5. Chapter 5
After Ody drove away, Mano and Chrysa headed to a nearby café. “What instruments do you play?” Mano asked.
“Guitar and bassoon. I just started cello.”
Mano took a sip of his coffee, nodding.
“You’re twenty-three, right?” she asked.
Mano looked at her. “How do you know?”
She smiled, glancing down. “You used to date a friend of mine. Well… ex friend.”
“Seriously?”
“Zoe Lekka.”
Mano frowned, searching his memory, but nothing came to mind.
“Yeah… figures,” she said with a small laugh. “You don’t remember.”
“Maybe if I saw her.”
She waved it off. “Forget it. It’s better that way.”
“Why?”
“We had a falling out.”
“I hope it wasn’t because of me.”
She laughed. “No. She just talked about you a lot. That’s how I know you.”
Mano raised an eyebrow. “And what did she say?”
She tilted her head. “Do you really wanna know?”
Mano just shrugged.
“That you went out. Ended up at her place. And then you disappeared.” She gave him a knowing look. “You know. The usual.”
Mano leaned back in his chair. “Let me be clear. I’m not looking for a relationship. Not even something complicated.”
“So you just date around?” she asked.
“If that bothers you, we don’t have to do this again.”
“It doesn’t bother me.” She smiled. “I’m just observing.”
“Good.”
“I hope you don’t expect to end up in my bed after one coffee.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “How about after the second?”
She shook her head with a quiet chuckle. “You really don’t do subtle, do you? At least you’re honest.”
“I don’t like complications. Relationships come with questions, expectations—”
“You don’t get attached,” she finished.
Mano didn’t answer right away. “Something like that.”
“Alright then.” She sipped her coffee, studying him.
Back home, Ody dropped onto the couch, dragging a hand over his face. He’d gone all the way to campus just to drive Mano, only to be told to leave. He knew it wasn’t Mano’s fault. He’d insisted.
He turned on the TV and stared at it.
Later, his phone buzzed. Steve texted about basketball for the next evening. Everyone was in. Elias was still sick, so they were short again. Steve told him to ask Mano and reminded him of the promise.
Ody said he would.
He didn’t.
The next morning, Ody went to class alone. Mano was still asleep, his lecture scheduled later. Ody parked and headed toward Molecular Pharmacology.
“Come on, you idiot!” someone shouted down the hall.
He recognized the voices before he saw them.
“Hey, Stavrinos!” one of them called. “Save us three seats.”
Ody stopped in his tracks. “How exactly am I supposed to do that?”
“Use your jacket. Your bag. Figure it out.”
“Why don’t you just come in now?”
“We’re in the middle of something.” He pointed to his two friends.
Ody ignored them and went inside.
When they finally entered, they realized he hadn’t saved them anything. There were only two seats left, far from him. The guy who had spoken earlier shot him a glare. His short dark hair was tousled, and his sharp jaw tightened as his brown eyes locked on Ody.
Two hours later, as Ody stepped outside the building, the same guy blocked his path, his two friends lingering a few steps behind him. “Not cool.”
“What?”
“I told you to save seats.”
“There weren’t any.” He tried to walk past, but the guy stepped in front of him again.
“If there were, you would’ve saved them?”
“Are you seriously still talking about this?” Ody said, already irritated.
“I’m being polite. You’re the one snapping.”
Ody sighed. “Do you need something, Kash?”
“Why? You busy?” he smirked.
Ody moved again. Kash grabbed his arm, and the other two stepped in. “Come out with us tonight,” he said. “Drinks. Girls.”
“I have a girlfriend.”
“So?”
“Don’t be boring, dude,” Brandon said.
“I’m not boring. I’m in a relationship.”
“And that means you—”
“Everything alright?”
They all turned.
Mano stood there, hands in his pockets.
What is he doing here? Ody thought.
Kash’s gaze dragged over Mano, lingering a beat too long.
“You had class?” Ody asked.
“Yeah. I just finished.” Mano looked at him. “I made you a promise.”
Ody remembered. Basketball.
“You guys set it up?” Mano asked.
“Yeah.”
“And you are?” Kash stepped closer.
Mano’s gaze shifted to him, calm and unreadable. “Not your concern.”
Kash smirked and took another step, stopping just short of him, as if testing how far he could push it.
Mano didn’t move. He simply nodded toward the exit. “Class is over. Let’s go.”
Kash’s expression hardened.
Ody followed Mano without another word. Once they were far enough away, Mano spoke. “Do they bother you?”
“No,” Ody said. “They’re always like that. It’s nothing.”
Mano looked at him, jaw tight.
“I didn’t think you’d remember,” Ody added.
“I keep my promises,” Mano said as they stopped walking. “What time?”
“Six. I’ll send you the location.”
They resumed walking.
“I see you took the bandage off. Is it fully healed?”
“If I push it too hard, it aches. Nothing serious.”
They reached the motorcycle.
“See you at six,” Mano said, putting on his helmet.
“Yeah. See you.”
Mano held his gaze for a second before lowering the visor and starting the engine. The sound lingered after he drove off.
At home, he found a message from Stella.
What’s up Mano? I heard you and Katerina broke up. Shame… Hope it wasn’t because of the picture I sent her of us in bed
His jaw tightened before he replied. What do you want?
Stella: As long as you keep ignoring me I’ll keep interfering in your life
Get to the point, he typed.
I want us out together. Publicly. So everyone sees
He exhaled. Tomorrow. Same place. Nine. Don’t be late
Whatever you say Mr. Jones
He threw his phone onto the couch.
At six, the basketball court was already crowded. The roar of Mano’s motorcycle turned heads.
“Is that him?” Steve asked.
“Yeah.”
Chris’s eyes widened. “Holy shit... that’s an R6.” He looked at Mano. “Marry me, dude.”
Ody shot Chris a look.
Mano approached in black sweatpants and a black T-shirt.
“Hey,” Ody said.
Mano nodded.
“These are my friends. Steve and Chris.”
Mano’s gaze moved over them. Steve’s buzzcut and sharp jawline gave him a rough edge. Beside him, Chris’s blond hair and blue eyes made him look far more approachable.
Mano gave them a brief nod.
“Small world,” Steve muttered.
“What department?” Chris asked.
“Music Studies.”
Chris gestured toward Ody. “Pharmacy.”
Mano said nothing.
“Alright,” Ody said, clapping his hands. “Mano’s with us. Four on four.”
Steve looked him up and down. “Can you actually play?”
Mano met his gaze. “Yeah.”
Steve smirked. “Let’s see.”
The game started. Mano scored first. Then again. And again, though he didn’t pass much. Final score: 36 to 22.
“Didn’t expect that,” Ody admitted, grabbing his water bottle. “You’ve got range.”
“I played in school.”
“Never joined a team?”
“No.”
“I did. Since I was ten. Stopped at university.”
For a moment, something in Mano’s expression closed off, like a door shutting.
“Hey,” Ody frowned. “You good?”
“Yeah.” Mano blinked.
Ody studied him for a second, then nodded toward the court. “You were solid. We crushed them.”
“Congrats… Mano, right?” Steve stepped forward, wiping sweat from his forehead.
“Yeah.”
“Nice dunks,” he said. “Would’ve been better if you passed. It’s a team sport, you know.”
“Steve,” Ody warned.
He lifted his hands. “What? I’m not wrong.”
Chris shrugged beside him. “You could’ve passed more.”
“We won,” Ody said pointedly, glancing between them. “That’s what matters.”
Mano looked at Steve. “I could dunk. Why pass?”
Steve held his gaze. For a second, neither of them moved. The tension was obvious.
Ody cleared his throat. “We’re showering and heading out after. You coming?”
“No. Got plans.” Mano turned his back and started walking toward the exit. “See you.”
When Mano was gone, his friends turned to him.
“What?” Ody asked, brows knitting.
“Seriously?” Steve said.
“What?”
Steve shook his head. “That guy’s annoying. He barely said hello, and he played like it was all about him.”
“Come on,” Ody said. “You don’t know him.”
“He’s rude.”
“Don’t judge someone after one hour,” Ody snapped. “He’s not like that. You just have to approach him the right way.”
Steve and Chris exchanged a look. Then they both stared at him. “How do you know?” Steve asked.
Ody hesitated. “I just do.” Before they could say anything else, he turned and walked away.
The next evening, Mano met Stella outside the bar.
The street was already crowded, music leaking through the door every time someone stepped inside.
“Heeey,” she sang when she spotted him. She walked toward him with easy confidence, her long copper-red hair spilling over her shoulders, muted green eyes gleaming under the streetlights.
“I told you not to be late.”
“It was ten minutes. Relax.” She stepped closer and tried to link her arm through his, but Mano pulled away.
“Why are you so obsessed with me?” he asked.
She smirked. “My ex won’t leave me alone. I told him I’m seeing someone. He doesn’t believe me.” She shrugged. “So we go out. Publicly. He backs off. Simple.”
“And I’m supposed to play boyfriend?”
“You will,” she said. “Don’t make me push.”
Mano’s eyes narrowed. “Push how?”
“I’ve kept things,” she said. “From when we were together.”
His jaw tightened.
“I don’t want to blackmail you.” Her tone stayed light, almost pleasant. “So don’t make me.”
For a moment he just stared at her.
“Oh, and in return…” She stepped closer and leaned toward his ear, whispering something.
Mano didn’t react.
When she pulled back, she tilted her head, studying his face. “Well?” she asked. “It’s a good deal for both of us, don’t you think?”