CHAPTER 17: HIS PURSUIT

"Son, if you don't manage to take down that girl this year, then don't even bother to come back home. I don't have such a son with low capabilities!

"Grandson, your mother is telling the truth. Are you not afraid of embarrassing us? We can't even walk proudly nowadays, for everyone will be laughing at us. How can you fail to woo a girl? Did you throw that charm to the wild?"

"Son, even I, your father was better than that. If you fail, all your rewards will be stripped away. And I will get you transferred back to the capital!"

Just thinking of those numerous threats that had been bombarding every single day after the semester ended, Duke felt like crying.

He wasn't really afraid of getting his rewards taken or not returning to the capital. He didn't even want to go there for his heart was in Avia.

In Sonis, the capital where he was born and raised, the love of his life wasn't there and wouldn't be there. So why would he even bother to go there?

But his father seemed to know him so well that he added the transferring issue to that topic.

That was what he feared. If he returned to the capital and got transferred, he wouldn't be able to see her any time he wanted.

Long distance was always a problem. What if someone followed in his footsteps and began to pursue the only person he became seriously in love with?

He wasn't pure and definitely was he not a saint. He had his share of women before he was of age.

Without wanting to be restrained by any girl, woman, or lady, he had mingled with so many girls that he lost count of how many there were.

He had never dated any girl in his life. All he did was take what he wanted and provide them with what they wanted.

Dating was a waste of time and he would rather have one-night stands, which was something that he never lacked. And even now many candidates still couldn't read the situation and kept on pestering him.

But with his heart all in for her, he couldn't see any other person who wasn't her. He tried it before, but it failed.

So, the thought of not being able to see her closer or have her fall in love with someone else bothered him a lot.

Although she kept on rejecting him in the past year, he wasn't the kind to give up that easily and it seemed that his hard work was finally paying.

Pacing up and down inside the hotel room he had booked urgently in the middle of the night after he got blocked, Duke was nervous.

Just a few hours ago, he received a phone call from Darica which was a great surprise for the other had never called him before.

So, seeing her taking the first step and contacting him on her own, he had this feeling that things were finally going to take a good turn.

She had blocked him, but now that was undone and to top the sweetness of things, when he called her several minutes ago, she had spoken to him in a tone that had affected him so much that he still couldn't calm down.

'Am I going to get my wish fulfilled?' he couldn't help but wonder as he paced the room continuously.

And while he was pacing up and down, the phone started ringing.

Hearing it ring like that, Duke hurriedly made his way to the coffee table where he had placed the phone earlier.

And seeing that name on the screen, his heart fluttered, and a smile blossomed on his face as he picked the phone up.

"Babe!" he said as soon as he answered the phone.

[…]

"Okay, are you sure?" he asked to confirm with uncertainty written on his face.

[…]

Hearing whatever had been said on the other side, his face brightened up, and answered jubilantly, "I will be there in a jiffy. Just wait for me," before hanging up quickly.

Without wasting any time, Duke dashed to the bathroom, where he checked himself in the mirror to make sure that his appearance was on point, before he left his room with a nervous smile on his face.

Duke walked through the corridor before reaching the elevator. After pressing the down button, the elevator took its time before it reached the floor.

Duke pressed the button for the second floor beneath the one he was on and nervously stood in there by himself.

Although the room that he was staying in was more expensive compared to what Darica and the others were in, he didn't mind.

Money was never an issue to him. His family was loaded and despite never working for real in his life, he had made a few pennies himself.

He was just happy that he was in the same hotel with her otherwise, if he had missed the room he was in, he would have gone to another hotel and that would have made things very difficult for him.

He didn't want a mission impossible in a place like that. At least things should be average if they couldn't be easy.

The elevator stopped on the designated floor and he nervously exited the elevator.

Seeing no one in the corridor, he found himself heaving a sigh of relief.

Although he was praying and hoping seriously that he would be getting good news when he went into that room, he didn't want Darica's schoolmates to see him yet when he was in that state.

He wanted them to see his confident side and not him who was currently nervous and unsure of what was awaiting him in that room.

Checking the room numbers, it didn't take long before he was standing in front of the door that Darica had told him about.

"Hu, hu, hu," taking deep breaths as he stood there, Duke mustered all his courage to make that knock.

That was going to be his first time to be in the same place and proximity just the two alone ever. He was nervous, anxious, and excited when thinking of that.

What was waiting for him inside there?

He wouldn't know unless he got in and, with that thought, he raised his fist and courageously knocked on the door.