The warm morning sunlight stretched across the streets as people moved busily along the roads beneath the bright sky. In front of the university dormitories, a black van remained parked silently by the roadside. Inside, two broad-shouldered men lounged lazily in the front seats, watching the surroundings with indifferent eyes.
At that moment, a black Pajero slowly entered the street where the van was parked. Before stepping out of the car, the man inside lifted his gaze toward the upper floor of the dormitory. Then he picked up the phone resting on the dashboard and made a call.
It was Julian.
Whenever Thursday arrived, Rosalie usually had only a few morning classes, so he often came to see her during his free time.
About ten minutes after the call, Rosalie finally appeared from the dormitory entrance.
She wore a soft light-green dress trimmed with elegant black lace along the edges. Combined with her delicate beauty and graceful appearance, her presence naturally drew attention from everyone nearby. Calling her the university's Queen almost felt insufficient, she looked far too elegant and captivating for such a simple title.
The moment she stepped outside, Julian immediately got out of the car and opened the passenger door for her. After helping her inside, he walked around to the driver's seat and smoothly drove away. A few seconds later, the black van quietly followed behind them.
After driving for some time, they arrived at a clean and elegant restaurant located in the center of the city. Julian parked the car before stepping out and opening Rosalie's door once again. Locking the car afterward, he gently held her hand and led her inside. From inside the van, the two men silently observed everything.
…
Soft music drifted peacefully throughout the restaurant as Julian and Rosalie took seats beside the large glass windows. Instead of sitting across from her, Julian naturally chose the seat directly beside her. A waiter soon approached their table to take their order.
Meanwhile, the two men from the van entered the restaurant as well and quietly settled into a secluded corner nearby.
Julian turned slightly toward Rosalie and gently tucked several strands of hair behind her ear. His eyes lingered on her face lovingly as his thumb softly brushed against her cheek. Rosalie quietly held his hand in return.
At that moment, Julian's phone suddenly rang.
"…Hello?"
"Big Brother Julian… Mommy said she couldn't reach your phone. She said it's something important."
"Ah… I'll call her back in a moment."
There was a brief silence before Lily spoke again.
"Big brother… there's also something I want to warn you about."
Julian's expression tightened slightly.
"Hm? What is it?"
As he spoke, one arm rested casually along the back of Rosalie's chair while his eyes remained fixed on her. Rosalie noticed the subtle change in his expression and looked back at him curiously.
"...I just have a bad feeling,"
Lily said quietly.
"I'm worried about Rosalie too."
"I'm listening."
"…You should be careful around Ethan."
Julian's brows furrowed immediately.
"What happened?"
"You know what kind of people he's been associating with lately, right? A few days ago, Mommy couldn't contact him, so she asked me to go look for him. When I found him, he was talking with two strange men behind the dormitory building."
Her voice lowered further.
"They didn't look normal at all. And… Ethan's white shirt had bloodstains on it."
Julian's eyes darkened instantly. Lily continued nervously.
"Do you remember first year? When, Ethan nearly beat someone to death? You were the one who had to apologize and settle everything back then."
"…Yeah. I remember."
His voice had turned noticeably colder.
"But what happened this time?"
"I don't know exactly. But something feels wrong. Yesterday he told me to bring him clothes and some supplies to a clinic in the city. When I got there, he was covered in injuries."
Lily hesitated before continuing.
"There's no way someone gets wounds like that from just a motorcycle accident…"
Julian fell silent.
"…Big brother?"
"…Where is he now?"
"At a small clinic downtown."
"Send me the address. I'll go see him."
"Huh? No, don't go!"
Lily protested immediately.
"There was another guy guarding him there. And that man definitely didn't look like a normal student. Please stay away from them for now."
Julian exhaled slowly.
"…I'll try calling him first. I already warned him not to get involved with dangerous people. At this rate, Mommy's going to develop heart problems worrying about him."
"Mm… and Dad's been asking why Ethan still hasn't come home."
"I'll handle it."
Then his tone softened slightly.
"And you don't get too close to strangers lately. You understand what I mean, right? If anything happens, call me immediately."
"Hehe… are you talking about that French guy again?"
"Yeah."
Lily laughed lightly.
"They're just friends, big brother. Don't worry so much. Anyway, I have plans with Mia, so I'll hang up now."
"Alright. Be careful."
After the call ended, Julian remained quietly staring off to the side for several seconds. Rosalie tilted her head slightly, watching him with concern.
"Julian… what's wrong?"
Hearing her voice, Julian finally returned to his senses and smiled faintly.
"It's nothing. Just Ethan causing trouble again. Mommy is stressed because of him."
Rosalie looked at him quietly before speaking softly.
"…Don't worry too much. He's not a child anymore. He'll handle it somehow."
Julian sighed lightly.
"Maybe… but he still keeps getting involved with dangerous people. You know how stubborn he is."
Rosalie gave him a small smile.
"Then stop worrying for now, okay?"
"…Alright."
A faint smile finally appeared on his face again.
"After this, where do you want to go? There's a fireworks festival near the riverside tonight. Want to watch it together?"
Rosalie smiled softly.
"Mm… sure."
Just then, the waiter arrived carrying their food. From the corner of the restaurant, the two men continued silently watching the couple from afar.