At Catenburg, a girl in a cream palazzo, black crop top layered with a cardigan, and a messy bun carried a quiet, mature warmth.
Beside her stood a boy—tall, six and a half feet at least—his sharp jawline softened by an easy expression. Ice-blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a caramel-check shirt gave him an effortless, boy-next-door charm.
They stood at the counter with their arms linked—one scrolling through the menu on her phone, the other casually scanning the canteen.
There were other couples, other boy-girl duos waiting in line. Yet Caroline and Marcus drew attention without trying. Heads turned. Conversations paused.
Whispers followed.
"Are they a couple?"
"They look like one."
"Her outfit looks really good."
"They're cute."
"It's only the first day—so many couples already."
"Why is she on her phone when there's a handsome guy right beside her?"
"He looks cute."
"She looks—"
No one bothered to be discreet. They could feel the stares, hear most of the comments, even when they tried not to.
Marcus let out a quiet sigh.
Caroline noticed. She lifted her gaze and shot a sharp glare toward the nearest group. The whispers died almost instantly.
"This line doesn't look like it'll take long," Marcus said, nodding at the counter. "Let's try here. Did you choose?"
Caroline nodded and tilted her phone toward him.
"Excuse me," he said to the cashier. "Can I get takeout—two mango juices, two orange juices, two white-sauce pastas, one chicken burger with fries, and one meat loaf?"
"I can book the food," the cashier replied, pointing toward another corner, "but juices are from that counter."
Caroline patted Marcus's arm, thanked the cashier, and headed toward the juice stall.
Marcus turned back. "Can you bill two white-sauce pastas, one meat loaf, and one chicken burger with fries, please?" He passed his card.
Token in hand, he waited near the food counter. When his turn came, the staff checked the token and called out the orders.
The juice queue was shorter. Caroline finished quickly and turned back toward Marcus—
—and stopped.
A figure blocked her path.
Not alone this time.
Marcus had turned away for only a few seconds, clarifying the order with the stall staff, when the familiar presence slid into his awareness.
He cursed inwardly and started to move—
"Hello, Mr. Paulson!"
Caroline's voice rang out, clear and loud, drawing attention.
The senior and his companions turned instinctively.
Caroline slipped sideways and sprinted toward Marcus.
"That was a cheap trick," one of the seniors sneered, moving after them.
"And you fell for it," Caroline shot back, linking her arm through Marcus's and tilting her head with a teasing smile.
"Derik," a heavy-set woman behind the counter barked, spatula in hand. "Not in my canteen. If you want trouble, take it somewhere else."
Caroline's lips curved upward, one brow lifting.
Marcus stepped forward calmly, positioning himself in front of her. He passed her the token without a word.
Derik and his friends advanced anyway.
One hand landed on Marcus's shoulder.
Marcus straightened. One arm subtly shielded Caroline behind him; the other hung loose, fist slowly clenching. His gaze locked onto Derik's—flat, steady, unblinking.
"Marcus is straight," Caroline said sharply, yanking him back a step. "He's not gay."
Derik froze.
So did his friends.
For a split second, the canteen went silent—
Then muffled giggles broke out. Students turned away, biting their lips. Even the staff struggled to hide their smiles.
"Derik!" the woman yelled again. "Leave. Now."
"You can't escape for long," Derik muttered, backing away. "We'll meet tonight."
"To take attendance?" Caroline cut in sweetly.
Derik glared, pointed at both of them, then turned and left.
Caroline and Marcus exchanged a look before turning to the woman. Caroline smiled gratefully. The woman winked back.
Noise returned to the canteen as conversations resumed.
A boy nearby patted Marcus's shoulder. "Bro. That was fun. Thanks to your girlfriend."
"She's not."
"I'm not."
They spoke at the same time—flat, annoyed, perfectly in sync.
A second-year boy and a girl approached them.
"You should be careful," the boy said quietly. "Derik holds grudges."
"And it's not just boys," the girl added. "Once you get on their nerves, gender doesn't matter."
"Who are you?" Caroline asked.
At a nearby table, a spoon slipped from someone's hand and clattered to the floor.
"You okay?" a boy beside him asked.
"Yeah," Lucas muttered, standing. "I'll get one."
Before he could step away, another spoon slid across the table toward him.
"Take mine," the boy opposite Lucas said quietly. "I haven't used it yet. I'll grab another."
Lucas paused, surprised—then nodded.
"Thank you, Stephen."
The boy only gave a brief nod in return, already turning away.
Lucas sat back down, gripping the spoon a little tighter than necessary, forcing himself to eat.
This is already bad, he thought. And they're still provoking seniors.
Stephen stood and approached Marcus and Caroline.
"Excuse me," he said evenly. "I need a spoon."
They had unknowingly blocked the utensil counter. Marcus stepped aside.
"How many?" Caroline asked, not moving.
"One for me," Stephen replied, glancing at the line behind him. "Not sure about the others."
Caroline handed him a spoon. "Let them take theirs from the other side."
A brief silence followed. The seniors exchanged looks—awkward, unsettled—as if weighing whether to respond. For a moment, it felt like one of them might speak, might push back.
Marcus didn't wait.
He continued the conversation as if nothing had interrupted it, his tone easy, unbothered, deliberately casual. The pause dissolved under his voice, unchallenged.
Stephen nodded, a faint smile touching his lips, and returned to his seat.
Nearby conversations faltered. A few students hesitated, hopeful the space might open when Marcus shifted—but Caroline had already turned back to the seniors, her attention elsewhere, unreadable. No apology followed. No explanation. The moment closed as cleanly as it had opened.
The seniors, despite their status, didn't press the matter. Marcus kept talking, steering the exchange forward without acknowledging the tension he'd erased.
After a few more minutes of restrained conversation, Caroline and Marcus collected the food and headed back toward the classroom.