The Trio & Their World

The clock showed 10:00 AM.

Correction—10:05 and twenty-seven seconds.

Lunch break.

Sacred. Holy. Long-awaited by every student without exception.

Thirty minutes that somehow felt more important than a long explanation from the math teacher about formulas that always appeared uninvited.

In short: the time to come back to life.

From the hallway of Class XI Science-2, three figures made their way toward the cafeteria.

A tall boy walked in the middle, casually sandwiched between two girls who looked completely used to this arrangement.

And as always—chaos began.

“KYAA!! IT’S EXCEL LEOHAN!!”

“EXCEL!! I LOVE YOU!!”

“LEO YOU’RE SO COOL!!”

“WO AI NI!!”

“SARANGHAE!!”

“AISHITERU!!”

“LEOHAN, MARRY ME!!”

A calm smile appeared on the face of the so-called target of chaos.

Relaxed.

Too relaxed.

To the point where people started wondering if he actually enjoyed it.

“Ugh… what kind of smile is that? It’s creepy.”

Lien Ariesty made a disgusted face.

“Creepy?” the boy turned slightly. “They’re practically dying because of this smile.”

“More like suffocating from second-hand embarrassment,” Lien shot back immediately.

“Just say you’re jealous,” he replied lightly.

“JEALOUS?!”

Sava let out a soft sigh.

“Can you two stop for a second? I’m hungry.”

Too late.

Lien was already pointing at him.

“Did you hear that? Even Sava is tired of your face, Louhan!”

“My name is LEO,” he corrected. “L-E-O. Not Louhan!”

“What you have is a Leo face with a louhan fish vibe,” Lien replied without hesitation.

“WHY IS IT ALWAYS A FISH?!”

“Because you’re slippery and annoying.”

The argument continued aimlessly—like always—until they finally reached the cafeteria.

“Stop calling me a louhan fish!”

“Then what are you, really?”

“A lion!”

“Lions don’t have that cute of a smile,” Lien teased.

“Is that a compliment or an insult?!”

“Answer: both.”

“HEY.”

Sava’s voice finally dropped—calm, but firm.

The two immediately stopped.

Not because they were afraid.

More like… instinct.

“If you want to argue, go ahead. Just not in front of my food.”

Lien clicked her tongue. “See? She started again.”

Luhan—yes, at some point that name became official—grinned.

Excel Leohan: Louhan: Luhan.

“See? I told you. She’s scary when she’s hungry.”

Sava didn’t deny it.

“Aunty, one bowl of instant noodles. And a taro milk tea.”

Done.

And like a reset button—

the two who had just been arguing were now glaring at each other again, as if the fight was far from over.

Sava, Lien, and Luhan.

Three people who had been friends since elementary school.

No one really knew why they had lasted this long.

But one thing was certain—

wherever Luhan went, Lien and Sava followed.

And wherever Sava and Lien were…

Luhan was always there too.

Always.