Chapter Ten: Three Peas in a Pod
1584 Words
Tori's POV
Rose and I moved into the house his parents own, just a short walk from campus. Staying here meant we could only go back home on weekends — and if classes or projects piled up, well, we'd be stuck for longer.
"Oh my God, Rose, you got boobies now!" I exclaimed, eyes wide.
She gave me a sidelong glare as I reached out to poke his chest. "Are they real? And soft?"
Before I could touch, he smacked my hand away. "Gross!"
"I'm just curious, okay?"
Rose rolled his eyes but smirked. "Whatever, you weirdo."
"Now that we're in college, I'm no longer required to keep my hair short."He said," He ran his fingers through his newly hair extension. "Loving the freedom."
"Look at this—flaunting her long hair like it's a crown."
I grinned. "You better rock it, girl. College looks fierce."
We laughed, ready to take on this new chapter together — messy, awkward, and totally exciting.
"Meanwhile, Caius is probably buried in his books right now, as usual. You know him—always serious, always focused, like the world depends on his next exam." I said
Rose and I burst out laughing just thinking about that stone-cold expression of his, as if fun was some foreign language he forgot how to speak.
"Bet he's studying right now," Rose said, shaking her head with a smile.
"Yeah, probably memorizing something boring while we're out here having all the fun."
We both grinned, knowing that no matter how different we all were, we had each other's backs—serious Caius included.
My phone beeped.
Caius: "Hey. Want to grab dinner? My treat. I'm near your uni. Sending the location if you're free."
I blinked at the message, surprised—Caius rarely messaged first unless it was important. Maybe med school hadn't frozen his soul completely.
Me: "Sure! Send us the address."
He replied within seconds, as efficient as ever. I turned to Rose, who was brushing her long hair in front of the mirror.
"Caius wants to eat out. He's near our university."
Rose's eyes lit up instantly, and she squealed like she'd won the lottery. "Oh my god, really? The ice prince himself invited us to eat. What happened, did the sun rise in the west?"
I laughed. "Be nice. He's just trying to connect."
Rose grinned, grabbing her purse. "I don't care if he's made of ice, I'm not missing this chance to see that face up close again. Let's go before he changes his mind and retreats back to his books."
We headed out, excitement bubbling in our steps—not just because of the food, but because even someone like Caius was becoming part of this new chapter in our lives.
Caius arrived first, of course. He always did. Through the glass window of the restaurant, I spotted him seated neatly at the corner table, sipping water like he was born to carry the weight of quiet grace. His posture, his calm expression—he looked like the perfect poster boy of self-discipline. The kind of guy you'd trust with your life... or your math exam.
From the outside, he looked like a composed gentleman.
Totally the opposite of me and Rose.
We were loud, chattery, chaotic messes with tangled emotions and tangled hair. I sometimes wondered—no, often wondered—why he chose to hang out with us. Why he stayed. But then again, Caius always did things for reasons only he knew.
As we walked in, he glanced up, his eyes catching ours. A gentle smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It wasn't big, or flashy, or anything that demanded attention—but it was there. Warm and quiet.
I smiled back.
Rose, on the other hand, nearly sprinted to him. "Caius! You didn't change one bit—still looking like a K-drama lead who takes studying as a religion."
He let out a soft chuckle and stood to pull our chairs out like a proper gentleman. "And you two still look like trouble," he said in his usual dry but oddly affectionate tone.
We sat, the three of us fitting together like oddly shaped puzzle pieces that somehow just worked. Maybe we were chaotic, but somehow, in his silence, Caius always made space for us.
We ordered and began to eat while chatting how we settled on our new house where we stay, while he alone stay at his apartment.
Did you find a new groups of friends? Rose asked with his ee flutering like a butterfly.
I elbowed him, "Dont say joke, we might offend him." Then we both laugh.
Caius still answer," Well I met knew classmates who wants to spend time studying."
"Did you find a new group of friends?" Rose asked, eyes fluttering like an overexcited butterfly.
I elbowed him gently. "Don't say jokes like that, we might offend him."
We both laughed—me with a smirk, Rose with a giggle that practically echoed through the restaurant.
Caius, as usual, didn't flinch at the chaos. He took a slow sip of water, then calmly answered, "Well... I met new classmates who want to spend time studying."
Rose made a face. "Ew. Of course. That sounds so you."
"It's a medical course, Rose," Caius replied, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "I don't exactly have time to join a dance club."
"Still," I said, resting my chin on my hand as I looked at him, "I hope you're not just locking yourself in libraries and anatomy labs. You should laugh sometimes too, you know?"
"I laugh," he said with a straight face.
"No, we make you laugh," Rose added, leaning forward. "Big difference."
Caius looked between the two of us, the faintest warmth in his eyes. "Then I guess I'll keep coming around... so you two don't forget how to behave."
We all laughed again.
"How about you two? Did you already make new friends?" Caius asked, his tone casual but with a subtle interest behind it.
"Nah," I answered, leaning back in my seat. "We're fine with the two of us. But we do have classmates we sometimes hang out with."
"But we got a problem," Rose suddenly said with mock seriousness.
I turned to him, raising a brow. "Do we have?"
He gasped dramatically and placed a hand over his chest. "How could you forget, my dear?"
"Ohhh, I remember now," I said, snapping my fingers, catching on to his game. "Yeah. It is a problem."
Caius tilted his head slightly, looking between us with mild suspicion. "What problem?"
"We haven't found a good milk tea place near our dorm!" Rose exclaimed like it was a national crisis.
Caius blinked. "...That's the problem?"
"It's not just a problem, Caius," I said, nodding seriously. "It's a tragedy. A dorm without a milk tea spot is like a heart without a beat."
"You two are unbelievable," he muttered, but the soft smile tugging at his lips betrayed the fondness in his voice.
"Don't worry," Rose chimed in. "You're our only hope. You're smart and resourceful. Find us one."
"Oh, so now I'm a milk tea detective?" he deadpanned.
"If the shoe fits," I said with a grin.
Caius shook his head, but his eyes lingered on us for a second longer. "I'll see what I can do."
After this, let's go to a karaoke bar," Rose said, standing up with a big grin.
I turned to Caius. "Wanna come?"
He just nodded, a small smile playing at his lips.
Rose raised an eyebrow. "I need to make sure you two don't make trouble."
We all laughed as we headed inside the private karaoke room.
Of course, almost all the songs we picked were Disney classics — because, obviously, that's how you become princesses for a night.
Rose belted out "Let It Go" with all his might, while I giggled trying to keep up with "A Whole New World."
Caius sat back, occasionally letting out a small laugh or clapping softly to cheer us on, looking completely amused by our silliness.
His calm presence somehow made the night feel even more lighthearted — like no matter how crazy we got; he had our backs.
"I'm so tired," I groaned dramatically, dragging my steps a little slower than usual. "Why does singing make my legs feel like jelly?"
"You were dancing more than singing," Rose said, nudging me playfully. "Also, I saw you dramatically act out Reflection. You deserve that soreness."
Caius chuckled softly beside us. "You two are hopeless."
"Excuse me, we are stars," Rose said with a hand on his chest like a true diva.
As we continued walking under the dim streetlights, Caius glanced at us. "I'll walk you both home first before I head back to my place."
"Such a gentleman," I teased, but honestly, I was grateful.
Then he asked, "Will you be going home this weekend?"
"Yeah," I said with a nod. "Probably Friday night."
Caius looked at me for a second, then said quietly, "Wait for me. Let's go home together."
Before I could respond, Rose chimed in dramatically, "Ugh, my driver's picking me up like always. If only I knew, I would've fired him already!"
We all burst into laughter at that.
As the night air cooled around us and our footsteps echoed softly on the pavement, it felt nice—simple, safe. The kind of night you remember later and smile about for no reason.
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Hi-Yu
- Writer
