Their past

Three years ago, before Starlight International had its glowing corridors and whispering teenagers, there was a conference. A dull, slow-moving, coffee-fueled educational tech seminar in the heart of the city.

Ms. Sophia—just out of grad school, idealistic and brilliant—was one of the youngest teachers invited. With a passion for blending creativity and learning, she presented a talk on how music could be used to improve emotional intelligence in classrooms.

Lucas Mateo, on the other hand, wasn’t supposed to be there.

At the time, he was a rising star in indie game development—his psychological game “Shadow Harmony” had just gone viral. But he was invited as a surprise guest to speak on the emotional impact of storytelling in games.

He showed up late. Unbothered. Wearing a black hoodie and headphones, coffee in one hand, confidence in the other.

Sophia spotted him across the room and thought, This guy looks like trouble.

He thought the same thing about her.

When she made a comment about how “digital media often lacked emotional maturity,” Lucas raised his hand and challenged her mid-presentation.

Sophia didn't flinch. “You’re assuming students need their emotions spoon-fed. I say: guide them, don’t coddle them.”

Lucas smirked. “And you’re assuming students can’t handle shadow. I say: trust them, don’t filter them.”

The crowd was silent. Then a chuckle. Then interest. What started as a disagreement turned into a full-on debate.

By the end of the seminar, they had unintentionally taken over the panel—laughing, arguing, and secretly enjoying the duel.

Later that day, they crossed paths again outside the venue.

Lucas, sipping his third coffee. Sophia, scrolling through her notes.

“You’re stubborn,” he said with a grin.

She replied without looking up. “You’re arrogant.”

He chuckled. “Do you talk like that to all the guys who flirt with you during keynotes?”

She paused.

“Was that flirting?”

“Unsuccessfully, yes.”

A smile. Small, but real.

They didn’t exchange numbers.

They didn’t meet again.

But they remembered.

Lucas still recalled the way she rolled her eyes—half-annoyed, half-impressed.

Sophia never forgot how he challenged her—and listened.

And then life moved on.

He built his empire. She became the heart of a new school. Both poured their souls into others. Neither expected their paths to cross again.

Until Luna. Until Starlight International.

And now, years later, here they were—grown, wiser, more tired maybe, but still… something sparked.

Back in the present…

Luna tilted her head between the two grown-ups like she was watching a drama unfold in real life.

“Okay… what is this tension? Is this going to be a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers situation or what?”

Sophia gasped. Lucas laughed.

“You’ve been watching too many dramas,” Sophia said, cheeks pink.

“She gets it from me,” Lucas shrugged. “I do write slow-burn arcs.”

Their eyes met again. And this time, something lingered.

A beat.

A breath.

Something unsaid. But felt.

Future Glimpse...

Someday—not yet, but one day—there would be a small apartment filled with music and laughter.

Sophia would mark student essays at the kitchen table. Lucas would be coding beside her, glasses pushed up his nose. Luna would be in her room, singing to herself. The world outside would keep spinning—but inside that little home, chaos would be cozy.

They wouldn’t be perfect. But they’d be family.

And that, in the end, would be enough.

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