The cafeteria buzzed with chaos — trays clattering, chairs scraping, laughter bouncing off tiled walls. But at the far end, where the sunlight poured through the windows and the noise dulled to a hum, Raya and Eli claimed their usual four-seater like it was a war room.
Raya opened her notebook, flipping to the freshly labeled page:
'Phase 3: Gather Intel
Step 6: Interview His CF
"So when we gather intel, i should look uninterested," she said calmly, scanning the room with the ease of a seasoned strategist. "Casual. Curious. Charming."
Eli stirred his iced coffee, raising a brow. "Just do the classic hit and run," he said with a smirk. "Act like you made coincidences, and boom—they spill their guts." Raya grinned, flipping to a fresh page.
"My questions and backup stories are ready." She said tapping her notes. "If anyone mention an ex-crush or a TOTGA, even better."
Step 7: Personality Language Reading
"i can learn everything from how he acts round others or around me by just simply observing" she murmured.
"Formal or flirty? Dry humor or dramatic?" Eli asked, chewing on his straw.
"Is he Guarded or open? Direct ye contact or shifting eyes?" Raya added, watching Primero like a scientist studying a rare specimen .
"And most importantly," she said quietly, "does he flirt with everyone? Or only when he means it?"
Step 8: Like & Dislike Database
"Books, music, movies, food, weird little habits. Compile it all," she instructed.
"We should list down if you guys have anything in common? Does he prefer black coffee over matcha? Is he allergic to cats? Well, you own one! Does he binge-watches thrillers or cries during Studio Ghibli?" Eli added
"Shared interests are useful ," Raya said, writing it all down. "Not because I'll change myself—but because I'll speak his language and that way he will fall for me"
Eli leaned closer. "Bitch, you are dangerous,"
Mayari smiled.
Raya smiled faintly. "I know."
Phase 4: Subtle Interactions
Step 9: Coincidences
"Okay, next," Eli leaned in, lowering his voice "How do we get you into his orbit without looking obsessive?"
Raya grinned. "Simple. We learn the rhythm of his life."
Eli raised a brow. "You mean… stalking?" She rolled her eyes. "I prefer to call it strategic observation." Eli laughed under his breath. "Girl, I can't with you,"
She flipped open her notebook to a crisp new page, the top corner marked with a clean label in bold letters: Primero's Schedule, tapping her pen once before reading.
"He eats at the West Wing canteen from 11:30 to 12. Student council office after lunch. Library during breaks. Classes: Mondays and Thursday, 10 to 11:30 AM then 1 to 3 and then 5:30 to 8:30. Tuesday and Friday, almost the sane but with slight variations, class starts at 10 to 2 then break then 4to 5:30. Gym after last period, three times a week. Stays in the library during upcoming debate tournament. Wednesdays and Saturday—completely free but still go to school due to responsibilities."
She glanced up.
Eli stared, blinking slowly. "You already tracked him?"
"Friends with my brother," she said with a smooth shrug. "Coincidence, right?"
Eli clutched his chest dramatically. "Girl… you terrify me in the most inspiring way possible."
"When did you even find out that he is your brother's friend?" Eli asked genuinely
"Earlier. i asked to leave class to use the toilet. While i was walking down the hallway i saw my brother talking to him. I texted him about his schedule just because. I assume they are classmate, but i'm not entirely sure." Raya Explained
"Then this schedule that you provided is not even reliable?"
"I will confirmed it," she said, taking a sip of water from her water bottle "Coincidences are easy when you're the younger sister."
"It must be destiny" she said, a faint smirk forming.
"Destiny or data-driven obsession," he whispered in awe, "How did you even know that he stays in the library? either way... I'm invested."
"Asked my brother where he is, he sent me a photo and told me not to come because he is with his friends, and he was there so... That's how i know, though most of this are still a hypothesis and not confirmed."
Raya smiled sweetly while closing her notebook slightly. "Now that I know where he'll be, I just need to be there too. naturally."
"'Naturally,'" Eli echoed gesturing air quotes. "Like, 'Oh, i didn't know you come here too, Primero!'"
"Exactly," she said. "Shared spaces. Eye contact. Proximity builds familiarity. Familiarity creates possibility."
Eli sat back in awe. "You're not building a crush. You're orchestrating destiny. But girl i hope this doesn't turn into an obsession, because i will be the one to stop you immediately, I don't want you to embarrass yourself."
"I won't, Eli." She said simply. "I got this."
Step 10: Flirt — But Make It Genius
"Now," Eli continued, "when the time comes for actual interaction, it has to be surgical."
Eli clapped his hands like a game show host. "Welcome to the round of Calculated Flirtation!"
"No hair flips. No 'oops I dropped my pen' tricks," Eli said firmly.
"Just sharp timing and better lines," Eli added.
"Subtlety matters," Raya said " A simple 'thank you' is enough, don't add too much, if it starts to feel forced, you should excuse yourself, but exit gracefully—with a smile"
She paused, then smirked. "If he's the type who hides behind achievements, emotional depth will shake him."
Eli gave her a slow clap. "You don't flirt. You destabilize."
Raya completely closed her notebook.
"I don't want his attention," she said, quietly "I want his focus."
He adjusted his imaginary glasses like a wise kung fu master, then tapped her notebook with a perfectly manicured finger.
"Phase Five," he declared with theatrical flair. "Play. The. Game."
Mayari clicked her pen, eyes locked on him. "I'm ready, Shifu."
Eli gave a solemn nod, as if passing down something sacred. "Step Eleven: Be His Type But on your terms."
Raya leaned back slightly. "That sounds like common sense."
"It isn't for most people," Eli said. "They start changing themselves the moment they like someone."
Raya's gaze stayed steady. "That's where I draw the line."
Eli nodded, like that was exactly the answer he was waiting for.
"Good. You don't nees too." Eli smirked. "Weaponize your charm, baby"
Raya's lips curved faintly. "Go on."
"Start small," Eli said, voice lowering like they were planning something important. "Be present where he is—but never chase. You don't orbit him. You just… exist in the same spaces on purpose."
Raya tapped her pen once. "Intentional presence."
"Exactly," Eli said. "When you speak, make it count. When you laugh, don't force it. Let it land. Let him notice you without you asking for it."
Raya lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile. "Wreck his peace, huh?"
"Shatter it, babe," Eli whispered. "Let him lie awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering why he can't get you out of his head."
Raya's eyes narrowed slightly—not in doubt, but in evaluation.
"And the charm?" she asked.
Eli smirked. "Weaponize it. Not as a performance—just as selective access. Give him warmth in moments, then pull it back into composure. Enough to register. Never enough to own you."
Raya hummed softly. "So I don't become what he likes."
"No," Eli said. "You make what he likes became you."
That made her pause for a beat.
Not because she was unsure—but because she was aligning it with her own understanding.
Then she nodded once.
"I won't adjust myself to fit his ideals," she said calmly. "If I fit, it has to be because I already do."
Eli pointed at her like she'd just confirmed the rule of the entire game. "That's it. That's the difference."
"Be present where he is," she repeated quietly, writing it down. "Weaponize charm. No chasing."
"And most important," Eli added, leaning in, "don't overextend. You leave space. You let him come closer on his own terms."
Raya's pen stopped for a second.
Then she wrote one more line beneath the rest.
'I don't adapt to be chosen. I position myself to be noticed.'
She twirled her pen like a blade. "Good. He won't even know he's already in checkmate."
"Girl," Eli breathed, hand over his heart. "You're dangerous." Eli leaned closer, whispering now like a mentor passing down a secret weapon. "Be the version of yourself that makes him second-guess everything. Every move. Every thought."
Raya nodded. "Make him lean in…"
"…then smile and walk away," they said together, grinning like villains in matching crowns.
Eli clutched his chest, pretending to swoon. "You're becoming the love assassin I always dreamed of training."
Then, as if summoned by the plotting gods of teenage fate, Primo walked into the cafeteria — sunlight trailing behind him, laughter cutting through the noise, his presence somehow louder than the noise around him.
Eli instinctively glanced at Raya.
He expected movement. Reaction.
Raya didn't turn her head. But Eli noticed the shift in her — not flustered, not frantic. Calm.
"He's here," Eli whispered, wide-eyed.
"I know," She replied, cool and composed.
"You going in?" Eli asked.
She calmly bit into her sandwhich. "Not yet. Let him feel the absence… before I offer the presence." He just laughed at her friend's remark.
He raised his drink. "To the final phase."
Raya circled the last step in her notebook with a slow, deliberate motion. Her pen left a confident curve across the page, almost like a battle mark.
Final Phase: The Pull and Push Method Step 11: Be His Type — but Better
She looked up. "This is it. The final step… or at least, the final strategy."
Eli leaned closer, eyes gleaming. "The most dangerous weapon in your plan—you."
Raya smirked. "Exactly."
"Pull and Push." His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.
"This is the part where most girls mess up. But not you."
She smirked. "Because I'm not most girls."
"Exactly." He leaned forward. "When he starts to notice you — and he will — you don't chase. You attract when it counts... then pull away just when he thinks he's gaining ground."
She nodded, her smile thoughtful, calculating. "So I give him a taste."
"Softness," Eli said, grinning. "When he least expects it. A glance. A compliment. A laugh that's just for him."
"And then?"
"Then you disappear," Eli said, snapping his fingers. "With a wink. Or better — with silence."
She laughed, low and confident. "Let him wonder what he did wrong."
"Let him spiral, babe," Eli grinned. "That's where the magic brews."
She scribbled in her notebook, eyes gleaming. "Pull when he pushes. Push when he pulls."
"Serve unpredictability like it's your signature dish," he said. "Keep him guessing. Keep him working."
She closed her notebook with a snap. "Show him I don't need him — and that's exactly why he'll want me."
Eli raised his milk tea like a champagne glass. "To the art of being irresistible."
Mayari clinked her cup against his. "To the final move."
Outside the window, the sun dipped lower — golden hour.
And inside, the trap was set.
Raya capped her pen and looked at the filled page, pride blooming in her chest like she'd just cracked a secret code.
"This is either genius… or completely insane," she muttered.
Eli leaned back in his chair, smug. "Both. And that's exactly why it's going to work."
She tapped her notebook once and said with quiet resolve, "Let the operation begin."
Eli grinned, eyes sparkling. "And may the odds be ever in your favor, babe."
Raya didn't respond. Her eyes were already drifting toward the door of the student council office down the hallway—where a very tall, very composed Primero Madrigal had just stepped out, laughing at something one of the other officers had said.
This time, he wouldn't even realize he was falling — not until he'd already hit the ground.
And when he did?
Raya would be right there, smiling like she hadn't planned every second of it.
She didn't just want his attention.
She wanted his heart.
And she was going to win it—without ever chasing.