Chapter 2 Fateful Meeting

Leon POV

“Professor Heru's class… this early?” I muttered to myself, yawning many times as I walked through the university corridor. “ I need to buy coffee or else I’ll fall asleep in the middle of lecture”

I walked into the hallway and heard a loud crash.

CRASH!

“Kyaaa!”

I stopped and looked at the girl sitting on the floor surrounded by thick books.

"Huh? What happened?" I hurried over.

“Ouch, ouch… ehe, “ the girl let out an embarrassed giggle as she tried to gather her books.

“Are you okay?” I knelt, reaching for a heavy architectural book. “Here, let me help you. Can you stand?”

“I’m fine, I just brought too many books,” she said shyly as she tried to get up.

“I’ll help you. Which room are you going to?” I asked.

“Room 103,” she replied.

“I’m in room 105,” I said. “But I’m going to stop by the cafeteria to get some coffee. Is that okay?” I asked.

“Oh, no problem! Thank you,” she replied, her eyes sparkling and her lips smiling. “By the way, my name is Anastasia, I major in interior design. What’s your name? And what’s your major?” she asked.

“Leon. I major in Industrial Engineering.” I replied.

Anastasia tilted her head and said “Industrial Engineering? Sounds difficult.”

“Yes, it’s pretty tough,” I replied flatly. “You were probably busy with the drawings.”

“Yes, but I like it. Why did you choose Industrial Engineering, Leon?” she asked.

“My family runs a food company,” I explained, my voice becoming a little serious. “I'll probably take over someday, so I need to understand how everything works. It’s my responsibility.”

“That sounds exciting!” she chirped.

“And you? Why Interior Design?”

“Mama is an architect. I figured I could help her in the future.”

“I see. that’s a good thing,” I nodded as we reached the cafeteria counter. I turned to the barista. “One espresso, no sugar. Anastasia, what do you want?” I asked.

“Oh, no, it’s fine.” She answered

“Don’t worry about it. Pick something.” I assured her.

“Okay… one cappuccino with sugar then.” she replied

While waiting for our drinks, I glanced at her. “So, what year are you? I’m Class of 2008.”

“I’m in the class of 2007,” she said proudly.

I raised an eyebrow. “Wow, I thought we were in the same year. You look….. younger.”

Anastasia laughed and said “I get that a lot!”

“How long are you on campus today?” I asked.

“After my morning class, I have Enterpreneurship class.” She answered.

"Wait, really? I have that too, right after Ergonomics. But isn't that a fifth-semester course? Why are you just taking it now?" I asked her.

Anastasia gave another embarrassed ehe. "I... well, I forgot to take it last year."

I couldn’t help but giggle. “Alright then, senior. Lets head to class together after this.”

Later, in the Ergonomics Class...

I immediately sat down on the chair when the clock showed that class was about to start.

Alfredo, my best friend, whispered with a smirk. “Why were you late?”

“Helping someone from interior department,” I muttered, opening my notebook.

Alfredo’s eyes widened. “Interior? A girl?”

“Yeah.” I replied.

“Finally!” Alfredo grinned, nudging my shoulder. “Springtime has finally arrived for The Great Leon.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked with confused look

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” Alfredo whispered, suppressed a laugh.

Enterpreneurship Class

Professor stood at the front of the hall. “For this semester’s project, you will work in pairs. You are required to build a comprehensive business plan from scratch.”

Anastasia immediately turned to me, with pleading eyes she asked, “Want to team up, Leon? I don’t really know anyone else in this class.”

“Sure,” I agreed. “Why not?”

“Thank you! You’re a lifesaver.” She answered excitedly.

“So, what’s the plan?” I asked

“How about interior furniture like a chair?” she suggested.

“That works. You handle the design, and I’ll handle supplier and artisan.” I said

“Deal!” She said excitedly.

At the Cafetaria

"So, what do you think? Is the design good?" Anastasia asked, sliding a sketch across the table.

I studied it for a moment, then frowned. "It’s beautiful, but the cost is going to skyrocket. Our target segment is middle-to-lower income. For high-end, it makes sense, but not for this."

"But The design looks so much better with the carvings!" she protested.

“We need to cut the ornate carvings. They add too much to the production time and labor costs. “People in that market care more about durability than fancy details.” I argued.

“You’re so stingy!” Anastasia complained with pout.

“I’m realistic, “ I countered. I sighed when I saw her puffed cheeks. Damn it. Now I felt bad. “Okay, okay. I give up, I’ll help you find supplier for cheaper materials but we also can look for cheaper artisan.” I said.

“Really?” Her eyes sparkled. “You can do that?”

“Hn.. Just no complicated carvings, please.” I pleaded.

“Yay! Thank you, Leon!” She thanked me excitedly.

She smiled so brightly that, for a second, I forgot why I’d been arguing with her in the first place.

Five hours passed while we were busy working on our entrepreneurship project. Our intense focus made us lose track of time. “It's almost evening,” Anastasia noted, looking at the sky turning orange.

"Yeah, it is," I said, closing my laptop. "Where do you live?”

“Rose Regency,” she answered.

I paused. "Wait, really? That’s a very modern, upscale neighborhood."

"Not really... ehe," Anastasia said modestly, though a small smile played on her lips. "What about you? Where do you live?"

"Winston Boulevard," I answered plainly.

Anastasia’s eyes widened slightly. "Wow... that’s a seriously elite neighborhood, Leon. I guess my hunch about you was right."

"It’s just normal neighborhood," I replied

“I need to wait for my mom here, though,” Anastasia explained, checking her phone with a slight frown. “She said she’ll be coming late.”

I stood up and grabbed my keys. "How about we head to the mall? We can continue working there for a bit. Just tell your mom you’re working on a project with a friend. " I suggested

Anastasia’s face lit up. “That’s a great idea!”

When we reached the parking lot, Anastasia paused in front of my car. "I thought a rich kid like you would drive a flashy luxury car. This is... surprisingly modest."

"Luxury cars have expensive maintenance," I replied plainly.

“Makes sense,” she laughed

As we drove, a song began playing from the speakers. Anastasia’s eyes lit up. "Wait, you have this on your playlist? I thought engineering guys were all stiff and boring."

"You think we’re robots?" I joked.

"Well... maybe a little?" she teased

“Hey, watch it,” I laughed. “If you want to copy the songs, go ahead. I don’t mind.” I said.

"Really? Yay. I’m surprised, Leon. We have same taste in music." She said

"Well, it’s a matter of taste. Seems like mine is just as good as yours." I said.

Mall

“Hooray! The mall!” Anastasia cheered as they walked through the entrance.

“Don’t act like you’ve never seen a mall before,” I teased.

“Let me be excited for once!” she shot back. “Where to? Food? Or should we go to bookstore? I want to look at some interior design books.”

“Let’s go to bookstore then.”

Bookstore

“I’m going to the interior section!” Anastasia announced.

“I’ll be in the Novels and Business section.” I said

“You like novels?” Anastasia asked.

“I’m collecting few books. I want to see if there are new updates.” I said

“If you find a good one, let me borrow it!” She asked

I went to the fiction and business sections, scanning the shelves with my eyes and hands, and finally picked out an interesting economics book

“Found it!” I shouted excitedly

“Found what you were looking for?” Anastasia whispered right behind me

I jumped slightly and shouted “You startled me!”

“Sorry!” she giggled, holding up the book. “I found mine. Look!”

“I found two books,” I said, showing her my selection.

“A book on economic strategy… and a novel about the Story of the Four Kingdoms?” Anastasia read the titles. “You really like this stuff, don’t you?” she asked.

“I do.” I answered proudly

“Hmmm….”

“What?” I asked

“Oh, nothing,” she smiled. “Let’s go pay. I’m hungry!”

As we walked toward the cashier, I glanced at the girl beside me. She was humming a tune, clearly happy about her new book.

Jie jie was right—it’s strange, but a warmth I’ve never felt before is spreading through my heart. I used to think spending hours with someone would be exhausting.
But strangely, with Anastasia… time moved too fast. I thought it would be hard to move my heart, but it turns out it’s possible. It’s strange, but I don’t hate it.

“Where should we go now? A café?” I asked.

“A café sounds good,” Anastasia replied with a smile.

Our conversation flowed easily, no longer about our class projects, but about our lives outside of college. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the café.

Lemon Café

The café was filled with the warm, fragrant aroma of roasted coffee beans, the soft murmur of quiet conversation, and the gentle strains of instrumental music.

“How about we sit over there, in the corner, Leon?” she asked, pointing to a spot in the corner of the café.

“Sounds good. We won’t be disturbed there while we work on our assignments,” I replied.

We headed to the spot we’d chosen in the corner of the café, and as soon as we sat down, a server came over with the menu.

“Welcome to Lemon Café. Would you two like to look at the menu first or order right away?” the waitress asked.

"I’ll have the Aglio Olio and a Lemon Tea," I said, glancing up from the menu. "What about you, Anastasia?" I asked to her

"I’ll go with the Carbonara and a Lemon Tea as well," she replied, her eyes bright with anticipation.

The waitress nodded, scribbling quickly on her notepad. "Let me repeat the order: one Aglio Olio, one Carbonara, and two Lemon Teas. Is that correct?"

"That’s it," I confirmed.

“Okay, we’ve received your order. It will be ready in about 30 minutes,” replied the waitress.

While we were waiting for our order to arrive, we continued our conversation

I became curious about Anastasia’s family, so I asked, “How many siblings do you have?”

"Three," she said, counting them off on her fingers. "I have two Jie-jie—my older sisters. What about you?" she asked

"same, three. I have a jie jiie and mei mei—my younger sister." I replied.

"I’ve always wanted a younger brother," she admitted, a wistful look crossing her face. "Since I’m the youngest, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be the one in charge—to be the Jie-jie for once."

“I see,” I murmured

She nudged me playfully. "What about you, Leon? How does it feel to have a younger sister?"

I paused for a moment, thinking about Mei Mei. “My little sister is cheerful—actually, she’s very cheerful. There’s nothing wrong with that, but…” I paused again, furrowing my brow. “Sometimes I want her to call me Onii-chan.”

Anastasia suddenly burst out laughing, her laughter causing the other café patrons to turn and look at us. “You watch too much anime, Leon!”

"So what?" I retorted, though I couldn't suppress the small, lopsided grin forming on my face. "Let me have my delusions."

“What about your jie jie, Leon?” asked Anastasia.

“My older sister is calm and mature; sometimes I even feel like she always thinks outside the box,” replied Leon. “What about your two older sisters, Anastasia?”

“My first older sister, Cassandra, is also calm and mature, while my second older sister, Tiffania, is more direct when she speaks, but she means well. I love them both,” Anastasia replied with a smile.

“What about your parents, Leon?” asked Anastasia. “As for my parents, they get along so well that it’s almost embarrassing to watch.”

“My papa and mama get along well too, but my papa sometimes too nice, so it drives me crazy to watch,” replied Leon.

“Too kind?” she asked. “What do you mean by ‘too kind’? I don’t get it.”

“Well, if someone acts badly toward him over and over again, he still forgives them, even though I think bad people don’t deserve forgiveness,” I replied

“Your dad is really weird, to be honest,” she replied.

“……Yeah, that’s just how it is,” I replied.

Thirty minutes slipped by in a blur of comfortable chatter. When the waiter finally returned, the steam rising from the plates carried the savory scent of garlic and rich cream.

"One Aglio Olio, one Carbonara, and two Lemon Teas," the waitress announced, setting the dishes down with practiced ease. "If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to call. Enjoy your meal."

"Thank you," I said, already reaching for my fork.

"Wow, this looks incredible!" Anastasia exclaimed. She twirled a perfect nest of pasta onto her fork, but instead of taking a bite, she leaned across the table. Her eyes danced with a mischievous glint as she held the fork out toward my face.

"Come on, Onii-chan... open wide. Say aaa!" She leaned in, her eyes dancing with a mischief.

I felt the heat rush to my face instantly. I pulled back slightly, my eyes darting around to see if anyone was watching. "Stop teasing me," I muttered, trying to maintain my composure.

“Aw, is Onii-chan getting angry?” she giggled, not pulling the fork away. Her teasing smile caught me off guard.

“That’s enough,” I said, though there was no edge to my voice. “Let’s eat.”

"Fine, fine... Onii-chan," she whispered with a final, triumphant wink before finally taking a bite of her own food.

I looked down at my plate, my heart drumming a rhythm that had nothing to do with logic or engineering. I always told myself not to involve feeling in every action

"Mmm, this is incredible," Anastasia murmured, her eyes lighting up as she savored the final bite of her meal. The happiness radiating from her face—a sight that, for some reason, I never tired of, no matter how often I looked at it.

I nodded slightly, my eyes fixed on my Aglio Olio. “Yes,” I replied. “Truly delicious.”

Anastasia leaned back, her expression shifting from contentment to a familiar spark of curiosity. "So, what’s next on the agenda? Shall we do our assignment right here?"

“Yes, let’s do that,” I said. “Next, we’ll look for artisans and material suppliers.”

Anastasia paused, thought for a moment, then spoke up and said, “If you’re already thinking that far ahead, maybe I can ask my parents about artisans and suppliers.”

“If you want to ask your parents, that would be a huge help, but we’ll still meet with the artisans and suppliers as new customers,” I emphasized. “I want to see how they treat regular clients first.”

“Yes, sir,” Anastasia gave me an exaggerated salute, grinning proudly.

A grin spread across Anastasia’s face, her competitive spirit ignited by his intensity. "Now I’m even more pumped up to get A mark!"

“Yes, we’re going to get an A in this class,” I replied enthusiastically.

Thirty minutes had passed since we agreed to work on our college project at this café. Finally, Anastasia let out a long, heavy sigh and dropped her stylus onto the table.

"Ah, I’m exhausted," she groaned, stretching her arms above her head.

"Otsukaresama," I said softly.

Anastasia paused, tilting her head in confusion. "Meaning?"

“Good job,” I translated. "It's a way of acknowledging someone’s hard work."

Before she could reply, her phone rang. Anastasia glanced at the screen, her expression changing instantly. “Oh, it’s Mama. Hold on a second, okay?”

"Go ahead," I replied, giving her the space she needed.

When Anastasia finally put her phone down, her face clouded with a hint of disappointment.

"Mama said she’s going to be late picking me up," she murmured.

“How about I drive you home instead?” I offered. “My house is on the way to yours.”

Anastasia blinked, a bit surprised by the offer. "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."

"Not at all," I insisted, my voice firm yet reassuring. "It’s no trouble."

A relieved smile broke across her face. "Okay... thank you, Leon. Truly."

"Don't mention it," I replied, already reaching for my keys. "Let’s get you home."

Eventually, the car slowed to a halt in front of a well-kept residence.

The drive was quiet, a welcome sanctuary from the noise of the city. As the car glided through the streets of Arcadia, our conversation drifted effortlessly—shifting from the latest films and music to our personal hobbies. It was a strange, almost surreal feeling; the shadow of "Andrei" and the bitter resentment that usually clawed at my mind seemed to vanish whenever I was with Anastasia.

Eventually, the car slowed to a halt in front of a well-kept residence.

"This is it. This is my home," Anastasia said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

I looked out at the house, noting its warmth. "It’s a nice place, Anastasia.

"Thank you," she replied with her radiance smile.

I turned to her and asked, “We’re going to the artisan workshop and supplier this Wednesday. What do you think?”

"Definitely," she nodded, opening the door. "Goodnight, Leon. Drive safely. Bye!"

"Bye. Goodnight," I replied.