Chapter 3 - Nice Interest

Cassian stepped into the classroom the moment Julian arrived and crossed the threshold. "Julian, we are the medical team for the freshmen initiation activity of the engineering faculty starting today."

Julian stopped in his tracks. He met his friend's gaze and tilted his head a fraction to the side, offering no verbal confirmation.

Cassian waited a beat, used to the silence. "Reid is already there. We will catch up and head over whenever you are ready."

Julian gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. He arched one perfect brow and turned his body back toward the open doorway. "Sure."

Cassian fell into step behind him. They strolled through the quiet university corridors and made their way toward the campus parking area under the bright morning glare. Julian kept a measured, unhurried pace. Suddenly, he stopped walking. Cassian almost collided with his back, stumbling slightly to regain his balance.

Julian turned around to face him. "You can hitch a ride with me."

Cassian stared at him. He tried to gauge the mood on his friend's stoic face. Julian valued his privacy above all else. He rarely allowed anyone inside his pristine vehicle, keeping his personal space strictly off-limits even to his closest friends. Cassian weighed his next words. "Are you sure about that?"

Julian maintained his flat expression, his tone giving nothing away. "I offered."

Cassian decided not to question his luck. He rounded the front of Julian's immaculate white SUV and slid into the leather passenger seat. "Okay."

The drive to the engineering faculty passed in a smooth, comfortable silence. It was a rare occurrence for the two of them to share a vehicle, but the quiet suited both of their personalities. Julian navigated the campus roads with practiced ease. He pulled the SUV into a parking spot near the open dirt field. He turned the engine off and stared through the windshield. Hundreds of engineering students ran through grueling physical drills in the thick dust.

Julian murmured softly under his breath. "Do we have to deal with these sweaty bulls?"

Cassian let out a low chuckle. He shook his head at the look of pure, unadulterated disgust painted across Julian's face. The ice prince rarely broke his flawless composure in public settings. Cassian always found it entertaining when Julian's neat-freak tendencies flared up, reminding everyone that he was indeed human. Julian hated mess. He despised the smell of sweat, dirt, and grime clinging to skin. It was a rather bizarre quirk for someone studying to become a physician.

Cassian pointed a thumb toward the back of the car. "There are face masks and gloves in the medical kits."

Julian shot him a dry, sarcastic look and rolled his eyes.

Cassian smiled in sympathy, amused by the reaction. "You are going to be a future doctor. You will deal with much more messy things than a little sweat."

Julian let out a heavy sigh. He pushed the car door open and stepped out into the oppressive morning heat. A few engineering students running laps nearby caught sight of the two medical students. They paused their drills, gaping openly at the pristine newcomer who looked entirely out of place in the dirt. Julian walked forward with his chin held high. He moved with effortless grace, acting as though the staring students did not exist.

Cassian scanned the sprawling, dusty field. He spotted the white canopy set up near the main stage. "There is our medical team."

Cassian walked ahead, eager to get out of the sun. Julian took his time, refusing to rush his pace under the blinding light. The heat felt heavy against his pale skin, threatening to ruin his spotless appearance.

Julian stepped under the shade of the canopy and immediately sought out his other friend. He moved to stand right beside him. "It is so hot in here."

Reid turned from arranging rows of water bottles and bandages. He released a heavy breath but kept his mouth shut.

Julian swept his gaze over the chaotic field. The upperclassmen barked orders while the freshmen scrambled in the dirt. His eyes caught a specific figure moving near the center of the action. His focus zeroed in, locking onto the student who seemed to be leading the entire initiation activity.

The guy was drenched in sweat. His exposed, tanned skin gleamed under the harsh sunlight with every flex of his muscles. He wore a dark, grim expression on his face. He shouted commands with a fierce, terrifying intensity, looking intimidating enough to make the freshmen tremble in their boots. Julian stood in the shade of the medical tent, tracking the head hazer's movements. He did not realize how long he had been staring.

The engineering student suddenly snapped his head toward the periphery. Piercing, dark eyes locked directly onto Julian.

Julian flinched. A sudden, unexpected rush of heat flared in his chest. The guy's intense glare felt like it pierced straight through the dark lenses of Julian's expensive sunglasses. The burning sensation lingered in the air for a fraction of a second. Then, the hazer broke the connection. He turned his broad back and continued shouting at the exhausted freshmen.

Julian did not look away. He observed the hazer with mounting curiosity from behind his sunglasses, unbothered by the bustling medical staff around him. The guy was covered in dirt, his skin flushed and slightly burned from the relentless sun. The raw, unfiltered aggression should have disgusted Julian. Instead, he found the chaotic sight strangely entertaining.

The quiet observation shattered when the first wave of heat exhaustion hit the field. The medical team scrambled into action. Students began stumbling into the tent, dizzy and weak from the grueling activities and the soaring temperature.

Julian pulled on a pair of latex gloves and snapped a surgical mask over his face. He attended primarily to the female students, checking their vitals and handing out cold water. The suffocating heat trapped inside the tent caused sweat to bead along his own forehead. The sticky, damp sensation crawled over his skin. He gritted his teeth, his foul mood thickening with every passing minute.

The whistle finally blew across the field. The morning session came to an end, and the exhausted freshmen were dismissed for their lunch break.

Julian stripped off his gloves and wiped his damp forehead with a clean tissue. He fixed Reid with a deadpan stare. "Do we have to continue this later?"

Reid packed away the blood pressure cuffs. "We are on duty for the whole week."

Julian groaned in deep frustration. He rubbed his temples, already dreading the afternoon heat.

Cassian patted his shoulder and moved toward the exit of the tent. "Let us grab some lunch. I am hungry."

The three medical students stepped out from under the canopy. They walked shoulder-to-shoulder across the dusty perimeter, leaving the rest of the medical volunteers behind. Curious and admiring gazes tracked their movements from the resting engineering students, but they ignored the attention.

A group of upperclassmen blocked their path near the edge of the field. The engineering seniors wore matching dark shirts, their posture radiating dominance and authority.

The leader stepped forward. He locked eyes with Reid. "Reid."

Reid gave a brief, polite nod of acknowledgment. "Dom."

Julian shifted his attention at the sound of the name. He recognized the guy standing mere feet away. It was the same head hazer from the field. Dominic Rhodes stood tall, his broad chest rising and falling heavily from the morning drills.

Dom kept his piercing gaze fixed on Reid. "Thank you for your assistance this morning."

Reid gestured to the two men standing at his side. "No problem. It is our responsibility. By the way, these are my friends, Cassian and Julian."

Julian arched one perfect brow.

Dom glanced at Cassian and offered a curt nod. Then, his dark eyes shifted to Julian.

The collision of their gazes was instantaneous. Julian stared back. He did not blink. He did not look away.

The air between them turned rigid and heavy. Dom narrowed his eyes, his imposing stature demanding submission from everyone around him. He was used to people cowering. He was used to freshmen and peers alike trembling at his mere presence. He tried to project that same suffocating intimidation onto the pale medical student standing before him.

Julian met the silent aggression with a maddening, pristine calm. The frantic energy of the campus faded into the background. The silent battle lines were drawn right there on the walkway.

The engineering seniors shifted on their feet. Cassian and Reid exchanged a wary, silent glance. The tension radiating between Julian and Dom felt heavy enough to choke on. Neither man moved a muscle. Neither man showed any sign of backing down from the silent war of dominance.

Dom felt the strain pulling tight in his jaw. The medical student's eyes were intent and unyielding. The sheer weight of Julian's calm apathy was terrifying to face head-on. Dom’s confident, aggressive facade began to crack under the pressure. He blinked first.

In that split second of weakness, Julian’s lips curved upward. It was a fleeting micro-expression. A subtle, arrogant smirk that lasted less than a heartbeat before vanishing.

Dom saw it. Heat rushed to his face. A spike of pure, triggered irritation flared in his chest, but he was paralyzed by the strange dynamic binding them together. He cleared his throat. He forced his broad shoulders back and stared at Julian again, desperate to reclaim the upper hand he had just lost.

Julian’s expression had not changed, but the energy in his eyes shifted. The previous calm in his posture shattered into something glacial. The peculiar, intense glint in his gaze disappeared. It was replaced by a hollow, freezing void. Dom felt a sudden jolt of whiplash. He felt as if a heavy steel door had just been slammed shut in his face, locking him out in the cold.

Julian kept his brow raised. He held the freezing glare for one final second.

Then, Julian stepped forward. He walked right past the group of imposing seniors with a straight face. He moved with effortless, gliding grace, refusing to utter a single word to anyone.

Cassian and Reid stared at his retreating back. Both groups of students gaped in stunned, confused silence, trying to process the intense standoff they had just witnessed.

One of Dom’s friends leaned in. He noticed the bewildered, shell-shocked look on the head hazer's face. "What happened?"

Dom clenched his jaw tight. He dragged a heavy hand over his face. He had no idea what had just transpired. A bizarre, heavy sensation twisted in his gut. The ice prince had reeled him in, provoked him with a silent challenge, awakened something strange inside him, and then discarded him like trash without speaking a single syllable.

Dom turned his desperate, confused glare toward Reid. He wanted answers. He wanted to demand an explanation for the arrogant medical student's erratic behavior.

Reid read the silent inquiry burning in Dom’s eyes. He decided not to entertain the unspoken questions.

Reid walked past the group of engineering seniors. "We will go ahead."

Cassian hurried after him, leaving the upperclassmen standing frozen on the walkway.

Dom ground his teeth together. The muscles in his neck pulled tight with frustration. He felt rattled to his core. The brief interaction had sparked a sudden, chaotic energy inside his chest, only for Julian to shut him out with a single, freezing look. The sheer, deliberate dismissal stung worse than a physical blow.

Dom spun on his heel. He stomped away in the exact opposite direction of the medical students. His heavy boots kicked up dust with every angry, forceful stride. The rest of the engineering seniors exchanged meaningful, bewildered looks. They had never seen their fearless head hazer so easily dismantled and thrown off balance. They kept their mouths shut tight and followed Dom in total silence.