"So, today's best biker honor goes to none other than 'Aylwin Eldred,' the invincible, unstoppable, and finest of all." The announcement was made by a voice. Cheers, applause, whistles, and claps reverberated throughout the hall.

Aylwin stepped up to the stage, which was packed with people dressed in business suits. His every breath was captured by the cameras. As he removed his helmet, exposing a side of his face to us, he did the handshake with a few of them.

"Young man, you never cease to dazzle us! Always the king! " He was complimented by the same voice. What was with the "king" moniker? They handed him a letter or something like that.

"What's that?" I inquired, Damy.

"That's a cash prize," he said as he turned to face Aylwin.

"How much is it?" Although I had no intention of asking, it just came out of my stupid mouth.

"I'm clueless. They keep it hidden. They don't reveal it." I hummed.

As Aylwin was about to walk with it, a group of boys wearing the same grayish emblem tackled him. Perhaps it was his gang! He removed himself from them with a nod. For the first time, I got a good picture of his face.

He was unmistakably tall and muscular, with pronounced cheekbones and a razor-sharp jaw line. What captivated me the most were his eyes! They were a dark blue hue with silver flecks. His jet-black hair with golden and brown highlights, as well as his fair yet tanned skin, made me realize the true explanation for the female population's presence there.

Regardless, what caught my attention was the silence of his eyes, which were empty of any feeling. They were... devoid of emotions! My eyes moved from him to everyone else in this vast room. They all displayed various emotions, such as—the fans were thrilled, the racers who didn't make it were furious or sad, and Aylwin's gang members were dancing with joy. But Aylwin?

He showed nothing. Not even a smile. His expression was solemn. It feels as if it wasn't him, who risked his life a moment ago just to win the freaking race. It certainly didn't feel like he had won the day's title. Either he was bored with it or it was just his everyday routine of 'hiding feelings.' Heck, I'd choose the latter in that situation as well!

A nudge on my side was accompanied by a clearing of the throat. Instead of glaring at the idiot, I rolled my eyes at her next words.

"You couldn't resist his allure, either! I knew it! Fuck, who in their right mind would do such a thing? Look at him! He's way too hot! "

"Who is he? Why am I unaware of his existence? " All of my friends gazed at me as though I'd asked, 'Can you tell me how many hairs Einstein has?'

"Shut the fuck up! You haven't heard about him, have you? "

Aargh! Who the heck is this guy?

What was it with him that everybody treated him like he was some kind of goddamn Adonis!? "Fuck, he is!" Did I think aloud again?

Guess what? Heck, I did!

"Look at this." Ivy showed her phone to me. It was someone's Instagram account. I instantly recognized him when I studied the picture more closely. Heck, it was Aylwin's, after all! I snatched the phone from Ivy's grip and started scrolling through it.

Oh my god, he has loads of followers!

"Aylwin Eldred is our university's one and only all-time hot topic. He is the student council's president. He's not your typical wannabe bad boy, nor is he your typical geek or good student. He's special in a way that no one else is! " One of Mysie's friends, Melanie, explained.

"How come he's so different?" My inquiries were not going to die down any time soon.

"He does all the things that a bad boy does, but he gets decent grades and impresses his professors at the same time. He rules the tracks. His aura is powerful and dangerous, but then again, he never displays emotions. He races, he studies. He violates the rules, he obeys the rules. He speaks less, yet his aura speaks. He reacts rarely but fights often. The boy is an enigma, far too dark, far too deep, deadly and deceiving yet seductive. That's what gained him the title—'King.' " A new voice answered.

A girl stood a few centimeters away from us, dressed in a short, dark maroon backless dress with long raven hair. Her complexion was light, and she was tall and slim. Her nose and lips were pierced, and she had a few tattoos on her body. Her aura exuded a sense of peril and mystery. Her big brown eyes were fixed on Aylwin. Perhaps she had feelings for him!

"Ah Azura, wassup!? Where have you been these past few days? " Mysie's blonde friend asked.

"Just some business to handle. By the way, who are these rookies? " The new girl, Azura, inquired, her eyes focused on us and her voice drained of emotion. And here I thought that Senior Aylwin was the only one who could do it! I shared looks with Ivy, who had the same puzzled look on her face!

"They're my sister, Ivy's friends, and guys, this is Azura Reynolds, the one and only queen of tracks. Anyways, are you joining tonight's party? " Mysie stated, standing next to her.

Oh, so she's the queen! It suits her bold personality!

"Yeah, I'll! After all, the King's gonna be there. " Her attention stayed locked on Aylwin as she responded.

The girl really has a great connection with the guy.

"Is she from our college?" I asked Saphy, meekly.

"No! She's a badass racer. No one knows much about her. She shows up for a few days and then vanishes for the next few. The girl is a mystery... an enigma, for sure! " She stood up and straightened her light pink pleated skirt as she responded.

"What about the whole party thing?" I inquired, casting a glance around the area.

"Actually, every weekend there's an after party arranged for the best racers, particularly by the Merciless, so we're all going there." Damy said.

"Oh cool! You all should go, but just drop me first. "

"No way! This "we all" involves you, too! C'mon, be a good girl, and join us. Otherwise, we've got more tricks up our sleeves. " Felix said, slinging his arm over my shoulder.

"Yes, Soph, please join us; I promise it will be fun," Mysie requested.

I gave a half-hearted nod. It was not because I hated parties or anything; it was just that I was nervous about attending one!

They all started talking about Aylwin and other stuff. I noticed Austin, who seemed to be the least involved in the discussion. "Are you okay?" I asked, gently nudging him.

"Yeah, why?" he said with a smile.

"You look a bit off. Not a big fan of Aylwin? " I inquired with a grin. He simply shrugged his shoulders.

My phone began to ring before I could finish my sentence. I checked the caller ID and saw that it was my one and only dumb brother. Oh shit! Ethel was going to crash at my place the next day.

I excused myself and went to a secluded place with Austin, who accompanied me because I knew nothing about the place. We came to a halt near a small garden field.

"Sup, brother!" I said as I picked up the call.

There was a dead silence, making me worry. "Ethel, you there? Hello? Ethel? "

Finally, a voice cut me off, "Yup, I'm here!"

"Have you gone crazy or something? Is everything all right? " My voice was laced with worry.

"Agirlslappedme!" What!?

"Oh my God, Ethel! Will you please slow down and speak? I'm not getting your words. " I massaged my forehead and switched my phone to the right ear.

"A girl slapped me." It took me a minute to realize what the heck he had just said, before bursting into fits of laughter.

"What... did... you... say? A girl... slapped... you! Like the great playboy, Ethel freaking Jasper just got slapped by a girl! Oh my my my God, woah, that's new! " I said to him between my laughs.

"Look, that's why I wasn't telling you! Keep laughing at your poor brother! " He replied with fake sobs.

"O, drama queen! Stop it and spill the truth. " I asked in a serious tone. I could imagine him rolling his eyes at me.

"Actually, as usual, I was out on a date with a girl in a restaurant, and to my luck, one of my current girlfriends was also there. She fucking saw us and started asking questions like, 'What the hell am I doing here?' 'Why is the girl with me?' 'Why haven't I fucking told her about meeting this girl?' and other such nonsense. I saw a boy trailing behind her, and when I asked about him, she slapped me, claiming that I was cheating on her and blah blah blah... " He sighed heavily.

"Ethel freaking Jasper, how many girlfriends do you have currently?" Is he mad or what? Of course, any normal girl would slap him.

"Not more, just 5-6!" He said it so casually, as if I was asking him the number of clothes he had in his wardrobe.

"Dude, you're so whipped! For the love of Heaven, Ethel, they're human! You can't do this. This is wrong. Listen to me, Ethel Jasper. Listen very loud and clear. The first thing you're going to do tomorrow is apologize to the girl and break up with all of those 5-6 or whatever numbers they are! Do you hear what I'm saying? " I could hear him muttering, but that was the best I could do.

"Soph, you're not helping at all! You know, those girls aren't the most trustworthy or faithful. What they all do behind my back is something I am well aware of. They're just famous for Barbie's cosmetic surgery face and body. " He spoke in a frustrated tone.

I smiled, "That's just what I'd like to hear! Those women are all phonies. Ethel, they're not worth your time or affection. You know, apart from this playboy stuff, you can enjoy your life in a variety of ways. You have a plethora of ways to enjoy your bachelor life; it's just that you find this one particularly appealing. For the sake of your own good, brother, I'm telling you this. Take a break and live a single-tension-free life. And don't worry, I'll be there to torment you from time to time! Moreover, hearing about her brother being slapped is not really cool for a sister. If something like this happens in the future, Ethel, believe me, I'd first send you to the hospital bed, followed by that idiot girl who dared to slap my moron of a brother. " I joked lightly, making him chuckle.

"Thanks, Sista! I promise I won't repeat it and I'm gonna live a single-tension-free life. "

I saw the silhouette of someone as we were talking. I was about to turn when I was interrupted by a voice, "Are you done, Sophronia? We need to leave; they're waiting for us. It's getting late. "

I turned to Austin and mouthed, "Five minutes."

"Is anybody around? Is it a boy? " Here goes my detective brother.

"Yup! He's a friend of mine. " I answered, turning to face Austin, who was staring me down.

"It better stays that way only. Where are you headed, by the way?"

"Bermuda triangle!" I made a sarcastic remark.

"Haha, very funny! Anyway, I've gotta go. Love ya and take care."

"Sorry, it took longer than I thought." I genuinely apologized. He smiled back at me.

I collided with someone on my way back. I was on the verge of collapsing, but thanks to the kind-hearted guy who kept my frame still.

"We really need to stop meeting by colliding every time. " No way! That voice! How could I forget it? That was the voice I'd been trying to avoid for the past week.

"Are you all right?" Austin's worried voice shattered my trance. I nodded as I moved away from Ken.

After our exchange that night, some students spread rumors that something was going on between us. I confronted Ken about it, and he promised me to sort it out. He did, in fact, live up to his words! No one bothered me after that, not even Claire. Yup! Claire had warned me to stay away from him as well. Since then, I avoided him like the plague. Despite the fact that I assured him that everything was good and to chill out, the poor guy believed it was his fault and apologized a few times.

"I'm sorry, my mind was elsewhere." I apologized, but instead of saying—it's great, no problem, he smirked, "I kinda... figured out! Done avoiding or want to continue it for a few more days? "

I was taken aback by his abrupt words. As I was about to say something, I saw a girl trailing behind him, who piqued my curiosity.

"Ken, I'm done. Let's get going! " She said, as she moved closer to us, but her eyes were fixed on the floor.

"Winter?"

She lifted her gaze from the floor, meeting mine. Her breath hitched, and her expression became tense. That's when I noticed her appearance, making me shell-shocked. Her hair was messy, her mascara was smeared, her lips were swollen and her lipstick smudged. She had a few hickeys on her neck. I blinked a couple times to double-check that the girl I saw was Winter.

My mouth curved into a deep smirk. Okay, this is going to be total fun!

I shifted my gaze from Winter to Ken. I examined his face carefully, and to my surprise, his lips were a little swollen as well, though not noticeably so. His hair was tangled and there were a few nail marks on his neck. Austin and I exchanged a knowing smirk before wiggling at both of them.

They were both blushing profusely, which made me stifle my laughter. Unable to control the rising hormonal tension, I broke the uncomfortable silence, "Um... I guess we should head off. You too seem to be quite busy and all. So, see ya! C'mon Austin!" I winked at them.

Now comes the main part: the party! Let's see how long this night lasts!