(POV: Ethan)
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It was a random evening, nothing particularly special about it. The kind where the sky was transitioning from soft hues of orange to deep indigo, the air still carrying the last traces of warmth before the cool night settled in.
We had just finished our usual café stop, an unspoken tradition after class. The kind of habit that wasn't planned but just happened over time.
Leo, as usual, had gotten his coffee, holding the cup in that annoyingly effortless way he did everything. Ava was arguing about something trivial with Sophia—probably about how to properly eat fries or whether pineapple belonged on pizza. I wasn't paying full attention. Instead, my thoughts had drifted back to something that had been bothering me for a while.
It wasn't that I had suddenly started questioning it. No, this had been lingering in the back of my mind for months—years, even. Every now and then, some passing comment or offhanded remark from Leo would make me pause.
Like that one time in class when we were discussing different countries, and the teacher casually mentioned a small city in Europe. Leo had offhandedly muttered, "Oh yeah, it's nice there. The cafés are good."
We had all turned to look at him.
"...You've been there?" I had asked, expecting a joke.
Leo had just nodded like it was nothing. "Yeah, once. It was a short trip."
And then, without any further elaboration, he had gone back to his notes.
Or that time when we were watching a travel vlog, and the host was struggling with the language barrier in Japan. Leo had casually translated the conversation before the subtitles even popped up.
Ava had gaped at him. "Since when do you know Japanese?"
Leo had just blinked at her. "I learned a little."
And that was it. No dramatic backstory, no flexing, just a simple statement.
At some point, we all just accepted that Leo was... Leo. Mysterious but never in a way that felt suspicious. He was just someone who seemed to know things. Someone who had seen places, done things, and somehow had a life outside of the little world we all existed in.
But then, every once in a while, something new would come up, and the questions would return.
Like today.
It had started with a casual comment about vacation plans.
Sophia had been excitedly talking about an upcoming family trip, something about finally going abroad for the first time. Ava had whined about how she wanted to travel too but couldn't afford to, and I had jokingly agreed.
And then Leo, in the most Leo way possible, had just gone, "You just have to plan properly."
Ava had immediately turned to him. "Easy for you to say, Mr. I've Been to More Countries Than I Have Exes."
Leo had raised an eyebrow. "...That's an oddly specific comparison."
Sophia, ignoring that, leaned in. "Actually, yeah. We never really asked. How do you even afford to travel so much?"
And just like that, the unspoken question we had all buried over time resurfaced.
And now, here we were, all eyes on Leo as he blinked at us like we had just asked him the square root of a banana.
"...What?"
I leaned forward. "Dude. How do you afford all of it? The traveling, the flights, the staying in different places? I get it if it's just a rare thing, but you actually go places—not just short trips. You're not out here buying expensive sneakers or designer clothes, but you also don't act like you're struggling. So, like… how?"
Ava snapped her fingers. "YES! FINALLY! I've been wondering this forever!"
Sophia crossed her arms. "Me too. I just assumed you'd tell us eventually."
Leo exhaled and put his coffee down like we were exhausting him. "You could have just asked."
"WE'RE ASKING NOW."
He took a moment, probably thinking about how best to phrase it. Then, finally, he shrugged.
"I freelance."
Silence.
Ava squinted. "That's it?"
Leo nodded. "That's it."
I gestured vaguely. "Be more specific."
Leo sighed, clearly realizing that we weren't going to let it go. "I do a few different things. Translation work, consulting, some writing here and there."
Sophia leaned in. "Consulting for what?"
"Depends. Sometimes companies need on-ground research for certain markets. Since I travel, I can help with that. Other times, I assist with data analysis or logistics."
Ava looked suspicious. "Why would anyone hire a random college student for that?"
Leo shrugged. "I have experience."
Ava opened her mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again. "...WHY do you have experience?"
Leo sipped his coffee. "Coincidence."
I nearly threw my drink at him. "THAT IS NOT AN ANSWER."
Leo, unbothered, continued. "It's not about having a lot of money. It's about knowing how to manage it. Flights? I book early or use points. Hotels? Either budget ones or through connections. Food? I eat well, but I don't waste money on things I don't need."
Sophia frowned. "And the extra cash?"
Leo thought for a second. "I invest."
Silence.
Ava leaned forward, gripping the table. "...SINCE WHEN?!"
Leo blinked. "Since high school."
I held up a hand. "Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that while the rest of us were struggling to pass math, you were out here investing?!"
Leo just shrugged again. "It wasn't that complicated. I started small. Read a lot. Learned what worked."
Sophia rubbed her temples. "Let me get this straight. You travel because you freelance, you keep costs low, and you've been investing since high school."
"Basically."
Ava groaned. "So you're not rich-rich, but you're financially responsible?"
Leo looked at her like she had just stated the most obvious fact in existence. "That's how normal people manage money, Ava."
I whistled. "Damn. So you just... figured out how to make it work?"
Leo nodded. "I like traveling, so I prioritized it. It's not about how much money you have—it's about how you use it."
Sophia exhaled. "You are the most confusing person I know."
Leo smirked. "Thanks."
Ava groaned into her arms. "I hate that that wasn't even a crazy answer. It actually makes sense."
Leo just sipped his coffee again, completely unfazed.
And honestly? That was somehow even more frustrating.
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End of Chapter 12.