Soren sat leaned over his laptop at the table beside his bed, eyes fixed intently on the screen as he scrolled through search results. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration.
Soren heard a soft knock and tilted his head, "Come in."
Moren was holding the broom and dustpan. He looked around at the broken parts of the phone.
"What are you doing here?" Soren voice was rough.
"I heard a smash earlier in the day, and thought you must have broken something."
"What has that to do with you?" Soren glared at him.
"I thought you broke a glass," Moren collected the phone pieces into the dustpan, "you could have gotten hurt by glass shreds."
Soren ignored him and turned to look at the laptop again.
"I think you should leave him alone now," Moren's words prompted Soren to turn back to look at him.
"What?"
"He leaked your pictures, right? If you keep searching, he would hide more and even might move away. He doesn't know that you are searching for him because you are interested in him. He might think you are looking for him in anger and want to prove your innocence."
"Fuck, how do you know I am interested in him?" Soren stood up and walked to Moren. He stood in front of Moren, who was shorter in height, and glared into his eyes.
"You don't even like people touching you, but you were lying like that on your bed, which means you slept with him," Moren stared back into his eyes, "but you don't even sleep with anyone in your rut. That clearly hints that he grabbed your attention, or you were influenced by his pheromones, but you never let your pheromones take control of you so far."
"Too bad that you are merely a Beta with this intelligence, thanks to your mother."
"What's wrong with being a Beta? I will not get affected by pheromones. I can make better decisions as a leader," Moren turned around to walk away.
"Good for father, that he has such a great son who doesn't sleep around and could make good decisions sober minded," Soren sounded sarcastic.
"Well, you don't sleep around either," Moren tilted his head, "it's just they think you would behave like a prime Alpha that you are. Good that you found someone who grabbed your interest, you might not have to suffer because of your pheromones. I was always worried about side effects."
"Worry about yourself, fucking bastard," Soren spat.
"See you at breakfast then," Moren walked out, shutting the door behind him softly.
Soren sat back in front of the laptop and remembered Moren's words.
He leaked your pictures, right? If you keep searching, he would hide more and even might move away. He doesn't know that you are searching for him because you are interested in him. He might think you are looking for him in anger and want to prove your innocence.
"Ahhhh, fuck," he shouted, punching the wooden table twice. He grabbed his dark hair locks, pulling them before getting up and turning off the lights.
He sank onto his bed. As he slid his feet under the bed, the metal frame scraped against the floor with a faint screech. He turned on the light and peeked under the bed. He couldn't see anything until he turned on a flashlight. He grabbed the locket lying under the bed, a Hoya flower shaped locket with C carved on it.
A memory of Caelen wearing the locket that night flashed in front of him.
It belongs to him, but why is the initial C? Is this a family heirloom or something?
With the locket in his hand, Soren lay on his back. Caelen's face when he first saw him at the store appeared in front of his eyes, and he closed his eyes. Then Caelen's blushed face, with sweat decorating it like beads, came to his mind, and Soren smiled faintly. He brought the locket close to his lips and placed a kiss on the flower shaped locket.
"I miss you so much."
The next morning, Liam entered the classroom and noticed Caelen sitting in a corner. Caelen was wearing a mask and a baseball hat.
"What's with the getup today?" Liam hung his bag on his chair while he sat down beside Caelen. He looked at Caelen closely and noticed he was wearing green coloured lenses, "Gosh, you are even wearing lenses. Don't tell me you are in big trouble."
"What if those people come searching for me again?" Caelen glanced at Liam before looking back at his book.
"That's why you are not even wearing your locket, you never removed it though."
"No, I am wearing—" Caelen rubbed his hands around his neck, searching for the locket, and his colour went pale, "Where is the locket?"
"You lost it?"
"Its hinge was loose, I had to get it fixed," Caelen abruptly stood up from his chair.
"Oh no, buddy, it's gone now."
"No, my father gifted it to me. I can't lose it."
"But how could you find a tiny locket in a huge university," Liam countered, "you don't even remember where you lost it."
Caelen grabbed his bag and ran out.
"Caelen! The class will start soon," Liam called, but he was already out of the class, walking away, looking at the ground on his way out.
Caelen walked to his house that was fifteen minutes walking distance away but couldn't find anything, not even in the house. He walked back to the university in case he missed it, but nothing. He sat down in the park and placed his hand at his chest.
"How could I not notice it? Idiot!" he whined in an almost inaudible voice.
Did I lose it at Soren's mansion? he rubbed his hands against his face, Then there is no chance of getting it back.
He lay down on the grass, "Everything comes with a price after all!" Tears streamed out of his eyes, and his lens got displaced.
FLASHBACK
The TV was on, but ten year old Caelen's eyes were fixed on the steel door. He was swinging back and forth, looking at the door as if he would make holes through it. Finally the door clanked open and Caelen stood up running towards his father, wrapping his arms around his father's legs.
Loren placed the plastic bag he was holding onto the table and looked at Caelen, who was still stuck to his legs.
Caelen spread his arms, "Give me a hug."
Loren settled down onto the worn sofa and took Caelen into his embrace.
"I love your smell, Papa," Caelen whispered, burying his face into his father's chest.
"You always say that," Loren took something out of his pocket, "that's why this birthday I am gifting you..."
"Birthday?" Caelen cut him off.
"Don't tell me you forgot again," Loren's voice raised slightly, "Come on, who forgets their own birthday."
"It's my birthday!" Caelen almost screamed, "Do we get to eat cake then?"
Caelen looked at the plastic bag and turned to Loren, "Oh yeah, gift!" His eyes drifted to Loren's palm that was still closed.
Loren opened his palm, a Hoya flower shaped locket with C carved on it.
"You always say that you like my scent, so I got this locket for you."
Caelen's eyes sparkled, and he hugged Loren again, "I will keep it with me forever."
END OF FLASHBACK
"I am sorry, Papa, I lost it," Caelen's voice trembled and he closed his eyes.
Soren woke up early in the morning, but he had no intentions of getting out of his bed as he had nothing to do. He was holding onto the locket, the locket was swinging above him, its metal reflecting rays passing through the gap of curtains.
What metal is that? It doesn't seem like gold.
A maid knocked at the door, "Master Soren, please come down for breakfast."
"Those pretentious family gatherings," he mumbled as he got up and wore the locket around his neck, walking downstairs.
"What are you planning to do now?" Soren's father Thane asked chewing onto his food.
"Just taking rest," Soren glanced at his stepmother, who was eagerly waiting for his answer.
"I am talking about your future plans," his father's tone got rigid, "Don't you have to do something for a living?"
"I will open my own studio, I am thinking of acting."
"What did your company say?" Thane asked and Moren looked at Soren for an answer this time.
"They are demanding a hefty sum of money for damages. All my contracts were cancelled, so I sent the papers to our lawyer. Have you gotten a notice yet?"
"But investigation results aren't out yet, why did they let go of you already?" Moren asked.
"Let go? He practically got kicked out. Who cares about the truth these days," Silla leaned over the table, "But don't worry Soren everything will work out eventually." Her tone was creepily soft.
Soren looked at Moren, who was still looking at him for an answer, "You heard her, I got kicked out. My career as an idol is over."
"Don't say that, you will be proven innocent soon, and actors are idols too. You can start your solo career," Moren got up, wrapping his coat around him and bowed twice to greet his parents before walking out.
Thane got up and walked out, following Moren. Soren glared at Silla before heading to his room.