(POV: Sophia)
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If I had to describe Leo in one word, it would be frustrating.
Not because he was annoying—though he absolutely was in his own way—but because he was the type of person who would drop some mind-blowing fact about himself like it was nothing and then move on, leaving the rest of us scrambling to process it.
Like, come on.
Freelancing? Investing? Traveling the world without being filthy rich?
It should have been insane, but instead, it just sounded so... Leo.
And somehow, that was even worse.
"Okay, so let me get this straight." I leaned forward, arms crossed, still trying to wrap my head around it. "You've been making money by freelancing, doing consulting, translating, and writing. You travel smart, book cheap flights, and invest—since high school, mind you. And all of this is just... normal to you?"
Leo just nodded like we weren't having an existential crisis over his life choices.
Ava groaned. "I hate him."
"You don't hate him," Ethan pointed out.
"Okay, fine, I hate how casual he is about all of this."
Ethan nodded. "That's fair."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "It's just weird. You always seemed... I don't know. Like, you don't act like someone who works all the time. You just exist, and somehow, things just happen around you."
Leo tilted his head slightly. "I just manage my time well."
Ava scoffed. "Oh, sure, let me just manage my time well and become financially independent while still in college. Easy peasy."
Leo sipped his coffee. "I never said it was easy."
That was the worst part. He wasn't even bragging. He was just stating facts, as if he didn't even think his life was that unusual.
And maybe to him, it wasn't.
That was the weird thing about Leo. He was this paradox of a person—completely normal yet somehow full of these little mysteries that never made sense.
And every time we thought we understood him, something new popped up.
I tapped my fingers on the table, narrowing my eyes. "Wait. If you've been working since high school, when did you even have the time? You didn't just wake up one day and start freelancing."
Leo exhaled like we were exhausting him. "I started small. I had free time, so I figured I might as well use it."
"Free time?" Ava repeated, scandalized. "We were drowning in assignments and exams! What free time?!"
Leo raised an eyebrow. "I finished my work early."
I groaned. "Of course you did."
Ethan chuckled. "Man, you really were living a different life."
Leo didn't answer, just gave a small shrug like that was the most natural thing in the world.
Ava flopped onto the table dramatically. "This isn't fair. I'm struggling just to exist, and meanwhile, you're out here funding your own travels like it's nothing."
Leo raised a finger. "It's not nothing. I just learned how to work smart."
I frowned, resting my chin on my hand. "You say that, but we never actually see you working. You don't bring it up. You don't complain about deadlines. How do you even balance everything?"
Leo tilted his head slightly, thinking. "I don't know. I guess I just don't see the point in making a big deal out of it. It's just work."
Just work.
I glanced at Ethan, who gave me a knowing look. We were both thinking the same thing.
That wasn't normal.
Most people, when they worked hard, talked about it. Complained, vented, even bragged a little.
But Leo? He treated it like it was just another part of his life. Something not even worth mentioning.
And that was the strangest part of all.
I tapped my fingers against my cup, deep in thought.
It wasn't that I doubted what he was saying. It all made sense in a frustrating, Leo kind of way.
But something about it still felt... off.
Like we were only seeing the surface of something much deeper.
Something he wasn't telling us.
And knowing Leo, we probably wouldn't get the full answer unless we dragged it out of him.
Which, honestly, was starting to feel like a personal challenge.
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End of Chapter 13.