Julian Vance had always been the little tyrant of our group. He hated the color red, so no one around him was allowed to wear it. He loathed cherry tomatoes, so no one around him was allowed to eat them. But with his wealthy background and only-child status, everyone indulged him. I was no different. I obeyed his rules: no red, no cherry tomatoes. Until she appeared—the scholarship student. She wore a red dress and held a box of homegrown cherry tomatoes, trying to curry favor with Julian, hoping he’d help her father find a job. I wanted to warn her about Julian’s taboos, fearing she’d only anger him and lose any chance of help. But before I could speak, Julian smiled and took the tomatoes from her. He turned to me and said, "Red and cherry tomatoes... maybe they're not so bad after all." In that moment, a bitter ache spread through my chest. Novels always say that being an exception is the first sign of falling in love. But there’s no room for three in a relationship. So, I changed my college application. 1 Auntie Sarah always said Julian had a terrible temper and was high-maintenance. If her health hadn't been so poor, preventing her from having a second child, Julian would have been disciplined long ago. She often claimed she wanted to beat some sense into him. But I knew better. Auntie Sarah doted on Julian more than anyone. Those were just empty words. Every time Julian caused trouble, she’d scold him a little, then immediately send someone to clean up his mess. She had already donated five buildings to our school. The principal couldn't stop smiling. Because of this, Julian grew up spoiled, a veritable little tyrant. He thought red was too flashy, so he forbade anyone around him from wearing it. He hated cherry tomatoes, so no one was allowed to eat them, or he’d throw a fit. When he got angry, he sought revenge. Like right now— The guy sitting in front of him brought a sandwich to class and took a big bite right in front of Julian, revealing the tomato slices inside. Julian’s face instantly darkened. "It's just two slices, you can barely see them. You don't mind, right, Julian?" The guy, Chad, laughed it off, not taking it seriously. Julian didn't answer. instead, he pulled out his phone and called the project manager at his family’s company. "Cancel the partnership with the Miller Group." Hearing this, Chad dropped his sandwich, his face draining of color. The partnership between the Millers and the Vances had only happened because Chad had sucked up to Julian. Now, having violated Julian’s taboo, the benefits were revoked. Chad threw himself at Julian’s feet. "Julian, I'm sorry! Please don't cancel the partnership! My parents will kill me!" Julian sneered, ignored him, and went back to his mobile game. Chad kept begging. Julian got annoyed. "One more word, and I'll help your old man find a couple of illegitimate sons to bring home. Believe me?" Wealthy families always had dirty laundry. Illegitimate children were common. If Julian helped an illegitimate son gain power in the Miller family, Chad would be finished. Terrified, Chad covered his mouth, not daring to make another sound, though tears welled in his eyes. Maybe he just wanted to show off his closeness to Julian, to gain envy and admiration. Instead, he ruined his family’s business. I couldn't help but tug on Julian's sleeve. "Maybe let it go?" Julian looked down at me. "Sasha, you know my temper. Non-negotiable." Indeed, he had always been like this. What he said was law. No one could persuade him. Not even me, his best friend since childhood. I thought he would always be this way, that no one would ever be an exception. Until— The scholarship student appeared. 2 Our school was a private academy funded by the city’s top corporations. The resources were top-tier. Getting in usually depended on family background. However, to keep the college acceptance rates looking good, the school recruited top students from outside every senior year, offering them free tuition. Exceptionally good students even received large scholarships. Most of these recruits were excellent students from poor families. They were the most willing to transfer. Transferring right before college entrance exams was risky; a new environment could hurt grades, and the snobbery in our school was rampant. Wealthy families wouldn't take that risk. Maya was one such transfer student—top grades, poor background. Because Chad had offended Julian, his family, furious and afraid he’d annoy Julian further, transferred him to another class. This opened up a spot in our class, and Maya filled it. She wore a faded blue dress and looked nervous introducing herself on the podium. Julian glanced up once. He muttered, "So skinny. Do her parents not feed her?" Then he went back to his game. After her introduction, the homeroom teacher assigned Maya to Chad's old seat. Her desk mate was a kind girl who immediately started filling her in. "Everyone in our class is pretty nice, don't be nervous. Just don't offend the guy sitting behind you." "Have you heard of the Vance Group?" "He's the heir. His family is super rich, even the principal is afraid of him..." I didn't catch the rest. I only saw the flash of excitement in Maya's eyes when she heard Julian was the Vance heir. Growing up, I’d seen too many people try to get close to Julian for his status. I knew that look. But I didn't expect— The next day, Maya came to class wearing a red dress. She had clearly dressed up. The school had no uniform policy. As long as you weren't naked, you could wear a ballgown. When she appeared, the noisy classroom fell silent. Everyone stared. Some waited for the drama; others looked on with pity. But no one dared to speak. Maya, confused by the attention, clutched her backpack and hurried to her seat. Julian was asleep. Before I could warn her, she turned around and tapped Julian’s arm, hard. Julian had a terrible temper when waking up. No one dared disturb his sleep. Annoyed, Julian propped himself up on one elbow and slowly opened his eyes to look at Maya. One glance, and his brow furrowed deeply. Maya, oblivious, bit her lip and pulled a box of cherry tomatoes from her bag, carefully offering it to Julian. "My family grew these." Her voice was small. Like a kitten. Timid, yet determined. Julian raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Maya spoke again: "Julian, can I ask you for a favor?" This scene had played out before. A freshman girl, knowing Julian’s status but not his taboos, had come to our class in a red dress. She wanted to get to know him and discuss a business partnership. That day, Julian had glared at her. "Get to know me? You think you're worthy?" He made her cry. Not only that, he sent word to her father that she was annoying. That night, the girl transferred. The partnership was canceled. Because they offended the Vances, other companies shunned them, and they soon went bankrupt. Now, history was repeating itself. Maya was inviting disaster. Julian only needed to say a word, and her family would suffer. Just as I thought Julian would explode, he did something unexpected. He reached out, took the tomatoes, and picked one up to examine it. "Tell me what you want first." His tone was light. He seemed in a good mood. The whole class was shocked. Except Maya. I scrutinized her. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but her features were pleasant. Dressed up, she looked pitiful and endearing, sparking a desire to protect. Yet, there was a stubbornness in her eyes. A fragile but resilient white flower. Hearing Julian, she lit up and stated her request. "My dad used to work for the Vance Group. He was framed, fired, and forced to pay a huge penalty. My parents fell ill from the stress. I want you to help my dad get justice and his job back..." 3 When school ended, Julian took the tomatoes with him. Since we were neighbors, we shared a driver. As soon as we got in the car, he handed me a tomato. "Sasha, try one." I looked at the tomato in my hand, confused. "I thought you hated cherry tomatoes." Actually, I liked them. Sweet, sour, refreshing. But I liked Julian more. So if he hated them, I could live without them. I hadn't eaten one in years. Julian shrugged nonchalantly. "I did." He paused, as if recalling something. "That girl... Maya, right? Let's call her May." He loved giving nicknames to people he liked. Like me, Sasha, short for Alexandra. He never let anyone else call me that. He continued: "May is so skinny. Tiny, like the hamster I had as a kid. But she's so pale, and her eyes are bright." "The red dress suits her. I used to think red was ugly. Now I think it’s just that other people look ugly in red." "So I thought I'd forgive her this once. Just this once." Julian looked at the tomato in his hand again. "She's interesting. Everyone else gives me sports cars or watches. Only she gave me homegrown tomatoes." He popped one in his mouth. "Not bad, actually!" I stayed silent. Just last month, a new chef put tomatoes in a fruit salad. Julian took one bite, spat it out, and fired the chef on the spot. Tomatoes taste the same. The only difference was the person giving them. An indescribable feeling rose in my chest. "So, will you help her?" I asked. Julian hadn't given a clear answer earlier, only saying he'd consider it. He wasn't one to meddle. But I was wrong again. Julian chuckled, eyeing the tomatoes with amusement. "I ate her food; I should probably help. But..." His tone shifted. "Getting my help won't be that easy." 4 The next day, Maya wore red again. And brought another box of tomatoes. Julian had stayed up gaming and overslept, so I went to school alone. He was probably on his way. Seeing her place the tomatoes on Julian’s desk, I remembered his "just this once." So I decided to warn her. "Julian has hated red and cherry tomatoes since he was little." Maya froze, a look of disbelief flashing across her eyes. But she recovered quickly, smiling at me. "But yesterday he didn't seem angry. He even took the tomatoes." Just then, Julian walked in and sat down. Seeing the tomatoes, he frowned, then looked up at Maya. She smiled brilliantly. "Julian, I picked these fresh this morning. Try them." Then she lowered her eyes and sniffled. "But Sasha said you hate red and tomatoes. I must have misunderstood. I'll take them away." She reached for the box. Her sleeve slid up, revealing a scratch on her pale arm. Julian frowned. "What happened?" Maya pulled her sleeve down quickly. "Nothing. I just tripped while picking tomatoes." Julian muttered, "Clumsy." Maya's smile froze. She looked panicked. Julian laughed. "You look so silly, May." Maya blinked and pointed at herself. "You called me May?" "Don't like it?" She shook her head vigorously. "No, no, I like it. It sounds nice." Julian's smile deepened. He grabbed the box of tomatoes and stuffed it into his bag. "Can't let your effort go to waste." Maya beamed, then glanced at me. "But Sasha said..." Julian waved his hand. "I think tomatoes aren't bad now. And red... you look good in it. Don't listen to her." He turned and patted my arm. "Right, Sasha?" I didn't answer. I just looked at him. I was the person closest to him. I knew his likes and dislikes better than anyone. Last night, a maid was fired instantly for wearing red. He still hated red. But Maya was different. I’d read enough romance novels to know that being an "exception" is the start of love. Julian’s exception for Maya was glaring. It was an exception I, his childhood friend, had never received. My heart tasted bitter. All these years, my love for him might have been one-sided. There’s no room for three people in a relationship. Maybe it was time to let go.
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