I brought breakfast for my childhood best friend—ten steaming, juicy pork buns I’d packed with love. He frowned, looking at the grease stain on the bag. "Can you stop embarrassing me? I’m not a construction worker. Who eats this heavy stuff in the morning?" Chloe, the class queen bee, tapped his shoulder and handed him a beautifully wrapped artisan sandwich. She glanced at my buns and gasped, "My god, that’s enough calories to last me three days!" I felt a sting of tears in my eyes. Suddenly, a stream of floating text—like a livestream chat—scrolled across my vision. [LMAO. Did you see the poor scholarship kid, Xavier, staring at those buns? He just swallowed a gallon of saliva.] [No wonder Xavier becomes a tech billionaire later. In every interview, he says his favorite food is pork buns.] [His stomach is literally growling. If someone gave him those buns right now, they’d probably become the love of his life.] I blinked, then immediately turned to my deskmate, the class genius and resident loner. "Do you want these? They're still hot." Unexpectedly, Xavier replied in a flat, cold voice: "Thanks, but I'm not hungry." 1 Me: ? Are they all conspiring to ruin my day? I wasn't giving up. I untied the bag. The savory smell of pork, fluffy dough, and sesame oil wafted into the air. Even though I’d already eaten, my mouth watered. "I literally heard your stomach growl. Are you sure? These are amazing. My dad woke up at 4 AM to stand in line for them." I have a fatal flaw. When I eat something good, I have a desperate need to share it. It’s that satisfaction of helping someone discover a hidden gem. Under my relentless sales pitch, Xavier finally stopped writing. He looked up. His bangs were a bit long, hanging down to cover his eyebrows. His gaze was indifferent. High nose bridge, sharp jawline, prominent Adam's apple. He wore the blue and white school uniform hoodie, zipped all the way up. The cuffs were frayed and washed out. He looked thin, but his shoulders were broad. I suddenly realized he looked a bit like an anime protagonist. The brooding type. He’d been my deskmate for a month, but this was the first time I’d really looked at him. My cheeks heated up. Xavier’s gaze dropped to my hands. His thin lips parted. "Thanks, but I don't need your pity." Then he lowered his head and went back to drowning in calculus. I sat there, awkward and frozen. What the hell? This temper is just like an anime character, too. Who’s pitying him? I’m just trying to share the gospel of carbs! The floating text popped up again, mocking me this time. [Hahaha, does she have no brain? Trying to give charity to the future genius right in the open?] [She probably saw the comments and wants to be his 'One That Got Away.' Dream on.] [Xavier’s heart belongs to someone else. Don't bother.] My face burned brighter. Because I felt called out. I admit, I had a tiny thought about hugging a future billionaire's thigh. He’s going to be rich, right? Trying to get on his good side seemed like a solid investment strategy... I was fuming when I heard a distinct gurgle. Xavier’s stomach. I turned my head. Xavier’s pen paused for a fraction of a second, then he continued writing as if nothing happened. But I saw the tips of his ears turn bright pink. I sighed. Whatever. Why hold a grudge against a hungry person? I tugged his sleeve, using the same whining tone I used on my dad. "Help me out, Xavier. I can't eat all this. Wasting food is a crime. Just help me finish them." Xavier didn't make a sound. I slid the bag of buns onto his side of the desk. He didn't push it back. Tsk. So stubborn. "Remember to eat them while they're hot. I gotta run to the bathroom." Homeroom was starting in ten minutes. If I didn't go now, I’d be holding it through first period! 2 When I got back to my seat, the bag was gone. I sniffed the air. No smell of meat. Huh? Did he toss them? Before I could ask, "Mrs. Terror," our math teacher, marched in. "Get out the practice sheets from yesterday. If you didn't finish, go stand in the back. Don't make me say it twice." I immediately lowered my head, terrified to breathe. Senior year was brutal. Every teacher acted like the grim reaper. By the time I stumbled home after school, brain fried, my dad was already busy in the kitchen. Four dishes were already on the table. "Whoa, sweet and sour ribs!" I happily reached out to steal a piece, but my mom flicked my forehead. "Wash your hands, you little gremlin." I grinned, dropped my bag, and ran to the sink. When I sat down, Dad brought out a massive bowl of meatball soup. "Dig in!" I put my palms together. "Thank you for your hard work! I will devour everything!" The three of us ate and chatted happily. Dad smiled, "Do you want pork buns again tomorrow? Did Brad like them this morning?" Brad. My childhood friend, Lu Zeyuan. The thought of him made the ribs taste like cardboard. I mumbled, "They were fine." My dad, like me, loved feeding people. "Brad hasn't come over for dinner in a while. Senior year must be tough. Bella, you eat more." Brad and I grew up together. We used to be two chubby kids rolling around the neighborhood. He loved my dad’s ribs; I loved his mom’s pot roast. Then, overnight, Brad hit puberty. He shot up to six feet. The chubby belly turned into a six-pack. The buzzcut became a trendy fade. And the person standing next to him changed from me, "Chubby Bella," to the class beauty, Chloe. Brad went to eat steaks and salads with Chloe now. He didn't come for ribs. I tried eating that stuff once. Medium-rare steak? It had nothing on my dad’s braised brisket or spicy chicken. What made me angrier was this morning. He ate Chloe’s sandwich and called my buns "construction worker food." And Chloe said ten buns would last her three days. So what if you’re a size zero? I’m 5'3", a solid 120 pounds. I’m soft, sure, but I’m sturdy and healthy! I shoved a huge spoonful of rice into my mouth. I was done feeding Brad. I was done chasing that ungrateful jerk! 3 I was eating angrily when the floating text—the "Chat"—started scrolling again. [Wait, this chubby girl is the villainess, Bella? Her family is so wholesome. How does she end up like that?] [Probably because she ends up at a community college and gets mixed up with the wrong crowd.] [It’s for the plot. The villainess’s death is the catalyst for the main couple getting back together. Shame her parents die of grief two years later...] The meatball in my mouth fell back into the bowl with a plop. Excuse me? Chat, explain yourself! I pushed my bowl away. "I'm full." I ran to my room, locked the door, and studied the floating text. According to the Chat, I was the malicious villainess in this world. My childhood friend, Brad, was the Protagonist. Chloe was the Heroine. After finals, I would confess to Brad and get rejected. Brad would tell me he and Chloe planned to go to the same Ivy League school and marry after graduation. In a rage, I would hack his account and change his college application, sending him and Chloe to opposite ends of the country. Because of my bad grades (and obsession with Brad), I’d stay local at a third-rate college. I would constantly sabotage them, causing misunderstandings. Eventually, to make Brad jealous, I’d date a local thug. Brad wouldn't care. He’d just study harder to transfer to Chloe’s grad school. I’d stay entangled with the thug until senior year, when he’d accidentally strangle me to death in a motel room. Then he’d flee. My parents would collapse from the news. Brad, out of childhood loyalty, would help handle my funeral. Chloe, now a journalism major, would come to interview my parents about the "Scandalous Death of a College Girl." And thus, over my dead body, the main couple would reunite. They would become better people, love freely without my interference, and live happily ever after. I was furious before I even finished reading. The Chat said my parents would die within two years of my death? They were sacrificing my whole family for their romance? Are they insane?! I admit, I had a crush on Brad. We grew up together, and he got hot. It happens. But hacking college apps? Dating thugs? I would never! Even if Brad rejected me, two hotpot dinners and a BBQ night would cure me. A foodie’s world is simple! Screw the plot. If I don't participate, the story breaks, right? Having figured this out, I threw open my door and yelled, "Mom! Don't put the food away! I'm hungry again!" 4 The only freedom in senior year was Gym class. Boys played 3-on-3 basketball; girls played badminton or sat on the bleachers pretending to have cramps so they could watch the boys. Even the messiest boys washed their hair the night before Gym. Brad sank a three-pointer, lifting his jersey to wipe his sweat. The flash of abs caused a ripple of squeals. He flashed a sunny grin and looked over. I followed his gaze. He was looking at Chloe. They exchanged a sweet look. My heart twinged. It felt sour. Like an emotion that didn't belong to me was forcing its way in. I suppressed it. The girl next to me pinched my arm. "Bella, you and Brad haven't been talking much lately." I mumbled, "It's whatever." "Watch out, or Chloe will snatch him. That girl knows what she's doing." I thought for a moment. "I'll bless them. They look good together." They are the main characters, after all. "No way. Brad is so hot now, you’re willing to give him up?" I didn't want to talk about Brad. It felt like inviting the Grim Reaper. Just then, I saw Xavier. I pointed. "Actually, don't you think Xavier is kind of hot?" Unlike the others, Xavier was still in his full uniform. Zipped up to the collarbone, sleeves pushed up to his elbows. Sweat matted his bangs to his forehead. His lips were pressed into a thin line. The girl scoffed. "Xavier? He has a nice face, I guess, but he's so gloomy. He never talks. And he's barely average at basketball." "Also, smart people are weird. Who wears a uniform to play ball?" The Chat exploded. [What are they gossiping about? The villain is poor! He barely eats enough, where would he get the energy to be an athlete?] [That uniform is the only decent outfit he owns. He washes it every night. Buying a jersey means skipping meals.] [These girls are annoying. No wonder only the Heroine becomes his 'First Love.'] [Just wait until he becomes a Tech Mogul. His aura will be ten feet tall. So handsome.] [Why doesn't the Heroine just take both the Hero and the Villain? It's just two guys!] Huh? I froze. Xavier is the Villain? Chloe is his First Love? But I never see them talking... The Chat confused me. Just then, Brad’s game ended. The girl next to me shoved a water bottle into my hand and pushed me. "Go give Brad water! Go!" I stumbled forward, landing right in front of Brad. Brad saw the water and his eyes lit up. "Yo, finally caved? Ignoring me just because I didn't want your buns? You didn't even wait for me this morning. Petty." Since learning I was the villainess, I’d been avoiding him to avoid my tragic death. But now, I stood there blankly holding the water. "I didn't mean to..." I looked back. Who was that girl who pushed me? I couldn't remember her face! Was she even in our class? Cold sweat trickled down my back. The Plot was forcing me into position. Brad looked impatient. "Alright, stop explaining. You're so stubborn. As long as you know you were wrong. I'm thirsty." Just as Brad reached for my cheap water bottle, a slender, pale hand extended from the side. "Brad, drink this. It has electrolytes."
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