Chapter Text
Humans, as creatures on a fundamental level, need food and sleep to survive. On the very basic level; we, as humans, require nutrition and sufficient rest to work normally in society.
Alberu calls bullshit.
He has spent the last week (and a good part of the month) living on caffeine and pure ambition. The mountains of work he has piled up for being the student union president and chasing after a master's degree had really been taxing on Alberu. As a person, Alberu has been raised on working hard and not knowing about rest; slacking off is not in his dictionary. But for the first time in his life, Alberu is ready to throw away all his work and scream his lungs out to the heavens.
Oh, how much he wants to burn the stacks and stacks of papers on his desk (and the more incoming from other people). And so, for the first time, Alberu called it quits. He is done with this, was the thought that raced through his mind while pushing his chair back and walking out of his dorm room.
Where was he exactly going? Alberu isn't sure. All he knows is that he's getting away from his small and stuffy room until he can get his head all cleared up again; if he stays any longer in there then he would start becoming a person he's not proud of.
With his head up in the clouds, Alberu lets his legs walk his body to anywhere it takes him. And apparently that 'anywhere' is an uncommonly used common room by the wing of the dorm that doesn't have that many students.
Calling this place a common room is a bit too generous; it was only a small room by the end of a hallway that was too small to be made into a double but too big to be made a single. So the school thought it was an amazing idea (read idiotic) to pop a snack machine in here, a table and two chairs. Hell, they didn't even bother putting a door between this room and the rest of the hallway and barely any air conditioning; it didn't take a genius to find out why this place is mostly deserted. But, a silver lining was that because people were less frequently there; it was a great spot for Alberu.
Or that was what Alberu thought.
For some reason, when he got there, another student was already sitting there. Evidently, a long red haired person sat on the chairs while nursing a beer in his hands. The student looks to be drunk already if the red faced expression they were making when they looked towards Alberu was any indication.
Alberu and the stranger stared at each other for a few seconds, both not exactly knowing what to do. Alberu was frozen because he didn't expect to see another student and he really wasn't in the mood to put on the mask and act like the benevolent and selfless student union president.
But the decision wasn't made by Alberu to break this silent stare; the red haired stranger tilts his head and squints his eyes at Alberu. "Want one?" The stranger says while lifting an unopened beer at Alberu's direction.
"Sure." And for some reason, going behind all the logic in his mind; Alberu said yes.
Throwing common sense out the window, Alberu grabbed the beer can and sat on the seat next to the stranger. With one swift motion, he opened the can and took a swig; by the time he's done with the can, it was already half empty.
Alberu really needed that bitter taste of beer down his throat.
"Another one?" The stranger says while pushing the plastic bag full of beers closer to Alberu. "You look like you need it," the guy added when Alberu downed the rest of the beer before going to open a new can.
Sighing, Alberu lets a tired smile grace his features. "It was a tiresome week."
"Hmm."
And nothing. The stranger never pressed on questioning Alberu, nor did he comment anything of need; hell, the guy doesn't even look like he was listening to Alberu's words. Truth be told, it made his blood boil that the guy was acting like such a bastard to him so openly (drinking openly and leaning obscenely on his chair) yet Alberu can't help but stay silent about it all. Maybe just maybe, Alberu likes being treated like this once in a while in between being a heir to a company and a student union president.
Just two college students drinking together at 3 am on a Tuesday at the end of a hallway.
The stranger doesn't ask for Alberu's name and he doesn't either. Was it for the respect of the red hair? No, it was mostly for Alberu's own selfish need to not let the knowledge of him being an important figure taint this interaction. He wanted to preserve as a nice memory of drowning in his stress and beer; as a nice thing he can look back and regret on.
You better bet he regretted it the next morning; Alberu regrets never asking for the guy's name. But, it was all for the best. He should move on from this and never speak of it to anyone; was what he planned.
Because, two days after the whole beer thing; Alberu found himself throwing away his work and once again walking down the exact hallway as last time.
He stops.
A few paces away, Alberu could already see the tell tale red hair that a certain someone possessed. One that Alberu doesn't know the name of- so, for the second time that week, Alberu throws all his common sense out the window and walks up to the guy.
"Do you drink every night?" He asks while sitting down at the spot he occupied last time, with one hand pointing at the numerous beer cans on the table just like last time. Alberu watches as the stranger's eyes light up with surprise before recognition floods it.
"Said the one who drank one third of my beers last time," the stranger says while squinting his eyes at Alberu at blatant hypocrisy. "Here." A slender and pale hand pushes an empty beer can towards Alberu. "But you're paying me this time."
Alberu laughs, happily accepting the can and opening it. "What's your name?" He asks and the stranger makes a suspicious face at the sudden question.
"...Cale Henituse."
After hearing the name, Alberu can't help but laugh once more. He recognizes the surname; how could he not when they were one of the wealthiest families in Roan. Yet, the funny part is that this guy, who is very evidently rich if you see his clothes, is mad at Alberu for finishing his convenience store bought beer and is now expecting payment.
"I'm your senior so address me as such."
"Okay, hyung."
Cough.
"W-What?" Alberu wasn't proud to admit that he had choked after hearing Cale call him by such a nickname.
"You're the weirdo who told me to address you as a senior," the red hair says with an innocent tone but his smile says otherwise.
He scoffs, shaking his head while muttering: "this brat."
Afterwards, when Alberu's brain wasn't muddled up by the stress and tiredness; he noticed that Cale never bothered to ask his real name. The younger seemed content with only referring to him as hyung and Alberu isn't sure if this was because the red hair doesn't care or because he already knew his real name.
And Alberu isn't so thrilled to find out anytime soon.