a hard look.

He looked at her, chuckled, and turned back to look at me. I avoided his gaze and stared at the table, glancing at my half-eaten food and quickly chewing the remaining bite stuck in my mouth.

He chuckled again. "Ah, it’s not that serious, actually," he said, a bright smile on his face revealing a straight set of white teeth. "I just... you know, I just thought you were cute, and I felt like it wouldn’t hurt to actually get to know you."

My head flinched at the mention of that. I saw Mia’s eyes widen. Her gaze darted between the fellow and me. I slowly lifted my head to look at him with a frown.

I scoffed and shook my head. "You just saw me from a distance and decided you want to get to know me? What’s the purpose? What do you want?" I asked.

He chuckled. "I don’t want anything. Why do you assume that?"

"Because, well, it’s common with you guys," I said. "You guys always want something. You can’t just approach a girl without having an agenda."

I saw Mia nod her head in agreement, tilting her head to look at him. "And moreover, you are a little bit too weird," she added. "Especially yesterday."

He smiled and relaxed back against his chair. "I understand. I guess I came off as sort of creepy. I’m so sorry for scaring you guys in any way," he said. "I really didn’t mean any harm. I just saw you celebrating, you looked so gorgeous, and I felt: why not just pay for the bill for this pretty little girl?"

My jaw hung slightly open as I looked at him, my face blank. I tilted my head toward Mia.

Mia moved her jaw awkwardly and shrugged before looking aside.

Yep. I totally did not expect that. Amidst the sea of people who hated me right now, I didn’t expect a guy to solely walk up to me and shoot his shot.

I chuckled and shook my head.

"So," he said, finally focusing entirely on me, "forgive me for not introducing myself. I guess you don’t know me, which is obvious because I’m actually new on campus."

I picked up my half-eaten burger, took an awkward bite, and tilted my eyes up to look at him.

"My name is Tim Kalem. I am the new hockey coach," he said, extending his hand toward me.

I looked down at his hand, then back up at his face.

He chuckled. "Come on, relax, okay? I don’t bite. Give me a chance here."

I nodded slowly. Right. He was new. No wonder. I was sure the moment he heard about my scandal, he would definitely be running the other way. Not that I cared, anyway. Not that I even had any interest in whatever this meet-and-greet was.

I hesitated, but I gently took his hand and shook it. He smiled at me, seeming satisfied with the gesture.

"Thank you so much," I said.

"And thank you for accepting me," he replied.

I scoffed internally.

Accept?

Oh, he has no idea.

"How on earth did you figure out my name?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh. About that."

I saw the way he awkwardly pulled his hand away from mine, rested it on the table, and began to scratch his neck.

"I don’t know, it’s just that... well, you are, you know, kind of popular on campus," he said.

I frowned.

"I’m sorry, what?"

Looking at him through squinted eyes, I wondered what that was supposed to mean. I saw him avoiding my gaze, looking nervous with my reaction as he continued scratching his neck.

"I mean, you know..." he trailed off.

Instantly, it struck me: the news on the forum, what Mac did to me. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth. He already knew about it.

How dare he?

I shook my head, biting down on my bottom lip.

"What’s the meaning of that?" Mia snapped across the table, scoffing.

"No, no, no, it’s not like that!" he insisted, raising his hands.

"Then what is it?" Mia shot back.

I didn’t know what to think. A sharp, prickly heat flared through my chest. Well, I guessed that was why he was here; he probably heard the rumors and thought I was some easy conquest, looking to get his own share. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"I need to go, Mia," I said, attempting to stand up.

He reached out and caught my hand. "No, wait, wait!"

I turned to look at him with a sharp glare. He looked genuinely nervous and regretful.

"Please, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that, I swear. I promise you, just wait. Calm down," he pleaded, giving me an earnest look.

I reluctantly sat back down, still glaring at him.

"Look, I really didn’t mean it like that. Okay? I heard the news, and then I wondered, who is this girl? So I went to find out about you. After watching you for a while, I realized you were totally different—you aren’t what they say you are. And with the kind of person I’ve observed Mac to be after spending a week with him on the hockey team, noticing his attitude, I realized you were the victim."

He gently let go of my hand.

"Trust me, I hate what he did. And as I’m talking to you right now, I’m doing my best to ensure he serves punishment for it."

I frowned at him. Is he really doing that?

"Trust me," he said, raising both hands. "I don’t tolerate kids who lack moral discipline. It’s irritating." He leaned back against the seat, folded his arms, and stared at the table as if lost in thought.

I observed him with a furrowed brow and glanced over at Mia. Mia was looking at him with equal confusion before turning her gaze to me.

That was completely unexpected. He actually punished Mac for me?

"You’re such a nice, cute, quiet girl," he continued, turning his head to meet my eyes. "You don’t deserve to go through all of that, for real. It was just disgusting. I can’t even explain how mad it makes me. I hate guys who exploit girls’ feelings and treat it like some kind of game. If he wanted to humiliate you, he could have kept it private. Why blast it to the entire school? What’s the point? What’s the end game?"

I could clearly feel the genuine anger vibrating in his voice.

Honestly, I had no words. I was completely baffled. Aside from Mia, this was the only person who actually seemed to care and sound disturbed by what Mac did to me. It made me feel uneasy; from the start, I hadn’t expected any good intentions from him. I didn’t know whether to trust him or push him away.

I looked at Mia, who gave me a conflicted look, clearly processing the exact same thought.

I let out an awkward chuckle, my lips twitching with confusion as I turned back to him. "Well, I... I don’t know what to say to that, but thanks," I said, scrunching up my face.

He smiled softly. "I can see you’re still suspicious of me. It’s all right, I don’t blame you. It’s my fault—I caused it," he said, lightly tapping his finger against the table. "Maybe if I had approached you better, things wouldn’t be so awkward."

I still didn’t know what to say. Neither did Mia.

"So," he began, leaning forward against the table, "I don’t know if it’d be comfortable for you, but I feel like it’d be nice for us to stay in touch. May I ask... do you mind if I get your number?"

I froze and blinked at him. He seriously wants my number.

I gave a dry chuckle. "Well, I... I don’t know about that," I said, my voice coming out hoarse as I looked to Mia for help.

Mia clenched her hands together. I could see she was just as conflicted; she didn’t know whether to jump to my defense or give the guy some slack. He had been completely polite so far, making it hard to be unnecessarily harsh.

I groaned internally, clenching my teeth. "Look, um..."

"You don’t feel comfortable," he said, gently interrupting me.

I looked back at him.

He offered a warm smile. "Well, you’re cautious, which only proves everything I suspected about you from the beginning. Mac is such a bastard," he muttered, glaring down at the table. "I’m going to ramp up his punishment tenfold so he never tries that shit again."

I chuckled nervously and shook my head. "Hey, you really don’t have to do all that. Just focus on your job."

He smiled. "Oh, trust me, I will. As the coach, it’s my duty to instill good morals in my players, so it’s not like I’m stepping out of line."

I nodded slowly, keeping my eyes on the tabletop.

"It’s fine if you won’t give me your number. I understand," he said. "But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on getting to know you."

When I looked up, he gave me a deliberate wink.

Oh my god.

I quickly turned my head away, hearing Mia snicker across the table. I shot her a glare, but she was barely holding back her laughter. God, don’t tell me she actually supports this, I thought, grinding my teeth.

Right at that moment, the bell above the cafeteria entrance chimed, making me turn.

I watched as Mr. Don Diaxu stepped inside with brisk, heavy footsteps. He looked deeply agitated, as though someone had thoroughly frustrated him—perhaps it was the lingering irritation from our encounter in his office. Honestly, I didn’t care to know. A sharp, uncomfortable tension flared in my chest as I watched him head toward the service counter where meals were being served.

I noticed Tim turn his head to follow our line of sight. The split second his eyes landed on Mr. Don Diacko, he visibly flinched, quickly ducking his head down.

"Okay, um," Tim started abruptly, "sorry, I need to go."

I turned my full attention back to him.

He forced a hasty smile. "I’ll see you some other time. Have a great day. It was nice meeting you, Rosa," he rushed out with a breathless chuckle. He cast another paranoid glance in Mr. Don’s direction before shoving his chair back and scrambling to his feet like a man fleeing for his life.

I had to pull back quickly to keep him from crashing into me. Without another word, he darted through an adjacent row of tables, rushing out through the cafeteria doors and letting them slam shut behind him.

Mia and I stared at the closed exit in stunned silence. When I turned back to look at her, her eyes were wide, her head tilted in absolute disbelief.

Okay... what the fuck was that?

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