The handsome man couldn’t stop laughing, wiping tears from his eyes as he said with a hint of nostalgia, “This is exactly how you always behaved.”
Then he added, “I’d almost forgotten. You not yelling at me just doesn’t feel right.”
Seriously? Did I have to insult him for things to feel normal?
Flustered and irritated, I felt a wave of heat rise straight to my head. Unable to hold back, I gave him a shove, half–annoyed and half–embarrassed. “Is that it? Have I not yelled at you for such a long time that you’ve been longing for it? You’re unbelievable!”
“Okay, okay…” He stopped just as I was about to blow up completely.
Looking at me with those ridiculously charming, laughing eyes, he sighed softly, his voice tinged with exasperation. “You really haven’t changed since high school.”
Then, after a brief pause, he smiled again and murmured, “It’s nice.”
Honestly, I didn’t expect him to bring up high school at all.
Although the earlier exchange had eased the tension between us, it didn’t mean our relationship was anything like it had been back in high school.
“Anyway, it’s getting late. Want to grab something to eat?” I suggested, feeling a bit awkward and wanting to change the subject.
“Sure,” Edward replied, raising a brow. “I’ll pick the place.”
1/3
Chapter 4
+15 BONUS
I figured he might choose some upscale restaurant or a fancy private dining spot. What I didn’t expect was for him to bring me to a street food stall.
I was still processing the surprise when a familiar yet unfamiliar figure caught my eye, bustling around among the crowd.
As we walked closer, I was stunned. “Mrs. Rich?”
The slightly hunched figure paused, then glanced around with some confusion.
She spotted Edward first and smiled warmly before looking at me. “Edward, who’s this?”
I grew anxious and stepped forward quickly. “Mrs. Rich, it’s me, Yuna!”
She froze for a moment, her expression blank as she processed my words. Then her face lit up. “Oh! Yuna! It’s you! I can’t believe how much you’ve grown!”
Rachel Rich had been one of the cafeteria staff at our high school. Back then, students needed meal cards to pay for lunch, and the cafeteria staff often couldn’t handle the rush. To help out, the school recruited some students to work during meal times, swiping cards for their peers. In return, these students got free meals.
Edward was one of those helpers, and I joined later out of curiosity. That was how we came to know Rachel.
She was a kind woman. Sometimes, when teachers kept us late, we’d show up after everything was cleaned up, but she never made a fuss. She’d still make sure we got something to eat.
To be honest, Rachel had always treated us like her own kids.
As soon as we sat down, Rachel bustled over with a small plate of cold appetizers. “Here, have something to snack on. I’m a bit
busy right now,” she said before hurrying off.
From Edward, I learned that Rachel’s daughter was attending university in the city. After her husband passed away, she moved
here to be closer to her only child.
Speak of the devil–at that moment, a lively young girl came skipping over from a distance.
“Mom, I’m back!” she called, dropping her backpack in a rush and tying on an apron to help.
That was when her gaze froze, landing squarely on us.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
“Edward! Yuna! You’re finally together!”
