"What do you think?"
A girl asked with a mischievous smirk, twirling her iced coffee.
"I'm still team Louis Vuitton. Have you seen their latest collection?"
Another girl chimed in, her fingers flipping through photos on her phone.
"Ugh, come on. Harizel's new. Can we try something that's not overhyped for once?"
The first girl shot back, mock-annoyed.
Just a few feet away, Noel sat at the corner of the cafeteria, tray untouched, eyes fixed on them—not really listening, just... watching.
"....bro."
A voice cut through his daze.
Noel blinked and turned to see Luke, his best friend and partner-in-suffering, looking at him with the usual mix of concern and exasperation.
"Yeah?"
Luke squinted at him. "At this point, she's gonna think you're a creep."
Noel sighed, already bracing for it. "It's not like that. I just—"
"Just what? You 'accidentally' stare at her every lunch period? Come on man," Luke sighed, stabbing his pasta with melodramatic flair.
Luke flopped down beside him. "She's hot, I get it. I look too, sometimes. But you—" he pointed his spoon at Noel, "you gotta learn your limits."
Noel looked down at his tray. Same sad combo. The kind of meal that whispered "you're broke, get used to it."
Luke groaned. "Don't tell me you're about to cry."
"Shut up."
Noel threw a single pea at him.
Luke dodged, grinning. "You know I'm right."
"You're annoying."
"You're hopeless."
They both sat back, chewing in silence.
Then Luke added, more seriously:
Luke leaned in. "I'm serious, man. Life doesn't go easy on guys like us. The worst thing someone with nothing can do is aim too high." Noel narrowed his eyes. "You're not the only one who's had it rough."
Another pea flew.
Luke laughed. "Still doesn't stop you from staring at her every damn day. She's not in our league, bro. You see who she hangs out with? Her life's practically mapped out. And if one of the guys chasing her sees you as a threat—"
He let the sentence dangle.
Noel scoffed. "Bold talk coming from the guy who was all over Lisa last month."
Luke groaned. "Don't even bring that up."
Noel perked up. "What happened?"
Luke hesitated, then muttered, "Sometimes I wonder if you're dumb or just dense."
Noel flung a handful of peas this time. "Say that again, I dare you."
"Hey!"
A cafeteria staff member glared in their direction.
"Tch. Some people have no chill," Noel muttered.
"Bro, they can smell the poverty on us."
"Hehe," Noel chuckled, finally poking at his peas.
"Serious,"
Luke resumed eating.
After a pause, Noel asked quietly,
"So... what happened with Lisa?"
Luke didn't answer right away. Instead, he asked,
"How'd you meet her?"
Noel blinked. "Hey, I asked first."
But before he could continue, his instincts flared—he glanced up to see a cafeteria worker staring at him oddly.
Weirdo, he thought, annoyed.
"…Well," Noel finally said, "I met her during a joint chemistry practical last semester. She was kinda cocky, knocked over a whole vial of undiluted acid without realizing. I pulled her back just in time. She slapped me."
"What?" Luke nearly choked.
"She thought I was being a creep. Apologized later when she realized. We kept bumping into each other after that. Same course, same timing. Just… kinda happened."
Luke leaned forward, his tone shifting.
"Okay.... So now tell me, what happened between you two?"
Luke's shoulders slumped. "I tried, alright? But… she's into someone else. She made me swear not to tell the 'idiot,' said she'd already given up. Still couldn't stop thinking about him. Said she's transferring."
"…Damn. No wonder she's been MIA."
Noel shook his head. "Who's the idiot, anyway?"
Luke gave him a long, unreadable look.
"Some dumb broke wacko."
Noel paused. "…Why do I feel like you're talking about me?"
Luke grinned. "Shut up and eat."
But Noel didn't. He hesitated, then asked:
"About… her. What did you mean by 'not our level'?"
Luke sighed, spoon in hand. "Man, look around. This university is a playground for the rich. We got in by luck. Everyone else? Sons and daughters of CEOs and politicians. That girl? She's the biggest fish in this whole place."
Noel's amused mask dropped.
He stared down at his tray, running a hand through his hair.
"No. She's… not like them. She told me she lived in Mortella. That's where the broke kids stay."
Luke's brows pulled together.
"Say that again."
"What?"
"That she lives in Mortella."
Noel nodded. "Yeah. We walk home together sometimes."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Okay, you're lying now."
Noel pulled out his phone and held it up. "She even changed my lock screen last week."
Luke froze. His jaw slackened.
On the screen was a photo: her. Blonde hair, soft blue eyes, expensive-looking outfit—and standing way too close to Noel.
"That's… that's her. What the hell?"
Noel frowned. "Why are you freaking out?"
Luke stared, baffled. "She's guarded 24/7. Escorted in a limo every morning. That girl... is the daughter of the Prime Minister."
Noel's fork slipped from his fingers.
He turned—right then, their eyes met across the cafeteria.
She smiled.
She waved.
Her friends noticed, followed her gaze… and frowned when they saw who she was smiling at.
Noel turned back to Luke, pale.
"That can't be."
But deep down, he knew. Something twisted in his gut. A cold, sinking feeling he hadn't felt in years.
"You have to stop seeing her," Luke said, serious now.
"Either her father's goons come after you... or one of her suitors does. And trust me, those guys don't mess around."
Noel looked down, dazed.
He thought he was just another scholarship kid keeping his head down.
Instead, he'd been walking straight into a minefield.
Luke leaned back. "I really hope none of those rich bastards have noticed you yet. 'Cause if they have…"
He didn't finish.
He didn't need to.
Noel understood.
His quiet little life was about to blow up.