Zodiac University

Virgo was storming out of the cafeteria, hands clenched at his sides and swinging as he walked, when he realized he didn’t know where Taurus was. After his conversation with Capricorn, Virgo knew he had to find this terror and give him a piece of his mind. But he didn’t know where to look.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and started off to the dorms. He might as well ask around there.

I may run into Taurus there, he thought. That would be favorable.

But as he was moving across the sidewalk, a girl with pink and blue hair appeared and crashed into him, startling his train of thought and causing both of them to go sprawling on the concrete.

“Ouch,” Virgo said, rubbing his head. A large bump was starting to form. He glanced at the girl who’d run into him and saw that she was struggling to pick up the contents that had spilled from her open backpack.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” she cried, tears welling up in her eyes as she shoved the rest of her material back into its place. “I’ve just been so frazzled all day…but I really am sorry! Are you hurt?” She looked up at Virgo who was watching her, his mind already analyzing her personality.

“Ah, just a bump,” he replied honestly. Apparently, this was the wrong answer because the girl completely dropped her backpack and crawled close to him. Virgo blushed as she got up in his face.

“I’m so sorry!” she sniffled. “You’re hurt because of me. I’ll take you to the nurse!”

“Ah, I’m fine, really,” Virgo said, trying to focus his eyes on anything but the girl in front of him. She was very close…and very attractive, with thick thighs, a large bust, and a pretty face…a face that now had tears streaming down its cheeks.

“Whoa, don’t cry. I said I’m fine.” Virgo sat up and grabbed the girl’s shoulders. The girl stared up at him, but instead of wiping her tears away, she started crying harder.

“Hey—”

“I just don’t know what to do!” the girl sobbed. “It’s all too much!! Should I drop out?! Should I tell the dean?! I can’t—I can’t—I just can’t—AAAH!”

She continued to weep and buried her face in her hands. Virgo continued to hold her and awkwardly patted her shoulder.

“There…there. I can’t understand what you’re saying but you must be in great anguish,” he said, and carefully rose the girl to her feet. He grabbed her backpack off the ground and held it as he led her toward the closest dorm building.

“Let’s talk about it.”

The girl sniffed and rubbed her running nose on the sleeve of her sweater. Virgo sat patiently, all anger at Taurus forgotten, as he waited for this young woman to tell her tale. And after about a minute of sniffling, the girl got quiet and shuffled her feet.

“I’m…I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Virgo said with a gentle smile. “Anyone would’ve done what I did.”

The girl shook her head. “Most people ignore me.”

Virgo’s smile dropped. “That’s awful.”

The girl nodded and stood up. “W-well…I’m sorry for having inconvenienced you.” She grabbed her backpack, which Virgo had propped up against the chair she was sitting in. They were in a common area of one of the dorms.

“Hold it,” Virgo said, and the girl flinched. Virgo noticed. This poor woman, he thought. What kind of hell has she been through to be so scared of me?

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Virgo said. “So…don’t be so on guard. I just want to know what’s bothering you. You seem distressed.”

The girl hesitated, and for a second Virgo thought they were making progress. Then…

“Why?”

“Hm?”

The girl spun around, fists clenched. “Why do you care?! Why do you want to know what’s bothering me?!”

“I just wa—” Virgo started, but the girl interrupted him. Tears started welling in her eyes again.

“I bet he put you up to this! To make me feel even more miserable!” the girl shouted. “Why?! Why can’t you people just leave me alone?!! I’m tired! I’m done! I…I…A-WAAAA!” She started sobbing again and Virgo just stared at her blankly. What was she talking about?

“Calm down,” Virgo said, and got up from his chair. The girl flinched again and backed up.

“S-stay away from me!”

“I told you, I’m not going to hurt you,” Virgo said. “I just want you to tell me what’s going on. If this has anything to do with what I think it does, trust me—you’ll want me to know.”

The girl paused and stared at Virgo with watery eyes. She seemed like she was finally coming around.

“Y-you promise you won’t do anything to me?”

“I promise,” Virgo said, feeling his heart clench. Who was this girl and why did she feel the need to ask such questions? Who’d done this to her?

“A-alright.” The girl wiped her nose on her sleeve again and sat back down. “Well…for starters, my name’s Cancer.”

*

Virgo stormed away from the dorms, teeth gritted and fists clenched. He was practically seeing red.

After Cancer had calmed down, she’d explained what had happened. How she was a freshman who was so desperate to make friends, she’d gotten involved with Leo over the summer…automatically getting her involved with Taurus. How she’d caught Taurus’s eye and was constantly getting harassed by him. How she’d told him multiple times that she had a boyfriend, a man named Pisces, who attended a different university but how he didn’t care. How he threatened to ruin her life.

And apparently, it hadn’t been the first time he’d made such threats. Upon getting rejected the first time, he’d flown into a rage and told Cancer to kill herself. After that, he stalked Cancer—on social media, on campus, everywhere. He learned everything about her, down to her first pet and the street her father was raised on. He learned that her parents were divorced and that her dear dad worked desperately at his office job to care for her. And he learned more about Pisces, the main obstacle in his way.

It had been so easy for him to get his hands on that information, and apparently, Cancer threatening to tell the dean everything was his breaking point. Virgo figured Taurus already had the dean eating out of the palm of his hand, but still didn’t like the idea of Cancer trying to humble him. So he was treating Cancer like absolute garbage.

And it made Virgo’s blood boil.

That asshole, Virgo thought as he speed walked. I’m going to teach him a lesson. Cancer had, after some coaxing, confessed that Taurus liked to smoke under the bleachers with Leo during the school day. He barely went to any of his classes, yet still maintained a perfect GPA. He truly had everyone wrapped around his finger.

Despite trying to seek a life where he kept his head down and acted normal, Virgo couldn’t stand to see someone abusing their power and harassing innocent people for their own pleasure. It was just wrong, and he wouldn’t tolerate it. Even if it meant his past and background were exposed. Even if it meant his friends turned on him.

Virgo was prepared to risk it all.

After about five minutes of frustration-filled walking, Virgo emerged onto the green of the football field and looked around impatiently. He spotted the row of bleachers and could very faintly make out a blur of reddish-orange hair from underneath. He could smell cigarette smoke. Cancer had been telling the truth.

Without wasting a moment, Virgo darted over to the pair and slammed his fist against the metal seating angrily. Leo jumped, startled, and Taurus glanced up at him, seemingly unfazed. Virgo froze as their eyes met.

He…he looks like the faceless stranger from my dream…! he thought, forgetting everything he was there for. Yeah…that same tall, muscular physique…that same tan skin…that same luscious dark brown hair…

…and an unbelievably handsome face. Perfectly chiseled. Deep, brown orbs that made Virgo feel lightheaded. A smirk that caused a stirring in his pants. That had not been in his dream. But it was definitely him.

But why had Virgo been dreaming about Taurus? Was the dream a precognitive one—a warning, of some sort?

Virgo didn’t realize he was staring with his mouth open at Taurus until Taurus started speaking to Leo.

“Who’s he?”

Leo shrugged. “I’ve never seen him around Ment before. He must be a newbie.”

“…I see.” Taurus looked Virgo up and down slowly as if examining the state of the fresh meat. He took a long drag on his cigarette and started walking toward Virgo. Virgo flinched and shook his head, coming out of whatever temporary spell the features of Taurus’s face had cast on him. Memories of Capricorn’s warning, of Cancer’s fear, and of the terrorized state Taurus had put the school in came floating back into his mind and he immediately tensed up, his body growing hot again. He looked at Taurus with a glare, drew back his hand, and as soon as Taurus was directly in front of him—SLAP!

He slapped the brunette across the face. So hard, in fact, that Taurus’s cigarette flew from his mouth and landed on the turf. Leo gasped and stood up. Taurus’s eyes widened in shock and his fingers twitched. He’d apparently never been slapped before.

Virgo was trembling—but not with fear. He didn’t consider himself a man of violence, but this Taurus character had ticked him off immensely. Pretty face or not, he was going to make sure he paid for his wrongdoings.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Virgo said coldly. “We’re freshmen. We’re supposed to be entering college with honor and passion, not—not whatever you’ve got going on. You’re nothing but a manipulative bully. You’re lower than a snake.” He paused to catch his breath and continued. “You’ve already got quite the reputation, and it’s only the first day of classes. You must have been notorious in high school, but I won’t stand for that type of behavior here. As long as I’m at this school, you’ll behave yourself.” He crossed his arms and waited for Taurus’s rebuttal.

Taurus wiped his mouth and finally looked up at Virgo. His beautiful dark eyes were narrowed in an icy glare.

“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?”

His voice was low and dangerous. Leo, sensing that a brawl was about to occur, started flexing his muscles. But Taurus held out a hand to stop him.

Virgo knew what he was doing wasn’t ideal. But it was too late to turn back now.

“I’m talking to you, jackass.”

At this, Taurus clenched his teeth and, without warning, lunged at Virgo. He shot his fist forward in an attempt to punch the latter, but Virgo, who’d taken several martial arts extracurricular courses, skillfully dodged it and jumped back. Taurus tsked…and then did something unexpected.

He smirked.

It was a smirk filled with evil intention and the desire to maim…to kill, but a smirk nonetheless.

And quite an attractive one, at that.

Virgo couldn’t help but shiver as he saw it and cursed himself when he realized how he was feeling. The movement in his pants had increased. Damn it. Why’d this complete jerk have to be his type?

“You don’t seem to know your place,” Taurus said. “So let me tell you. You’re nothing but second-rate scum. You don’t hold a candle to me. We are not equals.” The smirk grew wider. “I’m leagues above you…anyone here can tell you that. But I’m in a good mood today…so I’ll forgive you for being naive, but only this time.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Get out of my sight.”

“Boss!” Leo shouted, looking at Taurus with an expression full of bewilderment. “You’re going to let him go?! After what he did to you??”

“Shut up.” The smirk fell off Taurus’s face as he turned to glare at Leo. “Are you questioning me?”

Leo held up his hands and shook his head rapidly. “N-no, Boss. I just—”

“You just what?”

At this, Leo looked away and fell quiet. Taurus stared at him intensely for a few seconds and then tsked again.

“Why are you still here?”

“I’m not done with you!” Virgo shouted. He was even more furious. How dare this absolute failure of a human being tell him he was lower than him?! If looks could kill, the scowl Virgo was sending the brown-haired man in front of him would have ended his life in seconds.

Taurus lowered his eyebrows to match Virgo’s glower. “You still insist on bothering me? Even after the kindness I’ve shown you?” He chuckled and shook his head slowly. “I can’t tell if you’re gutsy or just a dumbass. But let me tell you something…”

He got up in Virgo’s face, leaning so close their noses were almost touching. Virgo couldn’t help but blush and stumble backward.

“…nobody here has ever stood up to me and gotten away with it.”

“G-get the fuck off me!” Virgo yelled, trying his hardest not to look into Taurus’s eyes. He knew if he did that, he’d freeze up again. He hated Taurus…but at the moment, he hated himself even more for being so horny. How was his body reacting to such a waste of space?

Taurus grinned, pleased with Virgo’s sudden spurt of nervousness. He allowed himself to be pushed away and shoved his hands into his pockets. Virgo breathed heavily, still glaring at him. He was about to start another angry lecture, when—

ZZZT!

His phone vibrated and Virgo’s heart sank as he realized it was the alarm for his next class. He was quite far from the lecture hall, too. At this rate, he was going to be 10 minutes late.

“Damn it,” he muttered, unsure what to do. He glanced up at Taurus who had his arms crossed and was grinning smugly.

Damn it all.

Virgo hesitated for a few more seconds, then grunted and spun on his heels, running off the green and back towards the education buildings. Taurus and Leo watched him go. Once he was out of sight, Taurus beckoned Leo to light him another cigarette.

“What a freak,” Leo said as he handed the fresh cig to Taurus. “I’d be more than happy to beat him up for you, Boss.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Taurus inhaled deeply and blew out a smoke ring. “I’m going to ruin him. I’m going to wreck him. I’m going to tear apart everything he loves. I’ll make his life a living hell. And then, when he’s left with nothing, he’ll come crawling back to me…just like they all do. Perhaps I’ll make him my dog.”

He smiled widely at the thought and took another drag on his cig. I’ll get my guys to find out his location later, he thought. I don’t remember seeing him in the database for students in the dorms.

“Give me my phone,” Taurus said suddenly. Leo obeyed. Taurus opened up the internet and did a few quick searches. He smiled when he found what he was looking for.

“…Virgo Armon Sheldon Clemson…” he said with another wide smile. He stared at Virgo’s image on the screen and laughed.

Leo stared at his boss quizzically. He knew how Taurus operated in his journeys for revenge, but this seemed a bit…different. Taurus had allowed Virgo to hit him and get away with it. Almost as if he wanted Virgo to think he wasn’t that tough, so he’d come back to finish his job. That’s when Taurus would strike.

Boss must have taken a special interest in that guy, Leo thought and smirked. Poor Virgo. He won’t know what hit him.