Arzen flinched slightly at the name, which did not go unnoticed by the girl. Her black eyes widened with excitement.

"Oh my gosh!! Don’t tell me… Y-You like Roel Arth too? That's awesome! I LOVED Roel!! His voice is just incredible, and he's such a talented artist!"

‘No! I am not his fan. God, what's with this girl?’

"His latest album is just amazing! Every song on it is a masterpiece!!"

The girl’s hands gestured enthusiastically as she spoke, her excitement evident in every movement, her long brown hair swaying with each gesture.

Arzen raised his hand slightly, finally tired of listening and didn't want any more misunderstanding, trying to interject.

"Actually, I—"

"He's been my favorite ever since his debut! I follow all his social media accounts!"

The girl clapped her hands together, her eyes shining with excitement. Arzen sighed quietly, trying to muster a polite smile while feeling overwhelmed by her enthusiasm.

"I even went to his last concert! It was the best night of my life!"

‘Please, stop... I don’t care!!’

"And have you seen the music video for his new single?! It's so artistic and beautifully shot!"

Her hands gestured wildly, nearly knocking over a display. Arzen quickly steadied the display, his patience wearing thin as he tried to keep up with her rapid chatter.

"He’s not just a great singer, but also such a good actor! He really brings his characters to life!"

The girl leaned even closer, her voice dropping as if sharing a secret. Arzen took a deep breath, trying to stay calm despite feeling trapped by her relentless excitement.

"I’ve watched every drama he's been in! He's just so versatile!"

Arzen tried again, louder this time, raising his voice to get her attention. His fingers drummed on the counter.

"I don't—"

"He also does so much charity work! It's inspiring how he gives back to the community!"

The girl tilted her head, her eyes wide with admiration. Arzen gritted his teeth, forcing himself to nod in acknowledgment as he struggled to find an opening to speak.

"My friends and I are planning to go to his next fan meet! You should join us!"

Arzen clenched his fists under the counter, trying to maintain his composure as he listened to her enthusiastic invitation.

"I've got posters of him all over my room! He’s just the best!"

‘Stop! I really don’t want to know!’

"And don't even get me started on his looks! He's just perfect in every way!"

She leaned back, nearly swooning with admiration. Arzen's jaw tightened, and he felt a muscle twitch in his temple.

"I even have a Roel Arth phone case! Do you want to see it?"

‘NO!!!’

She reached into her bag, rummaging for her phone. Arzen's eyes darted around the cafe, silently pleading for an interruption.

"Oh, and did you know he’s also a brand ambassador for so many luxury brands?!"

She pulled out her phone, holding it up for him to see. Arzen forced himself to glance at it, his patience nearly at its breaking point.

"I’ve been collecting all the merchandise! My room is practically a shrine to him!"

‘Please, someone save me.’

"How about we exchange numbers and QChat IDs? I can invite you to the Roel Fan Club where I’m the president!"

The girl’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. Arzen blinked, caught off guard by her persistence, feeling completely overwhelmed by her energy.

"Uh, well—"

"Come on, it'll be fun! We have group chats, fan meet-ups, and so many activities."

"I really—"

"And I can introduce you to so many other fans. We all love Roel so much. It's like one big happy family."

"That's nice, but—"

"Plus, we get the latest news and exclusive content. It's amazing!"

Arzen tried to interject, but the girl kept going, her excitement unrestrained. Her hair swayed slightly as she continued talking.

"You’ll never feel left out. We support each other through everything. It’s such a great community."

"Actually—"

"And the best part? We even have listening parties for his new songs. His music is just out of this world."

Arzen took a deep breath, trying to find a way to gently decline her offer.

"You’ll love it! We have so much fun."

"Listen, I—"

"We even plan surprise birthday parties for him, even though he doesn’t attend, of course. It’s just so much fun!"

Arzen’s smile grew more forced, his responses becoming more automatic

"And we have trivia nights, and you can win so many cool Roel-themed prizes!"

He finally managed to cut in by raising his hand.

"I don’t have a phone."

The girl stared at him, stunned by Arzen’s reply. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You… don’t have a phone?"

Arzen nodded, feeling a bit awkward under her surprised gaze.

"Yeah, I don’t."

Her eyes widened even further, her voice dropping slightly.

"In this age and time? No phone?"

He nodded again, trying to remain calm.

"That’s right."

The girl blinked, clearly taken aback by his response. Her forehead seemed to twitch as she processed the information.

"Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to be so forward. I just thought… Wow, I’m really sorry. You didn’t have to lie just to decline."

Arzen shook his head, offering a reassuring smile.

"I’m not lying. I really don’t have one. And to be honest, I’m not interested in exchanging numbers."

The girl blushed, looking even more embarrassed by the misunderstanding. Her red lips parted slightly as she stammered an apology.

"Oh… I see."

Arzen tried to steer the conversation back to her order, hoping to ease the tension.

"So, how many scones and muffins would you like?"

"Um, six scones and four muffins, please."

He quickly packed her order and handed it to her, trying to be as efficient as possible.

"Okay, you can pay by scanning here."

Arzen pointed to the payment terminal, its screen illuminated with a QR code. The girl leaned in, her long brown hair falling over her shoulder as she fished out her phone and scanned the code.

Her cheeks still red from the earlier embarrassment, the girl took a deep breath before speaking.

"Thank you. And, um, sorry again for being so forward."

Arzen gave her a polite smile, hoping to reassure her.

"It’s alright. Here’s your order."

The girl took the package, still looking a bit embarrassed by the exchange. Her long brown hair swayed as she turned to leave.

"I’ll come by often. Please indulge me and talk with me when I do."

Without waiting for a reply, the girl ran out of the shop, leaving Arzen feeling a mix of relief and exhaustion.

Arzen sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping under the weight of the day. As he cycled back to the dorm, the familiar scenery passed by in a blur. His mind preoccupied with the complexities of his situation. He longed for the peace of his room, away from the endless interactions and expectations.

As he approached the dormitory, his pace slowed, and a sense of foreboding settled in his gut. The dim light of the hallway cast long shadows, heightening his unease. He spotted Carsel, Mila, and Alex further down the corridor. Carsel was drenched from head to toe, and an empty water bottle lay on the ground beside him. Arzen cursed under his breath, not ready for another confrontation. 

‘Seriously?! Again? Why does Carsel seem to be everywhere I go?!’ 

Conflicts like these were far from the quiet life he used to know, but now he had to blend in, keep his head low, and avoid getting caught in the middle of anyone’s crossfire. He could feel the tension thickening in the air as he neared the scene, each step making him more wary. He looked at the scene before him from the shadows.

Mila's face contorted with anger, her green eyes flashing as she clenched her fists tightly by her sides. Before she could speak, Alex's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"Every time, Mila! Every single time something happens, you’re involved. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Mila opened her mouth to respond, but Alex continued, ignoring her attempt to explain herself.

"Carsel’s soaked because of you. I’ve seen what you’ve done to him before."

Carsel tugged at Alex’s arm, his small red lips trembling.

"Please, Alex, it’s not Mila’s fault. This was just an accident."

"Wha.. ? What acci—"

Mila started, her green eyes wide with frustration, her fists clenched tightly by her sides.

Alex didn’t let her finish her sentence, his eyes blazing with anger, his face inches from Mila’s.

"Shut up! I don’t want to hear your excuses."

Carsel tugged harder at Alex’s arm, his voice growing more desperate, his eyes wide with panic as he pleaded for understanding.

"Alex, please, you’re misunderstanding. Mila didn’t—"

Alex cut him off, pointing at the empty bottle with a sharp motion, his eyes narrowing.

"How do you explain this, Carsel? How do you explain being soaked?"

Mila’s frustration grew, her green eyes flashing with irritation, but Alex didn’t give her a chance to speak, focusing solely on Carsel.

"You think she’s innocent? You’re too kind, Carsel. She’s been tormenting you since day one."

"It’s not like that."

Carsel shook his head, water dripping from his slightly curly hair, his voice trembling.

Mila stepped forward, her green eyes blazing with frustration, her fists clenched tightly by her sides.

"I didn’t—"

Alex shouted over her, his voice echoing down the hallway, causing heads to turn.

"Yeah, right. I’ve seen you in action. This is just another one of your tricks."

Mila’s face flushed with anger, her long wavy hair swaying around her shoulders. Across from her, Alex’s jaw clenched tightly, his dark eyes fixed on hers with unwavering intensity.

"You’re always causing problems. You can’t keep getting away with this."

Carsel's delicate features twisted in distress as he tugged at Alex's arm, his eyes pleading desperately.

"Alex, please, let’s just go. This isn’t helping."

Mila's frustration boiled over, her face turning crimson as she tried to raise her voice, her green eyes flashing with anger.

"I didn’t do—"

Alex stepped closer to her, his face inches from hers, his expression fierce, his eyes blazing with determination and anger.

"You need to back off, Mila. You’re nothing but trouble."

Carsel tugged at Alex, trying to pull him away, his slender build shaking slightly.

"Please, Alex, let’s just leave. This is getting out of hand. Mila didn't mean to do this."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Carsel? I haven’t even—"

Mila’s frustration boiled over, her face reddening with anger. Alex didn’t let her finish, his voice harsh and unforgiving.

"Stop making excuses! You’re pathetic. You’ll never change."

"Please, let’s just go. Mila didn’t mean to do it."

Carsel looked at Alex, his eyes pleading desperately.

Mila’s face turned crimson with rage, her green eyes blazing.

"What the f*ck, Carsel! You know damn well I didn’t do anything!"

Carsel’s eyes were red from crying, his lips quivering. He kept apologizing, his voice trembling.

"I’m sorry, Mila. I’m so sorry for being too close to Raizel. I’ve tried to say good things about you to him, but he’s just not interested. There’s nothing I can do to change his mind."

Mila snapped. She clutched her head and ears, her voice rising to a frantic scream.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You lunatic! You are a lunatic!"

Mila’s anger exploded as she suddenly lunged forward, clawing at Carsel, her fingers like talons aiming at him.