The Night Before the Meetup

: Rejected at the Door

4

Today was the weekend, and I remembered my online boyfriend had said he wanted to meet up.

I was just about to pull out my phone and ask if he was free today.

Just then, my professor sent me a message. "Sienna, Professor Grayson has made a rare trip to Silverwood City. Our university absolutely cannot let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass us by."

Reading my professor's message, a vein throbbed in my temple.

I had a vague, sinking feeling.

Sure enough, his next message came right away. "As the school's representative, you are to go and interview him. The university's reputation is in your hands."

Staring at the message on my phone, I could have cried.

'This is killing me... Why is it that every time my boyfriend and I are about to meet, something else gets in the way?'

But to maintain my good-student persona and secure my scholarship for next quarter, I had no choice but to sincerely accept the task.

"Yes, Professor. I understand. I guarantee I'll complete the mission."

After sending the message, even I was disgusted with myself.

'Waaaah... It looks like the day I finally meet my online boyfriend is still a long way off.'

But since I had already accepted the task from my professor, I had to prepare myself fully and face the challenge head-on.

I went back to my dorm for a bit, then got ready and headed to the hotel to interview Ian Grayson.

Following the address my professor gave me, I quickly found the right room. Just as I was about to knock, a man in a black suit stopped me.

His expression was stern. "Unauthorized personnel are not permitted."

'This must be the legendary assistant to the big boss.'

I put on my most perfect, twelve-out-of-ten smile. "I'm a student from Crestview University. I was sent by the university to interview Professor Grayson."

The assistant looked me up and down, his face still an impassive mask. He cut straight to the point. "Plenty of people want to see President Grayson. You think we have to let you in just because you casually claim to be from Crestview Middle School?"

I had canceled my meetup with my online boyfriend for this, so I didn't want to give up so easily.

I adopted an even more polite tone. "Professor Grayson gave a lecture at our university before. You can check. I just want to conduct a simple interview. I'm sure he wouldn't refuse, right?"

The man was unyielding. "I said no visitors. President Grayson is very busy."

Normally, I would have blown my top by now, but I had to hold it in.

I smiled. "How about you go and ask him first?"

He shot me a dismissive look. "It doesn't matter if I ask or not, the result will be the same. President Grayson hates being disturbed by outsiders during his downtime. Don't waste your time hitting this brick wall."

In the end, I talked until my mouth was dry, but the assistant didn't show the slightest sign of budging.

The long and short of it was that this Ian Grayson guy seemed difficult to get along with and incredibly rigid. No matter what, he was not going to see me.

I was really unwilling to accept it, but I had no choice but to give up on the assignment.

With every step I took, I felt like I was about to explode with anger.

'Damn it... '

'The taxi ride from the university to the hotel cost me a good chunk of change.'

'And most importantly, I specifically canceled on my online boyfriend just to get this result.'

'What a joke of an expert. Does he really think he's all that?!'

The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I got. I plopped down in the hotel lobby and started venting to my online boyfriend.

"My university sent me to interview that expert who came to give a lecture, you know, the one I told you was decent-looking."

"Damn it... I thought he was just a little aloof, and would be nice to students, but today I found out the guy really knows how to put on airs. I wanted to meet you today, but I couldn't because I had to come interview him, and in the end, that jerk just shut the door in my face!"

"Ahhhh... I just want to beat him to a pulp!"

After I sent the messages, he went silent for a few minutes again.

I was pretty confused. "What's up with you lately? I've noticed your reply speed has gotten a little weird..."

In the past, whenever I sent a message, he would always reply in a split second. Sometimes, before I had even figured out what to type next, he'd have already sent a whole series of messages.

My online boyfriend finally replied. "It's nothing. You just said you went to see the expert from the Crestview University lecture and got turned away?"

Just talking about it made me fume all over again. "Yeah, that guy is unbelievable! Acting like he's so high and mighty. Who'd want to see him anyway!"

As soon as I sent that, the "is typing..." indicator appeared on his end again.

It flickered on and off several times, but he never sent a single word.

A few minutes later, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence. "Wait a moment."

He sent it, then retracted it less than two seconds later.

I was completely baffled.

'What is going on?'

I picked up my phone, slowly stood up, and prepared to head back to my dorm to have a serious talk with him about his recent texting issues.

Before I even made it to the door, a frantic voice called out from behind me. "Miss Sinclair! Miss Sinclair, wait..."

Confused, I stopped and turned around. It was Ian Grayson's assistant.

He was rushing toward me, his face fraught with anxiety. "Don't leave yet."

I looked at him, confused by the sweat beading on his forehead. "What's wrong?"

'Didn't you just refuse to let me see Ian Grayson? What's the meaning of telling me not to leave now?'