The moment he accepted my friend request, a message popped up: [Who is this?] I typed back carefully: [Is this the person who is madly, deeply, desperately in love with me? The one who can’t live without me, whose every thought is of me, and who would do anything to be with me?] My phone immediately rang. It was him, his voice a furious torrent. “Absolutely not!” “That’s completely insane!” “Who the hell told you something so ridiculous?” I cleared my throat. “Oh, uh, nobody.” “I just came up with it myself.” Silence. On the other end of the line, I could practically feel Shawn’s dumbfounded rage. 1 The silence stretched, thick with Shawn’s unspoken disbelief. I finally broke it with a nervous laugh. “My name’s Nia. I’m in the photography club with you.” He clearly remembered me. A cold sneer echoed down the line. “You look so sweet and innocent, but your imagination runs wild, doesn’t it?” I felt a flush of embarrassment. “Well, I just wanted to make a memorable impression. I know you have a lot of admirers, and I was worried you wouldn’t remember me.” Another cold snort. “Anything else? If not, I’m hanging up.” “Wait, yes!” I scrambled for an excuse to keep him on the line. “With the holiday coming up, I was just wondering… do you have any plans?” He sounded utterly bewildered. “What holiday?” My mind raced. “My… my birthday?” Shawn: ? 2 I should be grateful that Shawn only hung up on me and didn’t immediately block me. I sent him a sticker of a cartoon character bowing frantically, with “SORRY SORRY” written underneath. A red exclamation mark appeared next to it instantly. Damn it. I was grateful too soon. I stared at the dreaded symbol of rejection, tears welling in my eyes. Just as I was about to lament my fate to my roommate, my screen lit up again. Hey, he’d added me back! A new message from Shawn appeared: [Are you going to the club event this weekend?] My spirits soared. [Yes! Absolutely!] Shawn: [Okay, good. Then I’m not going.] I froze. When I tried to send another message, the red exclamation mark made its triumphant return. Two days later, at the weekend club outing, Shawn was, as promised, a no-show. I was sweltering in a chic tweed set, the hot wind making me feel like I was going to lose my mind. Even the club president took pity on me, leaning in to whisper, “Shawn actually came today. He’s hiding in the men’s room in Hamilton Hall.” I immediately clasped my hands together in a gesture of profound respect. Thank you, my hero! 3 The academic hall was mostly deserted on the weekend, so no one thought I was a creep for loitering outside the men’s restroom. “Where could he be…” I muttered, glancing at my watch. The bus for our trip was leaving any minute. “Nia?” I spun around at the sound of my name. “Oh, Professor Evans.” “What are you doing outside the men’s room?” he asked, looking puzzled. “Waiting for someone?” I nodded enthusiastically. “Well, I doubt he’s on the first floor,” he said, holding up a small laminated sign. “There’s a leak, so it’s closed for maintenance. I just got the sign from the supply closet.” Great. I bolted up to the second floor. Nothing. Third floor. Also empty. I couldn't be bothered to climb any higher. Surely Shawn wouldn't hike up to the fourth or fifth floor just to use the bathroom, right? With no other choice, I called the club president. “How much longer until the bus leaves? I still can’t find Shawn.” His voice was strained. “The bus is already here. We’re just waiting on you…” “Oh, okay, never mind then,” I said, wiping a bead of sweat from my brow. “You guys go ahead. I’ll just grab a cab and meet you there.” He agreed, and we hung up. I was about to open a ride-sharing app to check the fare to the campsite when a message popped up from one of the girls in the club, Sarah. [Nia, you’re not coming?] I typed back honestly: [I’m looking for Shawn. I’ll take a cab over in a bit.] A few seconds passed before she replied: [But… Shawn is on the bus.] I stared at the screen, confused. A moment later, a photo appeared. It was Shawn, sitting next to the club president, laughing and chatting as if he didn't have a care in the world. Sarah explained: [I overheard them. The president helped Shawn lie to you.] [They’re being such jerks, tricking you in this heat.] 4 I stared at the photo, silent. Shawn’s smile was so effortless, his eyes sparkling. He was even more handsome than I remembered. Wasn’t that gorgeous face the reason I’d fallen for him in the first place? Well, by that logic, I could just as easily fall for another gorgeous face. I sent Sarah a thank you message: [In that case, I’m not coming. Thanks for letting me know. I’m heading back to my dorm to blast the AC.] Sarah replied: [Okay! You know, Leo and I are in the same department. We all know you have a crush on him, but he just doesn’t seem to be into you…] I was already over it. [It’s cool. The next one’s always hotter.] Sarah: [?] I thought for a moment, then asked her: [Hey, you know that senior in your department, Leo Vance? Do you have his contact info? Can you send it to me?] Sarah: [??] [Damn, girl. I respect the hustle!] 5 When it comes to dating, you have to have a good attitude. If one doesn't work out, you move on to the next. No need to make things miserable for yourself or anyone else. With Leo’s contact info secured, I hummed a cheerful tune all the way back to my dorm. Lying in bed, I analyzed my failure with Shawn. Why did I strike out? Answer: I was way too direct. Handsome guys have an ego. I needed a more subtle, gradual approach. This time, I learned my lesson. I decided against adding Leo immediately. I’d wait until Monday and try to orchestrate a “chance” encounter first. Around seven that evening, after a long nap, I woke up starving and grabbed my phone to head out for food. I had several unread messages. To my surprise, they were all from Shawn. I blinked, tapping open the chat. Shawn: [I wasn't in the bathroom today. The president lied to you. I’m sorry.] Shawn: [I really don’t have feelings for you. Can we just be friends? Please stop chasing me.] Shawn: [Not answering? Are you ignoring me?] Shawn: [Nia. Answer me.] Fine, I’d answer. [K.] His reply was instantaneous: [That’s it? Just ‘K’??] I responded honestly: [And a period.] That must have really pissed him off, because he didn’t write back. I didn't care. I got dressed and headed to the dining hall. It was almost time for evening classes, so the hall wasn’t too crowded. I ordered a bowl of spicy noodles and wandered around while I waited. And as I wandered, my eyes landed on a handsome face— Leo Vance. Shawn’s senior. Maybe it was a common trait among attractive people, but at first glance, Leo and Shawn had a similar brand of handsomeness. A closer look, however, revealed they were entirely different types. One was gentle and reserved, the other confident and outgoing. But both were undeniably hot. Perhaps my stare was too intense, because he seemed to feel it and looked my way. The moment our eyes met, something inside me short-circuited. All my plans for a subtle approach, all the lessons I’d supposedly learned—they vanished. The words just tumbled out of my mouth. “Hey, wanna date?” Leo froze, his lips parting slightly. But the voice that answered came from behind me. “Nia!” I flinched and turned around to find myself face-to-face with Shawn’s handsome, furious face. “What did you just say?” he demanded, his voice tight with anger. “You want to date him?” “Do you have any idea how fast you move on?!” 6 So what if I did? Did I need to give my ex-obsession a formal notice before I quit? Still, I tried to be civil. “Look, I’m sorry if I bothered you before. I… whatever. I apologize.” Shawn’s face turned a shade of green. “So you just harass me, toss out a half-assed apology, and then move on to your next target? Is that it?” He shot a glare at Leo, his tone dripping with ice. “Leo, let me ask you. How would you feel if some girl got your number and then engineered ‘coincidental’ meetings all over campus? Would you find that acceptable?” Leo, who had been enjoying the show, blinked in surprise. “Isn’t that just… how crushing works?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Getting a number, bumping into someone… aren’t those just the little tricks of a secret admirer? Or… did she do something to actually harm you?” Shawn choked on his words. “Well, no, but…” “Then I personally don’t see the harm,” Leo said smoothly, his gaze shifting to me. He offered a small, charming smile. “You said you wanted to date me. Were you serious? You like me?” I hesitated. Honestly? I wasn’t sure. My mom always told me you should never date an ugly guy. And you shouldn’t confess to one either. My strategy was to pick a handsome one and shoot my shot. What if he said yes? As they say, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. Leo noticed my hesitation, but his smile didn't waver. “Dating might be a little fast,” he said, pulling out his phone and flashing the screen at me. “How about we start by exchanging numbers?” My eyes lit up. “Okay!” “Just… one second.” I looked at my chat screen, my finger hovering. Then, I unpinned Shawn from the top of my list. I turned to Shawn, whose face was now a thundercloud. “So… since you blocked me, I guess you really weren’t a fan of my advances, huh? In that case…” “Why don’t we just delete each other?” “Out of sight, out of mind. How does that sound?” 7 “Fine! Great!” Shawn spat out, a bitter, angry laugh escaping his lips. He whipped out his phone and deleted me on the spot, his voice laced with sarcasm. “Should I go ahead and wish you two a long and happy life together?” I shook my head. “No need. A lifetime is too long. We’ll probably break up somewhere in the middle.” Shawn let out another choked laugh, turned on his heel, and stormed away. “Wow, you’re pretty ruthless with your former crushes,” Leo remarked, watching me with a theatrical expression of concern. “Should I be worried? If I become an ex, what kind of fate awaits me?” I tilted my head, studying him for a few seconds before breaking into a slow smile. “Yeah. You should be very careful.” Leo just laughed, clearly not taking me seriously. He checked his watch. “I have an evening class soon, so I have to go.” I nodded, watching him walk away. With Leo’s number in my phone, my mood was soaring. I practically skipped back to my dorm with my spicy noodles, scrolling through his social media feed while I ate. Leo was a chronicler of his own life. Trips, meals, outings—he documented everything. And his feed wasn’t set to private, so I could scroll back four or five years, all the way to his freshman year of high school. My roommate leaned over my shoulder, oohing and aahing. “Wow, he’s been handsome his whole life. I bet he was a heartthrob in middle school too.” “Who knows,” I mumbled through a mouthful of noodles. “Maybe he was an ugly duckling and only started posting pictures after he blossomed.” My roommate playfully smacked my head, accusing me of playing it cool after scoring a major win. “Oh, by the way,” she said, gesturing to a beautifully wrapped pink gift box on my cabinet. “That gift you got for Shawn… are you still going to give it to him? Probably not, right?” I reached for the box. It was surprisingly light. “Of course I am. I’ll just give it to Leo. Saves me the money of buying a new gift.” My roommate gave me a thumbs-up. “I can’t tell if you’re thrifty or just cheap.” My phone buzzed. It was a message from Leo, asking if I wanted to study at the library together tomorrow. I was a little surprised. My roommate’s tone turned playfully sour. “You know, I have a feeling Leo’s actually into you. And he’s so much gentler than Shawn. You’re really about to upgrade, girl!” I shrugged. “Maybe.” Then I replied to Leo: [Sounds great, Leo! ~] I couldn’t help but feel a little excited. 8 The next morning, I got ready and planned to grab breakfast before meeting Leo at the library. As luck would have it, I hadn’t walked far from my dorm when I spotted Shawn, looking thoroughly annoyed about something. I paused, figuring he wouldn't be thrilled to see me. I decided to take a different path, but as soon as I turned, a voice called out. “Nia!” “Nia, I’m talking to you! Don’t pretend you can’t hear me!” There was no escaping it. I stopped and turned back, forcing a smile. “Hey, fancy seeing you here. What’s up?” “It’s not fancy,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes. “I was waiting for you.” I blinked. “For me?” Why? Had his hatred blossomed into love? Just kidding. I wasn't that delusional. His tone softened slightly, and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration, holding out a small box. “About that club event… I feel bad about what happened. Consider this a peace offering.” I was taken aback. “You don’t have to do that. My approach was probably too much for you anyway. You don’t need to apologize.” He pursed his lips. “...It’s just that I was harassed by a girl with some mental health issues back in high school, so I’m a little sensitive about this stuff.” “I thought about it after, and besides wanting to be around me all the time, you didn't really do anything extreme. So it was my fault. Plus, isn’t your birthday coming up? Just think of it as a birthday present. I’m not taking it back.” He’d put it that way, so I couldn’t refuse. I took the box. “Thank you.” “And…” Shawn glanced away again, ruffling his hair in irritation. “That guy, Leo… do you really like him?” I paused. What, what, what? Was this a romantic subplot developing? “I’m not sure…” I said, testing the waters. “Maybe a little. Who doesn’t like a handsome guy?” “So why does it have to be him?” Shawn’s voice rose. “I’m not—” “Nia.” A smooth, gentle voice cut Shawn off. I turned to see Leo standing behind us, a half-smile playing on his lips. “What are you two talking about? Me, by any chance?” 9 Busted for gossiping. Both Shawn and I looked mortified. “No,” I said, my brain working frantically to invent a plausible lie. “We were just… just…” My eyes fell to the gift box in my hand, and an idea sparked. “We were just talking about my birthday! I’m planning a party, and I wanted to see if you guys wanted to come.” Leo raised an eyebrow. “Of course. If I’m invited.” He then looked at Shawn. “You’ll be there too, won’t you, junior?” Shawn waved a dismissive hand. “We’ll see. You two talk, I’ve got to go.” As Shawn walked away, Leo turned to me. “I heard you were into Shawn for the longest time. What made you suddenly change your mind?” He gave me a teasing look. “Your affections are a little fleeting, you know.” I met his gaze for a moment, then broke into a radiant smile. “You’re in trouble, you know.” Leo looked startled. “What?” “You’re starting to get curious about what I’m thinking,” I said, walking ahead cheerfully. “That means I’m not just some random girl to you anymore.” Leo chuckled, catching up in a few long strides. “You’re not wrong. I am getting more and more interested… So, can I get an official invitation to that birthday party?” I calmly agreed. Back in my dorm, I went into a frenzy of planning—booking a restaurant, buying decorations, hiring a makeup artist. It all came together just two days before the big day. I have a decent number of friends, so the party was packed. Leo arrived at the perfect time, not too early, not too late. He was wearing a casual white button-down, and when he stepped into the room, the lights hit him just right, making him look like a movie star making a grand entrance. “Happy birthday,” he said with a smile, holding up his empty hands. “The waiter confiscated my gift at the door.” I laughed. “That’s part of the birthday package here. They collect all the gifts and put them by that decorative wishing tree near the entrance. It makes for better photos later.” Leo nodded. “Ah, I see…” We chatted for a few more minutes before a waiter came over to discuss the menu with me. Leo excused himself to use the restroom. Just as we were about to start dinner, the door to the private room opened again, and a figure stepped inside. I froze. Shawn? What was he doing here?
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