CHAPTER 1

EPISODE :1 - First meet

“Really, you’ll fall in love with one of them! This Christmas, you’re going to celebrate with him!” Debby chuckled with excitement.

Eva smirked. “Let me see!”

It was around 8 p.m. when Debby and Eva arrived at a restaurant to meet some of Debby’s online friends. All of them were the same age. Debby had bragged to them about her beautiful best friend and brought Eva along to prove it.

Debby and Eva were classmates, close friends since middle school. Though Debby was childish at times, her affection for Eva was genuine and unwavering.

Still dressed in their school uniforms, they stepped into the restaurant and spotted three boys already seated in theirs. The boys froze the moment they saw Eva.

Eva and Debby took their seats opposite the boys.

“Hi!” one of the boys greeted with a wide smile.

Eva returned a polite “Hi.”

“Debby! Is this the friend you told us about?” another boy asked eagerly.

“Yes! Now do you believe me?” Debby said proudly, striking a playful pose.

“Yes, yes! She’s very pretty!”

“And cute too!”

Eva smiled shyly, feeling a little awkward under their gaze.

When she reached for the water jug, one of the boys quickly poured it for her. It was a clear attempt to impress her, but she found it more irritating than charming.

The boys kept flirting and trying to capture her attention. Debby, however, seemed to enjoy the interaction and chatted freely with them. Eva, meanwhile, felt bored and disconnected, though she maintained her politeness.

Soon, another group of three boys entered the restaurant and took a table to the left. Unlike the awkward conversation Eva was stuck in, the other group looked lively and fun—they were playing truth or dare and laughing.

One of the boys from her table noticed her silence. “Hey, Eva! Why are you so quiet? Are you bored?”

“Uh… no! I need to go to the restroom,” she said and got up.

As she passed the other table, she noticed their playful energy. They were clearly enjoying themselves, and Eva found herself more interested in them than her current company.

When she returned to her seat, one of the boys asked, “Are you on Instagram?”

“No! I’m not on any social media,” Eva replied casually.

“Oh! That’s sad for us,” he said, letting out a forced laugh.

A few minutes later, a chubby boy from the other group walked confidently toward their table.

“Hey! Which school are you from?” he asked Eva, his voice bold and direct. She was caught off guard.

“I’m asking you,” he said again, locking eyes with her.

“St. Nickers Higher Secondary School,” she answered.

“Which grade?”

“Tenth.”

“Oh! I know someone from that school. Maybe I’ll visit and meet them!”

“O… okay,” she said awkwardly.

The boy returned to his table and said something to his friends that made them all burst out laughing. That’s when Eva realized it must’ve been part of their truth or dare game.

“Eva, do you know him?” one of the boys from her table asked.

“No.”

“He looks older than us,” Debby commented.

“Yes! He’s so big—like a barrel!” another boy laughed.

“And did you hear his voice?” someone added, and all three laughed together.

Eva’s expression hardened. “Hey! Don’t tease anyone about their looks,” she said firmly before falling silent.

“Hey, take it easy, Eva,” one of them said and reached to touch her hand gently.

She glared at him. He quickly pulled back.

Suddenly, the tall boy from the other group—fair-skinned, sharp-eyed, and brown-haired—stood up and walked over to Eva’s side.

“Hey,” he said, a bit nervous but confident.

The moment felt still—almost like the whole restaurant paused to notice him. There was something striking about him.

He held out his phone. “Could… you please give me your Instagram ID?”

Eva was stunned, but she nodded slightly. “Uh… sure.” She took the phone and typed in her username. Just then, he received a call and stepped aside to answer it. After a few seconds, he returned, thanked her, and went back to his table.

Back at Eva’s table, the boys looked shocked and clearly upset.

“Hey! You said you’re not on social media! Now you’re giving your Instagram ID to him?” one of them asked angrily.

Eva sighed.

“Hey! Answer me!”

“Guys, calm down!” Debby tried to ease the situation.

“You shut up, Debby! Are we a joke to you?” another snapped.

“I didn’t give you my account because I didn’t want to,” Eva said boldly.

“Then why did you even come here?”

“I came with my friend—not to meet you or have fun,” she replied, her voice steady.

“Yes! I forced her to come with me, guys,” Debby added nervously.

“Girls like you are so arrogant! Do you even know what would happen if I poured this hot soup on your face?” one of the boys snarled, gripping a bowl of steaming soup.

Eva’s heart began to race. The steam curled into the air, and a chill ran down her spine.

Suddenly—slam!

A loud thud echoed through the restaurant as a hand hit the table hard. It was the tall boy again, standing firm and furious.

“What did you just say to her?” he demanded, his voice sharp and cold. “Do you even realize what you just threatened?”

The boy holding the soup froze.

“Who are you? Why are you interfering?” the boy snapped.

But the tall boy didn’t flinch. He stepped closer. “You think it’s okay to threaten a girl because she didn’t flirt with you? That makes you a man?”

The boy mumbled something, looking down.

The restaurant manager, having noticed the scene, rushed over. “What’s going on here?”

“He just threatened to pour hot soup on her,” the tall boy said calmly, still glaring at the boy.

The manager’s expression shifted instantly. “Is that true?”

The three boys fell silent.

“I think you all should leave,” the manager said sternly.

“But sir—”

“Leave. Now.”

Muttering under their breath, the boys stood and shuffled out of the restaurant.

One of them whispered near Eva, “This isn’t over.”

But the tall boy stood firm until they were gone. Only then did the tension begin to fade.

Eva looked at him, stunned—not just by what had happened, but by the fact that someone had stood up for her without hesitation.

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