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"Here you go."
She handed over the tray with an approving nod. Young people with big appetites were a good thing in her book. After all, she prided herself on her own hearty appetite—she weighed nearly 180 pounds, strong as an ox, and could take on two people in a fight if needed.
"Thanks a lot!" Lemu grinned, balancing the towering tray as he made his way through the crowded cafeteria.
Heads turned.
A small figure carrying a tray nearly as high as their head wasn't exactly an everyday sight.
Whispers and curious glances followed him.
"Can she really eat all that?"
"Wow, she's like a competitive eater."
"Is she gonna waste food?"
"How does she eat this much and still stay short?"
Lemu ignored them all, weaving through the cafeteria before settling into a quiet corner.
A few minutes later, Alice arrived with her own tray and took a seat across from him.
Lemu glanced at her food and nearly did a double take.
Damn.
It wasn't as much as his, but it was still way more than what most girls would eat in one sitting. Her tray held a balanced selection—carrots, chicken breast, broccoli, grilled fish, roasted chicken wings, and pasta as her main dish.
He took another quick glance at her, from her plate to… well, a little higher.
No wonder… Makes sense.
Alice noticed his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Lemu cleared his throat. "Nothing."
A sly smile crept across Alice's lips. "Want to try some of mine?"
Before he could respond, she picked up a small piece of fish with her fork and held it up to his lips.
"Ahhh~ Open wide."
Her voice was impossibly soft, laced with teasing warmth—like she was coaxing a child.
Lemu hesitated for a moment, caught off guard.
Then, as he met Alice's gaze, he noticed something different. The distant, icy expression from earlier was gone. Instead, there was a mischievous glint in her eyes, a small, playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Like she was enjoying this.
Lemu hesitated for a second before leaning in and taking a bite of the tuna. It was fresh, well-seasoned, and melted on his tongue with just the right amount of saltiness.
As he chewed, he glanced at Alice. "You seemed pretty upset earlier. Did something happen?"
Alice tilted her head slightly, and for a brief moment, she unknowingly radiated a soft, innocent charm—like a small deer stumbling into Lemu's heart.
Upset? Me?
Her brows furrowed for a second, then suddenly, as if remembering something, she burst into laughter.
Her laugh was light and crisp, like the sound of ice melting in early spring, like flowers blooming under the first touch of warmth. It was breathtaking.
"Oh, you mean my serious face?" Alice said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "Sorry about that. It's just a habit. Plus, I accidentally left the AC on too cold last night. My face has been frozen stiff all morning."
She sighed dramatically. "Let this be a lesson—never sleep directly in front of an air conditioner. Worst case, you could end up with facial paralysis."
Lemu raised an eyebrow, amused. "That sounds… unnecessarily dramatic."
Alice smirked and waved him closer.
Lemu hesitated for a second, then leaned in.
She leaned in too, her lips stopping just beside his ear.
Soft, warm breaths brushed against his skin, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine.
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'll let you in on a little secret. The real reason I keep a cold face at school? It's because people keep asking me for help with their assignments."
Lemu blinked. "That's… a bad thing?"
Alice sighed, pulling back just enough to meet his eyes. "It's not just friends. Strangers, classmates I barely know—they all do it. At first, I didn't mind. But then it started getting out of hand."
Her lips curled into a slightly exasperated smile. "We're all here to study. This school costs an insane amount of money. I didn't take out student loans, so I have to rely on my scholarships, part-time jobs, and a little help from my family just to scrape by."
She shook her head. "Between classes and work, I barely have time for myself. Franklin once said 'time is money'—well, my roommate keeps drilling that into my head. And she's not wrong. I don't have time to be everyone's free tutor."
Lemu slowly nodded, finally understanding.
It made sense.
College tuition in the U.S. was brutal.
For most families, a single year of tuition cost more than their entire annual income.
The numbers were staggering. The median household income in America was under $50,000, but tuition at Los Angeles Institute of Technology? Nearly $60,000 a year.
That meant more than half of American families couldn't afford to send a single child to college without going into massive debt.
And that was assuming they didn't have other expenses. Rent, food, bills—life didn't pause just because you had tuition to pay.
Sure, LAIT offered massive scholarships—some reaching tens of thousands of dollars—but those were only for the best of the best.
Looking at Alice, Lemu realized something.
She wasn't just naturally talented. She was fighting for her future.
Not everyone was lucky enough to get scholarships.
For those who couldn't, the alternative was decades of debt.
Lemu had heard of a former president who had graduated from another prestigious university—only to spend over twenty years paying off his student loans.
That was just how things were.
Money controlled everything, an invisible force guiding every decision, every opportunity, every struggle.
"Right, I have something to return to you."
Alice finally remembered the reason she had been waiting for him.
She lifted her small white bag onto the table, unzipped it, and carefully took out a neatly wrapped pouch.
It was a luxurious, stylish woolen handbag—soft, breathable, and impeccably crafted.
Lemu recognized it immediately. It was something he had gifted Alice, along with a bunch of snacks.
Alice opened the pouch and handed it to him.
Inside, every single snack was still there.
Not one was missing.
Lemu blinked, momentarily confused. Why is she returning it?
Was she mad at him? That didn't seem right—if anything, Alice clearly liked him.
Lemu had confidence in that.
"What's wrong? You don't like the snacks?" he asked directly.
….
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If you want to read 15+ chapters ahead and unpublished fanfics you can check out my patreon or just take a visit.
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