Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 48

I never expected the guy I was staring at to actually be Darren.

He was usually rocking those silver specs and had this laid–back artsy dad vibe going on. To put it bluntly, he gave off this slightly stuffy and old–fashioned air.

It was like he was a whole different person from the smooth charmer standing in front of me

now.

What a stark contrast.

“So, Xaviera, you’re disappointed to find out it’s me?” he teased.

I waved my hand dismissively, clarifying, “No, no, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that your current look is a dead ringer for a character in our game, and that’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

That probably came across a little rude.

Darren seemed taken aback, he sighed and said, “And here I was thinking you had a thing for

this version of me, Xaviera.”

I raised my eyebrows, momentarily at a loss for words.

Just then, Tina and Kevin came bounding over from the right and greeted me enthusiastically.

“Xaviera, you have no idea, before you got here, a bunch of chicks were hitting on Professor Yearwood,” Tina said with a hint of pride, lowering her voice, “and they even brought him coffee.”

Kevin mimicked in a falsetto, “Sweetheart, sweetheart, what flavor do you like?”

1

“Darren, you really do

something more but Darren cut him off, “If you guys keep ribbing me like this, don’t bother calling

Kevin wisely backed

Darren, the university professor, was often bossed around by Tina and Kevin to attend various comic

wonder our paths crossed.

me around different areas and introduced me to various unique anime promotion techniques. I actually learned quite a bit

day, and I couldn’t let their help go unrewarded, so

up at

by a second–floor private room, we bumped into Hilary

my side and asked, “This

straight when Darren beat

hand, “Handsome young man, where do

I thought,

at N University,” Darren replied politely, “and I’m a classmate

had he spoken than Hilary’s

to go ahead and order

actually happy to see you settling down well, unlike Hogan, who’s really wearing

Only

notice that Hilary’s makeup was a bit off, with powder caked

been pushing me to bring Ms. Irwin to social gatherings.

looking like she was about

“If Mr. Zade insists, just go along with it. There’s nothing

those people

out to her, Hilary stopped and then returned to the private room, not before making

the hang of this wealthy

still hustling for my daily bread.

we were all old classmates, reminiscing about our college

was

in bed, I felt a strange sense of contentment, like