Urban System in America
Chapter 171 - 170: Elara

Chapter 171: Chapter 170: Elara

"You think you’re hot stuff because you can afford a few burgers?" Brent said, stepping closer now. "Don’t think people don’t know the truth. You’re just a poor hobo playing rich. Keep pretending. We’ll see how long it lasts."

Rex’s smile didn’t fade—but it did shift. It sharpened. Edged with a chill that made the air around him subtly drop a few degrees. The kind of smile that didn’t scream anger, but promised quiet, surgical payback.

"Oh?" Rex tilted his head, voice still casual, but that glint in his eyes said: I’m choosing violence today... softly.

"So you’ve been thinking about me that much? Cute. Want me to buy you lunch too so you can tell me more?"

Behind Rex, Adrian coughed lightly, trying not to laugh. Daisy blinked in mild surprise, and even Elara—who rarely got involved—looked like she was holding back a grin.

Brent flared like someone had lit his Gucci socks on fire.

"You—!"

But before Brent could finish his villain monologue, Martha the cafeteria drill sergeant banged a tray of cheeseburgers down on the counter.

"Hey, drama queens," she barked. "If you’re not gonna eat, get out. My shift ends in twenty minutes, and I’m not staying overtime to watch your teenage soap opera."

Everyone froze. Brent scoffed again, gave Rex one last glare like he was storing it for future grudge energy, snorted and turned with a flip of his hair. "Enjoy your peasant feast. I’ll be at Le Bistro."

He strutted out like he’d just won something.

"Who even eats at Le Bistro?" someone whispered.

"Only people who pay extra for plain toast," another replied.

Rex exhaled through his nose, calm and chill once more. He turned to the others.

"Alright, everyone! Enough of the villain monologues. Let’s dig in before the fries go cold!"

Cheers erupted again, louder this time—like their king had returned victorious.

Adrian leaned in, whispering with a chuckle, "Man, remind me to never get on your bad side."

Rex just shrugged. "Don’t start drama unless you’re ready for the sequel."

Students swarmed the tables like bees to honey, and lunch officially began—with extra flavor, both literal and dramatic.

The cafeteria was loud. Not just regular lunch-hour loud, but "whole-class-stampeded-like-it-was-Black-Friday" loud. Students swarmed the food counters, laughter and disbelief rippling through the air.

Trays clattered. Fries disappeared. Someone was already defending their dessert fork like a duelist at dawn.

Daisy, being Daisy, was organizing a makeshift serving line, casually keeping people from trampling each other. Adrian was already halfway through his wrap, giving Rex a thumbs-up with a mouth full of lettuce.

Rex stood casually in the middle of the chaos, hands in his pockets, a lazy grin on his face like he’d just flipped the whole social order upside down—for lunch.

At the far end of the cafeteria, near the massive sunlit windows, Rex strolled to an empty ten-seater table like a man claiming new territory. He dropped his tray with a soft clack and sat down with the poise of a benevolent warlord—one who had fed an army and still had budget left for dessert.

He leaned back, shoulders relaxed, letting the sunlight paint golden streaks across the table. Finally, some peace.

That lasted exactly three seconds.

And in the corner, slowly, carefully, Elara adjusted her thick glasses and pushed her bangs out of her eyes, tray in hand. She scanned the room for an empty seat—not that easy when the whole cafeteria looked like a music festival. Her eyes landed on an empty spot... right next to Rex.

Without much thought—because thinking in this kind of crowd was dangerous—she made a beeline for it and sat down. It wasn’t until she settled her tray (a simple, sad combo of plain salad and a sandwich) that she realized where she was sitting.

Next to him.

Rex turned.

Elara turned.

Their eyes met.

And for a few strange, breathless seconds, time seemed to hesitate—like even the universe wasn’t sure what to do with this moment.

Elara blinked once. Twice. Then—very softly, almost like she was apologizing to the table itself—she murmured, "Oh."

Rex tilted his head slightly, a brow lifting in mild curiosity. "Oh?"

"I—uh... didn’t realize... this was you." she stammered, her fingers tightening slightly around the edges of her tray. "I wasn’t... I wasn’t looking. I just... sat."

She looked at him, then at the table, then back again.

She hurriedly glanced behind her. The remaining tables were packed. the crowd was chaotic. The lunch rush had reached critical mass.

One girl was already squatting awkwardly near the napkin station with a sandwich on her knee. Another was scanning the room like she was plotting a heist on an unguarded seat. Another was pretending the recycling bin was a standing desk.

"Looks like you’re stuck with me," Rex said, mouth twitching in amusement.

Elara didn’t answer. She didn’t nod or shrug or smile. She simply sat—rigid, silent, her knees close together and her tray perfectly aligned with the table’s edge, like she was trying not to spill into existence. Then, with the cautious slowness of someone trying not to awaken a sleeping beast, she picked up her water bottle and took a sip, though her ears had gone visibly red.

Rex chuckled inwardly. She was clearly pretending this wasn’t awkward.

He respected the effort. He was a pro at pretending things weren’t awkward.

For a minute or so, nothing was said. Only the sounds of utensils clinking and chaotic cafeteria chatter filled the air.

Elara unwrapped her modest meal—a plain sandwich, a cup of water, and a cheap salad. She ate with tiny, careful bites, as if she was on some kind of secret government diet plan. Her posture was perfect. Her napkin usage was borderline surgical.

Rex took a large bite of his burger and leaned back, watching her from the corner of his eye.

She hadn’t looked at him once since sitting down.

Interesting.

"You always eat like that?" he asked suddenly.

Elara jumped—almost jumped—and nearly dropped her fork. She scrambled to steady it with both hands, then blinked at him like a deer going through a memory crash.

"I—like what?"

(End of Chapter)

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