A Pink Atmosphere

The gentle morning rays sneaked into the room through the gaps in the leaf-patterned curtains.

Accompanying the light was an early morning chill, that caused goosebumps to appear on the figure resting on the wide bed.

"Hmm…" Haoyu let out a groan before unconsciously stretching an arm to his side.

He felt the empty place and slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was hazy but sharpened as the seconds passed.

Softly, his fingers caressed the cold sheets as he looked at the neat space. The professor had been gone for a while, it seemed.

"Tsk…" Coming to this conclusion, Haoyu clicked his tongue and sat up before resting on the headboard.

He couldn't help but feel a strange way.

Waking up this early in the morning without Tejumole next to him, made Haoyu feel like an innocent virgin who awoke to an empty room after having a one-night stand with a stranger.

Thinking like this, he let out a light scoff while his fingers moved to his hair.

To describe himself as innocent, even he felt it was blasphemous.

Still, he couldn't help the bitter feeling that formed in his heart after knowing that the professor left to who knows where without a word.

Haoyu's eyes narrowed in mild discontent, but he shook his head to clear his obsessive thoughts.

Running his hand through his dishevelled hair, Haoyu noticed that the length had increased.

Now his silky black locks had grown to reach his mid-back.

The thought of getting a haircut crossed his mind but he decided against it after recalling the professor's fixated expression.

"Long hair it is." Haoyu uttered in an indulgent tone.

Taking his phone from the bedside table, his straight brows furrowed slightly after noticing the time.

It was currently 7:40 am. Much too early for outings considering it was a Saturday morning. Even for the professor.

"I wonder what she's doing. I'm so curious. But tracing her would be an invasion of privacy… what a troublesome kitty." Haoyu let out a helpless sigh before leaving the bed.

Frankly, he didn't want to move.

What Haoyu had in mind was to wait in bed until Tejumole returned.

Perhaps he could lie in suggestive clothes with candles around the room and a pink atmosphere?

Not for any particular reason.

But just to see how the usually stoic professor would react when faced with such an unexpected scenario.

Haoyu, although feeling impertinent, understood that he would definitely be punished for such unprincipled behaviour.

Nevertheless, if that was the sacrifice he had to make…then his sacrifice would be worth it!

That would be fascinating.

As his thoughts proceeded in a mischievous, death-seeking direction, Haoyu paced out of the room after putting it in order.

'The kitten likes her lair neat and organized'. He thought with a smile, finding his new nickname for the professor quite suitable.

A kitten with sharp claws…

After walking a few steps down the corridor, Haoyu arrived at his bedroom door and pushed it open.

Different from Tejumole, Haoyu's room was a little more expressive.

His walls were painted a dimmer shade of grey and pasted at several places, were posters of men and women in sports- particularly in high jump and pole vault.

The room was orderly, safe for the misplaced shoes and clothes on the floor and armchair respectively.

Additionally, Haoyu's curtains were a deep shade of black. Perfect for keeping the lights out.

All in all, the colours and decorations gave the room a chic, masculine and nearly monochrome vibe.

Glancing at the time again, it was a minute past eight.

Haoyu casually threw his phone towards the bed, which bounced dangerously on the surface before settling by the very edge.

He slipped out of his night clothes and couldn't help the slight twitch of his lips when he glanced at the adorably atrocious design.

The professor really takes me for a child – were his thoughts, as he looked at the bedazzled frog printed proudly on the anterior portion of his shirt.

"Haa…" sighing for the umpteenth time, Haoyu rolled the clothes into a ball and threw them directly into a laundry basket behind him.

Now left in his briefs, his well-structured body was shown in full glory.

He had the kind of figure which appeared mildly slender at first glance, but was muscular when dressed in tight-fitting clothes. Or better yet, bare-skinned.

Wide shoulders, thick biceps, strong and defined abdominal muscles, handsome facial features and a generally developed figure.

Haoyu's athletic physique would put most professional models to shame and even outshine a few bodybuilders.

Reaching for his phone, Haoyu's muscles flexed at the action. He glanced at the time again and swiped the screen after receiving a call at exactly 8:10.

"Yes?" He spoke in a low tone and waited for the caller to speak.

"Yu-yu, we found him~" Ochoa-Guerrero Salvador spoke, and there was a brief silence following his words.

A few seconds later, Haoyu parted his lips and responded;

"About time you did. Any more delay and I would start doubting your efficiency." Haoyu replied with a scoff before continuing;

"Still, this is wonderful news…" Haoyu spoke with curved eyes. This time his tone held a hint of a smile and another emotion that Salvador knew all too well.

Haoyu was thrilled.

And it wasn't the innocent type of excitement.

No, this wasn't anything good.

"What are your orders, Yu-yu?" Salvador asked unconsciously. This sort of formality was commonplace, even though they had long been acquainted.

"My orders? Of course, it's to take GOOD care of our guest. Make sure to loosen him up before my arrival. Let him feel at home in this foreign land." Haoyu replied lightly before ending the call.

"Haa…" in the quiet room, Haoyu let out a short breath and closed his eyes. His emotions were going haywire but were still within a controllable range.

A few years ago, he would have entered a frenzy after discovering the whereabouts of someone related to his father's disappearance.

These days; however, he had become relatively calm. This was likely an effect of living with the professor.

Although recently, he seemed to be losing the self-control he was so proud of.

And yet again, this was thanks to the professor.

Haoyu dragged his feet towards the bathroom while his thoughts progressed.

He slid the glass doors and stepped under the shower before twisting the knob.

Normally, he wouldn't bother about setting the heating, as that functioned automatically. But today he felt a cold shower was in order.

"Hmm…" while the cold water trickled down his back, Haoyu pictured Tejumole in his mind and reminisced about the sweet taste of her blood.

He understood that he was in the wrong for biting her, however…he felt no remorse.

At least not as remorseful as he should be.

"Haa…" Haoyu let out a breath. His hands which rested on the ceramic tiles had taken a jagged appearance similar to his transformation last night.

But apart from the uneven skin on his arms, no other changes appeared on Haoyu's body.

Although his transformation was incomplete, being so close to Tejumole almost made him reveal his true self.

What would happen then?

He didn't want to imagine, but she would find him horrendous, right? Find his change unacceptable? Think him a monster?

She would probably be appalled…

Haoyu's eyes snapped open as his hands clenched into fists. His dark eyes had narrowed into thin slits that were highlighted by a brilliant silver colour.

A colour that resembled a bright moon in the night sky.

"If there… comes a day when she becomes tired of my presence …" He paused, gazing at his blurry reflection in the glass. He soon continued in an eerily quiet voice.

"I'll…just have to make her stay. She chose to take me in… and should be responsible. I will not let her discard me so heartlessly. It's too late for that…" His voice trailed off towards the end as his lips hooked at the corners.

"But before then, I'll be her cute and obedient little one. This persona seems to put her at ease." Haoyu tilted his head slightly. His wet hair clung to his face, covering his features as his eyelids pulled shut

He reopened them after a few seconds, and this time his eyes had reverted to their original appearance.

And so had the texture of his skin.

"Meanwhile, I should deal with the current issue." He said, thinking of his "guest" while he turned off the shower.

He noticed that his claws had extended involuntarily and watched them silently.

"I'm pretty excited. This feeling better be mutual…"