After the orientation, the new members of the Student Council slowly began to leave. Laughter echoed. Conversations overlapped. New friendships were already starting to form.
But Alonzo remained where he was.
He was still organizing the papers inside his folder when Janice suddenly approached him. She was holding a clipboard, a familiar gentle smile resting on her lips.
"Um, may I talk to you for a moment?" she asked.
"O—oh, sure," Alonzo replied, slightly caught off guard.
They stepped a little farther away from the group, toward the quieter side of the hallway.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'm aware of the task Lexus assigned to you even before the orientation," Janice said.
Alonzo's chest tightened.
"Ah, don't worry. It's fine. I can handle it," he replied quickly.
Janice smiled not forced, but with a hint of admiration.
"I know," she said.
"And that's exactly why I wanted to talk to you."
She looked straight at him.
"Not everyone can take on responsibility without complaining—especially when things haven't officially started yet."
Alonzo fell silent for a moment.
"Thank you, Janice," he said softly, a smile forming on his lips.
Janice nodded.
"Just… don't hesitate to come to me if you need help, okay? We're part of the Student Council. You're not alone."
Alonzo nodded, his smile growing wider—one filled with gratitude and respect.
From a distance, someone was watching.
Lexus.
He stood near the office door, quietly observing the scene. He saw the way Janice spoke to Alonzo—how gentle she was, how warm. And he didn't like it.
A Few Weeks Later…
"Hey, is that Alonzo?" —Student Committee Member 1
"Wow, this proposal is so cleanly done." —Student Committee Member 2
"Guys! He's the one assigned to the advocacy project? He's really good." —Student Committee Member 3
Even though the conversations were whispered, they were still clear enough to be heard. Alonzo walked quietly down the hallway, a folder in his hands the same folder Lexus once called his first test.
Now, it was finished.
And not just finished—executed beyond expectations.
Some committee members had begun approaching him on their own. Mike and Arianna were among those he had grown close to in the Student Council.
"Alonzo, can I ask you something about coordinating with the student organizations?" Mike asked.
"I really liked what you did with the communication plan. And that was only your first task," Arianna added.
Alonzo simply smiled humble, without arrogance.
"If you only knew how many nights I stayed up and how much effort I put into it," he replied lightly.
What he didn't notice. There were eyes watching.
And ears listening. At the student hangout area on campus…
"Dude, did you know Alonzo's the one everyone's praising now?" —Benjie
"Looks like he's already standing out in the advocacy committee." —Reymark
The way Lexus's friends spoke sounded like jokes but there was weight behind every word.
Lexus remained silent.
"They say Janice is always talking to him. Apparently, they're together a lot during meetings," Jacob added.
Lexus's fists slowly clenched, as if barely holding back the anger inside him.
"Really?" he asked coldly.
His friends nodded.
"Yeah. Janice is nice to him. It's obvious she already trusts Alonzo," Reymark said.
Lexus didn't respond.
"Looks like this poor country boy is doing pretty well, huh?" Benjie suddenly joked, laughing with the others.
"Shut up already! If you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything at all!" Lexus snapped, his voice sharp—like he was ready to punch someone.
His friends were startled and quickly dispersed.
But something twisted painfully inside Lexus.
Anger?
Annoyance?
And a feeling he refused to name.
Jealousy.
Why him?
Why was he being noticed so quickly?
And most of all—why did Janice seem so comfortable with him?
Lexus imagined Janice's smiles whenever she talked to Alonzo.
And in that moment, jealousy quietly took root—something he wasn't ready to admit.
Outside the campus, Alonzo was heading back to the dorm. Maverick had been busy lately, so they hadn't been walking home together for days. When Janice spotted Alonzo, she decided to walk alongside him.
"You did really well with the activity," Janice said as they walked.
"Not just that—your way of dealing with people… it's obvious you put your heart into everything you do."
Alonzo scratched the back of his head.
"I'm just doing what I can. I didn't expect to be noticed this soon."
"But you were noticed," Janice replied.
"And they admire you."
Alonzo looked down, smiling slightly.
"By the way," Janice added, "you said before that you're a scholar, right? Is that true?"
Janice paused for a brief moment—just long enough for a wall to rise inside her.
"Yes," she answered.
"I'm a scholar. And I'm independent too."
"Wow," Alonzo said, his voice filled with admiration.
"Student Council, academics, campus work… and you're a dean's lister too. How do you manage all of that?"
Janice smiled, though behind it was exhaustion she tried hard to hide.
"When you get used to being alone, you learn how to carry everything—even when it's heavy."
Alonzo looked at her.
"I really admire you. Especially people who truly work hard for everything they have."
He took a deep breath before speaking again.
"Janice… I need to confess something," he said quietly.
"I'm uncomfortable around rich people."
Janice frowned. "Why?"
"Maybe because I hate the investors who took over the land my parents used to farm," Alonzo explained.
"I feel like they're all the same—arrogant, looking down on others, with no care for the livelihoods of the poor."
Janice's chest tightened. She didn't remove the smile on her lips, even as pain passed through her heart.
"If that's the case," she said calmly, "then why did you choose Eastwood College Academy?"
Alonzo looked at her.
"Because education shouldn't be measured by wealth, Janice."
"I dreamed of studying at Eastwood because I wanted to be a scholar and finish my education even knowing it's filled with elite students," he added.
Janice fell silent.
In her thoughts—Lexus.
The secret.
The world she had been running away from.
"You do have a point," she finally said.
"You don't need to be rich to study. And if you know how to stand up for yourself… then wealth shouldn't be the basis of education."
In that moment, Janice reflected on the life she truly had. She remembered the parents she walked away from because she chose independence and stood her ground. And because of the past that became the reason she denied her true reality.
Narrator's Note:
Through her conversation with Alonzo, Janice realized that he disliked rich people. And so, she chose to hide her true identity from him—not wanting him to feel uncomfortable, and because their friendship was only just beginning.
But how long could she hide the truth?
Could she handle another problem—one she knew deep inside herself was slowly forming again?
Because once more… She was starting to fall for someone.
Someone who hated the rich.
[Phone call ringing]
"Lexus…" Janice whispered.
She answered the call.
"Hi, Janice. Can we meet? Maybe have dinner later?" Lexus asked.
"Yes. I'll be there."
To be continued…