Chapter 19
+15 Bonus
The bowl tipped over, spilling most of its steaming contents in one direction and splashing the rest onto the passerby.
Fortunately, Celia hadn’t been burned, but the same couldn’t be said for the unlucky student.
“Ah!”
Lucas inhaled sharply, the scalding sensation on his chest making him wince.
Hearing his pained reaction, Celia’s heart leaped with worry. She hurriedly asked, “Are you okay?”
Lucas took a moment, breathing deeply to steady himself before waving her concern away. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m
sorry–this is my fault for walking into you. Let me get you another bowl of soup.”
His quick apology and offer to make amends caught Celia off guard.
“How could someone who just got burned be more concerned about replacing my breakfast?” she thought.
“It’s okay,” she said, shaking her head with a slight smile. “I can get another bowl myself.”
Celia glanced regretfully at the mess on the floor before pulling out a pack of tissues and handing him one. She pointed to the
soup residue now staining his shirt, her voice tinged with concern. “Mushroom soup isn’t expensive, but your burn–are you
sure you’re okay?”
Lucas accepted the tissues, carefully pulling his shirt away from his skin as he wiped off the soup residue. He gave her an
awkward smile.
Before either could say more, Sasha returned with her own soup and froze at the sight of them. “What happened here?”
Celia quickly recapped the incident while Sasha glanced between her friend and the stranger. Her gaze lingered on Lucas, and a
mischievous smile spread across her face as understanding dawned.
