I confessed my love to him in French and even called him my boyfriend. The very next day, I transferred schools. Rumor had it, the school's most popular guy went crazy looking for me. When we finally crossed paths again, it was at my French professor's house. He turned out to be my professor's son!!! The former golden boy gritted his teeth and said, "Long time no see, girlfriend." 01 I had a secret crush on Noah for two years. Not long after he transferred into our class, I found out I had to transfer to another school. Carrying that regret, on the day I was leaving, I took advantage of the noisy basketball court. Gathering all my courage, I yelled: "Noah, Je t'aime." It's French. It means I love you. Noah, who had just sunk a three-pointer, froze. He shot me an inquisitive look. Like a thief, I quickly put away the phone I was using to secretly record him. Pretending to be perfectly calm, I gave him a thumbs-up and mouthed, "Go team!" Noah stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly a smile spread across his face. That smile seemed to possess some kind of magic, as if he saw right through me, making my heart skip a beat with a guilty conscience. 02 Soon, it was halftime. Noah tossed his basketball aside and walked straight over, sitting down right next to me. He leaned back casually, looked at me, and smiled. "What did you just say?" I nervously swallowed a gulp of non-existent saliva and bluffed: "I said, 'Go team!'" A suspicious gaze landed on my face. He crossed his arms and studied me with a playful arrogance. "That's not what I heard." My chest tightened, but I argued back: "It was, I swear. I just said it in French." There was a moment of silence. I cast a sideways glance at him. He looked thoughtful, a fleeting, barely noticeable glimmer of mischief crossing his face. He smirked. "Sounds nice." Confused by the sudden compliment, I blinked. "Huh?" His smile deepened, and he slowed his speech. "I said, that French phrase sounds really nice." Remembering what that French phrase actually meant, my cheeks instantly burned like fireballs. I opened and closed my mouth for a long time, but couldn't get a single word out. 03 Noah, however, seemed inexplicably delighted, the smile reaching his eyes. He pointed at the basketball court, raising an eyebrow. "Emma, how about this: every time I score a point later, you use that French phrase to cheer for me. Okay?" "What?" My eyes went wide, my brain practically smoking. Every time he scored, I had to yell "I love you"? No, no, no, I still needed to show my face in public. Seeing me speechless, he decided for himself: "Let's consider it your contribution to class spirit, yeah?" Then, without waiting for an answer: "It's settled then." And he jogged back onto the court. I sat there, dumbfounded. Contribution to class spirit, my foot. Right now, I didn't care about the class at all; I just wished he would miss every shot. After all, I was a timid rule-follower. I only dared to do things secretly, like harboring a crush. I absolutely did not dare to yell it out loud, even in a foreign language. But things rarely go as planned. He hadn't been back on the court for more than a few minutes before he sank another three-pointer. He smugly waved at me, signaling me to deliver that special "cheer." My attempt to play dead failed, so I timidly mouthed the words. He didn't seem satisfied. While dribbling the ball, he ran over to my side of the court. With a wicked grin, he said, "Emma, you haven't cheered for me yet." I was riding a tiger and couldn't get off. I glanced around nervously, then reluctantly muttered in a low voice: "Noah, Je t'aime." Only then did he jog away, looking incredibly pleased with himself. Leaving me alone, blushing furiously, a complete mess. Noah seemed to have gained some sort of divine power. He played with even more swagger, sinking shot after shot. I shouted "Noah, Je t'aime" so many times I went numb. 04 I barely survived until the end of the game. I grabbed my backpack and bolted. But I had only reached the school gates when Noah caught up to me. He said I worked hard cheering for him, so he absolutely had to buy me boba. He basically dragged me to the boba shop. Thinking about how I wasn't really "cheering" for him at all, I blushed and pulled out my phone, rushing to pay the bill. But the screen wouldn't turn on. I realized my phone had died. The embarrassment hit me, and I felt another wave of heat wash over me. Noah chuckled, paid the cashier, and thoughtfully poked the straw into my cup for me. "Since when do girls pay when guys are around?" I awkwardly muttered a thank you. Noah shook his head, lowered his eyes, and looked straight at me. "Emma, we're friends now, right?" I paused, then raised my boba cup to clink against his. "Of course." He seemed to think for a moment, then smiled and asked, "So, how do you say 'guy friend' and 'girl friend' in French?" Guy friend and girl friend? Boyfriend and girlfriend? I chewed on a boba pearl and answered without thinking: "Girlfriend is petite amie. Boyfriend is petit ami." "Oh." He looked as if he'd just had a profound realization. His smile vanished, replaced by an earnest, questioning look. "So, you are my petite amie, and I am your petit ami, right?" I choked on a boba pearl and coughed violently, nearly dying right there. The current state of our relationship definitely did not warrant those two words. Those words are exclusively for romantic partners. We were just ordinary friends. I was just about to correct him when a wicked thought flashed through my mind. He didn't understand anyway, and it perfectly satisfied my unspoken, selfish desire. So, ignoring the loud banging of my own conscience, I nodded. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Noah's eyes crinkle in a smile. He looked absolutely elated, as if he had just won the lottery. Suppressing my shyness, I couldn't help but smile along with him. 05 The early autumn wind whistled past, carrying the sweet scent of blooming osmanthus. Under the oak tree by the bus stop, our wind-filled, uniform-clad silhouettes were stretched long by the setting sun. Looking at the shadows merging on the ground, my heart raced. Noah seemed to suddenly remember something. He pulled a notebook from his backpack and handed it to me. "I just jotted some things down. If you need it, take it." I took a look. It was full of detailed explanations and diagrams for the calculus problems I couldn't solve. My jaw dropped in surprise. "How did you know I needed this?" I saw the tips of his ears turn bright red. "Uh, just thought it might be useful." I clutched the notebook to my chest, incredibly grateful. "This is so useful. I love you to death." I was so excited that the phrase "I love you to death," which I used constantly at home, just slipped out. We both froze, instantly turning red. "T-that, I misspoke," I hurriedly explained. "Oh," Noah replied flatly, his tone unreadable. But when he suddenly turned his head and gave me a smile, I thought I caught a glimpse of deep affection. When the clouds were painted a fiery orange, my bus home finally arrived. Noah walked me to the door of the bus. I sat by the window and waved goodbye. He waved back. "See you Monday, petite amie." See you Monday, girlfriend. I pressed a hand to my chest to keep my heart from leaping out. I was so nervous I didn't know where to look. Remembering he didn't understand anyway, I forced myself to nod calmly. "Oh, okay." Noah seemed thrilled, a smile lingering on his lips. Honestly, I was thrilled too. As the bus pulled away, I could no longer hide the joy bubbling inside me. In a place he couldn't see, I broke into a massive, goofy grin. By the time I realized we probably wouldn't actually be seeing each other on Monday, the bus was already far away. 06 As soon as I got home, I rushed to plug in my phone, thinking I needed to add Noah on Snapchat first. I needed to give him a proper goodbye. But before my phone even turned back on, my mom snatched it away. "Leave it here to charge. Your aunt wants to take us out to a farewell dinner, let's go." I reluctantly followed my mom to the restaurant. My parents had always worked out of state. I grew up living with my grandparents. Now, my mom finally got a job transfer back to their home office so she could take care of me, and everyone was celebrating. But I was the only one distracted, my mind entirely on Noah. I ate that meal feeling like a year had passed. I finally made it through the dinner. When we got home, I tried to grab my phone again, but my mom stopped me. "Our flight is at 7 AM tomorrow. We have to be up by 5. Hurry up and get ready for bed." I was anxious and tried to beg, but it was useless. I had no choice but to angrily comply. It wasn't until we landed in our new city the next day that I finally got my phone back. But then I discovered... my Snapchat account had been deleted. The phone number I was using was registered under my grandmother's name. Since I was moving away with my mom, my grandma had canceled that line. Afraid my account might get hacked and used for scams, she was very cautious and had my aunt log in and delete the associated Snapchat account too. My Instagram was also linked to that number, and I always logged in via SMS code. I had completely forgotten the password. Now, everything was gone. ... I threw myself onto my bed in despair. "Mom, why did you guys cancel my number without telling me?!" My mom looked innocent. "I wasn't involved! But Grandma said she already messaged your teachers and confirmed there was nothing important going on, so she felt comfortable canceling it. She also said she posted a goodbye message on your story for you. She said you should just focus on your studies." I wanted to cry but had no tears left. Gee... thanks, Grandma. Hearing me complain about losing contact with my friends, my mom warned me that academics were the priority, and strictly limited my phone usage. Thinking about how my crush, which was so close to being reciprocated, was crushed in the cradle just like that, I was heartbroken. But I knew my mom was strict, especially about high school dating. I knew resistance was futile, so I helplessly accepted my fate. 07 After that, I was busy adapting to a new school, new teaching styles, and new classmates. I temporarily shelved the idea of contacting Noah. I didn't have the time, nor the means. When I finally calmed down and thought about it, even if my feelings were reciprocated, it wasn't the right time to date. Not only were we thousands of miles apart, but we were also in the highly stressful junior year of high school. Everything pointed to the fact that a temporary separation was the best outcome. But naturally, I felt regretful that I couldn't give him a proper goodbye. However, this was the only way for now. I could only wait until after graduation to contact him again. If possible, then... With a thousand thoughts running through my mind, I sighed and muttered to myself, "Let fate decide." After moping for a few days, I adjusted my mindset and threw myself entirely into studying. For Christmas that year, I traveled out of state with my mom to reunite with my dad, so we didn't go back to my hometown. I had essentially lost all contact with Noah and my old friends completely. 08 Six months later, I got into my dream university and finally regained my phone freedom. With my grandmother's help, I finally managed to contact my old best friend, Maya. After catching up on family gossip and crying over how much we missed each other, Maya brought up Noah. "What did you do to him? He went crazy looking for you. He cornered me every day asking for your contact info. I told him I didn't have it, but he wouldn't believe me. Finally, I showed him your deleted Snapchat profile, and he reluctantly accepted it, but he cursed you out, calling you a liar." I felt a pang of guilt and deep apology. After all, in the internet age, disappearing without even a "goodbye" is pretty messed up. But I was also curious. Was our friendship, built on a single boba tea, really worth him going crazy trying to find me? "Did he mention why he was looking for me?" "No, but he did ask about which colleges you were aiming for. He was pretty depressed for a while. I almost thought you two had dated. Later on, he started dating a girl from another school. Her name is Chloe. He was super into her. I heard he even got custom-made bracelets with her name engraved on them." My expression froze. The words "Can you help me get his contact info?" died in my throat. I couldn't hide the disappointment welling up inside me. I gave a flat "Oh." "Right, Noah told me before that if I ever got your contact info, I should tell him immediately..." "Don't tell him. We weren't that close anyway." He probably only said those things when he didn't have a girlfriend. Now that he had one, reconnecting with him was pointless. After all, my intentions toward him weren't pure. I didn't want to use the excuse of being "just a friend" to peek into someone else's happiness and just add to my own misery. Since we missed our chance, let it go. Cutting off all contact completely was the smart decision. Even though my heart ached and I envied that girl named Chloe, I was, after all, only Emma. 09 Maya then started talking about her new boyfriend and asked if I was seeing anyone. I answered absentmindedly, "Yeah, a few guys." Not caring about Maya's screams on the other end, I made an excuse and hung up. My long-held hopes had fallen through. I sat on the balcony of my dorm, staring blankly. I opened an app and ordered a six-pack of beer, mourning my long-lost crush. While I was half-drunk, my roommate Mia came back. She looked totally lovesick. She grabbed me and started shaking me. "Emma, Emma! I saw the French professor's son today. He is so handsome. His posture, his face... He should still be in the professor's office right now. Let me take you to feast your eyes." She couldn't stop praising him. I scoffed and slapped her hand away. So what if he's handsome? Can he be more handsome than Noah? I've never seen anyone better looking than him. Seeing that I was unmoved, she finally noticed the empty beer bottles next to me. "What's wrong with you?" "Heartbreak." "What?! With who? When?" She fired off three questions in terror. "It was a crush." I told her about my crush that almost blossomed into a relationship. After listening, she also felt a sense of regret. "You were so close, if only you hadn't transferred. Sigh... it's in the past. Crushes are like that, regrets are normal." As she spoke, she popped open a beer too. "It's fine, I'll introduce you to someone else. How about the professor's son? He is absolutely your type." I rolled my eyes at her and said sarcastically, "Why don't you introduce me to the university president's son, or all the hot, smart guys at our school while you're at it?" Her eyes lit up. She threw her arm around me and patted her chest, guaranteeing: "I will! I definitely will. Leave it to me." I let out a "Tch," not taking her seriously at all, assuming she was just joking. I went about my business, washed up, and went to sleep. 10 The next evening, I went to a meeting for the Translation Club. The upperclassmen kept casting pitying glances at me. After some simple consolations, they started aggressively praising our club president, Liam. Only then did I realize that Mia had gotten totally drunk again. Not only had she spilled the beans about my "heartbreak," but she had also taken my drunken joke from the night before as my actual standard for a partner, and was actively recruiting boyfriends for me in the club. In the end, everyone agreed that President Liam fit my criteria perfectly, and they started trying to set us up. President Liam was not only the president of our Translation Club, but also the nephew of our French professor. He had great grades and was very handsome. It's just that his personality was a bit too mature and serious. He always gave off a "parental" vibe. He felt like an elder in my family. I only had respect for him, no sparks whatsoever. So, I rejected the idea without a second thought: "Guys, stop joking around. Liam and I are like brother and sister." As I spoke, I looked over at Liam, signaling him to back me up. But he didn't say a word, and he actually blushed. After a few seconds of confusion, I panicked. Could he actually... Seeing Liam's silence, the crowd got even more excited. "The president is silently agreeing! Little Emma, you should seriously consider the president. We're waiting for your answer." "Yeah, yeah! We're waiting for you to become the club's First Lady." My head was pounding. I didn't know how to defuse the situation, so I just glared at Mia, that drunkard. Just then, there was a knock on the door. The French professor stood outside, smiling brightly. "I've been listening for a while. You guys are so lively." The troublemakers, never ones to shy away from drama, added fuel to the fire: "Professor, you're just in time! Emma is heartbroken and looking for a boyfriend. We think the president is a great match, so we're shipping them." "The president is your nephew! If they get together, Emma will be your niece-in-law, Professor!" Hearing this, the professor chuckled. "That's a nice thought. I really adore Emma. But you can't force matters of the heart. Plus, Emma just had her heart broken, so keep the jokes within reason." The professor heard everything! I felt so humiliated...
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