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The pro gamer didn’t reply for a while, and I started to overthink.
Guys care about their image, especially someone as skilled as him. It was so inappropriate of me to ask such a direct question!
3
“Don’t worry! I was just curious, I’m not shallow! In my heart, you’re the best in EECS!”
He finally replied, “… Who taught you to use metaphors like that?”
Why was I being criticized for expressing my loyalty? I genuinely thought he was more skilled!
So I changed tactics, “Let’s grab dinner after military training?”
He sent an “OK” emoji.
Unexpectedly, on the first day of military training, I completely embarrassed myself – 1 couldn’t march in sync!
“Alright, you there, step out!”
The drill sergeant couldn’t stand it anymore and pulled me out.
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“Everyone, at ease! You, extra drills!”
Under the watchful eyes of everyone from EECS, I walked out, mortified.
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EECS had way more guys than girls. There were only eight girls in our entire class, and now I was singled out for being clumsy. There was no way to avoid the attention.
The more nervous I got, the worse I marched. After correcting me countless times, the drill sergeant finally started marching out of sync himself.
I couldn’t help but point it out, “Sergeant, I think you’re doing it wrong too.”
A suspicious blush appeared on the sergeant’s tanned face.
Suddenly, a low chuckle came from nearby.
I froze. That voice… sounded familiar.
I turned and saw a tall, athletic figure walking past the field, holding a badminton racket.
I recognized him. Wasn’t that the legendary Ethan Payne?
He must have just come from the badminton court. His dark hair was slightly damp with sweat, and his t–shirt clung to his toned physique.
I had to admit, the girls at MIT had good taste. He was incredibly good–looking.
Our eyes met.
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He probably didn’t expect to be caught watching, raising an eyebrow slightly before nodding in acknowledgment.
My heart skipped a beat. I immediately looked away, clenching my fists.
-He was laughing at me too, wasn’t he?!
My eighteen years of dignity, gone in a single day!
3
The news of my extra drills spread like wildfire.
Even Chloe called, “Hahahahaha! Sarah, did you see the video of you at military training? You even got the sergeant marching out of sync! Hahahahaha!”
The video was taken from the stands. It was a bit far away, but you could still clearly see my awkward, uncoordinated marching.
I closed my eyes in despair, “That wasn’t me.”
Chloe giggled, “Your training is so strict, unlike ours. We spent half the day singing! By the way, can I borrow your game account? I’m so bored~”
Since I wasn’t in the mood to play, I gave her the password.
I felt like the drill sergeant was personally offended by my clumsiness and was determined to whip me into shape.
So for the next week, I had extra drills for half an hour after every training session.
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After training one day, I took out my phone on the way back to see the confessions page buzzing with activity.
“Update: Campus queen is having extra drills again today! Just saw her leaving the field! Nobody’s perfect, I guess. God must have completely sealed off her athletic abilities.”
“Gotta say, she’s still gorgeous. Even when she’s a mess, she’s the prettiest mess.”
“I heard she got a 1480 on the SAT! Even geniuses have their weaknesses. I feel so much better now!”
3
I sighed dejectedly and turned off my phone. Just as I was about to enter a boba shop, I got a call from Josh.
“Hello? What’s up?” I said listlessly.
His voice was hesitant, almost nervous.
“Sarah, you got a 1480 on the SAT, right?”
6
Was he seriously asking?
Wasn’t that the reason he dumped me?
“Yeah, so?” I was getting impatient.
Josh was silent for a few seconds, seeming to choose his words carefully, “Then, are you currently-”
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Suddenly, another guy’s voice came from the phone.
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“Hey, Josh! You died again! I can’t hold them off, this ‘Sarah‘ player is insane! You gotta play yourself!”
???
I messaged Chloe, “Are you fighting Josh?”
Chloe: “That jerk, I’ve wanted to take him down for ages! I’ll protect my girl!”
Me: “…”
Chloe: “Gotta go! Time to kill him a hundred more times!”
Me: “…Don’t overexert yourself. I’ll bring you boba later.”
Just as I replied to Chloe, I heard Josh say to the guy, “Coming!”
He seemed to have returned to his computer, the sound of keyboard clicking filling the air. He muttered something under his breath:
“…It must be a coincidence, they can’t have the same…”
I didn’t quite catch it, “What did you say?”
His tone suddenly became light, “Oh, nothing, my roommate was playing for me. Want an- other round?”
Me: “Sure.”
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Chloe’s waiting for your head.
I entered the boba shop. It wasn’t crowded.
“Two large grape with aloe vera, to go, please.”
As I was about to pay, a hand reached out and paid before I could.
Beep.
??? I turned around, confused, and saw a guy smiling at me.
3
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“You’re Sarah, right? I’m from the Chemistry department next door. Can I add you on Snapchat?”
I deadpanned, “Sorry, I don’t use Snapchat.”
.” He looked a little awkward, “Then, what about your number?”
“…”
Me: “My phone’s broken.”
11 “1
“How much was it? I’ll pay you back.”
I rummaged through my pockets, but I hadn’t brought any cash.
He seemed to notice and chuckled, “Since your phone’s broken, how about you give me your contact info? You can pay me back later.”
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I frowned, annoyed.
Just then, a calm voice came from behind.
“$34, right? I’ll Venmo you.”
I turned and froze.
The guy was stunned, “E–Ethan?”
a
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Ethan Payne handed his phone over, “Didn’t you want to add her? Add me instead.”
The guy’s expression was a mix of emotions, his eyes darting between us.
“Ethan, you, you guys…”
“Same department, easier to connect,” Ethan seemed to smile, his words carrying a hidden meaning, “Otherwise, people will think there’s no one else in EECS.”
The guy’s face paled. He didn’t dare add Ethan on Snapchat in the end.
Ethan simply paid for both drinks again, and the guy hurried away with his boba.
I thought for a moment and offered Ethan one of the drinks, “Thanks.”
He didn’t take it, glancing down with a raised eyebrow, “Two drinks. The other one for your boyfriend?”
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I quickly waved my hands, “No, no, it’s for my friend.”
He nodded and still didn’t take the drink.
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Probably didn’t like sweet drinks?
We left the boba shop and walked for a while, realizing we were going in the same direction.
“Aren’t you going back to the dorm?” he asked, glancing at the women’s dorm we passed.
3
I coughed, “Um… my friend is in the building across the street, I’m going to drop this off.”
He wouldn’t think I was intentionally following him, would he?!
Thankfully, he didn’t ask further and continued toward the campus gate.
He was carrying a backpack, which seemed to contain a laptop.
I’d heard he’d moved off campus in his sophomore year and started a company with his friends. Seems like it was true.
He was a man of few words. As we walked, people occasionally glanced at us with curious eyes.
I forced myself to make conversation, “The guys in our department are all really nice.”
Ethan paused, seemingly amused, “All?”
I nodded vigorously, “Yeah!”
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The pro gamer was nice, and so was Ethan.
They were both surprisingly kind!
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We reached the campus gate, and Chloe was already shouting from across the street, “Sarah!”
I said goodbye to Ethan and ran towards her.
Chloe’s eyes sparkled, “Wasn’t that Ethan Payne, your campus heartthrob? Why were you two together?”
Me: “You know him too?”
Chloe rolled her eyes, “Duh! You two practically own the MIT confessions page!”
Right.
“Just a coincidence,” I said, then suddenly slapped my forehead, “Oh no, I forgot to add him on Venmo to pay him back!”
For the next few days, I kept wanting to pay him back.
But Ethan was always elusive, and the chances of running into him on campus were slim.
I didn’t want to ask around, so I put it aside, figuring I’d get the chance eventually.
Military training finally ended, and it was soon October break.
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Josh sent an invitation.
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“There’s a new VR gaming center downtown, my friend got some tickets, anyone want to go?”
I learned he’d sent it to everyone in our regular gaming group.
“We’ve known each other online for so long, let’s finally meet up!”
I didn’t really want to go, but I was curious about the VR center. After some thought, I mes- saged the pro gamer.
“Hey, are you going?”
Pro gamer: “Do you want to go?”
I was honest, “It sounds fun, I’d like to check it out.”
It would be better to have someone to go with, and he was my senior, after all.
As expected, the pro gamer was a good sport.
“Let’s
go
then.”
Even though I was a little awkward about Josh, I wanted to meet the other gamers, including the pro gamer.
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So that morning, I dressed casually in a white shirt, jeans, and white sneakers.
Someone in the group chat tagged me.
“Sarah, are you coming from campus with the pro gamer?”
Josh chimed in, “It’s still pretty hot, want me to pick you guys up?”
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He seemed to have completely forgotten about being repeatedly defeated by me and the pro
gamer.
“No need, he said he has something to do this morning. Plus, our campus isn’t far, it’s only a half–hour subway ride.”
Maybe because his new girlfriend was in the group, Josh didn’t insist.
“Okay, we’ll go first and wait for you guys at the entrance.”
The VR gaming center was downtown. As I walked towards the plaza after getting out of the subway station, a car pulled up next to me.
An uncertain voice called out, “Sarah?”
I turned and saw Josh driving a BMW. A girl with elaborate makeup sat in the passenger
seat.
I recognized him because he’d recently changed his profile picture back to a photo of him- self. It was hard to miss.
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Before I could speak, he said excitedly, “It really is you! I thought I was mistaken!”
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The girl in the passenger seat looked displeased, eyeing me suspiciously, “Josh, who is this? You know her?”
Josh gripped the steering wheel, smiling and nodding, “Yeah! A friend of mine is in the same department as her! It’s the girl from MIT, from our gaming group, remember?”
Me: “???”
8
a
Josh continued enthusiastically, “Where are you going? If you have time, you could come to the new VR gaming center on the third floor. It’s still in its trial run, usually hard to get tick-
ets.”
“My friend just gave me a few, it’s really fun, you could come with us.‘
The girl next to him looked annoyed, “Josh, people are honking behind us, let’s go park.”
Josh sighed and drove on.
They took the elevator from the parking garage and arrived at the VR center before me.
When the girl saw me, she frowned slightly and clung to Josh’s arm, practically leaning her entire body against him.
Josh pulled her hand away and walked towards me excitedly.
“You came? The tickets-”
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The girl stamped her foot, “Josh, there are only a few tickets! If you give hers away, what if there aren’t enough for everyone else later?”
Josh seemed indifferent, “So what? I can just ask for another one.”
I finally spoke up, “No need to trouble yourself, I think there’s already a ticket for me.”
Josh froze, then stuttered after a long pause, “W–what?”
I said, “I forgot to introduce myself, I’m Sarah, aka ‘Sarah‘ in the game.”
Josh’s face went through a series of expressions.
Shock, doubt, disbelief, astonishment… He could barely speak.
“Y–you’re saying you’re―”
Just then, the elevator doors opened, and three more people came out.
Two guys and a girl, all looking like college students.
The girl must have heard me, rushing over with wide eyes, “OMG! You’re Sarah?!”
I nodded, “And you’re… CheeseLover?”
She nodded vigorously, ecstatic, and finally managed to blurt out, “Y–you’re so pretty!”
She mumbled in a daze, “I was thinking, your skills have slipped a little recently, I was going to give you some pointers!”
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“But now, I just want to ask: Can I hug you?”
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Her personality was a bit like Chloe’s. I couldn’t help but smile, “That must have been my best friend playing on my account, I’ve been a little busy lately.”
She suddenly understood, “That makes sense! I was wondering why you were suddenly so good, especially against Jo-”
Realizing her slip–up, she abruptly stopped, “Ahem! Studies first! Studies first!”
But Josh had already heard.
He seemed to remember something, his face contorting.
a
I changed the subject, “This game developer is really popular lately, and since it’s break, I wanted to check it out and finally meet everyone in person.”
I greeted the two guys behind her. They were usually all talk online, but in person, they were surprisingly reserved and polite.
CheeseLover looked around and finally asked, “Hey Josh, is Summer not coming?”
Summer was Josh’s new girlfriend.
The girl next to him suddenly said, “I am.”
“Huh?” Cheese Lover was taken aback and quickly apologized, “Sorry! I didn’t recognize you! So your profile picture isn’t actually you?”
Summer’s face darkened, “That was me on vacation at the beach.”
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设备 288 iVouchers Cheese Lover was incredibly awkward, whispering, “…That’s a huge difference, with that much photoshopping, who could recognize you…”
Summer was relatively new to our gaming group, and she was terrible. No one wanted to play with her except Josh, who spoiled her with in–game purchases.
Honestly, we weren’t close to her. If she wasn’t polite, no one would give her much face.
Summer stomped off in her high heels, heading into the gaming center.
A guy came out, and Josh immediately greeted him, “Alex!”
a
He turned and introduced us, “This is my gamer friend, he’s the one who gave us the tickets.”
The guy named Alex explained with a smile, “Sorry, our boss showed up unexpectedly this morning, I was setting up the equipment, sorry I’m late.”
9
Oh, so this was the professional player Josh had hired.
One of the guys said enviously, “Money talks! The VIP of VIPs!”
Ordinary people couldn’t afford a coach like this, but Josh not only hired one but also got tickets from him.
No wonder Josh was so smug, his face looking much better than before.
“Everyone, have fun today, it’s all on me!“.
Most of us were students with limited funds, so Josh’s generosity immediately elicited
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cheers.
“Awesome!”
“Josh is the best!”
“Is this what it feels like to be bankrolled? I love it!”
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The cheering boosted Josh’s ego. He and Alex led everyone inside.
The VR gaming center was huge and had a futuristic design. As I looked around, I only had one thought the owner must be loaded!
–
Alex introduced each area, “Feel free to try anything that interests you.“.
Cheese Lover asked excitedly, “Zero–G spinning saucer! Sarah, want to go together?”
I nodded, “Sure.”
Josh chimed in, “It fits five people, why don’t we all go together?”
Summer clearly didn’t want to play this, clinging to Josh’s arm and whining, “Josh, I get mo- tion sickness, can we play something else?”
Josh coughed, glancing at me, and pulled her hand away, “This is a rare opportunity, why don’t you wait here?”
Summer gritted her teeth, “Then I’ll go with you!”
CheeseLover was already putting on the equipment with Alex’s help and suddenly asked,
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“By the way, Sarah, is your senior not here yet?”
I shook my head, “Not sure, he might still be busy.”
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Josh shrugged, “What could be so important? If he misses this, it won’t be easy to come again.”
Cheese Lover looked disappointed, “I was curious about him! Are we not going to see him today?… Sarah, have you seen him at school?”
3
Before I could say “no,” Alex suddenly looked up and called out, “Ethan.”
Me: “???”
Were there really that many people named Ethan these days?
I instinctively turned around and saw a handsome, refined face.
My mind went blank.
Could someone tell me why Ethan Payne was here?!
The room fell silent as he appeared.
CheeseLover gasped softly, “Whoa! Who’s that? He’s so handsome! Did you guys hire him to attract customers?”
“…No,” Alex’s expression was complicated, “He’s our boss.”
The room became even quieter.
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Ethan walked towards me, and I instinctively held my breath.
Each step felt like a drumbeat against my heart. He stopped in front of me.
My eyes widened slightly, “…Ethan, what are you doing here?”
As soon as I asked, I wanted to facepalm – it was his place! Of course he could be here!
Ethan’s lips curved into a slight smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
“Didn’t you want to come?”
My heart skipped a beat.
He nodded to the others, who were frozen in place.
“Welcome.”
???
I was petrified, my brain reeling. I stammered,
“…Pro gamer!?”
10
Silence. The air thickened.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine things would unfold this way!
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Chapter 2
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The pro gamer and Ethan Payne were the same person?!
The others weren’t faring much better.
I vaguely heard one of the guys whisper “holy shit.”
CheeseLover suddenly snapped back to reality, covering her mouth in surprise, “Ah! So when you were playing with Josh, Alex, did you already know the other guy was your boss?”
Alex looked aggrieved, “If I knew, would I have played? Our boss is always busy, how would I know he plays that game all the time! He-”
Ethan glanced at him, “If your skills aren’t up to par, practice more.”
Alex shut up, nodding repeatedly.
At this moment, the most awkward person was undoubtedly Josh.
But no one cared.
Ethan handed me a headset, “There was something wrong with that one, try this.”
My hands were numb as I took it, still in shock, replaying past events in my mind.
What had I done?
Oh, I’d asked the pro gamer about Ethan Payne, claiming I wasn’t shallow. Then I told Ethan Payne that the guys in our department were all really nice…
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There were plenty of awkward people, but I was in a league of my own.
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In a short span of time, I’d come up with countless ways to disappear. I was so distracted that I couldn’t even put the headset on properly.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and adjusted it for me.
Cool fingers brushed past my ear.
Click.
“There,” a familiar, cool voice murmured.
I realized belatedly – that was Ethan’s hand.
My ears felt like they were on fire. I coughed, “T–then I’ll go ahead.”
I quickly turned and sat down in the nearest available spot.
As soon as the game started, I regretted it.
The game was incredibly realistic. Several times, I genuinely felt like I was plummeting from the sky.
Screams echoed around me, it sounded like Summer.
I barely managed to hold back my own screams, enduring until the end. My stomach churned.
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Taking off the headset, Josh looked at me, seemingly concerned, “Sarah, you’re a little pale, are you okay?”
Me: “…You should check on your girlfriend.”
Summer had been screaming the entire time, her eyes red–rimmed and teary, her makeup smudged.
Josh finally turned to her, “Summer, are you alright?”
I started to walk away, but my legs gave out as soon as my feet touched the ground. I stum- bled forward!
Just as I was about to fall, a strong arm caught my waist, steadying me.
The warmth and scent of a young man enveloped me.
Ethan seemed to be smiling.
“Clumsy, aren’t we?”
My face flushed.
11
He’d already seen me being singled out for extra drills, and now I’d managed to embarrass myself even more.
I straightened up immediately, “Th–thanks!”
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Ethan paused, “So, can I let go now?”
222
I looked down and realized that in my panic, I’d grabbed onto his shirt!
One of my hands was even pressed against his abdomen, through the thin fabric.
His abs were hard…
a
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No! Sarah, what are you thinking?!
I quickly let go, taking a large step back, “Sorry, sorry! I–I didn’t mean to!”
Someone chuckled nearby.
Cheese Lover was the most enthusiastic. Even after that ride, she was eager to try other games.
Summer seemed traumatized and refused to play anything else, clinging to Josh and crying for a while.
Josh ran a hand through his hair, seemingly impatient, and finally asked, “Want me to call a cab and send you back to rest?”
Summer immediately stopped crying but remained glued to Josh’s side.
Ethan pointed, “There are shooting games over there, want to try?”
This was one of the few chances I had to redeem myself. There was no way I was refusing.
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“Sure.”
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Ethan led me over, gave a brief introduction, and then we both put on the headsets and en- tered the game.
I finally realized I was being naive. A pro gamer is a pro gamer.
I tried a few other games, and Ethan was clearly knowledgeable about all of them, answering every question I had.
“I heard you started your own company in your sophomore year?”
Ethan nodded, “With a few friends.”
I was genuinely impressed, “That’s amazing.”
Some people were just naturally successful.
“What does everyone want to eat later? It’s on me,” Josh suddenly appeared.
Because of Summer, he hadn’t played much and seemed disinterested, “What about you, Sarah? Any suggestions?”
Summer glared at me.
But Josh didn’t seem to notice or care, taking out his phone to search, “There’s a good Wagyu beef place on the fourth floor, I’m a member there, I’ll call and make a reservation.”
I wasn’t interested. Even if I wanted to eat, I didn’t want to eat with him and Summer.
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“I have something to do back at school, so I won’t be joining you guys.”
Cheese Lover looked disappointed, “Aw, that’s too bad. Let’s get together another time?”
Josh persisted, “What’s up? Is it important? It’s break, what do you have to do at school?”
I nodded, “Yes, very important.”
Seeing my firm stance, Josh didn’t push further.
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As soon as I got on the subway, I frantically messaged Chloe, summarizing everything with:
“My eighteen years of dignity are gone! How am I supposed to show my face in EECS again?!”
Chloe was strangely silent for a long time, then finally replied, “You know, I think Ethan Payne likes you.”
12
My hand trembled, and I almost dropped my phone.
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re on different levels.”
Chloe argued, “Seriously! Don’t you think it’s too much of a coincidence? If standing up for you against your ex was out of departmental loyalty, then what about blocking that guy who was hitting on you? And what about showing up at the gaming center today?”
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I recalled the moment I’d practically fallen into his arms, my ears burning.
‘…But wouldn’t that be wishful thinking? What if he doesn’t feel the same way?”
Chloe didn’t reply.
Just when I thought my connection had dropped, she finally sent a message.
a
“I don’t know if he likes you, but I’m certain of one thing – Sarah, you like him.”
Those words hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me stunned.
I instinctively wanted to deny it, typing and deleting several messages, only the sound of my heartbeat filling the silence.
“Sarah, haven’t you noticed? You never used to care if someone liked you back.”
Back in the dorm, I wanted to take a nap, but I couldn’t fall asleep no matter how much I tossed and turned.
I opened WeChat. Chloe’s message was still there.
“If you like him, go for it!”
Ugh.
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I sighed sadly,
11 288 Voucher
I’d never been in a relationship before. Before meeting Ethan Payne, I never knew liking someone could be so complicated.
All my emotions were amplified, out of control.
I stared at Ethan’s profile picture for a long time.
Should I… give it a try?
After much deliberation, I finally came up with an excuse.
“Hey, I’ve been meaning to treat you to dinner, are you free tonight?”
J
A few minutes later, Ethan replied, “Are you done with your important business?”
I felt a pang of guilt.
If he knew my “very important” business was taking a nap, I wonder what his reaction would be.
“All done, all done. Just wondering if you’re free.”
After a while, he replied, “Sure.”
I immediately started searching for nearby restaurants.
But before I could choose, Ethan sent another message, “Let’s just eat at the South Campus dining hall.”
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Me: “…Isn’t that a bit too casual?”
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Whether it was to express my gratitude or to pursue him, the dining hall didn’t seem appro- priate.
Ethan: “The dining hall is fine.”
Fine.
I started thinking about what to talk to him about during dinner, and how to apologize for the earlier misunderstanding…
Cheese Lover suddenly messaged, “Sarah, guess what? Josh and his girlfriend broke up!”
13
Me: “?”
CheeseLover excitedly relayed the gossip, “After you left, we went to dinner, right? Summer was sulking the whole time, and Josh was distracted. When we were leaving, Josh said he had something to do and told her to take a cab home. She threw a glass at him and stormed off after a huge argument!”
Me: “…”
“1
Good thing I left early.
“It’s normal for him to break up and get new girlfriends all the time.”
CheeseLover: “He definitely regretted it after seeing you today!”
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I felt indifferent, “We’ve already broken up, it has nothing to do with me.”
But soon, Josh messaged me, “Sarah, I’m downstairs at your dorm, can you come down?”
༡༡༡
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I ran to the window and looked down. Josh was standing there with a huge bouquet of roses.
People were passing by, occasionally glancing at him.
…CheeseLover was right, he was being incredibly pathetic.
I replied, “Go home, there’s nothing between us anymore.”
But he was persistent, “Sarah, I was wrong, I messed up. I’ve realized I still like you! Please give me another chance.”
No matter what I said, Josh refused to leave, determined to wait until I came down.
It was incredibly annoying.
Just as I was trying to figure out how to deal with this, my phone rang. It was a call from Ethan.
I couldn’t help but feel nervous. I took a deep breath and answered.
“Hey?”
“Come down,” his cool, low voice said.
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I was confused and immediately looked outside. Ethan was actually there!
He stood there, tall and composed, effortlessly cool.
“What are you doing here?”
He looked up and seemed to smile.
“Aren’t we having dinner?”
I went downstairs.
3
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Josh looked at me and Ethan, his face darkening, “Sarah, what’s the meaning of this?”
I was too tired to explain, “Exactly what you think it means.”
He was unwilling to give up, “But before, we clearly-”
“You said ‘before‘,” I interrupted, “You can change girlfriends, but I can’t choose someone better?”
Forget everything else, Ethan standing there was already a win!
Josh’s face turned green, speechless.
Then, Ethan spoke, “Since Sarah doesn’t want to see you, please don’t bother her again. She might let the past go, but I won’t.”
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14
I froze, staring at him in shock.
What did he just say?
Ethan seemed oblivious to the curious stares around us.
“Sarah, shall we?”
My mind didn’t catch up until we reached the dining hall.
Josh threw the roses on the ground angrily and left. Then…
Looking at the handsome, chiseled face across from me, I fidgeted nervously.
“Sorry about that, I, I panicked and used you as a shield.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow, “A shield? You mean you don’t want to own up to it?”
Me: “?”
He reminded me, “Everyone saw us.‘
Me: “???”
He added, “This is the first time I’ve had dinner alone with a girl.”
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Chapter 2
Was this him playing hard to get?
I was planning to pursue him, but how could it be… over before it even began???
“Wait, I think something’s not right.”
I tried to stay calm, rethinking the situation,
“I invited you to dinner to thank you, right?”
3
Ethan nodded, “Right.”
“Then it’s settled! We-”
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“But I only agreed because it was you,” Ethan said.
My words caught in my throat. I stared at him, “…What?”
Ethan’s dark eyes met mine, like hooks drawing me in, making my heart race.
I panicked, looking down.
Then, I heard him chuckle, “You might not know this, but in their eyes, I’m yours now.”
My heart leaped into my throat, my cheeks burning. His words echoed in my ears, each syl- lable a drumbeat against my chest.
“In my eyes, too.”
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Chapter 2
…
“Girl! How was dinner?!”
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By the time we got back, it was almost dark. Chloe, still unaware of the day’s events, was preoccupied with my love life.
“Did the chase go well?”
I hesitated, unsure how to reply.
Ethan was right next to me. Seeing me staring at my phone, he glanced over, “What are you talking about?”
I instinctively turned off the screen.
Crap! Did he see it?!
“Nothing!”
Ethan blinked slowly, “So, you didn’t invite me to dinner to thank me, you had ulterior mo- tives?”
I wanted to die.
His smile widened, “Then tell her you already got me.”
I couldn’t resist stomping on his foot, “Who’s chasing you?!”
I turned and ran, but he easily caught me.
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Chapter 2
He chuckled, “Then let’s say I’m chasing you, okay?”
I looked up at the sky, “Where? Where? I don’t see you chasing me.”
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He suddenly pulled me into his arms, cupping my face and making me look at him. He said earnestly, “At first, I just thought you were my junior, and helping you was a simple gesture. But later, that day after playing badminton, when I saw you on the field, do you know what I was thinking?”
I shook my head blankly.
He smiled, a mix of exasperation and affection, “I was glad I’d helped you. Because if you were upset, I would be the one hurting.”
The evening breeze was warm against my skin.
He asked, “Sarah, will you be with me?”
“Even though you stole my line,” I blinked, “Okay.”
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