The Prince and the Plant Whisperer

The Prince

[~~~ Posted 2/20/21~~~]

Lukas isn't usually a fan of tomato soup. But that day—

—he eats it slowly, alone. A faint smile settles on his face.

It tastes better than he remembered.

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Back in his dorm room, Lukas's lanky legs are curled up in bed, and a textbook sits open on his thighs.

For the past 10 minutes, his roommates Ed Okoye and Vien Nguyen have been snickering at something on Ed's laptop.

Vien shakes his head.

"Lukas's good looks are wasted on him. He could go out with anyone on campus. And look at him. He lives like a monk."

They seem to be enjoying their favorite hobby, Lukas thinks. Internet-stalking me.

Ed turns to Vien, "How much money would we get? If we auctioned our slots as Lukas's roommates?"

Ed grins at Vien. "$5,000, you think? $10,000?"

"$20,000 minimum," says Vien.

Deadpan, Lukas mutters, "Glad to know our friendship's just a commodity in your eyes"

This whole mess was the fault of the campus's gossip tabloid newspaper, The Rumpus.

Every year, The Rumpus put out a list of the "100 Most Beautiful People on Campus," with a short, jokey article about each person.

Last year, Lukas "made the list." 

The Rumpus published 200 words of drivel about Lukas's face and body, noting his impressive height and shoe size. And implying that—in conclusion—certain other parts of him must also be big.

Bravo, Lukas thought, reading it. Looks like you all invented a groundbreaking new form of humor. Bravo.

The article's headline:

"The Most Beautiful... Prince of Hong Kong."

And the editors somehow dug up a picture of him, looking like...

...well...

A K-pop idol.

The original photo was a joke. For Halloween their freshman year, Ed, Vien and Lukas all dressed up as James Bond. They thought it was hilarious that a Nigerian-American, Vietnamese American, and Hong Kong student were all going around saying "Bond. James Bond" 

And the three boys posed for that photo, with unbuttoned shirts and black bowties loosened around their necks. But the Rumpus.. they'd cropped the photo and made it A LUKAS CLOSE-UP. Like the headshot of a K-drama star.

Lukas could swear, the tabloid even reddened his lips in the photo.

When that fateful Rumpus article went live, a collective exhale—OHHHH—echoed across campus. Hundreds of hands fanned their owners. Lukas fan clubs popped up. Lukas stan accounts.

In the article's wake, Lukas had been asked out non-stop. A chihuahua on campus got named after him. A stalker had to be hospitalized. An emoji marriage proposal popped up on his phone.

He ignored most of it.

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"That," says Ed, pointing. "Check out that chemistry between them!"

"Chemistry!?" protests Vien. "Lukas looks as bored as a wax statue."

Giving in, Lukas goes over to see what his roommates are gawking at.

It's a TikPics account devoted to photos of Nadia and Lukas spotted together on campus. 

In one picture, Nadia gripped Lukas's wrist and whispered into his ear. In another, she was tapping his shoulder in a courtyard. And then there was the next: Nadia in a tight black sweater, her breasts smashed up against Lukas's forearm.

The TikPics account is anonymous. Of course.

Its tagline reads like a gossip column: "Do you ship Nadia and Lukas? They're definitely a couple. We have all the proof you need!!!!"

In the past he used to ignore it all.

If campus gossips said he and Nadia were a couple—at least the fake news would keep a horde of girls off his back. Which would give him more peace and quiet for work.

So this rumor should be a good thing, right?

But now?

For the first time ever, it irks him to think of all that fake news spreading like wildfire. He really, really wants set the record straight.

He looks at his roommates, still engrossed in the screen.

They have no idea. The truth about me and Nadia.

A memory comes back to him: Nadia's dad. A hot June day. A shiny, air-conditioned office. The summer before his own freshman year.

"Yukhei, none of this is personal," the older businessman said in Cantonese. "Here's my proof—"

With a self-satisfied smile, Nadia's dad uncapped a gold-plated pen and signed his name.

"See?" The older man leaned back, complacent. "In the end, our families look out for each other. Just like you'll look out for Nadia this fall."

Lukas could barely stifle his anger. Just get to college, he told himself. Get to college. And make a battle plan. Get so powerful, so unstoppable, that no one can defeat you.

Then get revenge.

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🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

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