Chasing the Storm

The punishment

Beam's life became busier than it's ever been. Between classes, student council, and Payu, she barely had a minute to herself.

When the student council was setting up for the welcome event, some of the seniors approached her.

"Beam, I hear you worked at P'Payu's company this summer?"

"Yes, that's right."

"So, what was it like? Did you get to spend a lot of time with P'Payu?"

"It was good. Hard work. P'Payu was my mentor so I spent a little time with him."

"If I were you, I wouldn't have been able to get any work done. I would've just stared at that handsome face all day."

"I bet she did a lot of that too, right, Beam?"

Beam smiled politely but the senior's conversation was making her uncomfortable. She didn't like them talking about Payu like he was an object. But she didn't know what to say, she couldn't announce that he was her boyfriend because he wasn't. Although she hoped that was where they were heading.

"Did you ever date him?"

"No, P'Payu doesn't date. Why would someone that handsome limit themselves to one person?"

"Seriously? No one ever talks about that when they're describing how great he is."

"No one will speak ill of him directly, but in the right company... You'll hear a lot of gossip."

Beam zoned out. Payu didn't date? What was he doing with her then? The seniors were right why would someone so handsome want to be with her?

Beam was average at best, someone who tend to disappear in a crowd. Payu stood out wherever he went. He had an air of confidence that commanded the room without him needing to do anything. Together, they made no sense. They were opposites.

These thoughts lingered in the back of Beam's mind for the rest of the day. She was so distracted that she didn't take any notes in her afternoon class and had to ask Sky for his.

Her cousin handed them over with a frown.

"What's up with you? I hope you're not reverting to old habits."

"No, of course not. I'm just having a bad day."

"Is it P'Payu? Did you really go for dinner with him on Saturday? What happened?"

"I did. It... It was nice."

"Nice? He didn't pressure you, or call you names again?"

"Sky, I told you we sorted that out. It's in the past. He apologised."

"Still, I don't like it. Is he the cause of your bad day?"

"Umm..."

"I knew it!"

"Not like that! He didn't do anything!"

"Then what?"

"Some of the seniors on the student council were asking me about working at P'Payu's company and they - they said some things about him."

"What? That he's the god of the architecture department? That's old news."

"No, they said he doesn't date. He's never dated. He's too handsome to date just one person."

The last words came out as barely a whisper, but Sky still caught them.

"Oh, Beam. They're just gossipers. You can take anything they say as the truth. P'Payu probably keeps his personal life private."