Chapter 60: Ordinary days Can be Healing. (Updated)

The trio decided to visit the cafeteria after their second class, Calculus I. The lecture had been easy enough for Liam to follow; once the professor started working through examples on the board, the familiar steps slowly came back to him.

By the time they arrived at the cafeteria, most of the long wooden tables were occupied, sunlight falling through the tall windows onto plates and open laptops. The smell of pizza and grilled chicken drifted from the serving counters, while students came in and out through the open doors, some carrying food and others stopping near the entrance to talk with their friends.

Megan was sipping a small carton of Japanese milk from a brand called Meiji as she followed Diane inside. Ever since meeting Yeji, the dance club president who was preparing to audition for YG Entertainment in Korea, she had become curious about visiting both Korea and Japan herself. Their conversations during dance practice had given her plenty to think about, especially whenever Yeji talked about the training and auditions aspiring idols went through.

For now, that curiosity had also spread to the food and drinks. Megan had started trying whatever Japanese or Korean products she could find, and judging by the way she tilted the carton for another sip, this particular discovery had been a good one. Liam walked beside the girls, busy texting Clara, occasionally lifting his eyes from the screen to see where they were going.

She had messaged him a while back, when he was still in class, complaining that she was bored at the hotel and asking when he would be free. He had only managed a brief reply during the lecture, suggesting she take her car out for a drive and get familiar with the town while he finished his classes. Now he was catching up on the messages she had sent afterward, occasionally looking up from his phone to avoid bumping into someone.

About fifteen minutes after Liam sent his reply, Clara sent him a picture of her car key resting on her palm. The black Mercedes key fob, with its silver three-pointed star in the middle, was clearly visible in her hand. Then, almost half an hour later, another picture arrived, this time showing a tall residential skyscraper rising over the Princeton Pike neighborhood of Lawrence Township.

The next few pictures were from inside an apartment she was apparently looking at. It was clearly luxurious, with a spacious living room, polished wooden floors, high ceilings, and massive floor-to-ceiling windows letting sunlight pour inside.

The kitchen had a wide marble island, built-in stainless-steel appliances, and dark custom cabinets, while the bedroom and marble-covered bathroom looked more like something from an expensive hotel than a normal apartment.

"Why is she there?"

Liam frowned slightly and texted Clara back, asking what she was doing there. She had shown him the apartment but hadn’t sent anything afterward. Around him, the cafeteria was filled with the constant buzz of lunchtime conversation, chairs scraping against the floor, and trays clattering as students moved between the tables and food stations.

Someone nearby burst out laughing loud enough to cut through the noise for a moment, while another group squeezed past their table carrying plates piled with food.

"Who’s where?"

Megan placed her bags beside the table and looked toward Liam, while Diane glanced up at the menu displayed above the serving stations. After looking between the grill, pizza, and the other options for a few seconds, she picked up a tray.

"Aren’t you guys hungry?"

Diane asked with a smile before Liam could answer Megan. Liam gave her a polite nod. He had barely known Diane for more than a couple of classes, so there was still that natural distance between them. Instead of explaining everything, he simply turned his phone slightly toward Megan and showed her that he was texting Clara.

"Ah! I should also text her to find a gym nearby..."

Megan immediately pulled out her phone and started texting Clara. Diane, meanwhile, raised her hand and gave a couple of small snaps in Liam’s direction to get his attention.

There was nothing impatient about the gesture; with the little smile still on her face, it came across almost playfully, like she was reminding him that food was supposed to be the reason they had come here in the first place.

"Yeah, let’s eat. Get whatever you want, it’s on me."

Liam smiled as he said it. He had already seen Diane’s status earlier, including the two sets of loan papers listed among her belongings. He didn’t know what the loans were for, nor was it any of his business, but it was enough to tell him that money probably wasn’t something she could throw around carelessly.

Besides, paying for one meal for a classmate meant practically nothing to him now. Liam had more money sitting in his account than he had ever imagined possessing at eighteen, and if a few dollars could save Diane from having to think twice about what she ordered, there was no reason for him to make a big deal out of it.

"Careful, Carter. Keep paying for my food like that and I might start thinking you’re trying to impress me."

Diane smiled as she said it, then gave Liam a quick wink before heading toward the serving line. The cafeteria had grown even busier by then, with freshmen crowding around the different stations, trays knocking lightly against the rails while conversations blended into one constant hum.

A few students near the line glanced toward Diane as she approached. Some looked away almost immediately when she noticed them, while others clearly wanted to say something but seemed too nervous to actually start a conversation.

Diane didn’t seem bothered by any of it. She simply kept the same easy smile on her face and joined the line, looking over the food options while the crowd shifted around her. Her confidence made her stand out even more among the freshmen, especially beside the students who were still moving around the cafeteria like they weren’t completely sure where anything was yet.

Liam pursed his lips slightly, his eyebrows rising as he watched Diane walk away after that wink. He had to admit, she had surprised him. In his previous life, he had known Diane mostly from a distance. She had always been pretty, but with her glasses, books, and serious attitude toward studying, she had looked far too nerdy for him to ever give her much thought.

By the time he actually learned more about her and realized she was one of the top students at Princeton, his life had already fallen apart too much for him to care about things like dating or flirting.

His parents were dead by then, and simply keeping himself alive had become his biggest concern. He had spent several hours every day working just to cover his basic expenses, then returned to the dorm exhausted enough that another day passing safely already felt like an achievement. Thinking about it now, Liam felt that this second life wasn’t only a blessing. In a strange way, it was also healing him, slowly giving back the ordinary experiences he had lost before.

"Stop texting and go grab something to eat too. Aren’t you hungry?"

Liam lightly tapped Megan on the forehead to make her put her phone down. Today was a special menu day at the cafeteria, with several better and more expensive dishes being sold separately from the regular food covered by the student meal plan Liam had bought on admission day.