Chapter Text
The morning air was thick with the scent of wet asphalt and rain.
It was Professor Mok Supha's very first day, and the relentless downpour had made the campus maze even harder to navigate.
Dressed in a simple, crisp shirt, casual enough that he was easily mistaken for a student, Mok stood near the entrance of the main hall, trying to shake a few raindrops off his sleeve.
He spotted a group of students huddled near a pillar, laughing and oblivious to the storm outside.
Mok approached them, his demeanor quiet and unhurried.
"Excuse me," he said, his voice calm, cutting through the chatter. "Could you please tell me where the Dean's office is?"
The group went silent instantly.
Standing in the center was Rome Jakrapatr, his hair slightly damp from the rain, his shirt clinging to his shoulders.
When he looked up and saw Mok, the smirk he had been wearing vanished. He went completely still, his eyes locked on this new person.
Mok, unaware of the tension, tilted his head slightly and repeated the question.
Rome finally blinked, his gaze tracing the way the damp fabric clung to Mok's frame.
"Are you new here?" he asked, his voice dropping into a low, steady rumble.
Mok looked directly at him, his eyes steady and polite.
"Yes. I'm lost in this rain. I'd appreciate the help."
Rome didn't care about the Dean or the directions; he was captivated by how unaffected Mok was.
Even in a storm, the man remained composed and soft-spoken.
"I'll show you," Rome said, stepping away from his friends.
As they walked down the rain-slicked hallway, Rome tried to catch Mok's eyes, but the professor was looking forward, focused entirely on the path ahead.
When they finally reached the office door, Mok stopped, turned, and gave a small, polite nod.
"Thank you for the help," Mok said simply.
Without another word or even a curious glance back at the student who was clearly watching him, Mok stepped inside and closed the door.
Rome remained in the hallway, the sound of the rain drumming against the windows, his eyes fixed on the closed door with a hungry, possessive intensity.
He wasn't used to being looked past and he already knew he wouldn't let it happen again.
_ _ _
Rome stood frozen in the dim, rain, shadowed hallway, the sound of the storm outside suddenly muffled by the rhythmic thumping of his own heart.
For the first time in his life, Rome Jakrapatr had been ignored.
He was the undisputed charm of the university, the name whispered in every corridor. Known for his lethal combination of striking handsomeness and a stubborn, uncompromising personality, Rome was a legend on campus.
Girls and even guys spent their days hoping for as much as a side-glance from him, practically fighting for his attention.
He had walked through this campus like a king, dismissing everyone with a flick of his wrist.
But today, the tables had turned.
Some man, a total stranger who looked like he had just wandered out of the rain had walked up to him, asked for directions as if Rome were just an ordinary face in the crowd, and then walked away without sparing him a second look.
Rome stared at the closed door of the Dean's office, his jaw tightening.
A dark, dangerous flicker of interest ignited in his eyes. He had spent his entire life having the world handed to him on a silver platter, and yet, this mysterious man had looked right through him as if he were invisible.
' So, that's how it is? ' Rome thought, a slow, predatory smirk returning to his face.
He didn't know who this man was, but he knew one thing for certain, he was going to make sure that the next time they met, this person would have no choice but to look at him. And this time, Rome wouldn't just be asking for a simple
"Thank you."
_ _ _
Minutes ticked by. The heavy silence of the administration wing was only broken by the patter of raindrops against the tall Victorian windows.
Inside the office, Mok sat across from the Dean, calmly shaking hands and finalizing his onboarding paperwork. He looked entirely at ease, completely unaware of the magnetic storm he had just triggered outside.
"Everything looks in order, Professor Supha," the Dean said, smiling warmly. "Your schedule starts tomorrow, but let's get you your faculty ID and schedule sorted."
"Thank you, Dean," Mok replied softly, slipping the documents and his new staff ID card securely into his bag.
A few moments later, the door clicked open.
Mok stepped out into the hallway, bag in one shoulder, his posture neat and composed. But the words froze in his throat.
Standing just a few feet away, blocking the corridor with an effortless, imposing grace, was Rome.
The smirk from earlier was gone, replaced by a dark, intense look that felt entirely too heavy for a simple hallway encounter.
Rome pushed off the pillar, stepping directly into Mok's path so that the "student" had to slow his pace to avoid bumping into him.
To Rome, this was just another guy his age, maybe a transfer student who thought he was too cool to care.
Up close, the dampness of Rome's shirt and the sharp, raw edge of his presence were undeniable.
"You really don't like looking at people, do you?" Rome asked, his voice low, vibrating with a heavy, deliberate challenge.
Mok stopped. He blinked slowly, his dark eyes finally rising to meet Rome's gaze head-on. There was no flinching, no rush of panic. Just a quiet, unbothered curiosity.
"I tend to look where I'm going," Mok replied evenly, his voice smooth and devoid of any intimidation. "And you are... standing in the middle of the hallway."
Rome's breath hitched faintly. That voice, calm, analytical, and entirely unimpressed sent a jolt straight down his spine. He figured this guy was just playing hard to get.
"I'm Rome," he said, stepping an inch closer, closing the distance until the air between them felt dangerously thin. He tilted his chin down, holding Mok's steady gaze with a fierce, burning focus.
"And I make it a habit to make sure people around here know who I am."
Mok held his ground, neither stepping back nor looking away. For a brief second, a faint, almost imperceptible curve touched the corner of Mok's lips a quiet amusement at the boy's supreme confidence.
After all, Mok knew his real schedule for tomorrow; Rome was about to get a massive reality check.
"Well, Mr.Rome," Mok said softly, his voice dropping an octave as he looked straight into Rome's dark eyes. "Let's see if you carry that same energy outside of orientation week."
With that, Mok stepped smoothly around him, his shoulder brushing lightly against Rome's before he continued down the corridor, his bag safely concealing the faculty ID tucked inside it.
Rome stood frozen again, but this time, the blood was rushing furiously in his ears. He slowly turned his head, watching the retreating figure of the "transfer student" vanish around the corner.
He didn't know what department this guy was in, or what his major was, but Rome made a silent vow, by the end of the week, this mysterious newcomer would be entirely wrapped around his finger.
Little did Rome know, tomorrow morning's first lecture was going to change everything.
_ _ _
As Mok finished up all his paperwork at the university and headed home.
His house wasn't a grand mansion or a high-rise luxury apartment. It was a modest, charming two-story home, neatly tucked away from the chaotic noise of the city.
As Mok stepped inside, the quietness of the hallway greeted him. The living room was minimal and tastefully decorated, featuring a simple, bright yellow couch right in the center that added a touch of warmth to the space.
The decor was understated and clean, completely devoid of any high-end flashiness. Connected to the hall was an open-layout kitchen and dining area, with a guest room completing the ground floor. Upstairs, there were two more personal bedrooms leading up to a quiet rooftop.
In the hallway, a few framed pictures hung neatly on the wall. Among them were family photos, alongside a couple of portraits from Mok and Siya's wedding day.
In the wedding pictures, they both looked pleasant, standing side by side, though a closer look would reveal the quiet, composed neutrality on their faces the look of an arranged union built on family expectations rather than a sweeping romance.
Mok looked around, realizing Siya wasn't downstairs.
He walked up the stairs to check their room. On the bedside table, a small handwritten note caught his eye. It was from Siya, letting him know that she had been delayed and would be coming home late tonight.
Mok stared at the note for a quiet moment, a faint, thoughtful expression crossing his face. Without making a fuss, he set his briefcase down, went to freshen up, and then headed straight to the kitchen to quietly prepare dinner for the two of them.
As the hours slipped by, the clock on the wall struck nine-ten. Mok felt a mild wave of concern for Siya. He needed to get to sleep early, especially since tomorrow was his very first official day as a professor, and he still had lecture notes to review. Reluctantly, he pulled out his phone and dialed her number.
Siya answered after a couple of rings, her voice rushed over the line, assuring him that she was already on her way and would be home shortly. Mok didn't press her with questions, simply acknowledging it with a soft "okay" before hanging up.
A while later, the front door clicked open. Siya stepped inside, kicking off her shoes, and walked into the dining area. There sat Mok, quietly waiting for her with dinner served and warm on the table.
A gentle, appreciative smile touched Siya's lips. It was always like this. Whenever she was held up or couldn't manage to cook, Mok never complained he just quietly took care of it, making sure they could eat together. This thoughtful gesture always warmed her heart.
She walked over, offering him a soft smile, and they sat down. Mok wordlessly served her a plate of food. As they ate, they exchanged light, casual conversation, Mok asking about how her day went, and Siya sharing a bit about where she had been. It was calm, easy, and comfortable, just like their usual dynamic.
When dinner was over, they wrapped up and headed off to their separate rooms.
Even though they were legally husband and wife, bound by family pressure, their marriage had never crossed into the realm of true intimacy.
They had never been able to share a traditional husband-and-wife relationship. Mok simply couldn't bring himself to feel that kind of romantic or physical comfort with Siya.
Whenever he tried to close the gap or get even slightly close to her, an invisible wall of discomfort would hold him back.
Thankfully, Siya was deeply understanding and emotionally mature, she had never once pressured him, respecting his boundaries just as he respected hers. Their bond was rooted in a deep, quiet friendship, where they understood each other without needing many words.
Back in his own room, Mok sat at his desk to organize his notes and finalize his lecture slides for the following morning.
Once he was finished, he finally lay down in bed, the quiet stillness of the night wrapping around him. But as he stared up at the ceiling, a lingering image flickered across his mind the striking, intensely handsome student from the hallway earlier that day.
The boy's fierce gaze, his bold confidence, and the low, challenging cadence of his voice had left an undeniable impression.
There was something magnetic about the way Rome had looked at him, and that parting challenge had sparked a strange, unfamiliar flicker of intrigue in Mok's chest.
Mok immediately shook his head against the pillow, dismissing the thought.
'He's just a student, and I am his professor,' he reminded himself firmly, pushing the distraction away.
Outside, the rain had finally stopped, leaving behind the cool, crisp silence of the late night. With the quiet city breathing softly under a blanket of stars, Mok closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep with a mind ready for the brand-new chapter waiting for him tomorrow.
-^^-
How was the story guys, this is really a new theme for me and may be you too. We always imagine RomeMok as mafias and Secretary but this is hole new things what did you say.
Don't forget to comment your suggestion, I am waiting for your comments...🎸🦈