"They said they were short two girls and begged me to fill in the numbers along with you as the group's visual. But we don't actually have to participate." Nina waved it off like it was no big deal.
Yeri stared at her, face twisted in betrayal. "Are you crazy? Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I did!" Nina said, smugly crossing her arms. "You nodded earlier."
Yeri blinked. When?!
Then somehow recalled during class, Nina had been buzzing in her ear, but her mind was still consumed with the mess involving Tiffany and the school board. She probably nodded absentmindedly without registering a single word.
"If you don't like it, we can leave. And if those guys try anything—" Nina cracked her knuckles with a sharp grin. "I'll make them regret it."
Yeri sighed. Leaving now would make them look flaky and might cause some misunderstanding with their classmates. "Let's just stay for a bit. Since we're already here, let's at least enjoy the desserts and milkshakes."
Nina grinned in triumph and the two girls walked toward the dessert counter.
Meanwhile, a group of six college guys had just arrived. They were introduced by their friends, all smiles and casual greetings, as they filed into the café and took their seats.
Yeri was about to turn around, plate in hand, when her eyes landed on a figure she never wanted to see again.
'Damn it!' She almost cursed out loud.
Of all people, it had to be this scumbag.
Marco Fabian blinked, just as stunned to see her. But it only lasted a second before amusement spread across his face.
"Yeri? What a surprise. What are you doing here?"
Yeri ignored him, then turned away and calmly returned to her seat, choosing to pretend he didn't exist.
Unfortunately, her strategy failed. Marco had the audacity to slide right into the chair across from her.
"So… you're in this mixer too? What happened to your boyfriend? Did you two break up?" he asked, feigning innocent curiosity, though the smirk said otherwise.
Yeri: "…"
One of the other guys, already eyeing her like a prize catch, leaned in. "Wait, you two know each other?"
Yeri gave a polite look, choosing to ignore Marco entirely. "No. I'm just here for decoration."
Nina returned with two plates, placing a matcha cake in front of Yeri and a chocolate one for herself. "Yeah, we're just here to eat. You guys go ahead with your business."
But Marco either didn't understand the concept of rejection or was simply born without shame.
He looked at Yeri with theatrical helplessness. "I get it… you don't want to talk about him. But I always knew that guy wasn't right for you. Rude, unmannered...you don't have to hide it. Besides, don't you think it's fate that we ran into each other here?"
Yeri stared at her cake as if it had turned into a green bar of soap. Her appetite evaporated.
Marco kept going, unbothered by her silence. He launched into a monologue, bragging about his college achievements, his dad's business, and some award he almost won for a marketing project he probably plagiarized from someone.
Yeri was visibly zoning out. If any, she has the innate talent of treating others like ghost. Proof of that was Shin Keir angered by her a few times.
But Nina snapped. She slammed her fork on the table, making several heads turn.
"Mister, you are so annoying," Nina said flatly. "Can't you tell you're the only one talking? We've been here for ten minutes, and you haven't even let your friends introduce themselves. Don't you have, like, basic awareness?"
Instead of being offended, Marco laughed. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to take over. I just thought they'd already made their move...after all, they asked me to get them into this mixer." He chuckled and turned to his friends. "Come on, don't tell me you still want me to do the introductions?"
The group burst into casual chatter, the mood easing as the other guys finally found their opening to speak.
Yeri, however, was unfazed. If anything, Marco's behavior gave her some clarity.
No wonder Tiffany was obsessed with this scumbag. He's a natural manipulator, smooth, shameless, and could bend himself according to the situation.
To a love struck fool like Tiffany, with an almost non-existent IQ and a dangerously low EQ, Marco Fabian must've seemed like a treasure.
Seeing the group chatting happily, the atmosphere light and lively, Yeri figured it was the perfect time to slip away. She gave Nina a small gesture.
Nina nodded in silent agreement.
But just as Yeri picked up her bag and stood, Marco suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Leaving already?"
Yeri stared at him coldly. "Senior, do you make a habit of grabbing people without asking?"
Marco brushed off her annoyance with a helpless smile, as if she were just throwing a tantrum, which only made Yeri disgusted.
"I don't get it," he said. "Why do you seem to hate me so much? We've only met twice, once was when I confessed to you. I understand if you rejected me because of that misunderstanding with my ex, but I don't think I've done anything to deserve this kind of treatment."
The table suddenly fell silent.
Yeri could see it, Marco was playing the victim card. None of the others had been around when he confessed, so to them, it probably looked like she was the one being cold and unreasonable. The nerve.
Nina, smacked Marco's hand off Yeri's arm. "If you want to talk, just talk. Don't act like some creep."
Marco turned, probably about to snap back at Nina, but Yeri cut in first. "Senior, you say you don't understand but are you really sure about that?"
"What's going on?" one of the girls asked, glancing between them.
Yeri let out a sigh and dropped the bomb. "This senior right here is Tiffany Rhian's boyfriend."
Gasps went around the table. Some girls stared at Marco like he was this week's hot gossip headline.
The guys at the table looked thoroughly confused, and Marco looked like a deer caught in headlights.
"No, no! That's a misunderstanding!" he said quickly. "Tiffany's my ex-girlfriend. We've been broken up for a while now."
Clearly, Marco Fabian had no idea about Yeri's fight with Tiffany. It was obvious Tiffany hadn't updated him on the fallout or the fact that they were now suing each other.
Yeri had already explained the situation to her classmates earlier, so the girls gave Marco a look that said 'so it was him!'
"You have a girlfriend and still came to a mixer? Do you know how Tiffany would react if she found out?" one of the girls asked with a raised brow.
Marco flinched but stood his ground. "I told you, we're not together anymore!" Then, turning to Yeri, his tone turned sharp. "What's your problem? Are you seriously out here bad-mouthing me to everyone?"
Yeri raised an eyebrow and gave a cold sneer. "Senior, did Tiffany not tell you anything recently? Or have you just been pretending not to know?" Her voice sharpened with each word. "Do you know we had an ugly fight? You keep saying you broke up, but then why is Tiffany so desperate to blame me for your breakup? Why is she dragging me into your mess and threatening legal action?"
Marco's face went pale. His eyes flickered, clearly realizing this was news to him.
"You asked me how you offended me?" Yeri continued. "Fine. Let me ask you the same, how did I offend you? Why am I the one being dragged into your lovers quarrel?"
Marco was stunned into silence. Her tone, her certainty, it left him scrambling for a response. "I… I really don't understand…"
Before he could say anything else, the café door opened with a loud click.
Speak of the devil and it will come.
Tiffany stomped in like a wife catching her husband mid-cheat, her heels clacking against the floor. She looked absolutely murderous.
"Why are you two together?" she snapped, chin raised, eyes narrowing at both Marco and Yeri.
"Are you f***ing blind?" Nina stood up too, arms crossed like a human barricade. "Can't you see there are other people here? Or are you just selectively delusional?"
Tiffany shot a glare at Nina but didn't dare step closer. Unlike Yeri, who usually settled arguments with words, Nina had a short fuse and a strong arm.
The last time Tiffany so much as glared while passing her in the hallway, Nina had punched the wall right beside her head, scaring the soul out of her.
Still, this was a public place, full of people, and Tiffany was clearly injured. One arm in a cast.
Surely, Nina wouldn't launch a full-on attack in front of witnesses… right?
Tiffany scoffed, crossing her arms. "I'm not here for you. Still protecting that mistress friend of yours? Are you her loyal dog now?"
Contrary to her expectation, Nina's hand flew to a nearby fork. "Who are you calling a mistress? Are you insane? Do you think this is some kind of tv drama?"
She was already half-standing, murder in her eyes but Yeri grab her arm.
Tiffany flinched, retreating behind Marco as if she'd just been assaulted. Her eyes were glassy and red, the expression of a girl bullied by life or maybe by her own imagination.
Yeri studied her with some curiosity. For someone supposedly recovering from an injury, Tiffany was all dolled up...tight dress, glossy lips, even high heels. She looked more ready for a Valentine's dinner than someone passing by.
It was obvious, she'd probably went looking for Marco Fabian, only to find him here attending a mixer.
Just as the drama was heating up, Backup Mouth #2 walked into the café. Dressed simply, sunglasses perched awkwardly on her nose (likely to hide her black eye), she scanned the room before timidly speaking.
"Tiffany… what happened?" she asked, subtly glancing at Marco.