As the lunch bell rang, Philip's friends, Mike and Eugene, swooped in, eager to grab their lunch. "Hey, Philip, let's go!" Mike exclaimed, already heading towards the canteen.

Philip nodded, but hesitated, his eyes locked on Lucretia. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up," he said, his voice casual.

Eugene raised an eyebrow but shrugged and followed Mike out of the classroom.

Philip walked over to Lucretia, who was packing up her things. "Hey, Lucretia, want to join us for ...