High Energy Collision [Completed]

Chapter 14 - The Winner takes it all

For the third time this week, Plan found himself sitting at the fancy campus café in front of iced coffee – and his ex-boyfriend Win. He should have remembered how persistent Win had always been if he wanted something.

Plan had managed to give a slip to most of the people at UdG he didn't want to interact with; even the White Hand girl who had been trying to tail him had given up after a week.

But Win had found ways to step into his way and pester him about that coffee he had promised, until Plan had finally relented.

Plan had set the boundaries very clearly, though. He wouldn't meet up with Win anymore, if he had the impression that Win was trying to woo him again or push them beyond friendship.

Surprisingly, Win had respected this arrangement, and meeting for coffee in the afternoon was rapidly becoming a fixture in their busy schedules. It wasn't that bad, Plan figured, having someone to commiserate about how hard it was to get adjusted to life in Bangkok.

They were talking animatedly about exotic food options, sipping on their iced coffee, when someone suddenly stepped at their table behind Plan.

His facial expression froze when he turned his head, only to look up directly into the smiling face of Mean.

Their eyes met for a second, and an electric jolt ran through all the nerves in Plan's body, before he could avert his gaze.

Damn.

What was he doing here? Plan had done such a good job at avoiding him so far.

But things were more complicated than they looked now. Upon finding out who the mysterious stranger at the planetarium had been, Plan had felt ashamed and angry at first.

However, the White Hand leader hadn't behaved like Plan had expected at all. He hadn't come to gloat or take advantage of the fact that he had tricked Plan so blatantly. Mean had tried to get his attention a few times in the beginning, but he hadn't done anything to corner or intimidate him and up until now, he had left Plan in peace.

This behaviour had helped Plan a lot with getting the good feelings back about that magical Friday night they had spent together as friends. With a bit of distance, Mean seemed to have kept his promises to him after all. They were still strangers, who had been friends for one night only.

The problem was that he now once again regretted that they hadn't kissed. He would have very much liked to know how it would have felt like. Mean's smiling lips looked so kissable, even when Plan only saw him on one of the many billboards and posters of ad campaigns featuring him.

And maybe... Plan might want to be friends like that with him again. He even caught himself wondering whether he should have considered the offer to join that stupid elite club Mean was leading; not because of what White Hand clearly represented around here, but for the opportunity to get to know that stranger better.

Once Plan had given up trying to get away from UdG, he had finally understood the significance of Mean's offer – but this was actually something that was holding him back from joining. He was sure there were other people more deserving, and it would be wrong to occupy a spot at such an important club just because he might want to get to know Mean better.

For that goal – getting to know Mean better – he would have to get in line, anyway. At times it felt like every girl and half the guys on campus had some form of crush on Mean, his winning smile, his boyish charm... they either wanted to be him or be with him.

And now Mean was suddenly in front of him.

Plan was confused, and a little ashamed of his past behaviour. What could Mean even w-

"You're Win, aren't you?"

While Mean smiled at Win, Plan saw Win's mouth fall open in sync with his own.

"Err... yeah, that's me. What brings you here? Have you been looking for Plan?"

Why would Win even assume that? Since Plan had ignored the invitation to White Hand, his brief involvement with Mean had been over – and sure enough, Mean barely acknowledged Plan's presence.

The coldness hurt, though Plan knew it was his own fault, he had insisted they didn't know each other.

Then, Mean shook his head.

"I wanted to talk to you, Win."

All eyes of the people in the café were now on them, at least two girls were already filming the encounter, acutely triggering Plan's natural instinct to flee. This wasn't about him, anyway, there was no need to stay in the picture. He deserved no less.

"You can sit here, I was just leaving," he muttered hastily and grabbed his half-empty plastic cup of iced coffee on the way out.

He didn't give either Win or Mean a chance to say something or hold him back.

Part of him regretted that he was out of earshot now. He wanted to know what they were talking about. Was Mean interested in dating Win?

Plan wouldn't be surprised.

They would certainly look good together. Mean was a celebrity, that much had been true about Plan's assumptions about the mysterious stranger that night. He was a model, he was a musician, and his family was insanely rich. Plus, he absolutely looked the part.

Win was also handsome, confident, even cocky now at times, a promising athlete and he had recently started to create buzz around the sports performance optimising business he was pitching to venture capitalists. Hell, Win had succeeded in selling his idea even to Plan, who didn't have any money or interest in business.

If Mean and Win ended up dating, they would form a real power couple. Like the ones in the tv dramas Plan had started to watch on his phone sometimes in the lonely evenings after classes. They could have their own hashtag on social media and everything.

He could easily picture them attending events together, smiling into cameras, talking about their exploits in music, engineering, sports, or business.

Plan didn't know why the thought of Mean and Win together bothered him so much. It wasn't like he still had feelings for Win, he had even gone to the temple to pray for Win to find someone else to love instead of him... but did it have to be Mean?

The idea that Win might be getting unforgettable dates at otherworldly locations like the planetarium made him jealous of his ex.

He had never been arrogant enough to believe that someone like Mean could ever have any serious interest in someone like him. But what did he do to deserve to see his ex-boyfriend getting him instead?

If only he had stolen that kiss, at least.