Chapter 1

As the evening sky darkened outside the restaurant, I checked my phone again.

Still no message from Ethan.

Figures.

Once again, he'd flaked on me—without even a heads-up.

I tried to comfort myself. He's probably just too busy, I thought.

That's why he didn't show up.

But deep down, I couldn't help feeling hurt.

No matter how busy he was, it only took a few seconds to send a quick text, right?

I grabbed the takeout I'd ordered and headed to his lab.

For Ethan, physics was life. Even I couldn't compete with that.

He often got so caught up in experiments that he forgot to eat.

I was always nagging him to take care of himself, afraid he'd wreck his stomach.

Honestly, he probably found me annoying.

At the lab door, just as I was about to knock, I heard muffled sobbing from inside.

A girl? Crying? At this hour?

"It's okay," a soft voice reassured.

"It won't leave a scar. You don't have to worry."

That was Ethan's voice, but he'd never spoken to me so gently.

In my world, Ethan was always aloof and cold, holding himself high above everyone else.

The only time I ever felt like he cared was in bed, where I thought—hoped—he really loved me.

I knocked lightly on the door.

Only when I heard him say, "Come in," did I dare push it open.

Ethan had drilled it into me that knocking was basic etiquette.

Inside, he stood in front of a sweet, innocent-looking girl.

She bit her lip, clearly trying to hold back tears that threatened to spill over.

Ethan was the star of campus, the golden boy.

Naturally, girls flocked to him.

But a girl who could make him this gentle?

That was rare.

"I'll take over. You go eat," I said, holding out my hand for the antiseptic.

Ethan glanced at me and nodded lightly. "Okay."

The girl hesitated and pulled her hand back.

"It's fine. I can do it myself when I get home," she said shyly before flashing Ethan a bright smile. "Thanks for today, Ethan."

I looked at Ethan, and I had to admit—he was ridiculously good-looking.

Maybe that's why I fell for him at first sight.

I still remember the first time we met.

I was out with friends, and on my way back from the restroom, I accidentally collided with him at a corner.

That one bump was all it took—I was hooked.

I had my hands braced against his chest, and when I looked up and met his eyes, my heart skipped a beat.

How could someone be so perfect?

With eyelashes as long as feathers and sharp, sculpted features, every detail of his face was mesmerizing.

Chapter 2

He looked startled too, but quickly recovered, stepping back.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, flustered.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine."

As I watched him walk away, my heart felt like it was blooming.

That rush of nervous excitement—I've never forgotten it.

So this is what people mean when they say love at first sight.

......

Today's Valentine's Day.

I put on my best dress—a little white one—and did my makeup with extra care.

Last night, Ethan had promised we'd go to the amusement park together.

But when I got there, I saw her again.

My grip tightened on the gift bag in my hands.

For a moment, I wanted to demand why she was there.

But I didn't.

I was too afraid that one wrong move would shatter what little connection we had left.

She smiled as she approached me and offered her hand.

"Hi, I'm Lila. You must be Ethan's classmate?"

I forced a smile and shook her hand, even though my insides churned.

We ended up on the roller coaster together.

Ethan had been sitting next to me, but then Lila tugged on his sleeve and looked up at him with wide, scared eyes.

"Ethan, can you sit next to me? I'm scared."

I waited for him to refuse.

He didn't say a word.

Just got up and moved to sit next to her.

"Ethan," I called, my voice trembling.

"What?" He turned to me, his gaze cool and detached.

"Nothing." Seeing his indifferent eyes, I lost the courage to ask him why.

"Are you mad?" Lila asked, her voice nervous.

"I didn't mean anything by it. I was just scared."

"She's not mad," Ethan said calmly.

Of course not.

Ethan knew I loved him.

He knew I wouldn't make a scene.

After all, I'd spent three years chasing him before he finally said yes to dating me.

I thought after that awkward dinner at the restaurant, I'd never see him again.

But to my surprise, he transferred to my school.

On his very first day, he became the talk of the campus—high IQ, movie-star looks.

Everyone was obsessed with him.

So, I started digging into everything he liked and followed him around like a shadow.

When I found out he didn't like girls with bad grades, I hit the books like my life depended on it.

I climbed from the bottom of the class all the way to the top three.

Even my homeroom teacher praised me, calling me a promising student with a never-give-up attitude.

I thought if I stayed close enough and showed him how much I cared, eventually, I could thaw his icy heart.

One day, we passed a vendor stand, and Lila's attention was caught by a stuffed Doraemon toy on display.

She stared at it, completely enchanted.

"Ethan, I want that toy. Can you win it for me?" she said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him expectantly.

Chapter 3

Ethan didn't respond right away.

The vendor grinned at them knowingly.

"Couples who participate can win a free plushie!" he announced.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

It must've been their body language, the vendor obviously thought they were a couple.

I waited for Ethan to correct him, to set the record straight.

But he didn't.

Instead, without so much as a glance in my direction, he grabbed Lila's hand and led her into the game booth.

I stood there, frozen, watching Ethan lift Lila in a princess carry as he effortlessly completed the challenge.

The onlookers began to cheer and tease them.

"They look so perfect together."

Hearing that, I felt a lump form in my throat.

My nose stung, and my eyes threatened to water.

We'd been together for three years, but Ethan had never carried me like that.

Never even wasted his time on something as trivial as a plushie for me.

The day's activities finally wrapped up, but Lila insisted on thanking Ethan for winning her the plushie by taking us all out to dinner.

Ethan knew I'd spent the whole morning picking out ingredients to make a special Valentine's Day dinner for us.

But without even asking me, he agreed to her plan and followed her to the restaurant.

I wanted to storm off right then and there, but I couldn't stand the thought of leaving the two of them alone.

So I swallowed my feelings, pushing down the ache in my chest, and did my best to pretend Lila didn't exist.

It wasn't like this was the first time Ethan had ignored how I felt.

Later that night, both of them ended up drunk.

After we dropped Lila off, we didn't get back to the apartment until 10 p.m.

Ethan collapsed onto the couch, completely out of it.

I couldn't just leave him like that, so I decided to make him some hangover soup.

Just as I got up, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me down, pinning me beneath him.

His lips trailed from the tip of my nose downward, warm and laced with the scent of alcohol.

I pushed him away.

"Ethan, am I your girlfriend?"

He blinked at me, confused.

"The vendor mistook you and Lila for a couple today. Why didn't you explain?"

The question had been gnawing at me all day, and I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"She wanted the plushie," he said, as if that explained everything.

"Then why couldn't we play the game together?" I pressed.

"I didn't think it mattered."

He stared at me, his gaze sharp and impatient.

I sighed deeply.

"Ethan, do you just assume I'll always love you? That I'll never leave?"

He didn't answer.

Maybe, in his mind, that was exactly how it was supposed to be.

Everything revolved around him.

Because being adored makes people fearless.

Loving Ethan felt like climbing a mountain without any gear.

I had no preparation, no safety net.