Chapter 1 After graduation, I was stopped outside the basketball court by Luke Hayes. "Maya Lin, you ghost. You're the reason my sister is a living corpse. How dare you show your face for graduation photos?" "If I could have it my way, I'd never see you again for the rest of my life!" I watched Luke brush past me, silently clutching the medical report in my hand. The doctor said I have a tumor in my brain. College isn't in the cards for me anymore. Luke probably will never know— His wish is about to come true. After this summer, he'll never see me again. ... The cicadas were singing loud, summer in full swing. Standing by the basketball court, I took out my phone and snapped a secret photo of Luke and me at graduation. The lighting was spotty. I opened my notes app and used voice-to-text. [June 12, 2025, 10:00 AM. Took a graduation photo with Luke. No smile today, just hate in his eyes.] I suddenly forgot why Luke hated me. Scrolling up to the last note, the fragmented past came rushing back. A month ago, I went to karaoke with Luke's twin sister, Lily Hayes, to blow off steam after finals. On the way home, we ran into some thugs. She shielded me and got stabbed in the heart with a broken beer bottle. She's been in a coma ever since. The doctor said only a heart transplant could save her. Otherwise, she'd remain a "living corpse" forever. Thinking of the hate in Luke's eyes, I knew there was a permanent scar between us now. I turned off my phone, ready to leave, when a basketball came flying out of nowhere. Thud. It slammed into my back. I lost my balance and hit the concrete, scraping my knee raw. A group of guys from our class walked over, looking down at me. "Maya Lin, you put Luke's sister in the hospital. How do you have the nerve to show up here?" "It's bad enough you're trash, but dragging Lily down with you? How does our school have someone as toxic as you?" "Get lost. Or we'll beat you every time we see you." ... After they left, I wiped the gravel off my knees and elbows and stood up. Looking up, I saw him under the blazing sun. Luke Hayes, tall and tense, casting a shadow over me. "Maya, stop with the pitiful act. It's annoying. Lily is the one who deserves pity!" I endured the pain, explaining to him again and again, just like always. "That day, Lily told me to go get security, that's why I ran... I didn't think something would happen in just a minute... If I could, I'd trade my life for hers." "Great! Wake her up, and I'll believe you!" Luke's eyelashes fluttered, his cold voice dripping with sarcasm. "Lily needs a heart transplant to wake up. Someone as selfish as you, would you give her your heart?" He turned and walked away. Watching his back, I whispered, "Yeah. I would." Two years ago, the doctor found a tumor in my brain. If we couldn't control it, college was out. I took the meds, did the treatments, fought hard to live. But fate had other plans. The tumor is growing. My memory is fading every day. Since I can't change the ending, let my heart beat somewhere else. I left school and went straight to the Red Cross. "Hi, I'd like to sign a designated organ donation agreement." The staff looked at me. "Sorry, we don't accept living donations." I pulled a crumpled medical report from my backpack. "I have malignant glioma. My grandmother and mother both died from it. The doctor says I won't make it past this summer." "So I want my heart to keep beating and help my friend get better." After reviewing my documents, the staff handed me a form. "You'll need a guardian to sign a document after you fill this out." I shook my head. "My parents are dead. And I'm eighteen. I can be my own guardian." I signed my name solemnly on the voluntary donation agreement. And on the beneficiary line, I wrote "Lily Hayes." Chapter 2 After I filled out the form, the staff pointed to a blank space at the bottom. "You need to fill in an emergency contact here." I hesitated for a moment, then wrote down Luke's name and number. Luke's biggest wish is for Lily to recover. When he finds out later, he'll be happy, right? Leaving the Red Cross, my phone alarm reminded me it was time for my shift at the bubble tea shop. Walking down the street, I passed an internet cafe and saw my brother, Sam, sitting on the steps smoking with some other boys. His young face had dark circles that didn't belong on a teenager. My heart tightened. I rushed over. "Sam, it's Tuesday. Why are you skipping class again? Are you dropping out?" Sam saw me and stubbed out the cigarette. "What's the point of school? Gaming pays better." I grabbed his arm. "SATs are next year. How are you getting into college like this? Come back to school with me!" Sam shook me off, annoyed. "You can work, why can't I? Maya, stay out of my business. Get lost!" He shoved me and slammed the door shut. I stumbled, nearly falling off the steps. I watched through the glass as Sam put on his headset and sat back down at the computer. The manager wouldn't let me in. I had to leave, looking back with every step. Walking along, I opened my notes app again. [3:00 PM. Found my brother skipping class on the way to work. Smoking, gaming... doing everything a high schooler shouldn't do.] [Mom and Dad died early. My brother is addicted to the internet. If I die, what's going to happen to him?] Finished recording, I realized I was at the bubble tea shop door, but felt confused. Why was I here? I checked my schedule. Right, my part-time job. Just as I was about to enter, the manager walked out. "Maya, this is the sixth time you're late. You're fired. Here's this month's pay." He handed me five hundred bucks. My face went pale. "Manager, I'm sorry. Please give me another chance. I really need this job." I had to save enough money for Sam's tuition while I was still healthy. But the manager shook his head. "I've given you too many chances. Go home. You just finished finals, you should rest up for college." Dejected, I turned to go home, only to see Luke walking towards me, pushing a black mountain bike. The boy was tall and lean, glowing in the sunlight. I instinctively called out, "Luke..." Seeing me, Luke frowned in disgust, parked his bike, and went into the shop. "One strawberry milk tea. Less ice, less sugar, add sago and mochi..." Hearing his order, I vaguely remembered. That was Lily's favorite—the Strawberry Deluxe. Every Saturday, Luke would buy one for her and bring it to the hospital. And today was Saturday. The door opened, and Luke came out carrying the tea. I opened my mouth, asking hoarsely, "Luke, can I come with you to see Lily?" Luke paused pushing his bike. "What right does the culprit have to see her? You want to see Lily? Unless you die. Move!" He shoved me aside and rode off. Thinking of my condition, I silently followed him. I knew if I didn't find a chance to see Lily now, I never would. Not long after, the sky darkened. Storm clouds gathered. I looked up as the pristine sky started to drizzle, catching me off guard. I didn't have an umbrella. I trudged forward like a stray dog through the puddles. Waiting at the bus stop, Luke rode past on his bike, laden with milk tea and flowers. His tires hit a puddle, splash, soaking me with muddy water. A gust of wind blew. I felt cold from head to toe, right down to my bones. Chapter 3 It took forever on the bus to get to the hospital. Outside the ICU, I saw Lily lying there, tubes everywhere. Luke put the strawberry milk tea and flowers on the nightstand. With gentle eyes, he started reading a romance novel to her. Watching this, my eyes welled up. Lily loved novels. She used to hug me and say: "Maya, you can learn stuff from novels. It says twins have telepathy." "See? My favorite person is you, and my brother's favorite person is you too." But Lily, Luke doesn't like me anymore. Do you still like me? Through the glass window of the ward door, I traced Lily's face in the air. "Lily, the three of us promised to go to the same college. But you missed the entrance exams to save me..." "But it's okay. In a little while, I'll give you my heart. Then you and your brother can go to the same college." I secretly watched Lily for a long time. Only when Luke got up to leave did I flee the hospital. Back home, still soaking wet, I went straight to the shower. Hot water ran down my head, easing the cold, sticky feeling a bit. Lying in bed after my shower, I hugged the robotic dog on my nightstand, just like always. It was mottled with age, a gift from my mom before she passed. She said it was loyal and would keep me company in her place. I pressed the record button. "Today, I lost my job at the bubble tea shop. It was hard to find, but I blew it." "I went to the hospital to see Lily. She's thinner now, like Sleeping Beauty..." "Too bad Luke won't let me in. Maybe the day Lily wakes up is the day he'll finally talk to me properly." But by then, I'll be six feet under. I talked to the robot dog for a long time before falling into a heavy sleep. Maybe because of the rain, I slept poorly. The next day, my head was groggy when the phone rang urgently. "Maya Lin! Your brother Sam skipped class and got into a fight. Get to school now!" I woke up instantly and rushed to school. Principal's office. I saw Luke. His face was bruised and battered, standing opposite Sam. My heart jumped. Sam hit Luke? Seeing me, the principal got straight to the point. "Maya, your brother is a junior. Skipping class is one thing, but assaulting an upperclassman?" "Luke and other students have signed a petition to expel Sam. Here are his expulsion papers." Hearing this, I looked at Luke in panic. "Luke, I'm sorry! I'll pay for your medical bills. Please forgive him. Don't let him get expelled." Since our parents died, my brother went from an honor student to a delinquent. I failed him. Before I go, I can't let him lose his education. Sam interrupted me, looking defiant. "Luke said nasty things! He deserved it! I don't need you apologizing for me!" Luke wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, expressionless. "In that case, no forgiveness." He walked up to me and whispered so only I could hear. "My sister couldn't take the exams. Your brother doesn't deserve to either." With that, he walked out. Sam grabbed his backpack and stormed out after him. I bowed to the principal and chased after him. "Sam! Stop!" But Sam ignored me. He walked to the dumpster and threw his backpack in. "Who told you to apologize? He ruined your reputation. He deserved it." "Expel me, whatever. I didn't want to go to school anyway. I'll work and pay for your college tuition." He lit a cigarette casually and handed me a bank card. "This is money from leveling accounts in games. I'm grown. I can take care of myself and you." Looking at the pain patch on his wrist and the dark circles under his eyes, my heart ached. Suddenly, my nose felt warm. A drop of blood hit the bank card. Sam froze. "What's wrong?" I wiped my nose, but the blood kept coming. Seeing Sam's panicked face, I felt helpless. "Sam, I don't have a future. If you quit school now, what happens later?" "When I see Mom and Dad on the other side, what am I supposed to tell them?!" I tilted my head back to stop the bleeding and saw Luke standing under a ginkgo tree across the way, staring at me. I didn't know how long he'd been there. Chapter 4 My heart skipped a beat. I quickly looked away. When I finished cleaning up the blood and looked back, Luke had turned and walked into the ginkgo avenue without a second glance. Sam looked at me nervously. "What's wrong with you? Is it heatstroke?" I shook my head, not knowing how to explain my illness. Sam got annoyed. He threw the cigarette on the ground, crushed it, and waved me off. "If you're sick, go home and rest. I'm going back to work." I wanted to call him back, but he rode off on his bike and disappeared. I sighed. "Sam, what are you going to do alone?" When I was ten, Mom died from the torture of glioma. Two years ago, Dad died in a car accident on his way to buy Sam a birthday cake. Now... I'm dying too. I fished Sam's backpack out of the dumpster, carefully dusted it off, and went home. My stomach was empty, my head spinning. I realized I hadn't eaten all day. I cooked a bowl of tangyuan (sweet rice balls) and brought it to the living room. Looking at my parents' photos, I put one in my mouth. The sesame filling burst, but I couldn't taste any sweetness. "Mom, you used to say the sweetness of tangyuan could cover life's bitterness. But why can't I taste any sweet at all?" "Sam doesn't want to study. I'm dying. My life... seems like a total mess..." Tears fell into the bowl, one by one, creating ripples. Wind blew the curtains against my cheek, gentle like a mother's touch. After eating, I broke into a sweat. My head felt a little better. After resting, I started looking for summer jobs again. I had to save more money for Sam's future. I asked shop after shop along the main street, getting rejected every time. Finally, at 2 PM under the scorching sun, I found a flyer distribution gig downstairs. In the stifling summer heat, I wore a heavy bear suit, weaving through the crowd handing out flyers. The suit was airless. Within minutes, I was soaked in sweat. A group of kids ran over, jumping around me. "Look, a bear! I want to play with it!" The lead boy yanked my tail hard. I lost my balance, stumbled back, and fell on my butt, flyers scattering everywhere. The other kids swarmed, kicking my legs, punching me. The fattest kid sat right on my back, yelling: "Giddy up! Ride the stupid bear..." The weight was crushing. My head throbbed. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out. "Hey! She's not a toy!" The weight lifted instantly. The kids scattered. "You okay?" I sat up and took off the headgear, meeting a pair of amber eyes. "...Luke..." His face went cold instantly, seemingly surprised it was me inside the suit. "Maya, seriously? Doing this for sympathy again?" I blurted out, "No, it's a summer job." Luke's mother walked up behind him and handed me a bottle of ice water. "Drink some water. Don't get heatstroke." I took it. "Thanks, Godmother." She was silent for a moment. "You don't need to call me that anymore. Just... take care of yourself." My heart stung. I knew she was in more pain than I could imagine. Giving me water was already her greatest mercy. If only I hadn't left that day. Or if I had let Lily leave first. "I'm sorry..." Besides those words, I didn't know what else to say. Mrs. Hayes didn't answer, eyes red. She walked toward the community gate with Luke. Just then, a black sedan pulled up. A person in business attire got out and handed a document to Mrs. Hayes. "Mrs. Hayes, the hospital found a matching heart. This is the donor's information." My breath hitched. Did they find out about my donation so soon?
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "386553", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel