I walked toward him, smiling without even realizing it. Caelum smiled back, that shy little curve of his lips that made it impossible not to soften.
When I glanced at Sely, she winked at me. Oh. So that's why she dragged me away earlier. The schemer. I should've known she was up to something.
"Surprise!" Caelum chuckled, holding out a plushie, a bouquet of flowers, and a small bunch of balloons. "Someone told me you're into K-pop, so… here."
My heart did a weird somersault. It was a BT21 plushie—specifically, the one I'd been eyeing for months but could never justify buying. Even my friends, except Eve, wanted one, but we'd all agreed to "wait for sales" because rent and college exist.
"Thanks. You really didn't need to do all this, but… thank you. I've wanted this forever." My voice cracked as I hugged him with one arm, juggling the flowers, balloons, and plushie with the other. It was awkward and clumsy and… weirdly perfect.
"I'm glad you like it," he murmured, his face turning crimson. Even his ears were red. He ducked his head to avoid my gaze, bashful and adorable.
"No," I said abruptly.
His eyes shot up, wide and confused.
"I loved it," I clarified with a grin.
He let out a sharp exhale, like he'd been holding his breath for ten minutes straight.
Before I could tease him further, Alcy's voice boomed from inside the classroom. "Hey, hand me the plushie, the flowers, and those balloons—picture time!"
"I'm in!" Marie, Sely, and Eve yelled in unison, practically sprinting toward us.
Caelum and I just laughed as our friends descended like seagulls fighting over french fries.
Inside, as the impromptu photoshoot began, Caelum leaned close and mouthed, I love you.
I answered by pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.
Instant chaos.
The entire class erupted into cheers, whistles, and mock screams.
Right. I'd momentarily forgotten we had an audience.
Note to self, next time, keep the PDA lowkey. Preferably invisible.
After a minute, Caelum gave my hand a final squeeze. "You've got stuff to do, right? I'll catch you later."
I smiled, nodding, even though a little part of me didn't want him to leave. Still, I waved him off. Whatever this was… whatever we were figuring out… it felt like the start of something that could work.
Maybe, finally, he'd help me get over Sergie. And maybe, in some ways, I'd help him too. We were both getting something we needed.
The second I stepped inside the classroom, Angelo stormed up like a one-person hurricane.
"Hand it over," he barked, jabbing a finger toward the flowers and plushie. "You don't deserve these. I do. I'm way prettier than you, so technically, I should be the one getting stuff like this."
Gasps and laughter filled the room.
"Yesss, drag!" someone cheered.
Rolling my eyes, I let everyone take turns posing with the flowers, balloons, and plushie like they were communal props.
Moments later, I spotted my plushie on half my classmates' Instagram stories, each captioned with some variation of Thanks, babe. Much appreciated—complete with heart emojis and kissing faces.
Meanwhile, me? The actual owner? Still holding nothing.
Figures.
So, I had Sely snap a photo of me instead—flowers in my right hand, balloons hovering, BT21 plushie hugged against my left side.
"You want a pic too?" I offered, holding the stuff out to Sely. She was the only one who hadn't taken a photo yet.
She shook her head. "Nah, I'm good."
Her voice was casual, but there was a faint twinge of something else. I didn't press it.
Selene groaned dramatically. "Ugh, must be nice to have a date. Meanwhile, my men are either trapped in a book or a manga panel." She flopped onto her desk, face buried in her arms like the poster child for romantic despair.
I couldn't help laughing. Poor girl. She'd been singing on stage like a rockstar an hour ago and now she was ready to audition for a sad indie film.
"Babe, sing your song again!" Helion teased from the corner.
Of course he'd say that. Like he wasn't the same guy who handed flowers to his ex during his own performance earlier, causing the loudest collective gasp in the auditorium. The chaos was legendary.
The only problem? Said ex already had a new boyfriend. So after the crowd went feral and Helion left the stage, guilt apparently punched him in the face. He ended up apologizing to Alcy, who—plot twist—is the cousin of the ex's current boyfriend.
Helion even sang Perfect by Ed Sheeran. "I found a love…" Yeah, buddy, except that love found someone else. Ouch.
"Shut up, Helion!" Sely groaned, though she was grinning as she grabbed her guitar. "Fine, I'll do it again!" She strummed the opening chords of the song she'd performed earlier and belted it out, voice filling the classroom.
"I've never heard that song before," Helion admitted, raising a brow. "Where's it from?"
"TikTok," Sely said with a shrug, laughing.
Typical. Everything either lives or dies on that app now.
Here's the thing, I have a love-hate relationship with TikTok.
On one hand, it's a fun space. A place where people can share music, random talents, even just silly dances that make you smile. A platform for artists who'd otherwise go unnoticed.
But as it grew, so did the trolls. People became more interested in pointing out every microscopic "flaw" than actually appreciating effort. They don't just scroll by—they actively tear others down, like they're getting paid to be miserable.
And then there's the clout-chasers. The ones so desperate for attention they'll mock anyone and everyone, crossing lines for views.
Like that one creator I stumbled across—a guy, probably American, who edits videos of Korean idols performing to make them sound completely off-key. His whole feed is basically "humiliation for clicks." Bad publicity, sure, but still publicity.
And the hypocrisy? Chef's kiss.
People plaster "Gender Equality" in their bios but will trash anyone who likes a BL series or a K-pop artist. All while preaching "equality." Like, congrats—you've unlocked peak clown energy.
"TikTok has rotted your brain!" Helion flicked Sely's forehead, grinning like he'd won something.
"Please," Sely shot back, rubbing her forehead. "Like you're not a CODM addict."
I snorted before I could stop myself. "Oh, so perfect, huh?"
"Ash, you got something to say?" Helion's brow shot up.
My eyes widened as I realized I'd said that out loud. "Oops. Talking to myself. Ignore me."
"Ash agrees!" Sely announced dramatically, pointing at me like I'd testified in court. She turned to Alcy, who was too busy squinting at her phone with Marie beside her. "And don't you look away—you too!"
She flicked Alcy's forehead, earning an indignant yelp.
Marie and Alcy were deep into their Call of Duty Mobile grind, thumbs flying across their screens. Judging by their scowls, it wasn't going well.
"I hope you lose," I muttered under my breath.
Apparently not quiet enough, because both girls glared daggers at me.
And then? Divine intervention—or cosmic irony. Their team lost. For the fifth time in a row.
"Really?!" they groaned, rounding on me.
"You jinxed us!"
"Don't blame me for your skills," I said, smirking. "Or lack thereof. Can't climb ranks if you're too busy rage-quitting."
They retaliated by grabbing fistfuls of my hair. I yelped. "Ow! You psychos! You should be thanking me. Maybe this is a sign to log off before your devices explode again."
Because yes, Marie did fry her iPad once, and Alcy did brick her phone, all thanks to CODM addiction. Yet here they were, back at it like nothing happened.
Meanwhile, Sely quit CODM months ago, claiming the community was too toxic. Helion quit too… temporarily. Then he got a new phone and came crawling back like a man possessed.
Eve? Too busy chasing guys to care about gaming. Typical.
My phone buzzed on the desk. I grabbed it without thinking.
And froze.
From, Sergie.
Of course.
Heard the news. Must be nice. Congrats.
My eyes narrowed. What now?
This guy has the emotional consistency of a paper straw—always here to stir things up when I'm finally settling down.
A song popped into my head immediately.
You just want attention,
You don't want my heart,
Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new…
Yup. Fits him perfectly.
He doesn't actually want me. He just doesn't want anyone else to have me.
Not this time. I'm done being the soft, gullible version of myself who let him ghost, reappear, ghost again, and somehow slide back in like nothing happened.
I'm not Marie. I'm not Alcy. I'm not a martyr anymore. Period.
Let him stew. Let him watch me be happy with someone who actually shows up.
Because that's what Caelum does.
Caelum cares.
Caelum stays.
Caelum doesn't treat me like convenience food—cheap, easy, only wanted when nothing else is available.
I am not someone's backup plan.
"Try again soldier."
The robotic voice from Marie's phone announced yet another CODM loss.
I couldn't help it—I laughed so hard I nearly choked.
Marie and Alcy cursed so loudly I half-expected a portal to hell to open under their chairs.
"Weren't you raised better?" I teased, wiping tears from my eyes.
They both turned, glaring like twin demons.
"Hey, I'm not saying I'm a saint," I added quickly. "I curse too. Just… differently."
I sighed, clasping my hands dramatically.
"Lord, forgive me for every questionable choice I've made since childhood. I didn't mean all the chaos. I was just immature. And possibly possessed by caffeine."
My friends burst out laughing.
As the chaos died down, I stared at my phone again. Sergie's message still sat there, unread.
And for once? I didn't feel the need to reply.
Because no matter how complicated my head felt earlier, no matter how many loose threads he represented…
I had Caelum now.
And right now, that was enough.