– Four years later – Brookmere University's campus –
"You guys are still not finished?" Orion asked casually.
On the other end of the call, Dante paused to breathe, visibly annoyed. Scratching his brow, he retorted, "What do you think?"
Orion chuckled, fully aware of his friend's frustration, but his playful nature refused to let it slide. Rolling his tongue dramatically, he groaned before continuing.
"Come on, guys, punctuality! Look at me—I made it back before the term even started. Efficiency. Discipline. Elegance."
Silence.
Encouraged by Dante's exasperated quiet, Orion pushed further. "Honestly, we ought to set some strict guidelines for our firm's growth. Instilling values, you know?"
Dante bit his lip to hold back. "I'm ready to cut you off."
"What, the call?" Orion quipped.
"No, your tongue," Dante shot back immediately.
Orion gasped mockingly. "Would your heart agree with that?"
"Don't make me come over there and do it myself!" Dante nearly shouted.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Orion said, clearly not stopping. "But seriously, when will you be done?"
Mason, who had been listening in, finally snapped. "If it weren't for you, Orion, we'd have wrapped this up already."
"It's not entirely my fault," Orion defended.
"…"
"Okay, twenty-five percent was my fault."
"…"
"Fine. Fifty."
"…"
"Okay, but it can't be more than seventy-five. Final offer."
"Agreed," Mason grumbled. "More than three-fourths of this disaster is on you. What are you trying to do—turn the trial into a Broadway production for the murderer?"
"You can't prove I wouldn't," Orion replied smoothly. "That was my last case, I needed to go out with a bang. Besides, I'm a showman. You're welcome."
Mason turned to Dante. "Shall I silence him permanently, or do you want the honor?"
"Will your wallet back that decision?" Orion countered without missing a beat.
Mason sighed heavily. As much as Orion drove him insane, they couldn't deny his skills—and their bank accounts proved it. Rolling his eyes, Mason muttered, "…I'm hanging up. I can't listen to him anymore."
"Yeah," Dante agreed. "I don't want to see his face for at least a month."
"Don't worry," Orion laughed. "The workload won't let you come here for a month anyway. And you know I don't do video calls. The lighting never flatters me."
"You—! Just disappear," Mason snapped before ending the call.
Grinning, Orion slipped his phone away and strolled into the university. He asked his way to the staff room, retrieved the necessary documents for his friends' registrations, and went about his task.
A month prior, Orion's grandfather had fallen ill and demanded he return home for good. Having only just completed his first term abroad, Orion had protested, but his father enforced the decision. Within weeks, Orion found himself back home.
He didn't mind, but he wished his friends could join him. Luckily, Dante and Mason had the same thought—and thanks to Orion's meddling, their applications were now being processed as well.
The staff room bustled with frantic energy, papers stacked high and phones ringing. Orion, unwilling to add to their suffering, slipped into the waiting area instead.
The moment he entered, the room shifted. Heads turned. Conversations faltered. The breathtakingly handsome man had arrived. Girls unconsciously stood, as if pulled by gravity, their eyes locking onto his watery, charming gaze.
Orion, fully aware of the effect, walked slowly, deliberately, like a perfume commercial in human form. He sank gracefully into a couch. Before anyone could rush to claim the space beside him, he dropped his document file on the seat next to him—his version of a "Reserved" sign.
Disappointed, the crowd retreated. A girl nearly sat on another's lap in her rush, a guy tripped over his own bag, and one poor staff member dropped an entire folder, scattering files like confetti.
Unbothered, Orion scrolled through his phone. His admirers stared as though every finger-tap held divine meaning.
Then-
"Excuse me," a polite but firm voice interrupted.
Orion glanced up. A young woman stood there, her tone calm but her gaze steady.
"Could you please move your file? I need a seat here."
Orion blinked, stunned. For once, someone hadn't melted.
"…Excuse me?"