“Dr. Jefferson, are you done?”

Miranda’s voice snapped Paul out of his daze.

“Yeah, it’s done.”

“Thanks.”

Paul’s gaze drifted back to Miranda’s waist again. He wasn’t thinking about anything inappropriate, but because she was so thin, he wondered if she had been eating properly.

Hansel sat in front of the vanity, lost in thought as day turned to dusk and dusk faded into dawn. He wanted to sleep, but he just couldn’t.

His mind relentlessly replayed memories, both the sweet moments he had shared with Miranda and the countless times he had been a complete jerk. As the first light broke on the horizon, he finally pulled himself out of the mire of nostalgia.

At 8:00 am, the city was buzzing with the rush hour crowd. He changed into fresh clothes and drove to the best dessert shop on Brookside Lane, a trip that usually took half an hour stretched into a full hour.

“Hello, I’d like a whole mango crepe cake, please.”

The server blinked in surprise. “Whole or sliced?”

“Whole.”

“You’re in luck. We just finished the first one and were about to cut it. If you’d arrived two minutes later, you would have had to wait for the next batch,” the server said.

Hansel hummed lightly.

As the server boxed up the cake, she remarked, “You’re here early. Is it urgent?”

“My girl… ex-girlfriend likes it.”

That simple line sent the server’s imagination reeling. She began to think of those romance novels she read, though she had no idea who the main character was or how the story would unfold.

Hansel wasn’t in the mood for conversation. He took the cake, got in his car, and drove off.

The server, still standing behind the counter, watched through the glass door. “Wow… a sports car,” she muttered.

It felt like a scene lifted right out of a novel.

After their two morning classes, Madison and Sebastian were heading to the lab.

Madison smacked her lips as soon as they stepped out of the building. “I’m kinda thirsty.”

Sebastian didn’t say a word.

Since she was used to his silence, she didn’t expect him to respond anyway. “How about we grab something to drink outside campus before heading to the lab? It’s my treat, so what do you want?”

Sebastian shot her a look that said, “Here we go again.” He knew she would keep talking no matter what, so he just said, “I don’t want anything.”

“Come on, Seb, you’re being such a buzzkill!”

“I can go with you to get one,” he offered.

“No way! Drinking alone is no fun. You have to buy something, too.”

Sebastian hesitated before answering.

Madison interrupted, “I know you’re working out. No sugar, no carbs, right?” She had heard that line a million times. “You could just get something low-fat and zero-calorie.”

“Those low-fat, zero-calorie drinks are a scam. If you drink them, you’ll still gain weight,” he replied.

“Seriously? Can you stop talking about weight all the time? We get it–you’re fit. Congrats! You don’t need to stab me with it every chance you get.”

Sebastian frowned and said earnestly, “If you don’t want others to mention your weight, why not just lose some?”

“Because losing weight means I can’t enjoy food or drinks. If I can’t enjoy life, what’s the point? To me, dieting is equivalent to misery. Why would I choose that?”

He was left speechless.

Madison added, “So, are you getting a drink or not? I’ll stop inviting you if you’re not up for it today. Hmph! You’re such a drag.”

Sebastian hesitated before replying, “Fine. Let’s go.”

“Wait, what?”

Madison blinked and leaned forward. “Wait, are you actually going to get something?”

He stayed silent.

“Come on. Are you in or out? I’m not dragging you just to keep me company. I want you to pick something, too.”

Sebastian sighed. “Fine. I’ll get a drink.”

Madison’s face lit up with a smile that revealed her dimples. Though she wasn’t the skinniest, she had a pretty face, especially when she smiled. There was something irresistible about that sweet, bright expression.