Chapter 6 Supermarket Encounter
"Like me?"
Olivia seemed startled by those words, stumbling back a step and bumping into the tree trunk behind her.
She stared wide-eyed at Charles, who was now so close she could see every detail of his face.
That handsome yet predatory face, those unfathomably deep eyes that were now filled with emotions she couldn't read.
Ridiculous! This had to be another one of his games!
Did he get his kicks messing with her?
How could he possibly... like her?
Charles seemed pretty pleased with her shocked expression. A playful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a low, seductive tone:
"Scared? So what do you think... about me?"
His gaze locked onto hers like a hunter eyeing prey caught in a trap.
"Wanna... think it over?"
That look was way too direct, too intense, carrying an undeniable dominance.
"No! I'm not thinking about it!"
Olivia snapped back to reality, her cheeks instantly burning red.
Pure panic and embarrassment flooded through her. The words came tumbling out, her voice cracking.
"Charles, you... stay away from me!"
"We could never work—never!"
With that, she shoved past Charles, who was blocking her path, and bolted from under the trees without looking back, escaping in complete chaos.
Charles stood there watching her panicked figure disappear at the court entrance, surprisingly unfazed by the rejection.
A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, tinged with confident amusement.
Interesting. More and more interesting.
If he weren't so swamped trying to finish his thesis, he'd really enjoy spending more time getting to know Olivia better.
The next few days seemed to return to some kind of peaceful normalcy.
Olivia went to classes and worked at Petal Paradise as usual.
She carefully steered clear of John's dark moods between the dorm and the Williams family house.
Her interactions with Charles were practically nonexistent—she only caught distant glimpses of him around campus a few times. Because of this, Mia stopped bothering her, giving her some peaceful time in the dorm.
John, however, stayed as active as ever.
When Olivia was stuck riding to school with him in the mornings, she could always hear him on speakerphone, casually making plans with Charles:
"Charles, basketball at the usual spot this afternoon?"
"What movie's gonna be more fun than gaming? I'm not going—ask someone else!"
"Whiskey & Wonders tonight? They got some new good stuff in."
"Pool hall—you in?"
"Dinner? Sure, I know this new place that just opened, pretty decent!"
Olivia put on her headphones and cranked up the music, mentally rolling her eyes.
Don't seniors have to study?
Charles, being the perpetual valedictorian freak, was one thing, but John... all this guy ever did was mess around...
Whatever. Not her problem.
She needed to focus on studying hard, working hard, saving money, staying away from the Williams family, staying away from John—that's what mattered!
As midterms approached, the campus buzzed with a tense yet superstitious atmosphere.
"Olivia! Come on, let's go 'pray to Charles'!"
Lily excitedly tugged at Olivia's arm.
"Pray to Charles?"
Olivia looked up from her pile of books, completely confused.
"Why would we pray to Charles?"
Lily gave her a look like "how do you not know this?"
"He's like a total legend at our school, never bombs an exam! Everyone secretly goes to his old locker to pray—it totally works! Come on, come on, if we're late, we won't be able to get close!"
So it was just superstition—and about that childish troublemaker, no less.
Olivia pulled her hand back, exasperated.
"...Not going. That's ridiculous."
She had zero interest in such pointless stuff.
"Better safe than sorry!"
Lily pouted.
"Then... could you grab me a strawberry milk from the convenience store later?"
"Please! I'll spill some juicy gossip when you get back!"
"Fine."
Olivia closed her book—she needed to pick up some stuff anyway.
The convenience store wasn't crowded.
Olivia headed straight for the refrigerated section and grabbed the strawberry milk Lily wanted.
As she turned around, her gaze accidentally swept past the nearby shelves—a tall, familiar figure was leaning against the freezer next to her, casually checking out a can of drink in his hand.
It was Charles.
He seemed to have just spotted her, too. His deep gaze showed a flicker of surprise, which quickly shifted into an unreadable, knowing smile.
Olivia's heart jumped, and she instinctively wanted to duck her head and slip around him.
"What're you hiding from?"
Charles's voice wasn't loud, but it cut clearly through the store's background music, carrying a hint of lazy amusement.
Olivia's steps froze, forcing her to look up.
The two of them stood separated by a few aisles, their gazes meeting in midair.
Today, he wore a simple black hoodie, his messy hair falling casually across his forehead. He looked less sharp than usual, more relaxed, but those eyes stayed just as piercing, like they had locked onto her with nowhere for her to run.
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
The cold mist from the freezer drifted between them, but couldn't cut through the silent, subtle tension stretching between them.
Olivia could clearly hear her own racing heartbeat, her cheeks starting to burn again.
She gripped the milk carton tighter.
Charles set down his drink and walked over with long strides, his tall frame creating this invisible pressure.
He looked down at her, his gaze sweeping over her flushed cheeks before finally landing on the pink strawberry milk in her hands.
His smile deepened.
"Into this stuff?"
His voice was low, with a hint of teasing.
"No! I'm getting it for a friend!"
Olivia immediately protested, her voice a bit rushed.
Charles chuckled softly and didn't push it.
He casually reached out his hand, but instead of taking the milk, he reached past her to grab a box of the cheapest instant noodles from the shelf beside her—the kind she usually ate.
Olivia froze.
How did he know she ate those?
Charles didn't acknowledge her surprised expression. Taking the noodles along with her strawberry milk, he turned toward the checkout counter, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Together."
"No need! I'll pay for my own stuff!"
Olivia hurried after him.
Charles ignored her protests and walked straight to the register, placing the items on the counter.
As the cashier scanned the items, his long fingers were already holding out a card, the movement smooth and natural.
Payment done.
Olivia watched his back as he paid, her mind spinning.
What was this supposed to be? Another one of those fake acts of "caring"?
Charles picked up the bag with the milk and noodles and handed it to her.
The moment their fingertips touched, Olivia jerked her hand back like she'd been shocked.
Charles watched her flustered reaction, the amusement in his deep eyes growing stronger, tinged with mischief and... a certain confidence. He leaned down slightly, moving close to her ear, and whispered in a voice only they could hear:
"Strawberry milk... suits you."
With that, he straightened up and left the store without another glance, leaving Olivia standing there alone.
After all, she was still young, her heart easily stirred.
She stood holding the bag, his warm breath and those ambiguously suggestive words still lingering by her ear.
In the sweltering summer heat, her heart pounded like crazy, refusing to calm down.