So, naturally, he showed up while I was in a baggy hoodie, messy hair, and sipping bubble tea like a literal child. There I was, sitting in the corner of the cafe like I didn't have a care in the world, but secretly feeling like I wasn't supposed to be here — not like this, at least. The oversized hoodie swallowed me whole, the sleeves hanging pass my fingers as I clutched the plastic cup, the chewy tapioca pearls bouncing with every sip. It was embarrassing. A total mess.
And then… he walked in.
Daniel. My ex. The one who made me feel like I was always too much, and somehow, never enough. The one who thought my bubble tea obsession was "immature," my dreams "unrealistic." The one who somehow still had the power to make me feel small.
But this time, something was different. My heart didn't race with the usual self-doubt when I saw him. No, this time, it felt like the universe had conspired to make me look like a complete fool in front of him. I felt my cheeks heat up, and I took an extra long sip, trying to act like I wasn't painfully aware of how ridiculous I probably looked.
As he approached, I kept my eyes glued to the table, willing myself to disappear into the wooden surface.
But then there was Vic.
Of course, Vic would be the one sitting across from me — the guy who never judged, who never made me feel less than. He was over there, leading back in his chair, one leg casually crossed over the other, his eyes sharp and observant.
"Don't you love when they just show up uninvited?" Vic's voice was so casual, it made me realize he was more aware of the situation than I was. He gave me a knowing look as I tried to shrink further into my chair, my bubble tea suddenly feeling too sweet.
I couldn't hide the awkwardness in my smile. "Yeah… Just what I needed today."
Daniel didn't seem to notice my discomfort at first. He was too busy scanning the room, searching for an empty seat. I didn't have to look at him to know that his gaze still filled with that condescending superiority — the same look he always gave me when I didn't meet his high standards.
But then, the moment I dreaded the most happened. He spotted me. And the annoying smirk appeared on his face. He waked over, like he owned the place, and took a seat right beside me.
"Didn't expect to see you here." Daniel said, his tone dripping with something I couldn't quite place. It wasn't warmth. It wasn't friendliness. It was… smugness. Like he knew I'd be at this cafe, looking exactly how he'd always said I looked: childish, unpolished, immature.
"Yeah, well, I didn't expect to see you either," I shot back, trying to sound confident, but failing miserably.
Vic's eyes darted between us, clearly noticing the shift in the atmosphere. He seemed to catch my discomfort and, in a subtle motion, leaned a little closer, his foot brushing against mine under the table. It was like he was silently reminding me that I wasn't alone in this.
That was all I needed. I straightened up, set my bubble tea down, and forced myself to look at Daniel.
"Well, I'm here," I said, pushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear." "And I'm doing just fine. How about you?"
Daniel's smirk faltered for a split second, but then he recovered, as if pretending nothing was wrong. "Oh, you know, same old. Just here to grab some coffee."
I could feel the tension in the air like it had its own weight. The familiar awkwardness crept back, but now I wasn't that girl anymore. I wasn't the girl who let him walk all over her. And I wasn't the girl who thought I needed him to feel valid.
But then, out of nowhere, Vic spoke.
"You know, Daniel," Vic said, his voice laced with that playful confidence I adored, "You should really learn how to treat people better."
Daniel blinked, taken aback by the sudden boldness from a guy he didn't even know. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah, you heard me," Vic continued, leaning forward a bit." You've got whole 'I'm better than you' thing going on, but maybe you should focus on being a decent human being first."
I didn't know whether to laugh or to die of embarrassment. Vic had this effortless way of being blunt and funny, but it hit harder than anyone else's words ever could. He wasn't just protecting me. He was calling Daniel out. And in that moment, I felt like that weight that had been on my chest since Daniel walked in was suddenly lifted.
Daniel's face flushed, his eyes darting toward me, and then back to Vic. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something cutting, but nothing came out. He just scoffed, clearly frustrated that someone else had the audacity to challenge him.
"Whatever," Daniel muttered, standing up. "I don't have time for this. Enjoy your childish little bubble tea." With a sharp glance at me, he walked off, leaving behind a silence that was way louder than his footsteps.
As soon as he was out the door, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
"Wow," I said, still trying to process everything. "I really thought he was going to try to pick a fight."
Vic shrugged, his casual grin returning. "Eh, Daniel's all talk. People like that are usually afraid of someone who isn't intimidated by them."
I couldn't help but laugh. "You really called him out. I didn't think anyone had the guts to do that."
Vic's grin softened for a second, his gaze locking with mine. "I've got your back, always."
I didn't know what to say to that. There was something so simple yet profound in his words, and it was almost like I could see through the playful exterior to the real depth beneath.
And for the first time in forever, I felt like maybe… just maybe… I wasn't so messed up. Not when I had someone like Vic in my corner.
The cafe felt warmer now, like someone had turned the thermostat up. Or maybe it was just the adrenaline from the confrontation still rushing through my veins. Vic leaned back in his chair, completely unfazed, like he hadn't just verbally bodied my ex in the middle of a matcha-scented coffee shop.
"Seriously though," I said, trying to calm the swirl in my chest, "you didn't have to do that."
He raised an eyebrow. "Of course I did."
"But you don't even know him," I argued.
Vic gave me that lopsided smirk that should be illegal. "Didn't need to. I just to know you. And I didn't like the way he looked at you, you were something to be pitied."
That hit me harder than I expected.
I looked down at my half-finished bubble tea. The tapioca balls at the bottom stared back at me like they knew too much.
"You always do that." I mumbled.
"Do what?"
"Say things that make it hard for me to pretend you're some annoying kid."
Vic chuckled. "Who says I'm not still annoying?"
I looked up at him. His eyes were dancing with amusement, but there was something else there. Something steadier. Something real.
"You know you don't have to protect me, right?" I said. "I'm not some fragile… sad girl that needs rescuing."
"I know," he said softly. "You're probably one of the strongest people I know."
My breath caught.
"I just… I've seen how you carry things. How you laugh even when you're exhausted. How you still care about people who don't deserve it. And maybe I can't fix everything, but I can stand beside you when it gets heavy."
Damn it.
Now I wanted to cry. And hug him. And maybe marry him on the spot.
Instead, I just blinked rapidly and slurped up another tapioca ball like a feral child because emotions are not allowed here today, no sir.
There was a beat of silence before I mumbled, "You're not helping me stay emotionally distant, you know."
He grinned. "Wasn't trying to."
Ugh. Rude.
————————————————————
We stayed in the cafe a little longer, the conversation slowly shifting back to safer territory — classes, part-time jobs, his dumb Tik Tok algorithm that only fed him skateboarding dogs and chaotic cooking hacks. The more we talked, the easier it became to forget that way that Daniel had twisted the air around me.
But the lingering ghost of the encounter still sat on the corner in my mind.
Vic eventually glanced at his phone and groaned. "Ugh, my mum's gonna call me soon and remind me to sleep like I'm not legally an adult."
I giggled. "Is this the same woman who bought you a weighted blanket and said it was your 'overactive emotions'?"
He winced dramatically. "Yes. And I use it. Don't judge me."
"I'm not! I love that for you."
We both laughed, but there was something warm and safe in the space between us now. Something new.
[End of chapter 2{