The Untouchable Moon: When the Bad Boys Regret Everything

I am the untouchable "first love" to a group of rich, arrogant bad boys in a dark romance novel. Because the innocent, naive female lead looked a bit like me, they bullied and humiliated her, treating her like a plaything until she was crying every single day. When I returned to the country, they were suddenly worried I would bully her, and ran over to warn me to back off. I was just planning to stay far away from them, far away from everything. But one of them pinned me into a corner, his eyes dark and obsessive: "Do you know why we all liked her? Because the untouchable moon that can finally be defiled... is the cutest." "Letting us hold her, kiss her, and..." He leaned close to my ear to whisper that last word. 01 I am the untouchable "first love" to a group of rich, arrogant bad boys in a dark romance novel. They treated me like the moon in the sky, holding me high on a pedestal, desperately yearning for my affection. Until I went abroad to study, and they found a poor, innocent girl who looked about thirty percent like me. Timid, soft-spoken, and from a struggling family. As if they had found a new source of twisted amusement, they poured all their dark, long-hidden malice onto her. But then... At some point, the malice and affection began to blur together. ... I jolted awake from the dream. Covered in cold sweat. This time, I had finally dreamed of the story's ending. Tomorrow was the day I was scheduled to return to the States. And this group of boys, upon my return, would waver between me and the female lead, yet they never stopped bullying her. Until the male lead finally felt a pang of sympathy for the pitiful girl, using threats and coercion to kidnap her and lock her away in a gilded cage. Only then did the group of bad boys realize their true feelings and begin to feel profound regret. And everyone blamed the entire mess on me. Later. My family went bankrupt. I fell terminally ill. I foolishly thought they would consider our past friendship and lend me money for treatment. I even swore, "I never wanted to bother you guys, I just... I'm dying." But they rejected me with haughty disdain, "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have lost her." Until one of them grabbed my wrist, thin down to the bone, his eyes dark and murky, "You want money? Trade yourself for it. "After all... the untouchable moon that can finally be defiled is the cutest." 02 But I couldn't see the face of the boy who trapped me at the end. I didn't know which of the four it was. In the quiet night, only my heart pounded wildly. Just then, the fully charged old phone I kept emitted a notification chime. I looked down and unlocked it. Messages in a group chat were refreshing rapidly: [The little munchkin's birthday is tomorrow. What are you guys getting her?] [Duh, the reward is she gets to hang out with me for the whole day!] [? Psycho, back off. You want to hog her all to yourself? Do you think we're dead?] [She's been avoiding me these past few days. Let's take her to The Viper Room tomorrow. Disobedient little kittens need to be taught a lesson.] [Tsk, don't break her. But I gotta admit, it's pretty hot when she cries.] A moment later, someone suddenly chimed in the chat. [Serena is coming back tomorrow.] The chaotic group chat went silent for a good while before someone replied: [Then you guys take the little munchkin out tomorrow.] [Holy shit, been having so much fun messing with the little munchkin these past two days I totally forgot about that. I need to go see Serena too. I'll make it up to the munchkin for her birthday later, alright?] ... [But with her crybaby personality, won't she be heartbroken?] [So annoying. I've never met anyone so high-maintenance.] [Whatever. I'll text Serena. We'll throw her a welcome-back party in a few days.] As soon as that message was sent, my other phone received a text from Cole: [Serena! You're finally coming back! Missed you to death. But we have a robotics competition these next few days. We'll throw you a welcome-back party in a few days, cool?] I replied instantly: [Sure.] After I replied, the other phone started buzzing with messages again: [Ok, Serena agreed. Keep the munchkin company for her birthday tomorrow.] [Fuck, I pushed off seeing Serena for her, she better let me hold her and touch her good tomorrow.] [Don't scare her, she's so timid.] In the final seconds before the plane took off, I turned off my internet. Unable to receive new messages, I scrolled up to read the previous chat history. Two months ago, their chat logs looked like this: [I miss Serena so much... I just ruined a photo of her, do you guys have any extras?] [Idiot. It's Serena's misfortune that you like her.] [She's coming back in two months.] [Oh right. I'll try to hold on a bit longer. When she gets back, I'm going to have my dad propose an arranged marriage. God, I keep dreaming about her in my arms calling me 'hubby'.] [? Do you even deserve her? Arranged marriage? If you get hit by a car and die tomorrow, she can just visit your grave. That's enough.] Then they started arguing again, throwing around every dirty word in the book, even threatening to fight each other. And shortly after that chat. Their conversation started centering around a codename. "The little munchkin." At first, they complained that she was stupid, that she cried too much, that she was a hassle and annoying to look at. They said she was doing stupid things while wearing a face that looked like mine. They said they needed to teach her a lesson. Later on. The tone changed. It was like immature boys bullying the girl they liked just to get her attention. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach as I read. I schemed in my head, how could I make them stop wavering between me and the female lead, and firmly choose her? As long as they didn't hurt the female lead because of me, there wouldn't be that whole series of "regretful bad boy" events later on, right? —An arranged marriage. As long as I entered into an arranged marriage with someone else, they would completely give up. 03 After getting off the plane, I was waiting for an Uber. The other phone started vibrating wildly again. Bored while waiting, I opened it to look. Cole tagged Julian: [Bro, aren't you going to the munchkin's birthday? She likes you the most.] [Yeah.] [Don't tell me you're sneaking off to see Serena behind our backs?] [I have things to do.] [Fine, whatever. Tsk, the munchkin's true feelings are wasted on you. I'm going to make sure she knows who really likes her the most, so she stops throwing herself at you every day.] Julian didn't reply again. There were five people in this group chat, including me. This account was an alt that Cole used in high school to hide from his parents and play games. There was a time when he was grounded and couldn't get his phone, so he begged me to do his daily game quests for him. He just gave me the login info to make it easier. In this alt account, besides the gaming group, there was only this group chat with the five of them. The group creator was Cole's main account, and I knew the other three as well. I originally didn't want to pry too much into the kids' privacy, but a message popped up: [Serena got even prettier. Love it.] My eyelid twitched, and I couldn't control myself from clicking into the chat. And then I saw a lot of... fanatical comments. Cole was the worst. I scrolled through several pages of chat logs in silence. My mood was inexplicably complex. I couldn't decide whether Cole had genuinely forgotten this group existed on his alt account, or if it was intentional. Intentional so that I would see it. I had only managed the account for a few days, then found Julian, who posted the most normal things in the group, and sent him a voice message, trying to sound as normal as possible: "Julian, Cole asked me to do his game quests a few days ago, but I'm too busy lately. Tell him for me, or you guys can just do them for him." Julian was silent for a few seconds before calmly saying, "Okay." After that, I actively avoided Cole a bit, but he just clung to me even more. After that incident, I happened to get a new phone, so I never logged into that WeChat account again. Until I went abroad. The old phone had some backups on it, so I just brought it with me. Two months ago, while digging through my things, a message notification popped up, and that's when I took a look. I guess Cole had forgotten about this account too; he never logged in again, and it just stayed on my phone. It seemed this alt account was just a tool—once he was done with it, he didn't need it anymore. ... I reeled in my messy thoughts. I looked up and saw a familiar, yet somewhat unfamiliar figure. The boy stood in the shadows just ahead, his figure tall and lean. He was much taller than before, his features more defined. His expression was unreadable, but his dark eyes were fixed on me. I froze, instinctively taking a step back. Seeing that I recognized him, he took a step forward with his long legs and took my suitcase with his slender hand. "I'll take you home." I looked down. My Uber driver hadn't moved from his spot on the map. I hesitated for a moment, then cancelled the ride. I followed Julian's pace. The moonlight illuminated his striking brow bone, straight nose, and the shadows cast by his thick, long eyelashes. Compared to his previous boyishness, his current stunning appearance made me stare at his profile for a long time. It wasn't until we got in the car and it started driving smoothly. It was already past midnight; it was technically the next day. I subtly probed, "Cole texted me saying you guys had a robotics competition today. Picking me up this late, don't you need to rest up?" The corners of Julian's mouth curled up in an almost imperceptible arc. I couldn't tell if it was indifference or mockery. "No need," he said casually. I wasn't giving up. "By the way, I heard from some friends that you guys have been really close with a girl lately?" He glanced at me sideways and gave a noncommittal "Mhm." No explanation, no further answer. I suppressed the annoyance rising in my chest. Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, I didn't press further. It wasn't until the car pulled up to my apartment building that Julian, without waiting for me to speak, went straight to grab my suitcase from the trunk. The words "It's fine, there's an elevator" got stuck in my throat. 04 After getting inside, before I even had a chance to turn on the lights. The sound of the door closing echoed. Julian suddenly spoke: "They all really like that girl lately." I was stunned for a moment, then gave a slow "Oh." I know. "She looks a bit like you." "..." I know that too. "Aren't you curious? Why they liked you so much at first, but now they've switched to her." I carefully chose my words: "Well, it's hard to explain why people like things." The apartment was dark; the only light came from the moonlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. The boy in front of me slowly closed the distance between us. The corners of his lips were turned up in an innocent smile, but the darkness between his brows was unmistakable. "Do you know what they want to do? Let them hold her, kiss her, and..." He leaned close to my ear to whisper that last word. I went rigid. Only the hot breath against my ear made me shiver. This guy, who I thought was the most well-behaved and aloof of them all, was now pinning me against the door, saying inexplicable things. He didn't even step back after speaking; there was almost no space between us. I opened my mouth, speaking unnaturally: "...As long as you guys like her." "Why are you sweating?" Julian's fingertips brushed against my forehead, which was glistening with a thin layer of sweat. I wanted to dodge, but realized my back was already pressed flat against the door. The sudden ringing of a phone shattered the early morning silence. Julian answered the phone expressionlessly. Cole's voice came through clearly. "Hello? I thought you weren't going to pick up. You're not asleep yet?" "Just say what you want." A flash of impatience crossed the boy's dark eyes. "Oh, tonight Tristan went looking for the munchkin. That animal! He looks all polite and refined, but he ended up bullying the munchkin until she cried. Now she's throwing a fit and saying she won't let us celebrate her birthday." Julian: "So?" Cole sighed. "We need you to come coax her." "Me? Now?" "Yeah. At The Viper Room." Hearing their conversation, I let out a massive sigh of relief and mouthed to Julian: Go coax her. Julian's dark eyes stared straight at me. For some reason, the atmosphere around us seemed to drop a few degrees. After a long moment, he turned his head and said into the phone, "Fine." After he hung up, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. "Drive safe on your way there." Julian smirked: "You wouldn't care even if I died on the way there, would you." His tone was calm, and he gave me one last, deep look before leaving. 05 I slumped onto the sofa. I patted my chest. Trying hard to calm my emotions. Knowing I was destined to be a tragic side character, I could no longer treat them like younger brothers, coddling and spoiling them like I did before I left. I even couldn't help but feel a sense of rejection and distance towards them. I looked sideways at the night view outside the floor-to-ceiling window. Because of me, they and the innocent female lead had a tempestuous, angsty romance. So if I just wandered around in front of them... If I just found a high-quality guy for an arranged marriage, wouldn't everything be solved? And... I had planned on an arranged marriage before I went abroad, but back then, they were in high school—a bunch of rebellious kids afraid of nothing—and who knows how many of my blind dates they sabotaged. So the arranged marriage thing kept getting put on hold. Now that they have a new obsession, my smooth transition into an arranged marriage should be a piece of cake, right? I sighed inwardly, picked up my phone, and started scrolling through the photos my dad had sent me. I picked out a few good-looking ones. Until I saw the last photo, and I was silent for a long time. [Why is Alexander here? Isn't he notoriously uninterested in women and opposed to arranged marriages?] After sending the message, I realized it was past midnight. The old man was probably asleep. I suppressed my curiosity, washed up, and flopped onto my bed. When I was scrolling through Instagram before sleeping, the newest post was from Cole. I tapped to enlarge it. A petite, cute girl stood among four tall, handsome guys. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her almond eyes shimmering. She was wearing a pale yellow mini skirt that showed off her straight, pale legs. In front of them was a table lined with expensive liquor. Except for Julian on the far left, I hadn't seen the other three boys in a long time. Cole, Tristan, and Mason. They had all grown up. Even though everyone except Julian was smiling, there was still a sense of intimidating presence. Intimidating presence? Blame the damn plot for making me feel intimidated by a bunch of kids. I sighed, liked the post, and kept scrolling. I didn't expect that a few minutes later, Cole's post would be gone. I felt a strange sense of unease. At that moment, my other phone started blowing up with notifications. Cole: [Holy shit, Serena liked my post.] Tristan: [What, do you still have feelings for Serena?] Cole: [No way. How is that possible? The munchkin would cry her eyes out. Am I the kind of guy who changes his mind so easily?] Tristan: [Who knows.] Cole: [I'm warning you, Tristan, stop playing the good guy with the munchkin and saying shit you shouldn't to stir up trouble. I have absolutely zero interest in Serena now.] Mason: [Then why did you delete the post?] Cole: [I was afraid Serena would see it and do something to the munchkin! After all, the munchkin is poor and easily scared. Anyone could bully her.] Is this the power of the main characters and the plot? A few months ago, I was the most beautiful, kindest, and most forgiving 'Serena.' Now, without having done anything, I'm suddenly going to bully someone? I was completely speechless. Let the world burn. A moment later, Cole posted again: [I'm being serious. If Serena comes back and finds out no one likes her anymore, she won't go crazy, will she? If she dares to hurt the munchkin, I'll make her pay.] I stared at that sentence and laughed out of sheer annoyance. Aren't they taking themselves a bit too seriously? Tristan: [I'll protect Mia.] Cole: [Stop pretending! I can protect her perfectly well by myself!] Mason: [So are we still throwing that welcome-back party for Serena?] Cole: [Yeah, why wouldn't we? I also need to parade the munchkin in front of her to show the munchkin I've got her back.] I numbly locked my phone screen. I lay in bed. My heart throbbed with a dull ache, accompanied by a trace of confusion. I clearly... hadn't done anything. After a long time, I did a sit-up and texted my dad: [Alexander. I want to meet him for dinner today.] Alexander was Cole's older brother. Before I left, I thought he was a perfect candidate for an arranged marriage. But rumor had it he was completely closed off to women in his private life, so I gave up on the idea at the time. If I could actually secure an arranged marriage with Alexander... Wouldn't the others finally be able to peacefully love the female lead? 06 It was already afternoon when I woke up. My dad had sent me a voice memo: "Alex? His family is pushing him to get married. You two should test the waters. But let me be clear, if he ultimately refuses, there's nothing I can do." Then he sent me the restaurant address. "Tonight at six. Don't be late." I got ready and went to the restaurant. Alexander was already seated in the private room. He was wearing a crisp, fitted white dress shirt, his posture impeccable. Seeing me enter, he gave a slight nod. His pitch-black eyes were cold and distant. A completely different style from Cole. After I sat down, I took the menu from the waiter and smiled brightly, trying to strike up a conversation with Alexander: "I've heard so much about you, Mr. Vance. Do you have any dietary restrictions?" "My brother likes you." Alexander, legs crossed, stated this calmly. I paused. I met his scrutinizing gaze. "Really?" I smiled. "I wasn't aware. But kids' crushes come and go." He tapped his knuckles on the table. "I remember you and Cole and the others being pretty close?" Alexander's voice was cold, and his overwhelming presence was suffocating. Especially with that interrogating tone. Did he think I was his subordinate? I closed the menu, my smile fading slightly. "Does that have anything to do with why we're here today?" Silence filled the room for a few seconds. "No," he said, then handed the menu to the waiter. "The usual." I ordered a few random dishes, stood up, and said to Alexander, "Excuse me for a moment." ... On the way back from the restroom, I was full of annoyance. I didn't even realize someone had grabbed me until a second later. "...Julian?" I looked in astonishment at the person holding me. The boy lowered his eyes, looking down at me. "Why are you here?" "Business," I deflected. "This place is for banquets and parties. Who are you eating with?" His long fingers gripped my wrist tightly. I paused. Although it looked like Alexander and I weren't going to work out, that didn't mean I would let my blind dates get sabotaged like before. My expression hardened when I heard a familiar voice and a girl's giggle. I quickly pulled Julian into an empty private room nearby. In the darkness, every breath felt amplified. "Afraid to see Cole?" he asked. "No, if they saw us together, it would be hard to explain." I kept my voice low. "Besides, what if the girl you like sees us?" The breathing of the person next to me suddenly grew heavy. I went "Ah." "What are you guys doing here? When are you leaving?" After I spoke, I remembered. They were celebrating a birthday. Julian ignored my questions. "There's no sound out there. They probably went into their room." I listened carefully for a moment, and only when I was sure it was quiet did I open the door. Then I started walking towards my room. "You should hurry back to them. Don't keep them waiting." Right as I was about to push the door open, I realized Julian had quietly followed me the whole way. Me: ? I was annoyed and speechless. "What are you doing? Are you stalking me?" The next second, I heard laughter from inside the room— Cole chuckled: "Little munchkin, let me introduce you. This is my older brother. I'll generously allow you to call him 'brother' too." A soft, sweet girl's voice: "...Hello, brother." Alexander's flat voice: "Hello." "Bro, what are you doing here? Having dinner with some girl? Is she my future sister-in-law?" After Cole finished his joke, a burst of laughter erupted from the room. Until Tristan's voice broke through: "Where's Julian? Didn't he go to the room we reserved?" Cole's voice got closer to the door. "Whatever, I'll go find him and tell him to come toast my brother." As the footsteps approached, my heart stopped. I turned sideways, wanting to leave. But it was too late. I could only watch helplessly as the door was pulled open, and the bright light from the room spilled out. Instantly, dead silence.