CHAPTER -2 :)

The Next Few Days

After that night at the restaurant, Eva couldn’t stop thinking about the tall boy—Brutus. His sharp eyes, calm voice, and the way he stood up for her kept playing in her mind. She didn’t even know him well, but something about him made her heart beat faster.

At school, she found it hard to focus in class. She kept remembering how he looked at her, how he said, “Don’t waste your time with these losers.”

Debby, on the other hand, had started her little investigation.

Every break, she would ask friends, search online, and even try to remember the faces of the boys from that night.

“Did you find anything?” Eva asked one day during lunch.

Debby looked around, then whispered, “Yes… I think I found him.”

Eva’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Debby nodded. “His name is Brutus. He goes to St. Elric’s School, not far from here. He’s in Grade 12.

Eva felt her heart skip a beat. “You’re sure?”

“Yes! I asked one of my friends who knows the boy who dared him to ask for your Instagram. She told me his name.”

Eva smiled to herself. She didn’t know why… but just hearing his name made her feel warm inside.

“Thanks, Debby,” she said.

“Don’t fall too hard!” Debby teased.

“I already did,” Eva replied, blushing a little.

That night, Eva returned home and took a shower. As the warm water ran over her, she couldn’t stop thinking about the boy from the restaurant—Brutus. She had heard his friends call him by name, and now, it was stuck in her mind.

She was curious. Who was he really? What kind of person was he? Did he already have a girlfriend? These questions kept spinning in her head. Still, she told herself she wouldn’t give up until she found out the truth.

Later, Eva sat at her study table, pulled out her books, and began preparing for the next day’s class test. She usually studied late at night. Unlike her cousin Ryan, who always carried a book, Eva only studied when needed—but she was still always first in class. She worked harder than usual because of her study rival, Mark Rim. He was smart and competitive, just like her.

While she was getting ready to focus, there was a knock on the door. It was her little brother, Mike.

“I need your headphones,” he said shyly.

“I need them too,” Eva replied, quickly hiding them in her drawer.

Mike stared at her for a few seconds. She turned to him.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re blushing. Are you dating someone?” he asked, his eyes wide.

“Hey! No! Shut the door and go away!”

As he closed the door, he shouted, “Mom! Eva’s seeing someone!”

Eva sighed and tried to concentrate on her books.

The next morning, Eva got ready for school. Everyone sat together for breakfast.

“Don’t eat so fast,” their dad told Mike, who had stuffed his mouth with toast.

“Dad, can you drop me today?” Eva asked politely.

“Of course! I’ll drop both of you,” he replied.

Eva looked at Mike, who was in his school uniform. That’s when something clicked. Mike and Brutus went to the same school! She had never thought about it before.

While they waited outside for their dad to bring the car, Eva turned to her brother.

“Mike, my dear brother,” she said sweetly.

Mike looked at her suspiciously. “What?”

“Your loving sister needs your help,” she said, pretending to beg.

“Why are you acting so weird? Did a ghost possess you?” Mike asked, stepping away.

“Hey!” Eva yelled but quickly calmed down. Stay cool, Eva. You need his help, she thought.

She smiled sweetly. “My cutest baby brother,” she said, pinching his cheek. “I just need to ask about someone from your school.”

Mike pushed her hand away. “Who is it?”

“Do you know a guy named Brutus?” she asked.

Mike gave her a sharp look. “You didn’t give me your headphones yesterday, remember?”

Eva ran behind him. “I’ll buy you new ones—today!”

Mike smirked. “Deal.”

“Now tell me about Brutus,” Eva said, her eyes bright.

“He’s in 12th grade,” Mike said. “He’s the basketball team captain, good at studies, and popular in school. Even the teachers like him. He’s kind of like a role model to me.”

Eva smiled. “Wow… Thanks!”

She ruffled his hair.

“This is why you were acting strange,” Mike muttered as he got into the car.

Eva laughed nervously. “No! I was asking for Debby!”

But she knew he didn’t believe her.

At school, Eva sat in class when Debby walked in and sat next to her.

“Guess what I found out about the tall guy!” Debby whispered excitedly.

“Shhh! Don’t be loud!” Eva said, looking around.

“I talked to his friend!” Debby said in a serious tone.

“His friend? One of the guys from last night?” Eva asked.

“Yes! The one with the tattoo on his neck and the mullet hairstyle.”

“Oh… I didn’t even notice him properly.”

“Well, I did. He had a name badge on his shirt, so I searched him on Instagram last night and followed him.”

Eva raised her eyebrows.

Debby continued, “They’ve been best friends since middle school. He told me everything!”

Eva leaned in, excited to hear more.

“Brutus is a top student. His parents lived abroad during his childhood, but now they’re here. He loves Harry Potter, plays basketball, and visits a dumpling shop near school with his friends.”

Eva smiled. She liked learning all these small things about him.

“But from what I understood, they’re still a bit immature,” Debby added.

“Oh…”

“Still, Jin—his friend—seems nice. And the rest of them too,” Debby said, smiling.

Eva nodded, her heart feeling a little lighter.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***