The pinkish sunlight colored the afternoon sky above Valcaria City. Leika sat alone on her bench, her beautiful eyes gazing at the campus grounds, which were beginning to empty. Her gaze was empty.
For more than three years, she had been in a romantic relationship with Victor, but over the past year, every day had felt increasingly bland and oppressive.
Victor Drexler was the son of a wealthy businessman in Koravel. In the eyes of everyone, especially the girls, he always seemed perfect—expensive, stylish outfits and a flawless, albeit cold, face. But behind all that, only Lovita knew Victor's true side.
The side that made her feel suffocated and oppressed.
In the afternoon, Victor waited for Lovita in front of the classroom with his hands folded in front of his chest. And as soon as Lovita came out, he quickly grabbed her hand roghly.
"Why did you take so long? I've been waiting for you," Victor said with anger in his eyes.
"I'm sorry... I had to help Professor Parker set up the presentation equipment." replied Lovita softly.
"Help? Was it just you or was someone else there?"
Lovita looked nervous and swallowed hard. She knew where this conversation was going.
"There were other students."
"Who?"
"The class president and one classmate."
"Who was that classmate?"
"Rafaello..." Leika answered Victor's question with her head bowed.
Victor's face tensed.
"That scholarship student again?"
Lovita bowed her head again. "He just happened to not have left the classroom yet."
Victor moved closer, his voice lowering. "Why are you so stubborn? How many times have i warned you not to be near him?"
"He's just my friend. And i already told you, he just happened to not have left the classroom yet."
"Friend?" Victor laughed short.
"Do you think i'm stupid? Do you think you can fool me?"
Victor's hand gripped Lovita's wrist tighter until her hand turned red.
Lovita held her breath. She was scared and felt overwhelmed by the situation.
"Let go, Victor. It hurts."
Victor whispered, and his voice made Lovita shiver.
"Don't make me angry. After all, i'm still your boyfriend"
His gaze was cold and piercing.
Several students who passed by chose to pretend not to see and did not want to get involved—because everyone knew who Victor was and did not want to get involved in serious trouble with him.
Victor released his grip on Lovita's hand, and Lovita took a step back. Her eyes were teary from holding back her tears and fear of Victor's attitude.
From the end of the corridor, Rafaello stared at them in silence. There was pent-up anger in his beautiful eyes.
His hands were clenched to hold back her anger. He saw how Victor treated Lovita.
The night after the incident, Victor couldn't sleep. His eyes just stared at the ceiling of his room.
Lovita's frightened face, holding back tears, continued to haunt his thoughts.
He knew Lovita was deeply hurt, but there was nothing he could do.
He was just a student who was able to attend that elite college only because he had received a scholarship. Besides that, he is also an orphan, while Victor Drexler is the son of a powerful figure and has a lot of influence.
However, the next morning, when Rafaello see Lovita greet him with a clearly forced smile, he couldn't stand it.
He write a few words on a small piece of paper and handed it to Lovia from under the table.
"I saw everything. I saw how he hurt you. You don't have to pretend to be okay. I can see your fake smile."
Lovita stared at the paper for a long time. Then she wrote a reply with trembling hands.
"I'm fine, Rafe. Calm down. Victor is just like that, you don't need to worry ^^"
She slipped the small piece of paper into her book while the lecturer was teaching.
When he read the note, Rafaello's eyes widened.
From the note, he knows that Lovita is lying.
On Friday afternoon, after class, Victor picked up Lovita in front of the classroom as usual.
He forced his girlfriend to go with him to the park behind the campus, a quiet place that was rarely visited by people.
"I heard you often have lunch on the rooftop with that scholarship student? Is that true?"
"No. I'm alone." Lovita replied with a frightened expression.
Victor's face tensed, his eyes filled with anger, and he laughed softly.
"Lovita... don't lie. You always refuse me every time i ask you to have lunch together."
Lovita fell silent. The afternoon breeze blew gently. But the atmosphere was tense for her.
"Why do you keep lying? How far have you and him gone? Answer me."
"You're going too far. He has never touched me at all."
Victor laughed coldly.
"So it's true. You really are with him during lunch."
"Enough, Vic... I—"
Victor cut Lovita's words off.
"And you say he's never touched you?" Victor emphasized the word "never" sharply. He continued,
"Apparently, you want him to touch you."
After that, Victor pressed Lovita's body against the wall.
Lovita's slender hands tried to push Victor away, but he pulled her closer, pressing her body against the garden wall. Victor kissed Lovita's lips roughly and his hands tried to unbutton her blouse.
Tears were already streaming down Lovita's beautiful face.
"Victor, don't do this. I beg you, let me go."
"Please..."
The sound of quick, heavy footsteps could be heard coming from the hallway.
Rafaello.
He stood there, breathing heavily, his eyes sharp behind his thick black glasses.
"Let her go!"
Victor looked at him cynically.
"Don't interfere. This is between me and her."
"But you're hurting her."
Rafaello's voice trembled, holding back his anger.
"I said don't interfere. Are you daring me?"
Victor asked with a face full of rage that was growing more intense. He took a step forward and grabbed Rafaello's shirt collar.
Lovita grabbed Victor's s arm and whispered quickly, "Don't, Victor. Don't make this any more complicated."
Rafaello stared at Lovita's hand gripping Victor's arm, then slowly lowered his gaze.
He knew Lovita was right.
One small mistake could destroy his future. But for some reason, seeing Lovita holding Victor's arm like that disturbed him.
Rafaello was silent. He looked down. He was helpless.
Victor grinned.
"Smart. At least you know your place."
Rafaello turned to leave, but at that moment, a part of him broke.
The next day, Lovita returned to the rooftop.
Rafaello was already sitting there silently, staring at the clear sky with his mind wandering.
"Are you mad at me?"
Rafaello turned his head. Then he shook it slowly.
"No, Lovita."
"But you've been silent since class. And you look at me as if i'm guilty."
Lovita continued.
Rafaello didn't answer. He just closed his eyes for a moment.
"I... just feel that as your friend, i'm useless to you."
Lovita looked at him, tears slowly falling.
"Don't talk like that. That's not true. You're always there for me. That's enough."
"Then i'll always be there for you."
Lovita cried with emotion.
"Enough. Don't cry anymore."
Rafaello slowly wiped Lovita's tears away. Their eyes met. They were now only a breath apart.
Rafaello moved closer, and Lovita closed her eyes. But then Rafaello realized he shouldn't do this.
Lovita opened her eyes again, feeling awkward about what had just happened.
There was a moment of silence. Leika then changed the subject to break the awkwardness between them.
"Do you see the clouds over there? They're shaped like butterflies. Very beautiful, right?"
Lovita said, pointing upwards.
"Yes... very beautiful. But it feels so far away."
Rafaello also looked at the clouds. But then his gaze shifted to Lovita.
Their hearts were still beating very fast from what had just happened. And each of them realized it. They had fallen in love.
But a few days later, the news spread very quickly:
"RAFAELLO ASHFORD, THE SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT, AND LOVITA CARTER, THE DAUGHTER OF A CONGLOMERATE AND VICTOR DREXLER'S GIRLFRIEND, ARE OFTEN SEEN TOGETHER ON THE CAMPUS ROOFTOP."
That afternoon, Rafaello was forcibly dragged toward the back of the campus building by three seniors who were always seen with Victor.
"Hey, you weirdo. Stay away from Lovita. Don't you know who she belongs to?"
"We're just friends," Rafaello replied briefly.
"You're not even worthy of being her friend. You're not her equal."
The words cut sharply.
Rafaello bowed his head, his hands clenched to hold back his emotions. But suddenly, a blow came.
His stomach was hit, blood dripping from his temples and lips.
"This is the last time you approach her. If you dare to approach her again, Victor will take matters into his own hands."
They left Rafaello lying battered on the hard, cold floor.
The next morning, Lovita sees Rafaello limping into class. The students look at him in surprise.
His temple was bruised, his lips were split.
Lovita was shocked, her eyes welling up.
"What happened to you? Why are you like this?!"
Without looking at Lovita, Rafaello replied briefly.
"Yesterday i fell down the stairs."
"You think i believe you?!"
She touched Rafaello's face, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"This must be Victor's doing, right?"
Rafaello stared at her for a long time. Then he replied softly.
"I fell down the stairs. And please don't cry."
"I don't want to see you hurt."
Lovita spoke softly, almost like a whisper.
It hurt her so much to see Rafaello injured.
After that incident, Lovita and Rafaello's relationship seemed strained. More precisely, Lovita chose not to appear too close to Rafaello.
It wasn't because she wanted to, but because she was afraid Victor would act even more severely towards Rafaello.
But every time they passed each other in class or in the hallway, their eyes always met. There was a warm but painful feeling in each of their minds.
A few weeks before graduation, Rafaello was nowhere to be seen on campus.
Lovita heard that he was being treated for internal injuries caused by an "accident."
She asked other students and even lecturers where Rafaello was being treated, but no one knew the truth, except—perhaps—Victor.
When graduation day arrived, Lovita's eyes kept searching for the person who had always made her feel warm—Rafaello. But he never came.
Rafaello disappeared without a trace.
And that left a deep wound in Lovita's heart. She whispered softly, her voice sounding painful.
"You said you'd always be there for me, Rafe But you left me."