Complacent

He tried to clear his thoughts. 

'I knew it. So that's really how it is.' 

There were doubts before, but now it was confirmed. His more mature soul was the one in control, but traces of the other still lingered. 

'The least I can do for my old self is make some of his dream come true' 

'But just confronting her wouldn't do anything. And do I really hate her that much?' 

Terrence tapped the table, trying to recall more of his memories.

It was true that she called him hurtful names, mocked him for being timid and a nerd, but was that really enough? 

Then a thought came to mind, and he couldn't help but laugh at it. 

'I hate her... but back then, I had a crush on her too.'

A typical high school story—one-sided, with a loser secretly crushing on the hottest girl in school and daydreaming about things that could only happen in fiction. 

If it were the old him, he wouldn't be able to admit it so easily.

'Well, can't really blame me for that… I mean, just look at those proportions,'

As she moved in her seat, the movement drew his eyes.

She looked even sexier than Effie, probably had something to do with her Latina blood. 

For a teenager with raging hormones, that was a recipe for fantasies.

Hell, he even remembered imagining about getting revenge on her—in ways that definitely weren't morally right. 

When he addressed the heavy feeling, it lifted a little—a sign he was on the right track. 

"Sir, here's your order."

The waitress placed the whole cake on the table, along with an iced latte. 

'Yeah, I'll go after I finish this.' 

He took a bite, and the cake melted in his mouth. They were right—it tasted great. 

But after two slices, the sweetness became too much, and he couldn't take another. 

Next, he drank his latte to neutralize the sweetness on his tongue before standing up and heading to their table. 

They noticed him immediately.

The girls began giggling, thinking he was there to hit on them. Well, they weren't wrong, but his focus was on one person. 

"Hi," he greeted her casually. 

Celine narrowed her eyes. 

"Do I know you?" she asked, but not in a rude way. 

He shook his head. "Not at all. I saw you from my table and wanted to ask for your number, if that's okay." 

The other girls exchanged glances, their eyes scanning him from head to toe.

From the way they smiled and nodded at each other, it was clear he passed the appearance test. 

Celine, however, didn't look amused. 

Why?

The answer came immediately when the young man beside her stood up. 

"What's your problem, dude? You think it's cool to hit on someone's girlfriend?" 

Terrence didn't even flinch. He was so used to dealing with monsters that facing a college varsity member felt like staring at a puppy. 

But he still chose to back down. Even if he beat them to a pulp, he would just end up at a police station. 

"Sorry, I didn't know you were already taken," 

"To make up for the trouble, let me pay for your meal." He pulled out his wallet, taking out ten crisp hundred-dollar bills and placing them on the table. 

For college students, it was a huge amount of money.

Even the two varsity members kept quiet.

Anyone who could toss money around like that surely had powerful connections.

Before they could say a word, Terrence turned around and walked away. 

He was just making his introduction this time, and he could always find her on social media later.

What mattered most was establishing that he has money. 

Others might judge him for using wealth to get girls, but he preferred to call it being efficient with his time. 

That was how it was supposed to go, but reality was more complicated. 

He sensed danger and quickly sidestepped, just as a cup of iced coffee flew past him 

"Dude, you think you can just throw your money in our faces?"

Celine's boyfriend snapped, and soon everyone in the shop started filming. 

'I made a mistake,' Terrence sighed. He failed to consider the pride and ego at play. 

"I'm sorry," he bowed his head again. 

The other party was still furious and was ready to rush at him, but Celine and her friends stopped him. 

"Bro, don't," one of his teammates said, stepping in. "You want to get kicked out of the team?" 

Celine's boyfriend hesitated, glaring with clenched fists, itching for a confrontation. 

Fortunately, with a few more words from his friends, he finally took a step back.

"You're lucky, Fucker. " he grumbled before turning back to his group. 

Terrence said nothing and simply exited the shop. 

'I have a lot to learn,'

What he did wasn't the best move.