Love in the Shadow Part 3

The cafeteria was bustling with students, the smell of fried food and chatter filling the air. Lea sat alone at a table, eating her lunch and trying to ignore the group of rowdy students who were eyeing her from across the room.

The group, led by a burly boy named Bong, began to taunt Lea, calling her names and making lewd comments. Lea tried to ignore them, but it was clear she was getting uncomfortable.

Just as Bong and his friends were about to get physical, Japhiex stood up from his own table, his eyes flashing with anger. He was about to confront the bullies when Lee Soo Oh suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Without hesitation, Lee Soo Oh strode over to Lea's table, his eyes locked on Bong and his friends. "Leave her alone," he said, his voice firm but calm.

Bong and his friends snickered, but Lee Soo Oh's confident demeanor made them hesitate. Japhiex, who had been about to intervene, stopped in his tracks, watching as Lee Soo Oh effortlessly defused the situation.

"Or what, pretty boy?" Bong sneered, trying to save face.

Lee Soo Oh smiled, a cold glint in his eye. "You don't want to find out," he said, his voice dripping with menace.

Bong and his friends backed down, muttering under their breath as they slunk away. Lee Soo Oh turned to Lea, who was watching him with a mixture of gratitude and surprise.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice softening.

Lea nodded, still looking a bit shaken. "Yeah, thanks to you," she said, smiling up at Lee Soo Oh.

Japhiex, who had been watching the scene unfold, felt a pang of jealousy.

One of their classmates, a curious-looking girl named Camille, approached Japhiex and asked, "Hey, Japhiex, why aren't you with Lea? You two are always together."

Lea's eyes flicked to Japhiex, a hint of surprise and curiosity on her face. Lee Soo Oh, who was still standing next to Lea, noticed the exchange and raised an eyebrow.

Japhiex's face darkened, and he muttered, "Mind your own business, Camille."

Camille looked taken aback by Japhiex's brusque response, but she quickly recovered and said, "Sorry, sorry. I was just wondering."

Lea's eyes lingered on Japhiex's face, a thoughtful expression on her own. Lee Soo Oh, meanwhile, was watching the exchange with interest, his eyes darting back and forth between Japhiex and Lea.

It was clear that there was some kind of history between Japhiex and Lea, and Lee Soo Oh couldn't help but wonder what it was.

Just then, a stray cat appeared out of nowhere, walking along the concrete wall with ease. It suddenly leapt into the air, trying to catch a dragonfly buzzing around its head.

Camille let out a delighted shout and quickly grabbed her phone to record the scene. She expertly moved the camera angle to capture the cat's acrobatic jump, and then panned across the courtyard, inadvertently capturing Lee Soo Oh standing nearby.

Lee Soo Oh, unaware of being filmed, took a deep breath and began to make his way towards Lea, who was still sitting at the table. Just as he approached, Japhiex appeared in the distance, waving at Lea while running towards the library.

Just then, a stray cat appeared out of nowhere, walking along the concrete wall with ease. Its grey fur blended perfectly with the dull color of the wall, making it almost invisible. But as it moved, its tail twitched back and forth, giving away its presence.

The cat's eyes were fixed intently on something in the air, and as it walked, it began to crouch lower and lower, its muscles tensing in preparation for a pounce. Suddenly, it leapt into the air, its body stretching out in a graceful arc as it tried to catch a dragonfly buzzing around its head.

The dragonfly, its iridescent wings glimmering in the sunlight, darted and weaved through the air, always just out of the cat's reach. The cat landed with a soft thud on the concrete, its paws making barely a sound as it immediately began to stalk its prey again.

Camille let out a delighted shout and quickly grabbed her phone to record the scene. She expertly moved the camera angle to capture the cat's acrobatic jump, and then panned across the courtyard, inadvertently capturing Lee Soo Oh standing nearby.

Lee Soo Oh, unaware of being filmed, took a deep breath and began to make his way towards Lea, who was still sitting at the table. He walked with a confident stride, his eyes fixed intently on Lea's face. As he approached, he could see the faintest hint of a smile playing on her lips.

Just as Lee Soo Oh reached Lea's table, Japhiex appeared in the distance, waving at Lea while running towards the library. His backpack bounced behind him, and his face was set in a determined expression. Lea's eyes flicked towards Japhiex, and for a moment, Lee Soo Oh thought he saw a flash of something like affection in her eyes.

But then her gaze returned to Lee Soo Oh, and she smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Hi," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lee Soo Oh's heart skipped a beat as he smiled back at her, feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation that he hadn't felt in a long time. He sat down next to her, his arm brushing against hers, and began to talk, his words flowing easily as they chatted about everything and nothing.

As they talked, Lee Soo Oh found himself becoming more and more drawn to Lea. He couldn't help but notice the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed, or the way her hair fell in loose waves down her back.

Lea, for her part, was friendly and respectful, but didn't seem to be aware of the romantic vibes that Lee Soo Oh was giving off. She chatted with him easily, asking him questions about his interests and hobbies, and listening intently as he responded.

As the conversation flowed, Lee Soo Oh found himself feeling more and more at ease. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way around someone - so comfortable, so himself.

As they talked, Lee Soo Oh reached out and casually brushed a strand of hair out of Lea's face. It was a gentle, intimate gesture, and Lea didn't flinch or pull away. Instead, she smiled up at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

Lee Soo Oh's heart skipped a beat as he gazed into her eyes. He felt a rush of excitement and attraction, and he knew in that moment that he was hooked.

As Lee Soo Oh gazed into Lea's eyes, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and attraction. He leaned in a little closer, his face inches from hers, and smiled warmly.

But Lea, despite her friendly demeanor, didn't seem to be reciprocating Lee Soo Oh's romantic vibes. She smiled back at him, but her eyes didn't sparkle with the same level of interest. Instead, she seemed to be regarding him with a polite, friendly affection.

Japhiex, who was watching the scene unfold from afar, noticed the subtle difference in Lea's body language. He saw the way she leaned back slightly, creating distance between herself and Lee Soo Oh, and the way her smile seemed more polite than passionate.

Camille, who was still filming the scene with her phone, caught every detail of the exchange. She zoomed in on Lee Soo Oh's face, capturing the hopeful, romantic expression in his eyes. She then panned out to show Lea's more reserved reaction, her face a mask of friendly politeness.

As the scene played out, Japhiex felt a pang of relief. He had been worried that Lea might actually be interested in Lee Soo Oh, but it seemed clear that she didn't feel the same way.

Lee Soo Oh, however, seemed oblivious to the subtle cues. He continued to chat with Lea, his eyes shining with excitement and interest. Lea, meanwhile, continued to smile and laugh, her friendly demeanor hiding any underlying lack of interest.

The scene played out for several more minutes, with Camille capturing every detail on film. As the conversation finally began to wind down, Lee Soo Oh smiled warmly at Lea and stood up, his eyes never leaving hers.

"It was great talking to you," he said, his voice low and smooth.

Lea smiled back at him, her eyes sparkling with friendly warmth. "Yeah, same to you," she replied.

As Lee Soo Oh walked away, Japhiex couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. It seemed clear that Lea wasn't interested in Lee Soo Oh, and that was all that mattered.

As Lee Soo Oh walked away, Camille couldn't resist teasing him. She walked up to him, a mischievous glint in her eye, and said, "You're so smooth, Lee Soo Oh!"

Lee Soo Oh turned to her, a hint of embarrassment on his face. "What are you talking about?" he asked, trying to play it cool.

Camille giggled. "Don't play dumb, Lee Soo Oh. I saw the way you were looking at Lea. You're totally into her!"

Lee Soo Oh's face grew hotter as Camille continued to tease him. "And I have to say, your attempts at flirting were pretty adorable. But sorry to say, Lea didn't seem too impressed."

Lee Soo Oh's eyes narrowed, and he tried to defend himself. "Hey, I was just being friendly. And Lea seemed nice, that's all."

Camille laughed. "Friendly? You call that friendly? You were practically drooling all over her!"

Lee Soo Oh's face turned bright red as Camille continued to tease him. He tried to laugh it off, but inside, he was mortified. Had he really been that obvious?