MY ABOVE 'the' NORMAL PRINCE

Chapter Thirteen: In love with her

Third Person's POV

The other four members of the café booth stood frozen, their jaws nearly dropping as they watched Tori walk gracefully toward them. Their stunned expressions quickly turned into excitement—this might just be the miracle they needed to save their club. With someone like Tori drawing attention, gaining enough new members suddenly felt possible.

Mika, practically glowing with energy, was eager to introduce Tori to the rest of the group. They had already come up with a plan: every potential recruit who visited their booth today would get a chance to be served by Tori, their charming temporary waitress.

Tori didn't object. To her, it felt like a harmless game, like playing tea party with her friends when she was younger. Standing inside the booth in her frilly outfit, holding a notepad and pen, she looked every bit the perfect anime-style café server.

At first, only a handful of students wandered in—mostly girls hoping to try their hand at being a waitress too. One of the members was busy jotting down their names on a list. Mika explained that after today, their café club would likely change its theme, depending on how things went.

But the majority of the visitors were boys, all clearly hoping to get close to Tori. Her presence had drawn a crowd, and the line was getting longer by the minute. Still, Tori could only serve up to three people at a time.

She was taking the third customer's order when he greeted her with a bright smile.

"Hi, Miss. My name's Alex."

"I'm Tori," she replied politely. "May I take your order?"

Just then, voices began shouting from outside the booth.

"It's our turn! Why are those guys taking so long?!"

The crowd was getting restless, almost chaotic, prompting the club to assign numbers to everyone in line to manage the flow.

From a distance, Caius stood watching.

He smiled faintly.

Part of him wanted to march over there and pull her out of that booth—away from the noise, the crowd, and the boys shamelessly trying to flirt. But he couldn't. Not when she looked that happy. Tori's laughter, the sparkle in her eyes—she was clearly enjoying herself, as if she were in a fairytale café, just playing pretend.

The first time Caius saw Tori, something inside him shifted. It was like a magnetic force telling him to look, to keep looking. At school, he often caught himself glancing her way when she wasn't paying attention. He'd memorized the way her smile curved, how her brows lifted when she was deep in thought.

At first, he was confused. He had never felt this way before—never been drawn to anyone like this. Tori was different. Funny in an innocent, slightly clumsy way. A girl who lived in her own little world, filled with books, dreams, and imaginary princes. And somehow, that made her unforgettable.

Not far from where Caius stood, two boys were watching the booth as well.

"Bro, isn't that Tori from our school?" one of them asked Ryan.

They didn't notice Caius listening from the other side of the path.

"Yeah," Ryan said quietly, and Caius could sense the sadness in his tone.

Ryan stepped into the crowd and filled out a form.

Mika raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, this club is only for students from our school."

"But she's from our school," Ryan replied.

"She's just helping us out today as a friend," Mika explained firmly.

Before Ryan could argue, another figure emerged.

"Come on! That's my Tori! She's been my crush since elementary," said Rain with a grin.

Caius's eyes narrowed, and his smile vanished.

"These two pests again," he muttered under his breath.

Caius's POV

I found a quiet spot near the booth where I could see her—Tori, in that ridiculously cute waitress outfit, smiling like she was in her own little world. She looked happy. Like a girl playing make-believe at a tea party. Watching her laugh and twirl her pen as she took orders... it stirred something in me. Something old. Familiar.

Funny how years can pass, and yet, one person can still pull you in without even trying.

My childhood wasn't like hers—not even close. While Tori probably grew up surrounded by stories and warmth, mine was quieter. My father died when I was young. Mom worked constantly just to keep us afloat. Most days, it was just me, my textbooks, and silence. No fairy tales. No games.

We moved to Summer Ville that's when everything shifted.

Our house was just a few doors down from hers. I didn't know it then, but my mom had reconnected with an old friend—Tori's father.

She was this bright, quirky whirlwind of a girl. And me? I was the quiet. I wanted to talk to her, to be part of her world. But every time I got close, something held me back.

But now... she's right there. Laughing, living, shining. And all I can do is sit here, watching from a distance—just like always.

The first time I stepped into their living room, I wasn't expecting much. Some polite conversation, maybe a few snacks, and an hour of awkward smiles.

I definitely didn't expect Tori.

She came down the stairs barefoot, in plaid pajama pants and a shirt that said something about being a book princess. Hair messy, mid-spin like she was in a musical—until she saw me. Froze. Blinked. Said "Hi" like I was a ghost from her nightmares.

My mother exchanged pleasantries with hers while Tori tried to disappear into the furniture. She looked uncomfortable, stiff, giving her dad pleading glances like she was asking to be rescued. Honestly? It was kind of funny. She wanted out so badly she tried to escape mid-conversation—stood up too quickly, ran for the stairs, and slipped.

Hard.

She went down like a scene from a bad sitcom—limbs everywhere, pride nowhere. And then, somehow, she still managed a one-liner about bonding with her mattress. Dramatic. Embarrassed. Absolutely ridiculous.

But I laughed.

Not loudly. Just a quiet snort, almost a breath. But it was real. First in weeks, maybe longer. I don't even think she realized what that moment meant—to either of us.

I didn't expect to end up back at Tori's house so soon, but there I was. Her mom greeted me warmly, and the smell of homemade food made the place feel welcoming, even if I wasn't used to that kind of comfort.

Tori was awkward, like usual—stiff, avoiding eye contact. We sat apart on the couch in silence until I broke it by mentioning her books. She seemed embarrassed but laughed, which was nice to see.

Dinner was surprisingly warm. Her parents asked questions about my life, and I answered as best I could. Tori was visibly flustered every time our eyes met.

Her dad sent her to help me with dessert, and we ended up alone in the kitchen. She admitted the situation felt weird, but I didn't mind. We traded some quiet banter she asked if I liked talking, I told her only when it's worth saying something. She teased me about my quietness, and I teased her back about her "prince" waiting in her room. That made her blush.

After dinner, she tried to sneak off to read, but her mom caught her. The whole "prince" thing came up again, and I couldn't help but enjoy her flustered reaction.

When it was time to leave, I thanked them, and Tori gave me a shy, "No problem." I teased her one last time about the prince, which she quickly denied was real.

Her dad laughed, saying he liked me, and honestly, I like hearing that.

I went to Tori's house to drop off something for her dad—nothing special, or so I thought. She opened the door humming some Disney song, smiling like life was simple. That alone threw me off more than I'd admit.

She invited me in. I said I'd stay for five minutes.

She noticed something was off. I tried to brush it off, but she always sees through people—me included. Then she brought up Ryan. Said he saved her from a basketball, laughed about it. But the way she smiled when she talked about him—it bothered me. More than it should've.

I tried to act like I didn't care, but I slipped. Told her it was weird seeing her happy with someone else. She teased me, as always, but it hit closer than she knew. I almost told her what I was feeling... but I backed out.

I left before I said too much. But just before I walked out, I told her to quiet her imaginary prince—the one I'm apparently competing with in her head.

Whatever this is, it's getting harder to ignore.

It was supposed to be a calm weekend by the lake. Just the four of us. Rose set the tone right away, loud as ever, already poking fun at Tori. I kept to myself. That's easier.

They spent the day laughing. Tori and Ryan were inseparable—playing games, skipping stones, brushing hands. I saw it all from the edge, pretending not to care. I'm good at that.

That night by the fire, Rose joked about them kissing. Ryan didn't deny it. I walked off. Didn't trust myself to sit there and watch.

Next morning, we took a walk in the woods. Ryan took her hand. Of course he did. She didn't pull away.

Then came the dare. Rose challenged her to step into some so-called "sacred grove." She went, eager to prove something. I stayed quiet. I should've stopped her.

She slipped.

I heard her cry out and ran. Ryan got to her first. Of course he did.

Her ankle was twisted. She was in pain. I hated seeing it, even more than I hated him holding her like that.

Back at the cabin, he wrapped her foot, and I brought water. It's all I could do. I told him not to let her do stupid things. He told me to stop watching from the trees.

I didn't answer.

He's not wrong. But he doesn't know everything either.

I was just heading to my next class when she ran straight into me—Tori. She looked shaken, like she'd been crying hard. Her books hit the floor, and before I could even ask, she looked up at me and whispered, "Can you take me home?"

I didn't ask why. I just said yes.

Then I heard Ryan calling out behind her. She froze—completely panicked—and turned away from him. So I stepped in between them. Ryan stopped. Didn't say anything else.

I picked up her books and held out my hand. She took it.

The car ride was silent. She didn't say a word, and I didn't push her to. I could tell she was barely holding it together.

When we got to her house, she whispered thank you—couldn't even meet my eyes. So, I got out and hugged her. Nothing dramatic. Just enough to let her know she wasn't alone.

That's when she broke down again.

She cried into my shoulder.

I just held her until she stopped.

Then she went inside. No goodbyes.

I didn't need one.

That was the day I saw her heart break and I think she didn't even realize it was quietly breaking me too, watching her fall apart like that.

That crush I had on her quietly grew day by day stronger than I ever thought I was capable of. I fell harder and harder in love with her. No one knew, just me.

The day after I saw her crying, she didn't leave her room for weeks. When I found out that Ryan was only playing with her heart, I exploded like a bomb. It led to a fight between me and Ryan, and we both got suspended.

During that time, Tori almost wanted to transfer schools. But I'm glad she didn't run away.

After high school, she decided to take a course at a university where my course wasn't available. Still, I chose to find a school close to hers.

I know she doesn't understand how I feel. I want to tell her, to confess, but I can't. She's already built walls around her heart to keep anyone out. It's not easy to break through, but I'm willing to wait.

So, I decided to take everything step by step—get to know her, learn everything about her. It's kind of funny because she treats me like just a close friend, completely innocent of my feelings.

She has this ideal of her "Prince," which honestly doesn't exist in our world.

It'll take time, but I'm sure in the end, I'll make her fall in love with me.

.......................................................................

Hi-Yu