Everything dated back nearly five years. The truth... laid bare. A ripple of shock spread through the crowd.
"I... I can’t believe it..."
"So it was him all along?"
"And she didn’t even know?"
The murmurs quickly shifted tone, curiosity blending with excitent.
"What’s their relationship then?" soone whispered.
"Why would he support her like that?"
Another voice chid in almost imdiately, "Don’t you know? He’s been chasing Martha for years."
"He has a huge crush on her," soone added with a grin.
A few people sighed dramatically. "If soone like him liked back in college, I’d never have to worry about loans."
"Seriously... what luck..."
anwhile... Martha stood still, her thoughts in chaos.
Her gaze remained fixed on Kael, her heart trembling faintly.
’So it was him... all this ti...’
The person who had supported her silently... Who had made sure she never fell too far... Who had been there, even when no one else was...was standing right in front of her.
A strange warmth spread through her chest, unfamiliar yet undeniable.
Her lips parted slightly as she looked at him, her expression softening without her realizing it.
’To say I’m not moved... would be a lie...’
Kael, on the other hand, shifted his gaze toward Ryan, whose expression had turned stiff and ugly.
Kael let out a faint chuckle, his tone calm but sharp. "I don’t think there’s anything more I need to say."
Ryan gritted his teeth, his pride wounded. "So what if I’m her uncle?" he snapped. "At least she should show so gratitude! I did look out for her occasionally!"
Kael’s eyes turned cold. "With your attitude," he replied flatly, "you should be grateful you’re not getting beaten up right now."
The crowd stirred again, so nodding in agreent.
Ryan’s face darkened, but under so many gazes, he couldn’t push further. With a final glare, he turned and stord away.
The tension slowly dissolved.
Kael walked toward Martha’s desk, his movents returning to sothing almost... routine.
He picked up a strawberry milkshake, her favorite, and placed it gently on her desk with a small smile, just like he used to do in the past.
Martha watched him quietly, her emotions still unsettled.
After a mont, she spoke softly, almost hesitantly, "Thank you..."
Kael paused.
He turned to her, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "You don’t need to thank ," he said. "I never did it expecting anything in return."
Martha looked at him, sothing shifting in her eyes.
Then suddenly... a question surfaced in her mind.
She asked, her voice quieter than before, "Why... do you even like ?"
Kael froze for a brief second, caught off guard.
Then he smiled faintly. "That’s sothing you should rember yourself."
Martha shook her head imdiately. "I’ve tried," she replied. "Many tis. I just can’t."
Her gaze sharpened slightly. "If you don’t tell now... then forget it. I’ll never ask you again."
Kael blinked, then sighed lightly. "Alright, alright..." he muttered. "No need to get so serious. I’ll tell you."
He leaned back slightly, his expression turning distant as mories resurfaced.
"It started in our first year of college..."
"Back then," Kael began, "everyone thought I was aloof. Indifferent. No one really tried to get close to ."
A faint smirk appeared on his lips. "To be fair... I didn’t find anyone interesting either."
Then his tone softened slightly.
"That was until you transferred in."
He glanced at her briefly before continuing.
"You stood out imdiately. Beautiful... talented... always at the top... whether it was academics or sports."
He shook his head lightly. "It was hard not to notice you. But I didn’t really care at first."
His eyes darkened slightly as he continued.
"That changed after the first sester results."
He let out a quiet breath. "You overtook ."
Martha blinked, slightly surprised.
"That was the first ti I actually paid attention to you," he admitted. "But what caught wasn’t just that..."
His voice grew quieter. "I started noticing your routine."
He looked at her steadily.
"Every day... you’d be at the college by six in the morning. Studying. Always focused. By four in the afternoon, you’d leave. In between, you’d stop... feed stray cats, help holess people... even when you didn’t have much yourself."
Martha’s fingers tightened slightly.
"And then," Kael continued, "at six in the evening, you’d go to the coffee shop. Work until eleven. Close the place. Repeat."
His voice carried a quiet admiration. "I watched that... for almost an entire year."
At first, he hadn’t even realized it. But slowly, he began visiting that sa coffee shop more often. Sitting in a corner, observing.
"I saw how you handled everything on your own," he said. "You never relied on anyone. And even when things got difficult... you found your own way."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "That independence... that strength... I couldn’t ignore it."
He paused briefly.
"Then ca the second year. One day... I forgot to bring an assignnt."
Martha raised a brow slightly, recalling faint fragnts.
"The professor was strict," Kael continued. "He said anyone who submitted late would fail."
"You were in charge of collecting assignnts that day. I had no choice but to co to you and ask..."
He mimicked his past self slightly, his tone awkward. "Please wait for . I’ll go get it."
He chuckled softly. "You just looked at once and said..."
"If you don’t co back before four... I will leave."
Martha blinked, surprised at her own words.
Kael nodded. "I agreed and rushed ho. But on the way... I got news that my missing sister had been found."
His voice grew heavier. "I went with my parents imdiately. But it turned out... to be false."
A faint bitterness passed through his expression. "By the ti I rembered the assignnt... it was already late."
He looked at her quietly.
"I ca back... expecting you to be angry. Or at least ignore . But instead ..."
His voice softened.
"You just looked at and said...I heard about your sister. It’s understandable. And then... you took the assignnt."
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