Chapter 3 Unwanted Laundry Duty

Xyrius Dale Smith.

The absolute worst person to mess with.

The most arrogant, insufferable, and notorious bully in the entire university.

He had no limits. No one was safe from his pranks-not even the professors. There were rumors that some teachers had resigned because of him, and there was even talk of a student who had taken their own life after being targeted by his bullying.

Her entire body tensed. Even her esophagus and small intestines seemed to tremble in fear.

Xyrius was glaring at her, brows furrowed, his piercing gaze locking onto hers.

"S-s-s-sorry..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Of all the people she avoided in Westwood University, he was at the top of the list. For two years, she had gone out of her way to take detours just to avoid crossing paths with him. She had never dared to meet his eyes-until now.

But now that she was looking straight at him... she found herself unable to look away.

His eyes were a striking shade of gray. Long, thick lashes framed them, almost like the ones on the Santo Niño statue in Manang's room. His nose was sharp, his lips full and naturally pink.

Damn...

Without a word, Xyrius raised his hands and began unbuttoning his black long-sleeved shirt.

Her brain lagged.

Was this happening in slow motion?

Each button that came undone made her jaw drop a little more.

Her virgin eyes were getting an unexpected, sinful treat.

Her throat went dry as she absentmindedly bit the strap of her shoulder bag.

Holy hell.

She counted.

One... two... three... four... five... six-oh, sh*t-eight-pack abs.

And to make matters worse, juice was trickling down his ridiculously sculpted torso, like something out of a damn cologne commercial.

Beach body level unlocked.

"Dry clean it," he said, tossing his shirt at her face.

She instinctively caught it, inhaling the lingering scent.

Heaven.

Then, without another word, he shoved her aside and walked up to the cashier-shirtless.

That was it?

No outburst? No "you stupid motherf*cker" rant?

She shook her head in disbelief. What was she even thinking? She should be grateful that Xyrius seemed to be in a good mood and wasn't plotting revenge.

Slowly, she stepped backward, hoping to slip away unnoticed.

It was only when she made it out of the cafeteria that she finally exhaled in relief.

Then, she glanced down at the black long-sleeved shirt in her hands.

"Just my luck! Instead of breakfast, I got stuck with laundry duty!" she grumbled, shoving the long-sleeved shirt into her bag before heading toward her building. It was still early, so when she arrived at the classroom, the professor wasn't there yet, and only a handful of students had shown up. She sank into her seat, resting her bag on the desk as a makeshift pillow. A quick nap should help her forget about her hunger. She'd just eat at lunch-her money was barely enough as it was.

She only stirred when someone sat beside her. It was Mina. The girl flashed her a warm smile, and despite still being groggy, she returned it.

"Is the professor here yet?" she asked, yawning.

"Not yet," Mina replied shyly, pulling out a notebook from her bag and flipping through it.

She rested her chin on her palm, simply watching her friend.

Mina was beautiful-her skin was flawless, something she envied. Her style was simple, yet she still managed to stand out. Her face had a delicate, almost angelic softness, and her eyes, always wide and expressive, looked like they could well up with tears at any moment. Even her lips, naturally tinted with a soft red hue, made her look effortlessly elegant.

Subconsciously, she touched her own lips-fuller, less delicate. A small wave of jealousy crept in.

Mina turned to her, offering a slightly bashful smile.

"What?" she asked.

She grinned. "Got a sandwich?"

Mina always carried a sandwich, and more often than not, she shared it with her. When she nodded and rummaged through her bag before handing one over, she beamed.

"You're the best! Thanks!" she said, eagerly taking a bite.

Mina simply returned to her notes, scribbling away.

She was the only person she had considered a real best friend since starting college. They met through a club and had been inseparable ever since.

Mina was kind, quiet, and often lost in her own world. She came from an affluent family, but she never acted entitled or snobbish. Unlike her so-called best friends from high school, who had all conveniently disappeared the moment her family hit rock bottom.