Chapter 12

One by one, the juniors drifted out of the auditorium until only scattered conversations remained.

The once deafening hall had grown strangely quiet.

Sunlight spilled through the tall windows, stretching across the polished floor in long golden ribbons.

Engfa watched the crowd disappear, her eyes lingering on Charlotte.

Part of her still wondered…

Did Nesa and Sunny have something to do with this?

The smug little low-five they exchanged earlier replayed in her mind.

She wouldn’t put it past them.

Then again…

What were the odds?

Now, standing in front of her, was one slightly ruffled-looking junior with sleepy eyes, a giant backpack, and enough homework to bury an elephant.

Charlotte let out a small laugh as she flipped through the pages of the Junior Induction booklet.

“So…”

“Where do we start?”

Engfa smiled.

“First of all…”

“I’ll take that.”

She gently slipped the booklet from Charlotte’s hands.

For a brief moment, their fingers brushed.

Soft.

Warm.

Almost weightless.

Then Charlotte stepped a little closer.

Too close.

A delicate fragrance drifted toward Engfa, stopping every coherent thought she had.

Madagascar vanilla.

Soft musk.

Something warm beneath it that she couldn’t quite place.

It wasn’t loud or expensive in the way luxury perfumes often tried to be.

It was elegant.

Comforting.

The kind of scent that lingered long after the person had walked away.

Engfa forgot what she had been about to say.

Wow…

Before she could stop herself, the words escaped.

“…You smell amazing.”

The silence lasted only a heartbeat.

Charlotte blinked.

Then laughed softly.

“Oh…”

“Thank you, na.”

Her cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink.

Engfa mentally slapped herself.

Great.

Now she thinks I’m weird.

She cleared her throat and quickly looked down at the booklet.

Charlotte only smiled.

It wasn’t awkward.

If anything…

She looked quietly flattered.

Engfa stole another glance.

Charlotte’s hands were small and delicate, her fingers long and elegant.

Hands that had probably never scrubbed dishes until midnight or carried heavy boxes through a market before sunrise.

Not because she was incapable…

Because life had simply been different.

She carried herself with an effortless grace.

Like someone who had been raised to belong in grand rooms with crystal chandeliers.

A princess…

Trying very hard not to look like one.

Sunlight caught the loose strands escaping her messy bun.

For a second…

She looked almost unreal.

“Mmm…”

Engfa cleared her throat again after realizing she’d been staring.

“I think…”

“It’s probably too late to start mentoring today.”

Charlotte looked up.

“You look exhausted.”

“If you don’t mind me saying…”

“I think you should go home and get some rest.”

Charlotte instinctively covered another yawn.

“…Is it that obvious?”

Engfa laughed.

“A little.”

They both laughed together.

The kind of laugh that arrived naturally.

Easy.

Comfortable.

Like they had known each other longer than a week.

“How about…”

Engfa reached into her pocket for her phone.

“We exchange Line IDs?”

Charlotte’s face brightened almost instantly.

“Yes!”

She pulled out her phone so quickly that Engfa couldn’t help smiling.

She’s either really happy to have my contact…

…or really happy she gets to go home.

Either way…

She’d take the win.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, carefully entering each other’s details.

Charlotte paused over the contact name before typing.

Phi Engfa ❤️

Engfa’s heart skipped.

Just a little.

No one had ever said Phi quite like that before.

Respectful.

Gentle.

Sweet enough to melt straight through her defenses.

Charlotte wasn’t even trying.

She was simply being herself.

And somehow…

That made it even worse.

A soft chime echoed.

Charlotte had already sent the first message.

Engfa smiled to herself before secretly editing Charlotte’s contact.

Pretty Nong.

Perfect.

Just as she slipped her phone back into her pocket…

Charlotte’s ringtone interrupted the moment.

The brightness in her expression faded almost immediately.

She stepped a short distance away before answering.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“…No, Ma’am.”

“I understand.”

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Yes.”

The call ended.

Charlotte stood there for a second longer than necessary.

Her shoulders seemed just a little heavier than before.

Engfa pretended she hadn’t overheard.

She knew what it felt like when someone accidentally witnessed a piece of your private life.

“Not to pry…”

“…but are you okay?”

Charlotte looked back with the same gentle smile she’d worn all afternoon.

“I’m okay.”

She answered too quickly.

“My eyes say otherwise.”

Charlotte laughed quietly.

“They do?”

Engfa nodded.

Charlotte looked down at the floor.

“I was excited to go home…”

“…then I remembered I have paperwork waiting for me at my mom’s company.”

“Oh.”

The smile on Engfa’s face softened.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

Charlotte shook her head almost immediately.

“No.”

“This isn’t homework.”

“You’re my mentor…”

“…not my helper.”

The words weren’t harsh.

They were simply honest.

Charlotte had spent her whole life believing that asking for help meant becoming someone who needed rescuing.

And she had never wanted to be rescued.

She wanted to become someone people could depend on.

Engfa understood.

More than Charlotte realized.

“Okay…”

She smiled instead.

“I’ll respect that.”

An awkward silence settled between them.

Not uncomfortable.

Just…

Two people quietly wishing neither of them had somewhere else to be.

Engfa searched for something else to say.

Anything.

She wasn’t ready for the afternoon to end.

Not yet.

The past week replayed in her mind.

The candy.

The game.

The Labubu.

Charlotte saying her name.

The whispers.

The partner draw.

Every day since meeting her had somehow become brighter than the one before.

For the first time in a long time…

Life felt exciting.

Another notification chimed.

Charlotte looked at her phone.

Then sighed dramatically.

“Oops…”

“My driver’s here.”

She slung her backpack over one shoulder before taking a few hurried steps backward.

“I’ll text you later, Phi.”

Then she waved.

A small wave.

The kind people gave when they secretly hoped they weren’t saying goodbye for long.

Engfa lifted her hand.

“I’ll be in touch.”

Charlotte smiled one last time before disappearing through the university gates.

Engfa watched until she was completely out of sight.

Only then did she finally breathe.

A smile slowly spread across her face.

Not the polite smile she gave strangers.

Not the confident smile she wore on stage.

A real one.

Quiet.

Content.

For so many years…

Everything she did had been for someone else.

For her mother.

For Plaifah.

For Wanchai.

For the future.

Today…

For the first time…

She found herself wanting something just for her.

Not money.

Not success.

Not another achievement.

Love.

The empty space she’d carried inside her for years hadn’t disappeared.

But somehow…

It didn’t feel quite so hollow anymore.