The Boy Everyone Ignored
Chapter 1
The Boy Everyone Ignored
The first day of the semester always looked the same.
Luxury cars lined the entrance of St. Augustine International University. Drivers stepped out to open doors while students in designer clothes laughed their way across campus, coffee cups in hand and expensive watches catching the morning sunlight.
Some came to study.
Most came because their parents expected them to.
Charles arrived differently.
He got off an old city bus with a faded black backpack slung over one shoulder. His white polo had been washed so many times that the fabric had begun to lose its brightness. His sneakers were clean but clearly worn from years of use.
He adjusted the strap on his backpack before walking through the university gates.
No one noticed him.
Just the way he preferred.
The security guard at the entrance smiled.
“Morning, Charles.”
“Good morning, Sir.”
“You working again tonight?”
Charles chuckled.
“Yes. My shift starts at six.”
The guard shook his head with admiration.
“I don’t know how you manage classes and work.”
Charles simply smiled.
“One day at a time.”
He continued toward the College of Business building while students rushed past him.
“...Did you hear? Irene Villareal is back.”
“They said she spent the whole summer in Europe.”
“I heard her father bought another company.”
“I wish I had her life.”
Charles paid little attention.
Rich families were always buying something.
It had nothing to do with him.
Inside Room 304, students were already filling the seats.
Charles quietly took the chair in the last row beside the window, pulled out a notebook, and reviewed last semester’s notes while waiting for class to begin.
“Hey.”
A cheerful voice interrupted him.
He looked up.
Marco, one of the few classmates who actually talked to him, dropped into the seat beside him.
“You worked until midnight yesterday, didn’t you?”
Charles nodded.
“I’m fine.”
“You always say that.”
Marco sighed before handing him a sandwich.
“My mom made extra.”
Charles immediately pushed it back.
“You should eat it.”
“I already did.”
“You’ll get hungry later.”
Marco crossed his arms.
“If you don’t take it, she’ll think you didn’t like her cooking.”
Charles laughed softly.
“That’s unfair.”
“I know.”
After a brief hesitation, Charles accepted it.
“Tell your mom thank you.”
“I will.”
Their professor entered, ending the conversation.
For the next two hours, Charles answered every question with calm confidence.
Not to impress anyone.
Just because he enjoyed learning.
When class ended, groups immediately gathered around their friends.
Charles quietly packed his things.
He had another class in ten minutes.
As he walked across the courtyard—
A loud engine echoed through campus.
Everyone turned.
A sleek white luxury sedan rolled through the university gates.
Students stopped talking.
Phones appeared almost instantly.
“That’s the Villareal family’s new car.”
“I heard it’s worth more than my house.”
“The owner’s here.”
The driver stepped out first.
He opened the rear door.
A young woman stepped onto the pavement.
She wore the same university uniform as everyone else, yet somehow looked completely different.
Long black hair.
Elegant posture.
Confident without appearing arrogant.
She acknowledged a few greetings with a polite smile before walking toward the administration building.
“Irene...”
“So beautiful.”
“I wonder who’s lucky enough to date her.”
Charles happened to glance in her direction for only a second.
Then he kept walking.
He had somewhere to be.
He didn’t notice Irene briefly looking around the courtyard as if searching for someone.
Nor did he hear the whispers that followed her every step.
By late afternoon, Charles left campus through the back gate.
Instead of heading home, he changed into a simple blue apron inside a small neighborhood café.
“You’re late by thirty seconds,” the owner joked.
Charles checked the clock.
“I’m improving.”
The old man laughed.
“You’ll own this place before I retire.”
“I think your customers would disagree.”
The café was quiet.
Most customers were office workers or students looking for inexpensive coffee.
Charles enjoyed working there.
It was peaceful.
No one cared about status.
Everyone was simply another customer.
Around seven that evening, rain suddenly poured over the city.
People rushed inside the café for shelter.
Charles moved from table to table carrying hot drinks.
Near the entrance, a young woman stood hesitating beneath the awning.
She wasn’t carrying an umbrella.
Her uniform was already damp from the rain.
Charles grabbed the spare umbrella kept behind the counter.
He walked outside.
“Excuse me.”
The young woman turned.
It was Irene.
“I think you’ll need this more than I do.”
She blinked.
“I couldn’t.”
“You can return it another day.”
She looked at the umbrella... then at him.
“Thank you.”
“It’s only an umbrella.”
A small smile appeared on her face.
“It’s still kind.”
For a brief moment, the heavy rain seemed quieter.
Neither of them knew they had seen each other earlier that day.
Neither of them realized this simple exchange would become the beginning of a story that would change both of their lives.
As Irene walked away beneath the umbrella, Charles returned to the café and continued working as though nothing special had happened.
But through the rain-covered window...
Irene looked back once.
Just once.
She didn’t know his name.
Yet for some reason...
She felt she would meet the quiet café worker again.
And this time—
She wouldn’t forget his face.
End of Chapter 1
