Dilemma

It was, one might say, successful, though I didn't leave there without almost shitting my pants.

I had gone in there, talked to the fierce Don Mateo, the second-ranked mafia lord in Spain.

When I thought of my family dying, I had no choice but to do it. But now I'm left thinking: How will I do what I promised them?

How will I get close to Don Marco, the number one mafia lord in the city?

Ruthless, fierce, young, dashing… Don't get me wrong, I'm not scared of him—rather, I'm scared of how I'll infiltrate his mansion without my crush on him turning into love.

How will I keep seeing him every day without wanting to pounce on him when I see him?

How sure am I that when I see him, I won't confess my love for him first instead of worrying about my family?!

Or rather...wait... what am I even thinking? What if I die as soon as I get there?

Don Marco is known for his ruthless nature for a reason!

_____________

Rafael tapped his textbook, completely out of the topic being read. He was still a college student in his finals and was currently having a group study session with his classmates. After this, he would have to write his remaining exams and start his internship.

His current problem was how he would make himself an intern for Don Marco.

Rafael could only bother himself with these thoughts since he got back from Don Mateo's house.

"Rafael… Rafael…" He heard his name being called and was reluctantly drawn out of his thoughts.

"Yes?" he said, raising his eyebrows in question.

"You've been like this all day… Is everything good at home?" Ivan, one of his friends studying pharmacy, but who had some mutual courses with him, asked with concern etched on his face.

"Nothing," Rafael replied, but he wasn't left alone as Lucia also added.

"Yes, Rafael. Since we started this study session, I've been watching you and you've not been reading…"

"Yes, Lucia, all of us know that you like him, you don't need to tell us again…" Isabel said, teasing Lucia.

It wasn't a secret that many ladies fancied Rafael and wished to be his friends since he wouldn't give anyone much attention. It was no surprise that he had quite a group of female friends who fought almost every day.

"Thanks for noticing, Lucia," Rafael said. "But I'm not really brooding… I'm just worried about something…" he added.

As they already knew, Ivan could only lock eyes with Lucia, both giving a knowing smile.

"What is it?" Isabel was the first to ask, eager to see if there was any way she could help her crush.

Rafael sighed before closing his book. He focused his attention on them as he gathered them together and lowered his voice, "Is there a way someone can work personally for a private employer for my internship instead of at the national hospital where we all go?"

"Is that what's bothering you?" Ivan asked with a smile.

"Yes, is it stupid?" Rafael asked, unsure of his plan.

He just needed to be able to get into Don Marco's business as a doctor. His personal one.

"I'm not sure why you want to intern at a private hospital. It's not really good, you might not get your certificate. I'd advise you to put whatever you want to do on hold for now, and when you complete your first three months of internship, you can leave," Ivan responded.

"You mean it's only three months?" Rafael asked, his face lighting up with joy at the thought that his problems were slowly vanishing.

"I think so," Ivan replied.

"I'll confirm with our course advisor then. Thank you, Ivan. I was so bothered that I didn't even ask the right sources…" Rafael added.

"So, can we continue studying now?" Lucia asked with a smile.

"Sure… sure…" Rafael said with a heartfelt laugh, and they all resumed studying.

After their session ended, Rafael was the first to leave the library, eager to confirm his friend's deduction with the course advisor.

He left the library and headed to his faculty. When he arrived, he climbed the staircase leading to the course advisor's office.

Rafael stood in front of a brown iron door, waiting to be called inside after knocking.

"Come in," said a voice, and he finally opened the door to enter.

The room was vastly different from the mafia den he had entered. He remembered being asked to bend his head immediately when he entered but then being asked to raise it by the mafia.

He recalled snippets of the meeting and how he had watched the mafia kill someone in front of him just to demonstrate how his life would end if he was playing games. The internship mustn't exceed a year.

Rafael hadn't been so concerned about his internship duration; in fact, he hadn't cared. He was one of the students who planned to stay where they interned if they were chosen and continue working hard, but now, he had no choice but to leave even if he was given the chance to stay.

He could only sigh as he took a seat after being invited.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Rafael? You seem stressed and bothered today," Mr. Gomez noted, observing Rafael's complexion.

Rafael subconsciously touched his neck, then wiped the sweat from his face as he looked at the course advisor.

He replied subtly, remembering the rules: This is between us. That was what Don Mateo had said.

"I'm here to inquire about the internship for final-year medical students. The duration, to be precise…" Rafael said, addressing his purpose instead of discussing his stress with the advisor.