"Luke! Why are you taking so long to answer? Hurry up and get here, right now! Go to the cafeteria! There's something you need to see!"
Tony's voice came through the phone, tense and rushed, like he was barely holding things together.
Luke frowned. "What happened? What's going on?"
He had been in the middle of a shower when his phone started ringing nonstop. He ignored it at first, but the persistent buzzing forced him to finish quickly. When he saw Tony's name flashing on the screen, he answered immediately.
A white towel was wrapped loosely around his waist, barely covering his lower body. His upper body was still damp, lean and well-proportioned, with the natural definition of someone young and fit rather than heavily built.
On the left side of his chest was a small birthmark shaped like a dragon's head, distinct enough that anyone seeing it for the first time would mistake it for a tattoo.
"Just get here fast!" Tony said urgently. "It's about Veroni—"
A loud shout cut him off, followed by the sound of someone yelling angrily at Tony. The call ended abruptly.
"Tony? Hello? What happened to Veronica?" Luke asked into the phone, but the line was already dead.
A bad feeling settled in his chest.
Tony's tone wasn't normal. And the fact that he had tried to mention Veronica before being interrupted only made things worse.
Luke tried calling back, once… twice… no answer.
He didn't waste any more time. He got dressed quickly and headed straight for the cafeteria.
* * *
The cafeteria was unusually loud.
Applause echoed from the center of the hall. Some students were cheering, others whistling. A few were shouting excitedly, while many more held their phones up, recording everything like it was some kind of live show.
A crowd had formed near the front entrance.
Luke slowed his steps, scanning the area. Something felt off.
"What's going on here?" he asked a female student as he passed her.
She looked at him, clearly recognizing who he was.
Instead of answering, she frowned, shook her head with disappointment, and walked away without saying a word.
Luke paused, confused.
He pushed forward, squeezing through the crowd until he could finally see what everyone was staring at.
And then—
He froze.
At the center of it all stood Veronica.
His girlfriend.
Beside her was a tall, well-dressed man. They were standing close. Too close.
Luke's pupils shrank when he noticed their hands—interlocked, fingers tightly woven together.
His breathing slowed.
Then he recognized the man.
Richard Gregory.
The transfer student who had arrived only three months ago. The son of one of the wealthiest families in the city.
Rich. Handsome. Well-connected.
From the day Richard stepped onto campus, attention followed him everywhere. Within weeks, he had become popular with students and favored by faculty. Girls admired him openly. Even teachers treated him differently.
And now—
He was holding Veronica's hand.
"What… is this?" Luke asked, his voice tight. His gaze shifted between Veronica and Richard. "Veronica, what does this mean?"
The smile on Veronica's face vanished.
She turned toward Luke, her body stiffening for a moment as their eyes met.
A voice suddenly rose from the crowd.
"Oh damn, the loser boyfriend finally showed up!"
Laughter followed.
Someone lifted their phone higher and pointed the camera straight at Luke.
"Correction—ex-boyfriend!"
"Kicked to the curb like trash. That's just sad."
"Richard is way out of his league. Luke, do everyone a favor and disappear already!"
More voices joined in.
"Yeah! Get out of here!"
The noise piled on, one insult after another.
Luke felt a dull ache in his chest.
Not because of the words.
He'd heard worse before.
What hurt was the reality standing right in front of him.
Veronica hadn't denied anything.
"L-Luke…" Veronica stepped forward, letting go of Richard's hand. She reached for Luke's hands, gripping them lightly. "I can explain. I'm really sorry. I know you love me, and I appreciate everything you've done for me. I really do. But… I'm not happy anymore."
Luke didn't move.
"I realized something recently," she continued. "You're not the right person for me. When I met Richard and got to know him… I knew. He's the one I love."
She took a breath.
"I'm sorry, Luke. I've decided to end our relationship."
The words hit cleanly.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Luke stared at her, disbelief written across his face. "End it? You're breaking up with me? This… this is a joke, right?"
He pulled his hands away.
Two and a half years.
That was how long they had been together.
And now she was ending it—publicly, without hesitation, like it meant nothing.
How could she fall in love with someone else so quickly?
Was everything they had shared that meaningless?
"No," Veronica said softly. "I'm serious. I don't love you anymore. I just didn't know how to tell you before. I didn't want to hurt you."
Luke searched her eyes.
He hoped—stupidly—that he would find doubt.
He didn't.
Only resolve.
The crowd grew quieter, waiting for his reaction.
Luke felt oddly weightless, like a leaf drifting away from a dying branch. The shock numbed him more than anger ever could.
Then he turned his gaze toward Richard.
Cold.
Sharp.
Richard met his stare with a relaxed smile.
He walked over, casually placing an arm around Veronica's shoulders.
"Don't look at me like that," Richard said calmly. "If you failed to keep your girlfriend, that's your problem. I didn't steal her. She chose me."
He chuckled lightly.
"Besides, someone like you was never worthy of someone like Veronica. You're nothing but trash drifting around this university. Honestly, I don't even know how you managed to get admitted here."
A girl stepped forward from the crowd, arms crossed.
Patricia.
Veronica's cousin.
"Look at yourself, Luke," she sneered. "Do you seriously think you deserve my cousin? Aren't you embarrassed?"
She looked him up and down.
"This is a private university, and that's how you dress? Oh right—because you're poor. You can't even afford decent clothes."
Her eyes were full of contempt.
"I don't know what kind of trick you used to fool my cousin before, but it clearly doesn't work anymore. So do us all a favor and stay away."
She turned toward Richard with a smile. "Let her be with someone actually worthy."
Luke ignored her.
Every word and every sneer.
He looked only at Veronica.
"Do you really love him?" he asked quietly.
After a brief pause, she nodded. "Yes. I love Richard. I hope you understand. And please… don't bother us again. It's for your own good."
That was it.
Something inside Luke snapped cleanly—not loudly, not violently—but decisively.
He laughed once, low and restrained, then nodded.
"Alright," he said calmly. "If that's your choice, I won't interfere anymore. I hope you're happy."
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Some students tried to insult him again, but he didn't react. Not once.
Behind him, Veronica watched his retreating figure.
For a brief moment, an unfamiliar pain tightened her chest.
It felt like she had just let go of something far more valuable than she realized.