"How to Start and Run a Business" — that was the title of the video playing on his phone.
The boy's name was Elio Castellan, 17 years old, now in his third year of high school.
He was considered a genius. Always ranked first since he was little, and had won countless academic competitions. But in this corrupt country, intelligence wasn't enough. People with connections always won, and Elio ended up receiving no scholarships or government support despite his brilliance.
It was Sunday. Elio was relaxing at home, phone in hand, eyes half-closed from lounging too long.
"Liooo!" his mother's voice rang from the kitchen — a mix of concern and warmth, like a typical mom calling her child.
Elio immediately paused his video and got up.
"What is it, Ma?" he asked, rubbing his eyes as he walked into the kitchen.
"Can you go buy a new stove in the city? This one's already broken," she said, crouching as she fiddled with the worn-out stove.
"Yeah, okay. I'll shower first," Elio replied, yawning, then shuffled toward the bathroom with messy hair.
After showering, he threw on a plain white T-shirt and gray cotton pants. He grabbed his jacket and helmet, asked for money from his mom, and hopped onto his motorbike to head to the city — a pretty long ride.
He'd been riding for 45 minutes, enjoying every bit of the journey: the rolling hills, wide rice fields, and peaceful breeze. Eventually, he arrived at a home appliance store.
Elio walked in, bought the stove his mom asked for, and was ready to head back.
But something made him stop. He looked around at the tall skyscrapers and decided to take a little detour. Just a short sightseeing loop.
While he was stopped at a red light, he noticed a girl trying to cross the road. She was late — the light had already turned green.
She panicked and tried to run, but the heels she wore betrayed her. She twisted her ankle and collapsed right in the middle of the intersection.
Elio's eyes widened in shock. Without hesitation, he pulled his bike to the side and rushed over.
"Are you okay?" Elio asked quickly, holding out his hand.
The girl nodded weakly, clutching her swollen ankle. Without asking anything more, Elio picked her up and carried her to the side of the road. Car horns blared around them, adding to the chaos like a tense scene straight out of a drama.
Once they were safely off the road, Elio walked into a nearby convenience store and bought a bottle of water.
"Here, drink this," he offered, handing it to her. The girl hesitated but accepted it with a faint smile.
Elio crouched down and gently touched her ankle.
"This the spot that hurts?" he asked, pressing lightly on the right side.
"Ow... yes, that's the one," she winced, gripping the bottle tightly.
Elio remembered what his grandfather taught him when he had a similar injury. "Hold on, this might hurt a bit."
He started massaging the area with gentle pressure.
"Ahh... it hurts!" the girl cried out. Her face turned red, sweat dripping down her forehead like a scene where the heroine tries to hold back tears.
Elio continued massaging carefully until he felt the stiffness lessen.
"Try moving it now," he said softly.
The girl moved her ankle slightly. "It doesn't hurt... that much anymore."
They both sighed in relief.
"Thank you," the girl said, her voice soft and full of gratitude, eyes locked onto Elio.
"Uh, yeah, no problem..." Elio stood up and offered his hand.
She took it and stood up with his help.
"Can you walk now?" he asked, holding her arm for support.
She tried to step forward— "Ow... still hurts."
Elio instinctively held her steady. "Where are you going?"
"I... I need to get to the CSA Town building..." she said, voice low and full of pain and embarrassment.
"Then I'll carry you. Hop on."
Elio crouched again. "Come on, hurry up."
She hesitated. Elio glanced back at her with a small smile. "Seriously, it's fine."
Reluctantly, she climbed onto his back. They started walking to CSA Town, which was about ten minutes away.
The walk was quiet. Elio focused on the road, his shirt starting to soak in sweat. Meanwhile, the girl rested her head gently on his back, watching the city pass by.
"What's your name?" she asked softly, her lips near his ear.
Elio paused. "Elio. You?"
"I... I'm Caramel."
"Caramel? That's a sweet name," Elio mumbled.
Caramel flinched. "Huh?"
Elio glanced back slightly. "I mean... your name. It's sweet."
"Oh..." Caramel smiled shyly.
After ten minutes, they arrived at the front of the building.
"Hah... finally... we're here..." Elio gasped, clearly out of breath, sweat soaking his back.
He carefully set Caramel down.
"Thanks, Lio," she said with a grateful look.
Elio turned and held out his hand.
Caramel tilted her head, confused.
"Your phone. Let me give you my number."
Caramel took her phone out and handed it to him. Elio quickly typed in his contact and handed it back.
"If anything happens, just call me."
Caramel nodded, staring at the screen.
Without another word, Elio turned and walked back to his motorcycle.
Caramel stood still, puzzled. "What did he mean by that...?" she muttered before heading into the building.
Elio returned to the village. While installing the stove for his mom, he told her everything he'd seen in the city.
"Ma, I want to have a company someday. The building's tall, just like in the city. And... I want to live at the top floor."
His mom pinched his arm. "Aigoo... what would you do with something that tall? Your dad already left us a big store and wide rice fields."
"Still, Ma. I really want tall buildings..."
Elio fell silent for a moment.
"Besides... if I stay in the store every day, I'll keep thinking about Dad..." he said quietly, his eyes starting to well up.
Flashback – 5 Years Ago
That afternoon, Elio had just finished school. He was still in his 7th-grade uniform. The village sky was glowing orange as the sun began to set. His mom picked him up on their old motorbike, and on the way, Elio asked, "Ma, let's stop by Dad's store, okay?"
They stopped at his father's shop. It was warm and full of laughter. The three of them joked around, enjoying their little reunion.
But the joy didn't last.
A man walked in, suspicious-looking. He wore a hoodie, and his face was half-covered with a mask.
Elio's dad approached him kindly. "Can I help you?"
The man didn't respond. Instead, he pulled out a knife. Seconds later, several more men stormed in from the back and sides of the store, each one armed.
"Hide!! Save Elio!!" his father shouted.
His mom grabbed Elio from the seat and ran toward the back room—a vault-like storage with a steel door. Two men chased after them with knives, but they made it in time, slamming and locking the heavy door shut.
Their breathing was heavy. Outside, banging and shouting echoed through the steel.
The room was cold and dark. But one monitor was still on—the CCTV screen.
From it, Elio saw his father surrounded, being beaten... then—
The first stab.
Elio screamed.
The second. The third.
"D-Dad!!"
His mother tried to cover his eyes, but it was too late. Blood was everywhere. His father collapsed.
She cried hysterically. Elio clung to her, his small body shaking in fear.
Three Years After Graduating High School
Now, Elio sat in front of the store his father left behind. It was much bigger now, with glass walls and constant customers. Their house, once old and run-down, had become a modern home. A car and a pickup truck were parked neatly outside.
That evening, Elio returned home and was greeted by the smell of food from the outdoor kitchen.
"Mama..." Elio said as he opened the gate.
"Ehh, Lio! You're back? Come help me here."
He sat beside his mom, eyeing the large amount of ingredients.
"Ma, who's all this food for? It's a lot..."
She smiled. "Your grandfather's coming today."
"SERIOUSLY?!" Elio jumped up excitedly.
"Yes. So go take a shower first, okay?"
He ran inside, taking off his shirt mid-run toward the bathroom.
In his room, walls were filled with family photos and trophies—his dad, his grandfather, and all the awards from competitions.
After showering, Elio helped his mom prepare the food. They laughed while working together.
One Hour Later...
A car pulled up at the gate.
"Grandpa!" Elio ran to greet him. The first one out was Devan—Elio's favorite cousin. His go-to person, his childhood buddy, his forever confidant.
"DUDE! You're so hard to reach!" Devan smacked Elio's arm.
"I changed my number, I'll tell you everything later, I promise."
They all ate together, catching up and laughing after years apart. Midway through dinner, Elio's grandfather looked at him.
"So, you're running the store now?"
"Y-Yeah, Grandpa..." Elio answered, slightly nervous.
Grandpa chuckled. "No wonder the store's getting bigger and better."
Elio laughed along. "Yeah..."
After the meal, Grandpa was taken to his room by Elio's mom. Only Elio and Devan stayed outside.
"Come help me clean up first," Elio said.
After tidying up, they sat on the wooden porch bench, gazing at the sky.
"Actually... there was this really pretty girl who messaged me first," Elio suddenly said.
Devan shot him a look. "WHAT?! WHO?!"
Elio stared at the stars and smiled.
Flashback – 3 Years Ago
At the top floor of the CSA Town building, Caramel stood near a window. She sipped her Pocari Sweat and stared out over the glowing city.
She opened her phone. Elio's profile picture stared back at her.
"This guy..." she murmured, smiling softly.
Her friend called out. "Carameeel!"
"Yeah, I'm coming!"
That night, after a long rehearsal and a hot shower, Caramel sat at her desk in her dorm room. She looked at her phone for a long while.
Then, finally, she typed:
"Hi Elio, it's Caramel."
Not even a minute passed.
"Helloo Caramel."
"Why are you messaging me so late?"
"Just wanted to check if this number was active." she replied.
"Whoa... This is the first time a girl's ever messaged me first. But I don't mind, sweet girl 😊"
Caramel smiled wide, then typed again quickly.
"Do you have time tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? I always have time."
"Let's have lunch tomorrow. My treat. Just as thanks for what you did."
Elio stood up from his chair, practically bouncing with excitement like a kid winning the lottery.
"Okay 😁"
Caramel put her phone down and stared out her window, letting out a deep, happy sigh.
"Tomorrow... I'll see him again..."