บท 6: Show Me What You Got

It was a peaceful afternoon. The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze. Specks of dust seemed to dance in the shaft of afternoon sunlight that slanted through the library window--

Scratched that.

It was an awful afternoon.

He had been screamed at in front of everyone by his client, Lady Clement. Why though? For what reason?

He honestly didn't know. It happened so suddenly during the class. While he was daydreaming, maybe sleeping with the professor's lectures as background music, which for some reason sounded like slow jazz to him, Lady Clement unexpectedly stalked up towards him.

He couldn't fully register what was said as the domineering pheromones enveloped him. It pressed him down and made him hard to breathe. It felt like someone had shoved their hand inside his chest and squeezed his lungs out.

He trembled and shivered. Normally he could withstand it by pretending to be resistant towards it, but this time, it caught him off guard, he wasn't prepared.

He couldn't stop the whimper escaping his mouth. But when he did, he couldn't get the image of Lady Clement's smug face. She looked proud and mocking. She was looking down on him.

Oh the humiliation he felt.

He was not an omega. He wasn't supposed to react in such an omega way. It fucking hurted his dignity as someone who claimed himself a beta.

It would have been good if everything stopped there, but no, it didn't. The group of girls with Lady Clement were actually spectating, Jian Yu didn't doubt that one of those girls were the one who provoked Lady Clement to do it.

They had snickered and laughed at him, a few of them even pointed at him. It directly stabbed his pride.

He didn't care about being childish anymore and immediately excused himself from the class, be damned with the bodyguard duty.

And now here he was, sitting in the library. For once, it was peaceful, quiet. The smell of papers were heavy in the air. The librarians were very strict about that, but when it came to those conglomerate kids, rules could be bent somehow.

At least now, it was quiet. Jian Yu let out a relieved sigh. He stretched both of his arms high up and smiled when he heard the satisfied pops.

How lovely.

If only these moments were his daily life, he would trade anything for it.

After a few stretches, he stood up, thinking of searching something to read instead of going back to class. This library was huge, maybe due to the only library in the Town of Zariya.

Being the only library in the only college in this town, it had to be the best.

He walked over the shelves. Again, he had to admit. This library was amazing. This place was surrounded with books. There were high shelves where they would need a sliding stair to reach it.

He traces the book covers with his fingertips, the smell of papers was really addictive and he was hooked on it. He took his time, walking leisurely, wondering which book to read, however something caught his eye.

There was a box shoved in between the books. He pulled them out and noticed it was a chess board. It had been a long time since he played one, usually he would play against his adoptive father.

Feeling excited, he rushed back to his seat and pulled out the chess board from the box. He placed it on a table, setting the pieces on top of the board. He arranged them as how he remembered them.

He sat down on the side of the black pieces, before moving to the other side as he recalled players with the white pieces usually made the first move and since there was no opponent, he played both sides.

He played the first game. Knocking down some pieces and making the black sides win. Don't blame him, he just loved the color black.

He then scattered them again to rearrange them again. But a deep voice interrupted him.

"Who are you playing against?"

Startled, he dropped some of the pieces onto the floor. He quickly picked them up and put them back onto the table. Looking up, he saw a young man around his age, maybe one or two years older with jet black hair.

The young man was still looking at him with such a piercing set of jade eyes.

Zeke Roderick. His mind helpfully supplied.

"You haven't answered yet."

'Why was he talking to him?' Jian Yu wondered and he was exerting dominance, what a typical alpha.

"Well?" Zeke prompted.

Jian Yu glanced across at the empty seat on the other side of his table then backed up at Zeke again. "I'm just—practicing."

"Can I play then?"

Jian Yu hesitated, shifting a bit uncomfortably in his seat. He'd come here originally to be alone after all.

"Come on," Zeke persisted. "It had gotta be boring playing against yourself."

"Uh…" Jian Yu was speechless, he actually prefered playing by himself than with his client's spouse, but it would be rude to just refuse.

"I…guess you can play," Jian Yu gave in a bit reluctantly.

Zeke gave him a blinding smile, Jian Yu noted to himself that he had to bring a pair of sunglasses next time. Not only that, Zeke's piercing jade eyes had been observing him throughout the exchange. It actually made him uncomfortable and self-conscious.

Zeke simply grinned and slid into the empty seat. He didn't seem to notice or just didn't care that he had made Jian Yu uncomfortable. He began setting and rearranging the pieces into their beginning positions cheerfully, like he had gotten what he wanted. The happiness and giddiness of a kid that finally got his favorite candy.

Jian Yu began observing Zeke. Seeing his familiarity with the pieces, Jian Yu felt his interest piqued. It was rare to see people nowadays know how to play this old classic board game.

He might be a good opponent, maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Zeke. Zeke Roderick."

"I know. Huang Jian Yu," he replied automatically.

"I know," Zeke grinned.

"Oh?" Jian Yu questioned, raising his eyebrow. He actually knew who he was? Well, that's unexpected.

"Show me what you got."

"Hope I don't disappoint," Zeke smirked.