Chapter 100 Like Fighting A Storm
I have to admit, helping out at Josh’s salon made me feel strangely excited.
It was not just because I was learning something new. It was because I genuinely enjoy learning. Even if this is not what I plan to do forever, I throw myself into it with my whole heart. Every small task feels like something I can master if I try hard enough.
But deep inside, I know where my real dream is.
If I get the chance to keep my scholarship in college, I want to take up law.
Sometimes, when I am organizing files at the salon or assisting customers, I catch myself imagining something different. A courtroom. Thick case folders on a wooden table. Long nights reading statements and evidence. The pressure of standing up and defending someone who has no one else to fight for them.
The truth is, I have always loved solving puzzles.
When I was a child, I would spend hours working on logic games and riddles. I loved the feeling of figuring something out before anyone else did. I loved how every problem had clues, and if you were patient enough, you could connect them and uncover the truth.
As I grew older in high school, that love for puzzles slowly turned into something bigger. I discovered debate.
The first time I joined a debate competition, I was terrified. My hands were shaking and my heart was racing. But the moment I started speaking, something inside me shifted. I loved the challenge of defending a position. I loved analyzing arguments and finding weaknesses in the opposing side’s claims. I loved organizing my thoughts quickly and responding under pressure.
And when I won my first debate, I realized something.
This was not just a hobby.
This was something I was good at.
Every debate after that felt like solving a case. I would research for hours, read different perspectives, and prepare counterarguments. I enjoyed breaking down complex topics and turning them into clear, strong points. I enjoyed proving something with facts instead of emotions.
That is why I want to become a lawyer.
Not for money. Not for prestige.
But because I love the challenge.
I love the idea of studying cases, analyzing evidence, and standing up for what is right. I want to defend people who cannot defend themselves. I want to fight using my voice and my mind.
Sometimes, when life feels overwhelming and everything around me seems unstable, that dream is the only thing that keeps me grounded.
Working at the salon may not be connected to law, but it teaches me discipline. It teaches me patience. It teaches me how to observe people, how to listen carefully, and how to handle pressure with grace.
And maybe, one day, when I finally step inside a courtroom, I will remember these small beginnings.
Because even now, as I help customers and balance school and work, I know one thing for sure.
I was born to solve problems. And one day, I will solve cases.
I was about to return the hair dryer to the rack when I suddenly felt it.
That strange, heavy feeling.
The kind that makes your skin tingle, like someone is watching you.
At first, I ignored it. I told myself it was nothing. Maybe it was just one of the customers waiting for assistance. Maybe I was only imagining things.
But the feeling did not go away.
It grew stronger.
Slowly, I lifted my head.
And the moment my eyes found him, my world tilted.
Liam.
He was standing near the entrance with Daniel beside him.
For a second, I honestly thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I blinked once, once, twice, but he was still there.
He looked so tall, familiar, and too handsome.
Both of them looked good. Like they did not belong in this small salon filled with the scent of shampoo and hair spray. But my eyes did not linger on Daniel.
They locked on Liam.
My heart reacted before my brain could.
It slammed violently against my chest, so hard I was afraid the people around me could hear it. My fingers tightened around the hair dryer. I suddenly forgot how to breathe properly.
Why is he here?
That was the only thought repeating in my mind.
I felt heat rush to my cheeks. My stomach flipped in the most traitorous way. It was humiliating how my body still responded to him as if nothing had changed. As if he had not broken my heart.
I told myself to look away. But I couldn’t. He was staring at me. Not casually, like I was just another staff member inside the salon. He was looking at me like I was the only person in the room.
And that made everything worse.
Memories flooded in without permission. The way he used to smile at me. The way he used to hold my hand. The way he used to look at me like I was his whole world.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to breathe.
“Act normal, Mia. You are at work. You are strong.
You don’t get to fall apart just because he decided to show up.” I told myself.
But no matter how much I tried to steady myself, my heart refused to cooperate. It was racing wildly, confused between anger and longing. Part of me wanted to walk up to him and ask why he was there.
The other part wanted to turn around and hide.
Because seeing him standing there so effortlessly handsome, looking at me like that, reminded me of one painful truth. No matter how much I tried to convince myself that I was moving on, a part of my heart still reacted to him.
“Daniel, Liam… what service do you want?” Josh asked.
I immediately noticed the slight tremble in his hands as he adjusted the comb on the counter. It was small, almost unnoticeable, but I knew him well enough to see it.
Josh was nervous.
And I understood why.
Liam was not just any customer. He was Liam Alcaraz. The kind of guy people observed. The kind of guy people judged. The kind of guy who came from a powerful family.
I could tell Josh was worried Liam might misunderstand something. After all, I had told Daniel before that Josh wanted to open a business and one of his friends needed a partner. Josh offered to help, and that was how this salon started. It was purely business. Nothing scandalous.
And I knew Josh feared people might assume something else.
But honestly, I doubted Liam would think that way.
Josh looked handsome. Confident. Masculine. He did not look “gay” the way people ignorantly expected someone to look. He carried himself well. He dressed sharp. He spoke firmly.
And he was undeniably attractive.
I always had to hide my smile whenever female customers flirted with him. Young women, older women, even some married ones. They would compliment his arms, his smile, his voice.
If only they knew.
I was the only one who knew his secret.
And sometimes it was hard not to laugh inside knowing he liked boys, not girls. All the giggles and hair flips were completely wasted on him. Their efforts were sweet, but futile.
And somehow, I was always the one who ended up receiving the chocolates, the coffee, and the little notes that were supposed to be for him.
Josh would just grin at me and say, “Free food, Mia.”
“I just want a haircut,” Liam finally said. His voice was calm, controlled. Too controlled. “I heard this place has been visited by celebrities. Is that true?”
Josh nodded quickly. “Yes, we’ve had a few known personalities—”
“And is it also true,” Liam cut in smoothly, “that your business partner is your girlfriend?”
The question made Josh froze. His face turned red almost instantly, and I felt my stomach tighten.
Daniel coughed awkwardly.
“Well,” Josh said, clearing his throat. “I can answer questions about the business. But as for my love life… I prefer to keep that private.”
I wanted to laugh at how professionally he handled that. He did not lie. He did not confirm anything either.
He simply avoided it.
Smart.
“Mia,” Josh suddenly said, turning to me with a casual tone that felt anything but casual. “Would you mind assisting Liam?”
My heart betrayed me at once.
It started racing so fast I thought I might actually faint. My fingers went cold. My throat tightened.
Assist him? Of all people why me?
I forced myself to nod like it was just another task.
“Of course,” I said, praying my voice sounded steady.
When I finally looked at Liam, our eyes met.
And everything inside me crumbled.
His gaze locked with mine, intense and searching. Not playful. It was the kind of look that made my chest ache.
I needed to pretend that my heart was not beating wildly and my knees were not weakening.
I must act I was no longer affected by the way he stood there, tall and unfairly handsome. Pretend that I did not still crave the warmth of his arms around me.
“Please, have a seat,” I said professionally, gesturing to the chair.
My hands were steady.
But inside?
I was fighting a storm.
Because the only thing I truly wanted in that moment was to ask him if he missed me. And to fall back into his arms like nothing ever broke between us.
But instead, I picked up the cape and draped it carefully around his shoulders.
And acted like he was just another client.