The devil gamble

In a corner of the hallway of a famous college, a girl was opening her locker with a serious expression, looking for something among the piles of books and personal belongings. However, her concentration was broken when the locker door closed with a bang. "Hah...!!!" Quinza jumped in surprise, her voice shrill. She let out a rough breath, turning her head with an annoyed expression. "Can you not startle me for once!" she exclaimed in a frustrated tone, her eyes glaring at the perpetrator. In front of her stood Gavriel Alexander, the best friend who always managed to raise her temper. The man chuckled lightly, seemingly satisfied at Quinza's reaction. "Sorry, princess. I did it on purpose," Gavriel said with a mischievous smile on his handsome face. Quinza wanted to scratch her best friend's face. However, she restrained herself. After all, if Gavriel lost his handsome face, who would feed him for free every day? "Never mind, don't get mad," Gavriel said casually as if Quinza's irritation was no big deal. "Did you eat?" he asked. "I haven't had breakfast yet," Quinza replied flatly, ignoring his irritation. "Always like that," Gavriel said in a slightly annoyed tone. He immediately pulled Quinza's hand without giving her a chance to protest. "Come, follow me to the cafeteria." "Heh! Where are you taking me?" asked Quinza, half dragging her feet. "Don't protest! Already, just follow me," Gavriel replied firmly. Quinza snorted in annoyance, already used to Gavriel's stubbornness. As usual, she gave up and let herself be pulled toward the cafeteria. --- Campus cafeteria, 7 minutes later. After waiting a while, Gavriel returned with a tray full of food. He placed it on the table with a confident gesture. "I knew you were hungry, so I ordered everything on the menu. Eat it while it's warm," Gavriel said "You forced me?" asked Quinza with a raised eyebrow. "Hm... I see," replied Gavriel while shrugging his shoulders casually as if his actions needed no explanation. Quinza sighed heavily, then picked up a spoon and fork. She began to devour the food in front of Gavriel. Several minutes passed, and she finally gave up. "I'm done," she said. "I'm full and can't take any more food, Gav." "Okay, then throw it away," Gavriel said without guilt. Quinza looked at him in surprise. "What? Throw it away? Are you crazy, huh?" "I'm not crazy! It's useless for me to order food for you and you don't finish it." Hearing that, Quinza felt her blood boil. She wanted to kick Gavriel into Antarctica or the Mariana Trench to have him eaten by the creepiest marine mammals there. "Don't you think, huh? There are starving people out there, and you just want to throw food away. Damn it!" she said irritably. "What should I do then? Aren't you the one who doesn't want to finish it?" Quinza stood up, picked up the spoon on her desk, and quickly smashed it against Gavriel's head. ‘Plak!’ "Why did you hit me?" Gavriel rubbed his head while scowling. "That's what happens when you talk nonsense!" satisfied Quinza. "Hah, never mind, it's no use talking to you, Gav. You'll never understand," Quinza said, then left Gavriel still sitting at the cafeteria table. --- A few hours later. The last class finished at exactly three in the afternoon. Quinza stepped out of her classroom, heading towards the hallway where Gavriel's class was. However, the moment she opened the classroom door, the sight before her made her body freeze. Inside the classroom, Gavriel was making out intimately with a woman. Their kiss was so intense, as if unaware of Quinza's presence. "Tsk... What was I thinking, Quin? Hopping my love will be reciprocated?" Quinza muttered to herself. "Realize, Gavriel and I are very different." she continued, realizing that she could not reach out to Gavriell because of their different socialities. Quinza's water began to pool in her eyes; the girl tried hard to hold back the tears that were about to fall. However, her efforts were in vain as the tiny beads that pooled in her eyes flowed slowly down her cheeks. The pain burst into her chest, shattering the hopes she had been harboring. A moment after Quinza turned her face away from the painful sight, another man who happened to be hiding in the hallway to the right saw the look of sadness on Quinza's face. So, without thinking, the man walked over slowly, deliberately so that Quinza would not notice. When he was close to Quinza, he tapped her shoulder gently when he was inches away from her. "Hah, I told you, Quin. You'll be hurt when you see the man you love with another woman," the man said calmly yet firmly. His words were regretful, as this was not the first time he had tried to make Quinza realize. However, as usual, Quinza never really listened. She fell silent, her eyes still fixed on the floor. Her mind was racing, trying to digest the truth of her little friend's words. This time, she could no longer deny it. The scene before her eyes was too clear to ignore. "Never mind," the man continued while looking at Quinza, who was still silent. "Don't think about it too much. I'd better take you home. Isn't your class already over?" he offered, trying to distract Quinza from the wound that had just opened. Quinza let out a long breath, then in a weak voice, she replied, "Yes, my class is over. But..." However, the man had already taken her hand before she could finish her sentence. Without asking permission or waiting for consent, he led Quinza away, forcing her to follow his lead. *** A few hours later. Quinza's House. A classic Mustang car was parked in the courtyard of Quinza's simple yet beautiful house. The girl unbuckled her seat belt while smiling at her little friend. After that, she exited the car, her steps light but tired. "Quin, don't you want to invite me inside?" asked her little friend in a teasing tone. Quinza rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Without me even asking, you usually waltz right into the house," she snapped. . The man chuckled, enjoying Quinza's annoyed expression. They then walked together to Quinza's house. The house was surrounded by flourishing flowers, giving it a calm and nostalgic atmosphere. "Nothing has changed. Just like the last time I stopped by your house," the man murmured with a smile, eyes sweeping across Quinza's memorable courtyard. "I would never change anything in this house," Quinza replied softly. Her eyes were dreamy, her mind drifting to memories with her parents. "This house is a part of them. I want to keep those memories alive." The man looked at Quinza, who was silent and lost in thought. Slowly, he patted the girl's shoulder, bringing her back to reality. Gently, he turned Quinza's body to face him. "Quin, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad," he said sincerely. His hand reached for Quinza's, grasping it gently. Then, the other hand rubbed the top of Quinza's head soothingly. Quinza just nodded softly, feeling the calmness from her touch. A small smile was etched on the girl's face even though her heart was still filled with bitter memories of her past together with her parents. However, behind it all was someone peeking inside the sports car parked near Quinza's house. A handsome man was grinding his teeth; his hands were clenched, gripping the steering wheel of the vehicle the man was driving; the heat inside him was already burning his body, which was about to explode.