Love Again

91. How To Love Right

"Tell me how you did it. If you were successful then I'm sure I will be too."

"Nope. I'm not giving my secrets away. You've been a sore thumb in my life, revealing my secrets to my parents and snitching on me to Yeon. How can I trust you? In fact, I don't want to help you at all."

"Please...Stan..." Elric asked desperately.

"No."

"I'll owe you one big time. Do you have any idea how this is hard for me?"

"I find it strange that you're struggling to win Niel's affections to begin with. Aren't you the payboy of this campus. The crown has been yours since you got here. In fact you're the one to teach me a trick or two."

'I guess I'm all rusty after being fated. Niel doesn't seem to fall for any of my charms." Elric added while sitting down. They had come to campus to finalize their graduation formalities but not for Elric, who upon finding out Stan was planning to visit campus requested to meet him for a brief chat.

"Sucks to be you. Is that all you wanted to talk about?" 

"Bastard. I'll be rising from this slump soon enough."

Standing up, Stan added. "Good luck then."

"Stan...wait..!" Elric grabbed onto Stan's hand, pulling him back down to sit once more. Luckily, there weren't a lot of people in the cafeteria however, Stan didn't want to be caught here like last time. He just wanted to leave and avoid another crowd full of interrogating questions. Hopefully, no one had found out about what had happened to Mijin.

"I really need your help like seriously. I like Niel a lot."

"Of course you'd like him. You imprinted on him after all. I'm still having trouble staring at your changed eyes post your imprint. I must say, it doesn't suit you at all to act this needy."

Exasperatedly, Elric asked. "Will you just fucking help me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Why should I help you in the first place? Didn't you constantly make fun of my romanticism? I'm sure you influenced Yeon too that's why he hasn't listened to the playlist I gifted him for my birthday!"

Elric grimaced. "That lousy piece of junk?"

"Hey! I made that playlist lovingly! It's one of the things you should take your time doing if you really want Niel to pay attention to you!"

"No fucking way I'm I wasting my time on such- Wait, do you think it will actually work?"

"First mock the idea and then praise it?"

"Do you have backup of it?"

"What will you give me? I took precious time making it."

Elric shook his head and laughed. "How you won Yeon's heart still baffles me. He hates stuff like that."

"What do I get in return?" Stan insisted.

"Can't  I appeal to your better nature?" Elric pleaded but Stan shook his head in refusal.

"You really want to see me beg don't you?"

"After you constantly went through my stuff in my room all these years, mocking my genre of books and movies I chose to watch? My hobbies...reading my journals..."

Suddenly, Elric's facial expression changed as he looked down on the empty table. "Now I understand why you were constantly possessive of Yeon to the point of been annoying. Niel doesn't like me or love me. He is only being with me out of pity...a sense of responsibility to himself so he won't feel guilty of abandoning his fated."