Chapter 5 Vivian's question instantly brought a smile to Luciana's face , her eyes turning bright . " Thiago having a thing for me ? What would he even like ? My dazzling mediocrity or the way I scrape together my tuition fees with part - time jobs ? " Seeing Luciana downplay herself made Vivian a little angry . If Luciana were what people called mediocre , then nobody else in the world could be considered average . Vivian sized her up with her foxy eyes . Eventually , her gaze stopped at Luciana's chest . " Uh - huh . Maybe Thiago knows exactly what he's after . " Your ' uh - huh ' sounds wrong … " Luciana's cheeks flushed red in embarrassment when she noticed Vivian's bold stare . " Stop it … " " Seriously ! I've showered with you - I know how hot you are . Even I admire your body , let alone men . " Vivian pretended to be serious and continued , " When are you going to start wearing clothes that actually show off your figure ? Girl , let them be free ! You're a total smoke show ! " " Never , " Luciana replied nonchalantly . Then , she crouched down and began rummaging for a bag to store Thiago's blue button - up . " I don't spend my money on clothes . I spend them on my tuition . " Out of concern , Vivian asked , " Right . How's your parents ' convenience store doing ? Didn't you say business hasn't been great and they're struggling to pay rent ? If you need any help , I could- " Luckana cut her off , " It's fine . They've resolved the issue . I did a few extra illustration gigs , and with the new semester , there's been a new surge of students . Business is up and running again , so don't worry about us . " What she never told anyone was that during the most difficult times , her father had taken up construction work , leaving her mother alone to run their small shop . It wasn't that Luciana was ashamed ; she just didn't want her best friend to worry . With the way her life was going , how could she even think about dating , let alone someone like Thiago ? The gap between them was too wide , and it was laughable even to imagine crossing it . The next afternoon after class , Luciana carried a paper bag from the dry cleaners , getting ready to return Thiago's button - up . She genuinely didn't want to have any more contact with him . She wanted to end this little infatuation of hers once and for all . Quietly pulling Vivian aside , she whispered , " Vivian , could you give this bag to Nigel and ask him to pass it along to Thiago ? " Vivian raised a brow , a teasing smile playing at her lips . " Nigel's off - campus for his internship this week . It's just a shirt . Why don't you return it yourself ? " " L .. " Luciana was at a loss for words and couldn't find an excuse . Vivian didn't give her a chance to refuse either . She looped her arm through Luciana's and grinned . " Come on , let's go find Thiago . I heard some juniors say he's playing basketball " Luciana was helpless . After a while , the two arrived at Jorendale Sports Grounds . The basketball court was already packed with layers of onlookers , mostly women , Thiago wore a loose black jersey and a red - and - white sweatband on his wrist . His toned muscles glistened faintly with sweat . With his striking features , he looked radiant under the afternoon sun . He dribbled lazily down the court , but when a drop of sweat rolled into his eyes , he ran his fingers through his hair , revealing the sharp lines of his brows and eyes . The crowd erupted in another wave of squeals from the sidelines . " Oh my gosh ! Thiago is so hot ! " " What a handsome face ! " " I'm gonna faint . " Amid the rolling waves of excited screams , Thiago dribbled the ball lazily . Suddenly , he shook off the defender behind him with lightning speed , his figure like the wind . With a carefree leap into the air , his strong hands appeared against the bright blue sky like a striking foreground . About five yards from the hoop , he made a clean , precise shot . The basketball steadily entered the net . The spectacular shot ignited the crowd once again . " Shit ! I think I'm falling in love ! " " Is he even real ? " " He's perfect , that's for sure ! " Chapter 5 2/2 In the corner of the basketball court , Luciana was completely mesmerized . She felt as if she were under a spell , utterly frozen in place . It turned out Thiago was exceptionally good at basketball . Back in their senior year of high school , he never joined any activities and always sat in the last row of the classroom with his head down , playing on his phone . Was it because he didn't want to show off his talents ? She had innocently thought he was just as out of place as she was , without any special skills . Crossing her arms , Vivian tilted her head with a smile . " Hm . Not bad . He's quite cute . " Luciana snapped back to reality and tugged at Vivian's shirt . " Let's go . " " Huh ? I thought you were here to return the shirt ? " " I'm not doing that in front of a crowd . Next time . " Vivian arched a brow , mischief dancing in her eyes . " What is it ? Are you shy ? " " Thiago has plenty of admirers . I don't want to be everyone's punching bag , " No sooner had the words left her mouth than a ripple of murmurs stirred through the crowd . A woman holding a bottle of water and a towel approached Thiago with a bright smile . Her figure was flawless , and she looked even more stunning than many celebrities or models out there . Her voice was soft and sweet as she said , " Have some water , Thiago . " He glanced at her coldly , then took the water bottle with a simple , " Thanks . " Luciana felt her heart sink , an inexplicable bitterness rising . She awkwardly wiped the sweat off her forehead . She knew that young woman . Actually , at Jorendale University , everyone knew who Monica , the belle of the biomedical science department , was . Luciana couldn't help but lament how perfect the pair looked standing next to each other . Meanwhile , Vivian wore a look of disdain and pursed her lips at the sight of Monica . " There she goes again . " What's with that tone ? " Luciana asked curiously . " You know Wendy Greer , don't you ? She's on the cheerleading team . " Vivian scoffed and continued , " She's best friends with Monica . That's enough to show that Monica's a two - faced bitch too . They're always speaking with a baby voice . Heck , Wendy even flirted with Nigel in front of me . I wanted to strangle that bitch ! " Luciana responded , " In other words , Monica didn't do anything to you . You just hate her because of her association with Wendy . " " Well , birds of a feather flock together . Wendy is a bitch , and Monica will be no different . " From afar , Luciana stood and sighed , her gaze still fixed on the basketball court . " But Monica and Thiago look great together . " " Girl , she's just born lucky . If I had the privilege she has , I could even marry into the royal family , let alone Thiago . " Vivian might not necessarily come from immense wealth , but her father was a cardiothoracic surgeon at Jaxwell Hospital . Meanwhile , her mother taught Ubric at the high school affiliated with Jorendale University . No matter how one looked at it , Vivian came from a well - educated family . Luciana , on the other hand , had followed her parents from Netherfield to Januview when she was little . Despite working hard most of their lives , her parents only managed to run a small convenience store , one that was still on rented property . Even now , they didn't own a place they could truly call home . Thankfully , Luciana had loving parents . They doted on her , never once quarreled , and filled their modest home with warmth . That had given Luciana a happy childhood , However , that happiness only existed within the scope of her own world . In Vivian's world , and especially Thiago's , the idea of happiness probably looked completely different from hers . A strange heaviness settled in Luciana's chest . She bit the inside of her cheek and summoned a fragile smile . " Let's go . I'm getting hungry . Shall we walk to the cafeteria ? " " Sure . " As they left , a male voice suddenly echoed in the air . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!