Kiss and Puck Chapter 17
Thinking it through, Kora turned her steps toward the Hockey House without another thought.
‘Since it’s on the way to the dorm anyway, I might as well stop by for a quick peek.’
After a short while she reached the building, lingering uncertainly near the entrance, when a black Porsche with its headlights blazing filled the parking lot in front.
‘There it is.’
Kora strode forward with a bounce in her step and rested her chin on the hood.
“Tristan!”
His sudden appearance made him kill the engine and lower the window, poking his head out.
“Kora? What are you doing here?”
“You said you’d come to the pub on time! Since you didn’t, I came to find you. Again!”
“One would think you’d get a grip on yourself. Practice ran longer than I expected, so I had to change clothes before heading out.”
“Don’t lie! Then why haven’t you been checking your messages or picking up your phone?”
“I was charging the battery.”
Tristan held up the phone that was charging and gave it a little shake.
“……”
His excuse was disproven, yet the irritation didn’t fade.
Meanwhile, Tristan seemed almost amused by Kora’s flailing.
His insufferable attitude made Kora narrow her eyes.
“…You should charge it every once in a while.”
“Get in the passenger seat first.”
“Why would I ride in your car?”
“If we’re going to talk, we might as well do it in a café or somewhere. Or are you just planning to stand there?”
Seeing her hesitate, Tristan let out a deep sigh, opened the driver’s door, and stepped out. Then he personally opened the passenger door and gave her a chin nudge like, Come on.
“I won’t bite.”
“……”
Deciding he’d look ridiculous if she kept refusing, Kora shot him a glare before climbing into the seat.
The moment her hips settled against the leather, he closed the door.
Kora felt a little dazed as she looked around the interior.
‘On second thought, the inside of a fancy sports car really is like this…’
Unlike any regular vehicle, the seat seemed to hug her body curves like it was gripping her tight. It felt almost as if she’d been pulled into someone’s arms against her will.
Just as Tristan slid into the driver’s seat, the low-slung car made the cabin feel even smaller.
With every slight shift she might brush against his elbow, Kora shrank back and muttered, “Professor apparently paired us together from different departments on purpose to create a clash of academic perspectives. So I need to watch three movies or plays with you, discuss them, and then weave the differences in interpretation into my report.”
“That’s quite a lenient assignment.”
“Yeah, easier said than done. But you’ll be busy with away games once the hockey season starts. My schedule is already packed. We need to squeeze everything in now if we’re going to watch three films and do a proper discussion.”
“Why not just go watch a movie right now?”
“…Right now?”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s only eight.”
It was dark outside, but according to him it was still early evening.
She had only meant to adjust their schedule tonight. Thinking it over, killing an assignment while time allowed didn’t sound half bad. Who knew when Tristan might get distracted again.
“But we can’t watch any old movie. It needs to be something good for textual analysis, and I don’t know if there’s a suitable one playing at a multiplex nearby.”
Tristan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, lost in thought, then said quietly, “Want to go to my place?”
“……”
The expression on his face was casual, but his low voice carried a dangerous edge.
Kora stared at him, trying to read his intentions. He smiled as if reassuring her.
“I own the entire top floor of this building. There’s a big TV in the living room, and I’ve signed up for just about every streaming service.”
“…You own an entire floor?”
“Yeah. Why track down a movie theater when the house is even more convenient?”
In the darkness his steel-gray eyes sparkled, as if asking, Well? What’s your answer?
Kora’s eyes narrowed further.
Did he always invite girls to his room like this?
“You think this trick always works?”
His sharp question made him smirk.
“Would I eat you? Don’t worry, I won’t touch a single hair.”
Then he added with a small smile at the end, “Not yet,” and his eyes gleamed.
Stepping foot in his room still sounded like madness to her.
“Stop messing around. Let’s just go to a multiplex near campus.”
“As you command.”
Tristan, who had spoken with a teasing tone, picked up his now-charged phone.
“Let me check the nearby theaters.”
“Sure.”
Kora started searching for movie theaters on her own phone.
Tristan, scrolling through his phone with a blank expression, leaned toward her and said, “What about this?”
When she looked at the screen, she saw a classic movie playing at an online theater site.
The start time was 8:30, which matched perfectly. But there was one catch.
“The movie choice is good, but… wait, the location… this is a drive-in theater?”
“So what?”
“…That’s just too much like a date.”
His low chuckle made her laugh. “Date? Wake up, Kora.”
“You think every woman in the world is dying to go on a date with you?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“…Hah. Fine. You’re that amazing. Anyway, there’s a multiplex near campus showing indie films. We can make it with time to spare.”
“Suit yourself.”
Tristan suddenly fell silent and stared at her.
That gaze of his, the one that always made people tense up, had returned.
Kora swallowed hard.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Fasten your seatbelt, sweetheart.”
Only then did Kora snap out of it, but by then his movement was faster.
Tristan leaned closer, arm extended, and clicked the seatbelt buckle.
With a satisfying click, the belt locked around her body. He slid in beside her and said meaningfully, “You might get hurt otherwise.”
Absolute Defense
Evening in Chatsworth County, the university town, was alive with energy.
Along the road connecting to campus stood charming shops: used bookstores, bagel cafés, pizza places, and vintage record stores.
This part of Chatsworth County was one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Upstate New York.
Actually, Upstate New York had long carried the image of a declining region compared to glittering Manhattan in New York City.
Manufacturing hubs like Buffalo and Rochester had fallen behind, accelerating the Rust Belt image, even though Manhattan itself was dazzling.
But here the situation was different.
Just fifteen minutes by car from campus lay the gated community centered on the lake, filled with enormous estates and yacht docks surrounded by beautiful forests and water.
In short, it was where ultra-wealthy people who spent weekdays in Manhattan penthouses relaxed on weekends.
One of the immigrants who settled in this village after crossing from England had been Tristan’s ancestor.
Half the city now belonged to their family, as evidenced by the name “Lockwood” stamped everywhere.
‘Lockwood Library, Lockwood Avenue, Lockwood Plaza. Nothing but Lockwoods.’
Eventually the pair reached the largest shopping mall in the county.
Parking in the underground lot and stepping inside, the floral scent of body-care shops wafted over them.
Kora walked at a distance from Tristan. Just as they passed a Bath & Body Works, the man ahead stopped and turned with an irritated voice.
“Why are your steps so slow?”
Keeping the distance too obvious had probably annoyed him.
His cold gaze made Kora flinch, but she soon fired back.
“You’ve never considered that my stride is a little outside the human average?”
“If I shorten my steps, the distance between us stays the same, that’s all.”
“Do you really need to close the gap between us, Captain?”