Chapter 1

The scratching sound of plastic chairs being dragged roughly and the clatter of spoons against porcelain plates always served as the afternoon soundtrack of Blue Hour Cafe. This minimalist, industrial-style cafe was nestled right on a busy commercial corner in Bangkok, not far from the high school complex where Rinlada studied.

For some, this cafe was a relaxing sanctuary to spend free time sipping an iced Thai milk tea. But for Rinlada, this place felt like a second battlefield, right after her classroom.

Rinlada, her medium-length hair tied up loosely and sweat glistening across her temples, was hunched over cleaning table number four, which a customer had just vacated. Her breath came in short gasps. Today she had a double shift of classes—she attended morning lectures, then rushed over to work the afternoon shift at the cafe to help ease her family’s financial burden. In her worn-out backpack, an apartment electricity bill sat waiting to be paid before the upcoming weekend.

"Hey, broke employee, this table is insanely filthy. Are you blind, or is your brain just that slow?"

The low, lazy, yet drippingly condescending voice made Rinlada’s shoulders tense up instantly. Without even turning around, she recognized the owner of that voice: Korn. The scent of expensive designer cologne mixed with fresh, crisp mint was the signature trademark of the most annoying living creature on earth: Korn.

Rinlada straightened up, spinning around with a gaze sharp as a razor blade. Standing right before her was Korn, radiating arrogance. The tall, athletic student was dressed in his school uniform with the top buttons undone, revealing a thin silver chain around his neck. One hand was casually shoved into his pocket, while the corners of his lips curved into a smirk—a smile that never failed to drive Rinlada to her absolute limit.

"If your eyes are working normally, Korn, you'd see that I just cleaned it before you intentionally planted your 'expensive shoes' right onto those breadcrumbs," Rinlada snapped back without a shred of fear. She wasn't some timid kid willing to bow her head just because of a few insults. At school, she was known as his fierce rival, always ready with a sharp tongue to intercept his teasing remarks.

Korn let out a low, brief chuckle, mocking and disdainful. He pulled out the wooden chair at table number four and sank into it as if he owned the entire shop—which, technically, he kind of did, since the cafe belonged to his older sister who almost never showed up there.

"Your mouth is as sharp as ever, Rinlada, even though I heard people in class talking about how you were practically in tears yesterday when we handed in our math homework," Korn taunted, tapping his index finger rhythmically against the table.

"That's my business, not some pampered young master's who spends his days picking fights with everyone just because he lacks warmth at home!" Rinlada shot back instantly, hitting her target dead center.

Rinlada's final remark made Korn’s eyes narrow into slits. The mocking smile vanished from his face in an instant, replaced by an icy, freezing glare. The atmosphere around table number four plummeted instantly. Korn hated nothing more than people prying into his personal life, even though Rinlada had spoken purely out of frustration without knowing the sheer wreckage inside the boy's sprawling home.

Instead of yelling in anger, Korn reached out and grabbed the leftover iced milk tea from the previous customer, which Rinlada hadn't cleared away yet. With slow, deliberate movements, he lifted the glass high and tilted it.

Drip... Drip...

The remaining tea trickled down, staining the frayed edges of Rinlada's black canvas sneakers.

Rinlada’s eyes widened, her blood boiling instantly. "Korn! What the hell are you doing?!" she hissed under her breath, trying hard not to speak loudly enough for the manager to notice.

Korn slammed the empty glass back onto the table with a sharp clatter. He lifted his chin, a satisfied smirk curling his lips. "Oops, my slippery fingers. Consider that the damage fee for your audacity to run your mouth at me today."

Rinlada clenched both fists tightly by her sides, her nails digging into her palms. She looked down at her sneakers stained with syrup, then back up at Korn’s gloating smile. Her patience finally snapped. Without thinking twice, Rinlada grabbed the bowl of dirty dishwater from the tray.

Before Korn could even react, Rinlada splashed the murky, cloudy water right into his face and onto his pristine white school uniform!

*Splash!*

The atmosphere in that corner of the shop went dead silent. Customers at adjacent tables turned, staring with dropped jaws. Korn froze for a moment, unable to believe the girl in front of her had dared to retaliate in public. His jaw clamped shut, the veins on his neck bulging, and his breath came in ragged gasps.

"You..." Korn choked on the word, consumed by rage. He sprang abruptly to his feet, sending his chair crashing backward onto the tile floor with a loud clatter.

Rinlada stepped back a pace, her heart racing—torn between the satisfaction of striking back and sheer terror as she looked into Korn's wild, predatory gaze.

"You've gone too far, Rinlada!" Korn growled through gritted teeth, his voice a low, menacing threat. He strode forward, grabbing Rinlada’s wrist so tightly she winced in pain. Korn leaned in close, locking his eyes deep into Rinlada's frightened ones.

"Today, right this minute, I'm going to get you fired from this cafe! And after that... I'll turn your life at school into a living hell you can't even imagine, just watch!" Korn whispered into Rinlada's ear, his voice trembling with burning fury.

Rinlada tried to wrench her wrist free, but Korn’s grip was far too strong. Their breaths collided at close range amidst the anxious stares of the cafe customers.

And just as Korn was about to unleash his next threat to crush the girl's spirit, the sharp sound of heels clicked clearly from the doorway of the back kitchen.

*Tap... Tap... Tap...*

"Korn!"

A chilling, elegant, yet utterly authoritative voice cut through the silence. The moment those words rang out, every muscle in Korn’s body stiffened, while the crushing grip on Rinlada's wrist loosened slightly.

Both Rinlada and Korn snapped their heads toward the source. Framed in the kitchen doorway, a woman with neatly styled long hair, dressed in a formal blazer—Korn’s older sister and the true owner of Blue Hour Cafe—was staring at the two of them with a gaze that

felt like a gathering storm.