YOU,ME,AND THEM A LOVE STORY

CHAPTER 1: Leanne Cruz stared out the car window with a deep sigh as the giant gates of St. Aurelius Academy slowly opened before her. The richest school in the entire city. Of course her mother would force her to study there. “Stop making that face,” her mother scolded while fixing her lipstick in the mirror. “You earned that scholarship because you’re smart. Be proud.” “I am proud,” Leanne muttered. “I’m also terrified.” “You’ll survive.” Easy for her to say. Students wearing expensive uniforms walked across the massive campus confidently, laughing like they belonged there. Luxury cars lined the entrance while guards opened doors for students like they were celebrities. Meanwhile, Leanne was trying not to panic over whether her shoes looked too cheap. The moment she stepped out of the car, whispers instantly followed. “Who’s that?” “She’s pretty.” “Probably another scholar.” Leanne pretended not to hear any of it. She tightened her grip on her bag and walked straight toward the main building. She only had one goal: Survive. Unfortunately, St. Aurelius Academy was apparently designed like a maze. After getting lost for nearly twenty minutes, Leanne groaned while staring at the map. “East Wing… North Hall… why are there so many buildings?!” “You still terrible with directions?” Leanne froze. That voice— She turned around so quickly she nearly dropped her bag. Standing there was a boy with soft brown hair, warm golden eyes, and the same innocent smile she remembered from years ago. “…Chris?” Christopher Reyes grinned brightly. “Lea!” Before she could react, he happily pulled her into a hug. Leanne blinked in shock before laughing. “You’re crushing my lungs!” “Sorry!” Chris quickly let go, still smiling like an excited puppy. “I just can’t believe you’re actually here!” Leanne stared at him carefully. Christopher Reyes had changed. He was still shorter than most boys his age—which she found hilarious—but somehow it made him look even cuter. His smile was warm and playful, and despite looking harmless, there was a mischievous spark in his eyes she remembered very well. “You got cuter,” Leanne blurted out accidentally. Chris immediately gasped dramatically. “You think I’m cute?!” “I TAKE IT BACK.” Too late. Chris was already laughing while teasing her nonstop. “Leanne called me cute~” “Oh my gosh, shut up.” “Nope.” Some things never changed. And honestly? Leanne was relieved. After Chris practically dragged her around campus all morning, lunchtime finally arrived. “Come with me,” he said excitedly. “Where?” “The literature club!” Leanne raised an eyebrow. “You? Literature?” “I like stories!” “You eat paper during exams.” “That happened once.” “Twice.” Chris ignored her and pushed open the clubroom door. Warm sunlight filled the quiet room. Bookshelves lined the walls, soft music played quietly somewhere, and the comforting smell of pastries drifted through the air. Three boys looked up. The first one sitting by the window nearly made Leanne stop breathing for a second. He was tall. Really tall. Broad shoulders stretched against his uniform, and his dark hair was slightly messy in a way that somehow made him look even better. His sharp eyes softened instantly when they landed on Chris. “Chris,” he said warmly. “You’re late.” Then his gaze shifted toward Leanne. “…Who’s this?” Chris grinned proudly. “Leanne! My childhood best friend!” The tall boy stood up immediately. “I’m Carlos Reyes,” he said calmly before smiling slightly. “But everyone calls me Carl.” Leanne blinked. “Wait… Reyes?” Chris puffed his chest proudly. “He’s my stepbrother.” “And his babysitter,” Carl added. “I don’t need babysitting!” “You got lost three times last week.” “That was ONE hallway.” Leanne laughed quietly. Carl looked intimidating at first glance, but the way he looked at Chris made something obvious: He absolutely adored him. Like an overprotective giant teddy bear. Meanwhile, another boy sitting near the bookshelf slowly looked up from his book. His black hair partially covered his eyes, and he had the quietest expression Leanne had ever seen. He looked cold… until Chris walked over and leaned against him. Immediately, the boy’s expression softened. “This is my cousin, Ren Santos,” Chris introduced. Ren adjusted his glasses quietly before giving Leanne a small nod. “…Nice to meet you.” His voice was low and calm. Leanne noticed he avoided eye contact almost immediately. Shy. Very shy. “Ren’s super smart,” Chris whispered loudly. “Top student in our year.” Ren sighed. “Please stop announcing my business.” “But it’s true.” Leanne noticed the faint pink tint on Ren’s ears. Cute. Then suddenly— “Chris! I baked extra strawberry cream buns for you!” A fourth boy burst out from another room carrying a tray of pastries. He stopped completely the moment he saw Leanne. “…Oh.” The boy had soft ash-brown hair tied loosely behind his head and tired-looking eyes that somehow still looked gentle. An apron was tied around his waist over his uniform. Leanne blinked. “Were you cooking?” “No,” he answered automatically. There was literally flour on his face. Chris snorted. “Kai hyung, you’re still wearing the apron.” The boy—Kai—immediately panicked. “I-I KNOW THAT!” He quickly untied it while glaring at Chris. Then he awkwardly looked at Leanne before looking away almost instantly. “…Who’s the girl?” “That’s Leanne,” Chris said cheerfully. “Lea, this is our cousin, Kai Santos.” Kai coughed awkwardly. “H-hello.” Leanne smiled politely. “Hi.” Kai looked away so fast she almost laughed. Not good with girls. Noted. Chris immediately grabbed one of the pastries from the tray. “You made my favorite?!” Kai tried to sound annoyed. “You kept whining about wanting sweets.” Chris happily bit into the pastry with sparkling eyes. “This is SO GOOD.” Kai’s ears turned slightly red. “…Obviously.” Carl chuckled quietly while Ren shook his head fondly. Leanne watched the four boys interact with each other. Chris teasing everyone endlessly. Carl keeping Chris from accidentally hurting himself. Ren silently fixing Chris’s messy notes. Kai cooking and baking for everyone while pretending not to care. The atmosphere felt warm. Comfortable. Like family. And before Leanne realized it— She was smiling. Chris suddenly turned toward her. “You should join our club.” Leanne blinked. “Huh?” “Yes,” Chris said immediately. “Please.” Carl nodded calmly. “It would make this place less noisy.” “You’re saying Chris is noisy?” “Yes,” all three boys answered together. “TRAITORS!” Leanne burst into laughter again. For the first time since arriving at St. Aurelius Academy… She felt like maybe she belonged somewhere after all. What she didn’t realize— Was that the four boys were already starting to look at her a little differently than before.