Chapter 1 A Meeting, A Bit of Liking

The young man stood at the entrance of the diner, his tall and slender figure as upright as a pine tree by the street. He stomped his feet twice, his expression somewhat indifferent, and opened the door with a creak.

"Hey! Mitchell! I''m here! Over here!!"

The diner''s mechanical female voice was cheerfully welcoming the incoming customers.

Mitchell Windsor pulled down his hat, looked at Landon who was vigorously waving his arms, and frowned.

"Why are you so late?"

After Mitchell sat down, he sniffled twice. Landon Astor poured him a cup of coffee. In the February weather, Mitchell was covered in cold air, his hands were somewhat red from the cold, and his nose was also red.

"The last class ran a bit late." Mitchell replied flatly, placing his hands on the teacup to warm them up, and after a while, he said, "Isn''t today Valentine''s Day? Why did you ask me out for dinner?"

Upon hearing this, Landon immediately put on a mournful face, "Don''t mention it, I broke up the day before Valentine''s Day, heartbroken, don''t bother me."

Landon was Mitchell''s classmate, with an innocent look, frequently changing girlfriends, and usually treated Mitchell like an older brother, often acting spoiled.

Mitchell sneered, "Well, not bad, you''ve made progress, this one lasted more than a month."

"Don''t make fun of me." Landon waved his hand, "Speaking of which, why are you alone on Valentine''s Day? I heard that the senior from the neighboring department has been aggressively pursuing you, aren''t you moved at all?"

Upon hearing this, Mitchell thought of the person Landon mentioned who often came to block him, and his mouth turned downwards.

Mitchell never hid his orientation. During the freshman military training, Mitchell stood out among the new students. After a girl cried and chased him to add him on social media, he openly admitted that he liked men.

The girl ran away heartbroken, but following that, a bunch of guys also eagerly pursued him, causing more trouble.

"I''m not interested in those muscle men." Mitchell''s brow twitched, "We''re incompatible."

Landon had a look of "I understand," "But besides him, there must be others asking you out, right? Skipping a good Valentine''s Day to work, even the goddess who created you would regret giving you such a handsome face, it''s a waste, okay?"

Landon''s words were not exaggerated at all. Mitchell''s appearance was very outstanding, otherwise, he wouldn''t have attracted so much attention as a freshman. Even in the entertainment industry, he could compete with some young actors. His looks not only attracted women but also men, to the point where even guys would admit they couldn''t compare, but he always seemed to have a distant aura.

His temperament was excellent, like a piece of cool jade, giving a sense of aloofness when not speaking, but when conversing, he seemed like a gentleman with extraordinary demeanor. His superior bone structure paired with those misty eyes, naturally perfect, just right.

Mitchell didn''t seem very interested in this topic, "I don''t like casually dating others. Valentine''s Day is just a holiday for single people. Someone asked me to tutor them, why not go?"

Landon raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, "You''re amazing. While I''m worried about passing the finals, you''re getting scholarships and working part-time. Is this the difference between people?"

"Order the food." Mitchell said noncommittally, picking up the menu.

After several hours of classes, he didn''t feel much in the cold outside, but after a cup of hot water, his limbs warmed up, and now he felt a gnawing hunger.

The waiter stood by the table and kindly recommended, "Sir, we have a Valentine''s Day special today, regardless of gender, would you like to consider it?"

Mitchell originally wanted to decline, but looking at the dishes in the set, it was indeed more cost-effective than ordering separately.

He wasn''t short of money, but he didn''t like wasting it either. Besides, the menu had dishes both of them liked, so he simply said to the waiter, "We''ll have the couple''s set, thank you."

The waiter turned to leave, and Landon playfully snuggled up to Mitchell, "Boyfriend, let me treat you to this meal."

In light of Landon treating him, Mitchell rarely didn''t push him away, letting him talk nonsense and snuggle against his shoulder.

"Sir, your meal is ready."

The fragrant Bibimbap was brought to the table, with tuna covered in salad dressing, each grain of rice cooked to perfection, and a soft-boiled egg trembling on top, making Mitchell''s appetite grow.

"Hey, wait a minute, let me take a picture." Landon took out his phone, "After I take the picture, I''ll post it on social media to show that I have company on Valentine''s Day too."

Mitchell had to put down his spoon and quietly wait for Landon to find the right angle and snap away. The wait was boring, and he stared straight ahead, zoning out, trying hard to resist the urge to punch Landon.

Suddenly, someone entered his line of sight, and Mitchell''s pupils contracted sharply.

In the past, Mitchell would have scoffed at such a scene, thinking it was like a cliché from a cheesy romance drama, but now, it was happening for real.

The person in his sight was wearing a white jacket, with chestnut brown hair that looked casual yet flamboyant. Even though it was just a side profile, it was excessively good-looking, with features like a painting, a high nose bridge, perfectly curved lips, and bright white skin. He was very tall, estimated to be over six feet, clean and neat, exactly Mitchell''s type.

Despite being surrounded by a group of good-looking peers, he still stood out. As if sensing Mitchell''s gaze, the person slightly turned his head, and their eyes briefly met in the air.

Mitchell''s breath became rapid. Subjectively and objectively, this guy was exactly his type.

Mitchell cursed himself internally for being so shallow, but his eyes honestly followed the guy as he walked away.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" Landon waved his hand in front of Mitchell''s eyes and suspiciously looked back, but the guy had already gone upstairs.

Mitchell snapped back to reality, "Nothing, let''s eat."

The guy sat by the window on the second floor, looking a bit silent. One of his companions rubbed his hands and asked, "Nathan, what do you want to eat?"

The person called "Nathan" seemed to be lost in thought, glanced at the menu, and said, "Whatever."

He sat behind a pillar, able to see the first floor, but those on the first floor couldn''t see him due to the angle. He propped his chin with one hand, looking in Mitchell''s direction, with a slight smile on his lips.

However, when his gaze fell on the heart-shaped fried rice and heart-shaped salad on the table, he frowned.

Downstairs, Landon scooped a big spoonful of rice into his mouth and asked indistinctly, "Do you have any more classes later?"

Mitchell shook his head, "No."

Landon grinned and magically pulled out two movie tickets from his pocket, "That''s great, I have two movie tickets here. I bought them already, so it would be a waste not to use them."

Mitchell took the tickets and saw that it was a romantic drama, with a note saying "Valentine''s Day Special Couple Seats."

"No way," Mitchell said, scooping up some Bibimbap, "Two grown men, watching a romantic movie, in couple seats, do you think that''s appropriate?"

Landon pouted, "I originally planned to watch it with my girlfriend, but didn''t I just get dumped? Bro, to be honest, you''re gay, but I''m a straight guy who knows you wouldn''t be interested in me. Isn''t it more pathetic for me to watch a movie alone?"

That made sense. Seeing Mitchell hesitate, Landon pressed on,

"$131.4 per ticket, the cinema is practically robbing us. If you don''t go with me, I''ll suffer both emotional and financial losses. You wouldn''t be that heartless, would you?" He finished with a blink.

"...Stop making that face, and I''ll consider it."

Landon knew this meant Mitchell agreed, so he immediately sat up straight, "There''s more than an hour before the movie starts, no rush, Mitchell, take your time eating!"

Mitchell focused on his food, but the image of that young man kept flashing in his mind.

He looked quite young, just starting college? The age difference between them wasn''t that big, and he wondered if he would see him again...

Mitchell''s heart felt like a pond with a stone thrown in, creating ripples. He mocked himself internally, wondering if he would ever see him again.

Indeed, the atmosphere of Valentine''s Day was too strong, making even someone as calm as him daydream. How pathetic.