The Snare of Symmetry C3

Chapter 3

The party ended without incident.

What followed—Bernard having to endure Liam’s fury—was a separate matter, and nothing out of the ordinary. Accused of nearly jeopardizing a business deal, Bernard was forced to shut himself up in his room for several days to avoid Liam, who bellowed himself hoarse with rage.

Unlike the tension-filled atmosphere at home, an uneasy peace settled over campus. Chris, who normally would have shown his face almost immediately, had been nowhere to be seen for weeks. More surprisingly, there wasn’t even a rumor about Bernard attending the party in Elliott’s place. As a result, Bernard moved through his days with constant anxiety, glancing around as though he had committed some terrible crime.

“What’s wrong with you? You’re acting like you’re guilty of something.”

“H-huh? No… it’s just something that’s been bothering me.”

“McGogan?”

An arm draped casually around Bernard’s shoulders as the question was asked. Startled, Bernard turned sharply—then relaxed when he recognized the face. Rhyno scanned Bernard’s expression with a loose smile.

“That’s……”

“You can’t even deny it. I told you to give up—you’re terrible at lying.”

“No, um. It’s something else. Anyway… you know? I haven’t seen him around.”

“He’s hospitalized.”

“Him?”

“There was an incident.”

There was something odd in Rhyno’s tone—almost as if he himself were involved in Chris’s hospitalization. Bernard blinked slowly. But before his thoughts could wander further, Rhyno gave a crooked grin and steered the conversation away.

“So you went to that gathering instead of Elliott?”

“Well… yeah. That’s why I didn’t answer. Sorry.”

Bernard answered easily, the earlier strangeness slipping from his mind. With Rhyno, he could tell the whole truth. They were that close.

Bernard’s gentle, downcast eyes were hidden behind thick horn-rimmed glasses. Rhyno swept his gaze around once, then fixed it again on Bernard as he tightened his arm around his shoulders.

Rhyno Macpherson.

Bernard’s one and only friend—and a well-known figure on campus.

Some sneered that he reeked of new money, but far more people openly admired him. Many longed to be close to Rhyno, yet few managed to claim the seat beside him, thanks to his sharp, sensitive temperament.

At some point, Rhyno had begun staying exclusively by Bernard’s side. After that, all kinds of rumors spread across campus. That Rhyno treated Bernard like a servant. That Bernard was paying some sort of price to keep Rhyno around.

Among the nonsense, one rumor stood out as the most “plausible.”

That Rhyno was interested in Elliott Whale—and was therefore circling the gloomy Bernard.

Despite Rhyno repeatedly dismissing it as garbage, the theory remained the most widely accepted. For Bernard, whether it was true or not hardly mattered.

“It’d be nice if you told me in advance when you can’t come.”

“Rhyno… were you waiting for me?”

“Is that even a question? I begged you to watch the soccer match with me.”

“I keep telling you—whenever I watch with you, your team loses.”

“That’s just their condition that day.”

“But if they lose every time I watch, doesn’t that make it my fault? Isn’t it a jinx? They do fine when you watch alone. Maybe it’s better without me.”

Bernard’s voice stretched lazily, softer than usual. It was uncharacteristic of someone who lived in a constant state of tension—but Rhyno was used to it.

“That’s your imagination, Bernard.”

“People say it too often for that. That things go wrong because of me.”

“Who says that? Want me to deal with them?”

“…Forget it. I’m not a kid.”

“Why aren’t you?”

Mischief flickered across Rhyno’s face. His tone was playful, but his eyes were serious. He scanned Bernard’s face quickly, about to say something—when Bernard stopped short.

A familiar face stood not far away.

Rubens Hurt.

The man from the gathering.

“…Why is he here?”

“Who? Oh—Hurt. Apparently he’s sponsoring a graduating student this year.”

Rhyno said it casually, pulling Bernard along as if urging him elsewhere. Rubens Hurt had been a hot topic on campus lately. Bernard, disconnected from rumors, hadn’t known—but Rhyno had a general idea.

Bernard’s gaze refused to leave Rubens. Perhaps sensing it, Rubens’s eyes drifted over.

“The professor called us. Let’s go.”

“But he might need directions.”

“Don’t you think he knows his way around? He’s standing there alone for a reason. Come on.”

Bernard added awkwardly, but Rhyno’s response remained curt. At that moment, a polite voice slipped between them.

“Excuse me. May I ask you something?”

It was Rubens.

“Ah—yes? Where are you trying to go?”

“I’m looking for the library.”

The hand around Bernard’s shoulders tightened. Watching the two of them, Rubens shaped a gentle smile. His blue eyes lingered far longer on Bernard than on Rhyno. Unable to read the meaning in that gaze, Bernard found himself looking down.

Today’s Bernard looked nothing like he had at the party. His shaggy hair half-covered his eyes; thick glasses and a worn checkered shirt did the rest. And yet, strangely, a desire stirred inside him—to be recognized by Rubens.

Perhaps misreading Bernard’s tension, Rubens suddenly held out a white business card.

“I’m not a suspicious person.”

“If you’re looking for the library, I can tell you. Go straight down that way, then turn right—you’ll see it immediately.”

Bernard accepted the card awkwardly, but before he could say more, Rhyno cut in. Rubens paused, then smiled politely and thanked them before leaving. Only after Rubens had completely disappeared did Rhyno’s expression twist into something dark.

“That’s strange. You looked like you were expecting something.”

“I’ll explain. Let’s move first—you said the professor called us.”

As Bernard strode ahead, Rhyno followed, glancing back once. Rubens was nowhere to be seen.

“Fine. But it better be an explanation I can accept.”

Clear hostility settled in Rhyno’s gray eyes.

Bernard’s explanation was brief. He told him that he hadn’t merely attended the gathering in Elliott’s stead—he had gone as his substitute. When Rhyno asked why he would do something like that, Bernard summed everything up with a single line: I didn’t have a choice.

Rhyno, who knew Bernard’s family situation to some extent, didn’t press further—but he looked deeply displeased. Bernard smiled awkwardly, assuming Rhyno was upset because the person he’d been interested in was Elliott, and Bernard had impersonated him.

“You mess with someone else’s feelings, and you look perfectly happy doing it?”

“…Maybe because graduation’s coming up? I struggled with my thesis, remember.”

Bernard laughed weakly. Rhyno had always been perceptive—especially when it came to Bernard.

“Is that really all?”

“Yeah.”

Rhyno studied Bernard’s complexion for a long moment, gray eyes sharp enough to read beyond the surface. Bernard avoided his gaze, fiddling with the squared corner of the business card tucked into his pocket. Embarrassed to voice the fluttering in his chest, he swallowed his breath instead—earning a short sigh from above.

“Oh, and just so you know—I probably can’t make it to the graduation party.”

“There’ll be plenty of people waiting for you.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m telling you in case you wait.”

“Something happen?”

“Family stuff. Might not be able to step away.”

“Then the ceremony?”

“I’ll go pick up my diploma.”

At Rhyno’s sudden change of topic, Bernard shrugged. This year’s graduation party was set to be extravagant—an entire hotel rented out, festivities starting in the afternoon.

People could enjoy the party in the hall, then retreat to guest rooms to rest if they got tired. With such a grand event planned, many were already buzzing with excitement. Rhyno skipping it would surely disappoint quite a few.

Bernard, who had never planned on attending anyway, accepted it easily.

“Either way, I’ll probably just hover around taking care of Elliott.”

“You’re going alone if I don’t go?”

“I’ll just show my face.”

“…No. Cancel that. I might go late.”

“Aren’t you busy?”

Rhyno looked at Bernard intently again, then adjusted the bag slung over his shoulder and fell silent for a moment.

“No—I’ll try. It’s graduation. We should at least make one good memory.”

“Don’t overdo it.”

“I want to go. And when you do—take off those glasses for the photos.”

At Rhyno’s teasing tone, Bernard pretended not to hear and walked on. Rhyno stuck close, making a few remarks about party outfits—but Bernard’s thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.

The graduation party allowed each graduate to bring two guests. Attending alone or with someone was entirely up to them. Most brought family, but some talked about inviting close friends—or someone special.

According to Rhyno, Rubens was sponsoring a graduate.

Which meant… he might attend the party.

A sudden wave of unease surged up.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Bernard bit his lip, forcing the thought down—but the anxiety chased him like an unresolved case.

Once he became aware of Rubens, Bernard began noticing him everywhere—online, in gossip. How expensive the new watch on his wrist was. How impressive the rumored woman he was dating must be.

Staring at a photo embedded in an online article, Bernard felt strangely unsettled. Being in a relationship with a man like that must feel incredible.

“…Lucky.”

The word slipped out before he could stop it, making him flinch. Rubens was a beautiful man—someone who naturally drew all eyes, who could stand above everyone else without hesitation.

What would it feel like to be loved by someone like that?

It was a fantasy wholly unsuited to Bernard’s life.

The image of Rubens stepping in to save him from Chris’s violence remained vividly etched in his mind. It had been an overwhelming moment. That Chris fleeing in fear.

Yes—admiration alone was fine.

Just that much.

But emotions had a way of igniting from the smallest spark, consuming everything—entirely regardless of the person’s will.

Summer had fully ripened.

After the graduation ceremony during the day, the entire crowd moved seamlessly into the afternoon party. Rubens attended the ceremony as well. Watching camera flashes burst from every direction, Bernard struggled to keep his anxiety in check.

Since partners were allowed, it wasn’t impossible that Rubens would attend the party too. Hadn’t the sponsored student been boasting about it?

Normally, Bernard would have declined an event like this—but this time, carrying a sliver of unease and expectation, he stepped alone into the hotel lobby.

Just once. I’ll look from afar. And make sure he doesn’t run into Elliott.

If he managed that, there would be no chance of anyone discovering that it had been Bernard—not Elliott—at the gathering that night.

“Bernard, you’re coming to the party, right?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean? Let’s go together—it’ll be fun! You’re picking me up anyway.”

He remembered Elliott’s excited face. Liam and Sarah had attended the graduation ceremony earlier in the day, then left Bernard in charge of Elliott due to a couples’ engagement that evening.

Another reason Bernard had to attend.

“I don’t like those kinds of events.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll reintroduce you to my friends.”

Bernard pictured Elliott’s innocent smile again.

Elliott’s friends?

It was absurd. They had always been at the center of the exclusion Bernard endured.

“…That’s not necessary. Anyway, I’ll go. Mom and Dad are worried about you.”

“Who cares? Then we’ll change and meet at the party hall? I’m meeting my friends separately, so we probably won’t go in together.”

“Okay. See you at the hotel.”

Elliott’s delighted expression faded from Bernard’s mind. As he spoke with his brother, his thoughts were elsewhere—his fingers worrying the business card carefully tucked in his wallet.

Nothing might happen if Elliott and that man met.

It could pass uneventfully.

The truth of that night might never come out.

But Bernard didn’t want it to.

He wanted to keep Rubens’s favorable gaze all to himself.

The desire was so rare it startled him.

If it were possible—forever—

he never wanted Elliott to discover the lie of that night.