Chapter 7

Cheryl didn't go to the school cafeteria for lunch. Her family was well-off. Though they were not quite at Lily's level where she had a housekeeper deliver her lunch daily, Cheryl preferred the freedom of eating at the restaurants just outside the school gate. She could order whatever she wanted without being at the mercy of the cafeteria staff. After lunch, she headed back to the classroom for a quick nap, completely unaware that Nathan and Lily had just eaten together in the school cafeteria. However, her best friend, Wendy, was in the loop. Wendy had been sitting at a table just behind Nathan's and had witnessed every detail—especially the moment when Lily casually took a chicken wing from Nathan's plate and ate it. What kind of close relationship would involve sharing food like that? Wendy was stunned. No wonder Nathan had said he wasn't interested in pursuing Cheryl anymore. Turns out, he had found someone better. She had always considered Cheryl's looks to be top-tier. She could hold her own even in the entertainment world. But compared to Lily—who had captivated three entire grades at Linkon First High School—Cheryl just didn't quite measure up. The difference was like that between an academic prodigy and a top student. A top student scoring 95 was performing at their absolute best, while a prodigy scoring 100 had simply reached the natural limit of what was possible. Wendy was still debating whether or not to tell Cheryl about this when Justin approached, looking concerned. "Cherry, don't be upset. I've already put Nathan in his place for you. That kid totally wimped out. I brought out my title as class president and my reputation as a model student. I nearly scared him to tears…" Cheryl frowned. "Justin, did you really go confront Nathan?" Justin nodded. "Well, I didn't hit him or anything. I just, you know, told him off a bit and made him see he was in the wrong." Cheryl's expression turned icy. "What right do you have to interfere in my issues with Nathan? Who do you think you are, going and criticizing him?" Justin's face flushed red. "Cherry… I… I'm just worried about you." Cheryl's beautiful, heart-shaped face grew even colder. "Justin, I don't need your concern. The more you act like this, the more annoying it is." Justin was so stunned that he couldn't find the words to respond. Defeated, he slumped back to his seat. After he left, Wendy leaned over and whispered, "Cherry, be honest… You actually care about Nathan, don't you?" "I don't!" Cheryl protested with a pout, though her gaze drifted to Nathan's empty desk. "Oh, please…" Wendy sighed. "If you miss him that much, why don't you just make the first move and patch things up?" "No way!" Cheryl shook her head firmly. They'd had little fights before. Usually, she'd throw a fit, and Nathan would be the one to come around and make peace. Going to him and apologizing first? She couldn't bring herself to do it. Wendy looked at Cheryl's delicate, proud face. After a moment's thought, she decided against mentioning what she had seen in the cafeteria earlier. … Over the next few days, Nathan began going to the cafeteria with Lily every lunch. In front of others, Lily maintained her usual cold and distant expression. She was the untouchable ice queen on her pedestal. But whenever she was with Nathan, her elegant, oval face softened with all kinds of subtle expressions, leaving plenty of the guys around them completely mesmerized. Lily was just… Lily. Even the smallest smile or sidelong glance from her felt like the most beautiful scenery. After a few days of this, Nathan had unknowingly built up quite a bit of resentment. A group of lovestruck boys were starting to see him as a public enemy, and they were ready to gather a raid party to take him down. It just didn't make sense. Really, it didn't. Nathan from Class Six wasn't particularly good-looking, and his grades were just average. At best, he was barely on track to meet the cutoff for a top-tier university. So why on earth would someone like Lily be interested in him? "Do you guys think… Lily and that Nathan guy are actually dating?" "Highly likely. I mean, in the past three years, has anyone ever seen Lily smile? And now, she's not only smiling at him but even feeding him!" "Stop it! My heart's shattering!" Conversations like this echoed through various corners of the cafeteria. Over the next few days, rumors that Nathan and Lily were dating spread across the school, eventually reaching the teachers. Greg Sawyer, the homeroom teacher of Class One, reacted with disbelief when he first heard it. He thought it sounded absurd. Lily? In a relationship? And with that average Nathan from Class Six? It seemed beyond ridiculous. But as the rumors gained traction, Greg started to take them seriously. Better safe than sorry. With just over a month left until the college entrance exam, if something like this were to mess with Lily's focus and she ended up missing out on Northsdale University, the loss would be huge—for both the university and Lily herself. After some careful thought, Greg decided to bring it up with Layla. He approached her, starting with some small talk before casually mentioning the rumors with a joking tone. Of course, he wouldn't go directly to Lily. Instead, he hoped Layla would "warn" Nathan. Layla, who taught Hanvian, easily picked up on the subtext of Greg's words. The message was essentially, "Keep Nathan in check. Tell him to get rid of any silly ideas he might have. This isn't the time for him to think he can get close to the star student in my class." Layla found the whole situation baffling. Rumors with no real basis were worth bringing up? It was just lunch. That was a far cry from dating, right? Since it involved Lily—the school's clear candidate for getting into Northsdale University—Layla couldn't just ignore it. No matter how uncomfortable it made her, she agreed to Greg's request to talk with Nathan. Otherwise, Greg would probably go straight to the school administration, which would only make things messier. During Friday's evening study session, Layla asked the class monitor to call Nathan to her office. When Nathan walked in, he greeted her politely, "Mrs. Finn, you wanted to see me?" Layla didn't respond right away. She continued grading papers, leaving Nathan standing there, waiting. After she finally finished with the stack of tests, she picked up her thermos, unscrewed the lid, and took a slow sip of coffee. Only when her whole routine was complete did she look up at Nathan. In the past, a sequence like this would've left the old Nathan scared stiff. Layla had her methods. She knew how to keep students in line, and she took her wellness routines seriously. But the current Nathan? Not only was he not nervous; he even found the whole thing a little amusing. He could already guess why she had called him in. But he and Lily were just regular friends, nothing more. He had nothing to feel guilty about. "Nathan, I've noticed you've been working harder lately," Layla began, sighing as she spoke. "You know, when you first started here, you ranked second in the class. You had the potential to get into an elite university. But you've spent most of the past three years distracted, and now, you're in this… awkward in-between." Nathan grinned. "Mrs. Finn, haven't I already seen the light? Just wait. Maybe I'll pull off something big in the college entrance exam and make you proud." "Making me proud is secondary. The important thing is that you shouldn't let yourself down," Layla said, finally getting to the point with a much more serious tone. "Nathan, I've been hearing some rumors lately about you and Lily, the top student from Class One." Nathan scratched the back of his head. "Mrs. Finn, I have been hanging out with Lily a bit more recently, but we're just friends. Really." Layla nodded. "I believe you. Lily's got eyes, after all…" Nathan fell silent. "The issue is, Mr. Sawyer from Class One doesn't believe it. He insisted I give you a little 'talk.' My hands are tied here, Nathan. You're a smart kid. You get what I'm saying, right?" "I get it. Gossip can be dangerous. Don't worry, Mrs. Finn. I know what to do." Nathan smiled. "Oh? Then tell me your plan so that I can reassure Mr. Sawyer." Nathan raised an eyebrow and answered with absolute seriousness, "Mrs. Finn, I'll make sure to warn Lily myself. "We're still high school students, so we should stay focused on our studies. She needs to understand that she can't let herself get distracted by my overwhelming charm and risk failing her college entrance exam." Layla stared at him, completely speechless, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.