3 A Mysterious High School Girl

Refusing to waver, Erica hurriedly stood up and grabbed Marcellus by his arm before he could leave.

Her abrupt action startled him a bit. She appears so desperate now that it seems a little disturbing. He knows that kind of look – perhaps, all too well since he used to encounter it from other women before. It does nothing to appall him or make him feel uneasy, though.

Instead, it only peeves him more.

"I really do love you, Cel! I can't live without you!" Erica exclaimed, earning a deeper scowl from him.

"How are you able to live until now, then? Not once did we even get to live together to begin with. Quit your drama," Marcellus hissed underneath his breath.

"I'm being serious! I'll do anything to be with you! Anything at all!"

"Then, do me a favor and leave me alone. You're really loud and annoying."

"How can you be so mean?! Don't you know how much that hurt me-"

"I don't care."

At this point, he can't find it in himself to hold back anymore.

Everyone is blinded by his image as this playful, impish guy who will always be up to entertain women. Because of that, most of them completely forget how cold and sharp-tongued he can be. Whenever his buttons are pushed like this, he becomes insensitive and forbidding. It's the complete opposite of how he usually acts.

Even when Erica starts tearing up, Marcellus only continues looking at her indifferently.

His public rejection mortifies her. Everyone else in the café is watching them by now. Their heated exchange is starting to catch attention from the onlookers and passersby outside as well. Then again, with how good-looking the two of them are, they certainly stand out.

"My, how cruel of you, Sir…"

Once more, the high school girl from earlier joins in, making them turn to look at her.

She ignores how Marcellus raises a brow at her and decides to focus on the other one. For a second there, he saw a passing mischievous glint in her grinning eyes. With a sweet smile, she then beams at Erica to which she can only respond with another confused expression.

"Miss, if I were you, I wouldn't wanna date such a lame guy, much less embarrass myself for him like this," she quipped yet again, making her flare up.

"You're insulting me again?! This is none of your business, okay-"

"But I'm only looking out for you. After all, Miss is so beautiful. You shouldn't cry and wear your heart on your sleeves for anyone like that – no one's worth your precious tears."

"H-Huh? What are you saying now?"

"Besides, do you really want this kind of guy? Sure, he may look perfect and all, but usually, people like him grow old alone. That's because he's the type who can never be satisfied. He seems big-headed, egocentric, and obnoxious. As long as he lives, he'll continue to think that everyone is his plaything. Don't you pity such a person?"

It's not only the two of them, but everyone in that café who heard her hate speech were all flabbergasted.

While Erica is too stunned to say a thing, Marcellus is torn between making her responsible for her mockery and asking her why she keeps poking her nose like this. Even though he is used to a lot of hate-filled and envy-fueled comments, she doesn't seem to be claiming things without any basis. She talks as if she knows him well enough, and it shows with how confident and assertive she is.

"Miss, on the other hand, is very kind. You know how to appreciate people despite their flaws, and you look beyond the surface. I mean, you did take your time to learn that he loves coffee, right? There's nothing wrong with trying to know more about the person you love. It's admirable of you to confess like this too…" the highschooler continued before giving her a wider grin.

"Honestly, you deserve someone better, Miss. Leave this idiot and let him rot."

Marcellus was no longer sure of how this entire thing started and ended, but what he was certain of was that this high school girl was one of the strangest things he has ever seen in his whole twenty four years of existence.

---

"You talk big for someone I've only met today. What's with you? Do I have a dirt on you or something?"

Right after the whole fiasco in the café wrapped up, Marcellus took his leave and fled from the crowd that had gathered there. At that exact moment, the young lady who fearlessly shot her mouth off against him had stepped out of the building.

Erica left earlier than both of them, finally giving up after being knocked sense into. With that, he was able to escape yet another obsessive admirer – in quite a humiliating way, though. While letting himself get mocked like that had done the trick to ward her off, it still didn't settle well with him that such a huge audience had witnessed it.

Yet more than that, he couldn't help but be curious about this mysterious student.

"You've only met, huh…?" she trailed off before returning his amused smirk with an apathetic look.

"That's no meeting at all. I'm still a stranger to you."

"Is that a way of telling me that we should get to know each other better, then?" he claimed while crossing his arms complacently.

"You're creepy. I just talked crap about you yet you're trying to act chummy. Are you a masochist?"

"Seriously, what did I ever do to you? Can't you stand guys like me or something? Do I remind you of your ex-boyfriend?"

"You know, instead of wasting your breath like this, you should be better off leaving now. You're gonna be late for your next date."

"Huh? Wait, that's… Hey, how do you-"

Yet before Marcellus could ask how in the world she knew that, she suddenly snatched his sunglasses from his chest pocket and wore it without asking for his permission. He stares at her incredulously while she only waves him off and turns around to walk away. With that, he was left standing there in nonplus and disbelief.

"I'll return these shades to you once we officially meet. Good luck on your next date, Sir."