Chapter 3: Bad Guy

“FUCK!”

Liam shot up from his seat like he'd been electrocuted, eyes darting between Dominic—and the girl whose name turned out to be Renata—to the utterly stunned crowd. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd like a wave of disbelief. Conversations screeched to a halt, and for a split second, it felt like time itself stopped. The audience didn’t know whether to laugh, or shout, or—

Renata, frozen, blinked in disbelief, her face turning deep crimson. Her friend’s jaw dropped, staring in complete shock at Dominic. Across from her, Tyler’s mouth hung open like a nutcracker doll.

Liam, thinking fast—well, trying to—spun around, voice shaky, stammering as he waved to the room. "He—he’s drunk, everyone—!"

“No I’m not.”

But Dominic didn’t flinch. He stood there, as if daring the world to react—eliciting another curse to come out of Wyatt’s trembling mouth. Tyler panically grabbed Liam by the collar, practically hyperventilating.

"He’s mad, bro! We went too far—! We pushed him too far—!"

Then he swung to face the two girls, hands in the front in resigned apology. "Listen—uh, Renata and—" he stammered as he realized he hadn't asked for the other girl’s name either, face turning desperate, he gave up, "we’re so sorry—this is all our fault, okay—we picked on him too much—ok listen, we know he’s short tempered but we didn’t think he’d detonate in front of the entire fucking—"

“And tonight!”

Dominic’s voice boomed from the stage, cutting Tyler off like a guillotine. He didn’t know either whether it’s the liquid courage, but he’s feeling the adrenaline rushing through. his. veins!

Spreading his arms wide like he was about to deliver the performance of a lifetime, he roared, "I’ll be singing her a song," pointing a finger at Renata, who was still sitting there, mortified. “Know that song? By that K-pop boy?" he looked around, clearly fishing for the title, before smugly, he tilted his head to hiss, "You know—the one about.. fucking?"

Liam dropped back into his seat like his legs had given out. His hands slapped over his face, utterly defeated. "I swear to God I’m gonna cry."

Tyler groaned, "We gotta go over there man—" but as he exchanged a look with his other bro, a knowing look flashed between them. In resignation, Cavill dropped on his seat, muttering,

“It’s too late now, he’ll kill us up there. Yes he will.”

Meanwhile, you glanced around, baffled. How the fuck there were still girls swooning at this arrogant—no brain creature?! That’s when the band on stage suddenly kicked in with the intro to ‘Seven.’ Why of course, the band obeyed him. The world is such a misogynistic son of a bitch.

“Weight of the world on your shoulders~ I kiss your waist and ease your mind~”

That same cocky grin plastered on his face the moment Dominic's smooth voice filled the room—and you exchanged a silent look with Talia.

Not. fair.

His voice was annoyingly good, like—swoon-worthy good. No wonder the girls—ugh fuck. If the situation weren’t a complete and utter disaster, you’d both be melting in your seats. Too bad, he turned out to be just like the other male species that you know.

”You wrap around me and you give me life~ And that's why night after night, I'll be fucking you right—”

You had enough.

Hell nah. You won’t sit here—and let him think he could act like an asshole and get away with anything—

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday~”

Without a second thought, you stood up and marched to the front. Dominic, still singing the chorus part, raised an eyebrow, watching her approaching him.

“Every hour, every minute, every second. You know, night after night~ I’ll be—“

When you snatched the mic from Dominic’s hand with a piercing glare. He met your gaze, unfazed, a challenging glint in his eyes. His eyebrow arched as if to say, Oh? And as you adjusted your grip on the mic, a slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

The audacity in his stance was unmistakable, but you weren’t about to back down. Mirroring his cocky grin, you leaned into the mic and spoke, voice loud and clear, cutting through the tension in the room.

"So you invite me here, thinking you could sleep with me—then you serenade me—to sleep with me? You are too kind. Cute. Putain d'imbécile."

For a moment he looked startled. Clearly intrigued, Dominic looked you up and down like you’re some new plaything he couldn’t wait to unravel. Probably not expecting your boldness—or your flaming pettiness. And.. French? His lopsided grin only grew wider.

“W—what’s your friend doing?” Liam stammered from his seat, hands gripping the edge of his seat as his shirt drenched in nervous sweat.

Talia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “What? Didn’t think people bite back? God, he’s just too entitled his whole life, huh?” she hissed, raising an eyebrow to Liam and Tyler’s gaping mouth before snapping, “My bad, all three of you I mean.”

Tyler and Liam exchanged panicked glances. "Oh, no no no—we’re not like him!" Tyler quickly defended, as Liam shook his head furiously.

“Hell nah—we’re not like him—” Liam added, looking mortified, as they both practically slumped in their seats, embarrassed beyond belief.

“So, Dominic, right?”

You raised an eyebrow to Dominic, turned to the band while still keeping your gaze on him.. before a smirk formed on your lips, and you declared, “Now let me be the one serenading you.”

The band exchanged surprised glances, eyebrows raised. One of them, a drummer with shaggy hair, nearly dropped his sticks in shock. The guitarist quickly adjusted his grip, stifling a laugh, but his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

From the corner of your eye, you caught the reaction from the crowd. Eyes wide with excitement, they shifted closer to the stage, eager to see what would happen next. Someone in the back even whistled, adding to the tension.

Tyler and Liam, who had been watching from the sidelines, leaned toward Liam, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of disbelief and.. amusement. Talia nodded in smugness, however, not seeming to be surprised. As for Dominic..

He didn’t move. His expression shifted for just a second, something like surprise flickering in his eyes before he quickly masked it with amusement. There was a glint in his eyes—half-challenged, half-impressed—something that hadn’t been there before. Probably he’s taking you seriously for the first time.

You have his full attention now.

“Just give me a short version and I'm done—don’t wanna be near him for too long,” you whispered to the band—who hesitated for a moment.. but nodded, kicking off the intro. As the familiar notes of ‘Bad Guy’ filled the air.. you hummed.

“White shirt now red, my bloody nose~”

And Dominic can’t hide the surprise his face had displayed.

He heard her speak.

It was melodic.

But he hadn’t expected her voice to be this.. polished.

Some people let out little gasps, satisfied, in awe. A few started to clap—but ending up hesitating, trailing off awkwardly.

Too soon, his blue eyes darkened as she moved closer.. tracing her hand down his chest while singing,

“So you're a tough guy, like-it-really-rough guy, just-can't-get-enough guy, chest-always-so-puffed guy—”

His breath hitched as he felt her fingers getting nearer to—and his cocky smile returned as he whispered, “This is just an excuse to touch me, right?”

While still maintaining the mic near her lips, she brushed her lips near his ear.. and muttered, “Nah. Just checking if it’s still functioning—coz your brain clearly isn’t.”

For once, Dominic’s amused expression faltered ever so slightly. The smirk vanished from his face as his expression turned into a scowl.

“I’m the baad guy.”

Now her fingers trailed under his chin. He flinched, though trying to maintain his cool. For a perfect pause, Renata tilted her head and drew a smirk, turned to the crowd to wink—

“Duh.”

Before suddenly turning away from him, causing her heavy curly hair to slap his cocky face. Retracting his head with closed eyes from the impact, Dominic scoffed. And the audience cheered, loving how their once just-chilling hangout became a cheap off-the-cuff sing-off.

From the back of the room, Tyler and Wyatt erupted in laughter. "Oooohhhh, burnnnnn!" Wyatt practically shouted, while Tyler was clutching his chest dramatically.

Talia, glowing with pride, muttered under her breath, "That’s my girl,"

Can’t contain the lopsided grin on his face, Liam blurted, “If they didn’t have so much sexual tension, I’d kiss her myself.”

Talia’s head snapped towards him, eyes blazing. “Oh, hell no,” she shot back, already rolling up her sleeves like she was about to sting like a bee. Tyler, seeing this, immediately slapped his hand over his face while Liam quickly raised his hands in surrender.

"Allllright, alright—I get it, I’m backing off," Liam stammered, as Tyler gave him a sideways glance, mouthing idiot.

Back at the front, the two of you were locked in a tense, silent face-off. You narrowed your eyes, before finally blurting, “I am sooo turning lesbian because of you. Understandable, right? If all the male species barely have manners like you.”

Dominic’s smirk never faltered. If anything, it widened. “Ooh, that might be better, love. You can invite one of your friends—”

“You’re gross.”

“What if.”

Dominic’s eyes darkened, but he wasn’t done. With a swift move, he grabbed the mic from your hand and lowered it just so no one could hear the two of you this time. Raising an eyebrow he moved closer.. before he opened his mouth to hiss,

“We make a bet?”

Liam’s face twisted in horror as Tyler’s trauma resurfaced. "Oh for fucks sake—"

Dominic grinned devilishly to you as he continued, “Here’s the deal. If I can turn a hot lesbian like you straight, you’ll stick with me for the rest of your life. Deal?”

This time, his comment elicited a few boos from the crowd, but Dom just raised his hand and said, “Just for her, ladies. I love all my lesbians out there—”

”Seriously. What is wrong with you?”

”Because you’ll look great in my CV, love,” Dominic sneered without missing a beat.

You could only blink, your mind struggling to comprehend the sheer audacity. Not even dignifying him with a response, you spun on your heel and started to walk away, determined to leave this absurd mess behind.

"Hey. Love,"

Dominic’s voice immediately called after you, almost casually. You paused, exhaling the last of your patience, you turned, just enough to give him a scathing look. Only to find him say,

"Wanna make some covers instead?"

Your jaw clenched, before instantly storming back to your table in silent disbelief, scooping up your things while Tyler and Liam scrambled to apologize—practically falling over themselves in their panic.

Cannot hold it any longer, you snapped, slamming your bag onto the table and spun back around—

“Espèce de crétin arrogant! Comment oses-tu me parler comme ça devant tout le monde?! Tu penses que c’est drôle, hein?! Que tu peux faire des blagues idiotes et te moquer de moi? Eh bien, tu es pathétique! PATHÉTIQUE! Et pour ta gouverne, je préférerais vivre sur une île déserte entourée de serpents que de passer une seconde de plus à t’écouter dire tes conneries!”

Dominic? Oh, he just stood there, arms crossed, the corners of his lips twitching upward as his dark eyes scanned your face. “Fuck, that’s hot,” he muttered under his breath, clearly enjoying himself far too much.

“W—Wyatt—what did she say?” Tyler stammered, breaking the silence. Wyatt, still wide-eyed and blinking from the scene, didn’t say anything at first—until Tyler shoved him, desperate for answers. “WHAT?!”

The other blonde finally let out a defeated sigh, rubbing the back of his neck before plastering on a small, fake smile. “She said ‘fuck you.’”

Tyler narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Can you be for real?!”

Liam slumped back in his seat, defeated. “Bro. She said ‘fuck you.’ Just—with maaaany bolds and exclamation marks.”

Talia, ready for a fight, stood up next to you, glaring daggers at Dominic—who’s also been walking back towards the group. And just as you were ready to leave, you could hear his low voice whispering in your ear.

"You don’t remember me?"

You froze at his words, body stiffening. Slowly, you turn, face a mixture of curiosity and fury. You scanned his features.

The cocky smirk that hadn’t left his face.. the angular jawline.. the sharpness of his gaze.. His blonde hair gleamed under the dim light—and his low voice—the dark blue eyes—

“What’s your name again?”

Dominic’s smirk deepened. Tilting his head slightly as if she had just walked into a trap.

“Dominic Hunt.”

The name hit you like a wave. Your eyes fluttered shut as you took a deep.. deep breath. And the moment you finally exhaled, you opened your eyes and glared at him with renewed contempt. “Oh. Disappointing. So you’re just a guy who’s always used to force himself on someone.”

Talia, standing just behind you, blurted out, “Wait. What?” her voice cracked in shock as Liam and Tyler, suddenly on high alert, stood up from their seats, eyes wide with confusion.

Dominic’s expression shifted for a moment, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. He scoffed, looking away in disbelief, then met your glare again with that same arrogant smile. “I don't usually do that, you’re special.”

For a moment, the two of you locked fiery eyes—until Dominic took a step away and put his hands on his pockets. Tilting his head while lifting his chin, he muttered, “Too bad. Thought we could be something, love.”

You scoffed. “Not even in your dreams.”

“In yours, then,” he quipped with a wink.

You rolled your eyes, exhausted. Dragging Talia, you turned on your heel, but just as you reached the door, Dominic’s voice rang out again like you’re in some kind of messed up Inception dimension.

“What if I told you I have your secret?”

Talia gently tugged at your arm, voice tense. “Ren, let’s go. He’s full of shit.”

You could’ve just get the fuck out of there right then and there. But somehow, you couldn’t move. Your body tense, mind racing. A small voice in the back of your mind whispered one terrifying thought..

He.. knows? Is it about this morning—or—or that night—

So, instead of pushing the door—slowly.. almost mechanically.. you turned back. And you can see his devilish smirk had only grown wider.

Cockily, he gestured his finger so you came closer—and you exhaled before moving forward, feeling the tips of your finger starting to feel a little colder than before. He stepped closer, meeting you in the middle as his eyes gleamed with satisfaction as if he had already won.

“Obedient all of a sudden, huh?” he smirked, his voice dropped to a low mocking whisper.

Your fists clenched, lips parted to snap back, “If you’re wasting my time—”

But before you could finish, Dominic leaned in close, so close that his breath brushed against your ear. He whispered something inaudible to everyone else in the room—but loud enough to send a shiver down your spine. Finally leaning away slowly.. his eyes never leaving yours as his smirk deepened. Arching his brows, he bounced them suggestively, clearly pleased with whatever reaction he’d managed to pull from you.

And without another word, you turned on your heel, and dragged Talia with you.

As Dominic sauntered back toward his friends, they were already seething, waiting for him with arms crossed and expressions of frustration. Tyler was the first to speak, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Great, Hunt. You’ve successfully wrecked the reputation of this trio by raging a disaster, and offending an entire group of lesbians that I actually respect—”

“Oh, she is not a lesbian,” Dominic said with absolute certainty, waving a hand dismissively.

“Well what makes you so sure—“

“Because I’ve had sex with one,” Dominic bragged casually while leaning back in his seat, crossing his arms behind his head.

Tyler threw his hands in the air, exasperated. “Fucking hell—“

Liam rolled his head back, staring at the ceiling as if seeking divine intervention. “Ok that’s too much information, Hunt—plus, she said she’s turning into one. Not the other way around—“

“How did you become such an asshole, man?! You embarrassed her back there!” Tyler cut him off. Patience wearing thin as he glared at the other blonde.

Liam, more exasperated than angry, carefully  leaned in, “Dom, listen. We’re sorry for earlier, okay? We didn’t mean to annoy you that much—”

“Nah, nah. It’s fine, my man.”

Hunt waved them off, and the two bros shared uneasy glances. But the second they caught his smug grin—his eyes still fixed on where you had been standing—and their expressions shifted to suspicion. His voice, disturbingly calm, was followed by a low chuckle and an almost unsettling “Thank you.” instead.

Tyler’s eyes widened, darting his eyes at miserable Liam like they were dealing with someone completely unhinged.. before finally muttering under his breath,

“No wonder he’s surrounded by psychos.”

In the parking lot, you and Talia hurried toward the car—when an annoying voice pierced through from behind.

"I see you've been getting close to Dominic."

"What now," Talia groaned as you both turned around to find the source of the voice.

Standing there.. was a girl. Her icy blonde hair falls perfectly straight, framing a face that could belong on a porcelain doll. Gorgeous. Too bad her mean girl energy radiated through. Then, with a slight smirk playing on her glossy pink lips, her green eyes hold a calculating stare.

Mincing your eyes, you asked, "I'm sorry—but who are you?"

"I'm just a girl who's going to make Dominic mine," the girl scoffed, tossing her hair like she was in some Netflix teen drama.

“Oh my fucking—“

You couldn’t help but stifle a roaring snicker—immediately glancing over at Talia, who was also trying not to burst out. Not only did you get a mortifying evening with the guy, now you had to stumble upon his fucking minion. Great.

The girl crossed her arms, glaring. "I saw you up there! Getting your hands all over him! I've been working so hard to get him—but you just slid in without any effort! Slide your way back out of his life, bitch. I mean it."

”Girl, are you in sales?” Talia couldn’t help but blurt out, causing the girl to retract her head in dumbo confusion. “There’s no need to work so hard over some boy, girl. Where's your pride?”

The girl’s face reddened. But before she could even snapback, you drew a hand to her face. "Hold up. Are you his girlfriend or something?”

“Not yet, but—”

“When you finally get some sense in your head, then you're allowed to talk to me."

Talia, barely containing her laughter, threw an arm around your shoulder as you kept shaking your head in mocking disbelief, causing the girl to shake with anger.

"Oh, it’s on, bitch! You’ve messed with the wrong girl! Remember my name, alright?! It’s Ana! And we’ll see who will win!"

You nearly gagged. For a second, you were too stunned to react. People like her actually exist?

“Are you stupid?! Urgh—no way in hell I want him! Did you not see how we—” you turn to Talia—punching the air in uncontained frustration while she was already storming off. Massively annoyed by the silly encounter, you yelled after her, "Ugh—nevermind! No point talking to delulus! How the fuck this campus full of delusional people?!” you sighed, still processing the insanity. Turning your head in severe anxiety, the two of you start to move to your car once more.

Finally getting into the car at a staggering pace, Talia turned to you, "Ok now—spill. What did he say to you—"

"Fuck, Tal. He knows it’s us.” you revealed, scrambling to turn on the keys.

Talia blinked, confused. “What?”

Turning to her in panic, you shout, “The announcement!”

"Fuck!” she shouted as you desperately tried to start the car, “No no no no this can’t happen. We’re screwed if he knows!" Talia sat frozen, staring ahead in a daze.

Trying to calm down yourself, you took a moment, and exhaled. Until finally you opened your mouth, “Ok. I—have finally calmed down. No worries. Doesn’t matter. He’s irrelevant.” With one last twist, the engine roared to life, and a relieved sigh escaped you.

However Talia stared at you with irritated disbelief, and by her sus silence, you reluctantly turned to her.. to find her already staring at you in disappointment.

"Girl?" Talia finally spoke, her voice strained. She looked at you helplessly, waving her hands in the air in exasperation. “You really don’t know who he is?”

Only to be greeted with a stupid look on your face. You blinked, completely lost. Talia groaned in disbelief, rubbing her temples. "He’s Dominic Hunt, Renataaaa!”

“Who?”

"Oh my God." Talia groaned, looking like she was going to lose her mind. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed your shoulders, eyes piercing you like an angry Labubu. “You might want to hold onto something right now.”

Your hand immediately fumbled for something to hold onto—and ended up spreading a whole palm on the window awkwardly.

Talia raised an eyebrow at your ridiculous choice. “Out of all the things in this car you choose—”

“JUST TELL ME!”

You yelled, shaking your body with impatience, your curls flaunted everywhere. Talia closed her eyes, inhaling, preparing herself for you. Until she opened her eyes and decided to lay it bare on the ground.

“He basically owns the place.”

Eyes narrowing in skepticism, you snapped, “Place—define the place why you—you mean the bar—”

“The campus, Ren. His family’s the highest investor.”

Your eyes widened—not too long before your jaw actually dropped on the car seat. Your soul plummeted as if you’ve been riding a Hysteria ride. Your body felt incredulously light, feeling as if you just fell right back to your seat.

For a moment, you couldn’t speak, automatically stared back at the bar door, still trying to process what Talia had just told you—

Just as he exited the damned door.

And of course—as if from some Higher power, his gaze unintentionally locked with yours. Damn this clear windscreen. For a moment, he paused. Before that same.. devilish grin from earlier creeped across his face. And then, just like that.. he winked, leaving you limp in your car seat as Talia.. once again.. plummeted your soul out from your body.

“He owns the whole campus.”

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The song that matches this Chapter's vibe:

That’s when the band on stage suddenly kicked in with the intro to ‘Seven.’

정국 (Jung Kook) 'Seven (feat. Latto)' Official Performance Video

You have his full attention now.

Billie Eilish - bad guy

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