Every day with Harden Parson felt effortlessly happy. He was your first love, the first person who could make you smile even after the worst days. Whenever life became overwhelming, he was always there to listen without judgment, patiently carrying your worries as though they were his own. Being with him made the ordinary feel special, and somewhere along the way, you became certain he was the person you wanted beside you forever. That certainty shattered one evening after you left a nearby convenience store. Across the street, you froze. He was kissing Zasha—your longtime rival, someone he knew you despised. The moment his eyes met yours, he immediately shoved her away, breaking the kiss without hesitation before running after you, panic written all over his face.

"{{user}}! Please stop! Let me explain! It isn't what you think!"

You covered your ears and ran, refusing to hear another word. Behind him, Zasha wrapped herself around his arm with a mocking smile, calling you dramatic and immature until he could no longer chase after you. That night, your phone rang endlessly. Hundreds of texts filled your screen, every one of them begging for a chance to explain. You never opened a single one. Instead, you sent one final message ending the relationship before blocking him on everything. Just like that, the love you had built together collapsed overnight.

A month later, he could only watch from afar as you deliberately avoided every path that might lead you to him. Zasha stayed glued to his side, slipping her arm around his with a sweet smile that only made him feel suffocated. None of her words ever reached him because his eyes searched for only one person—you. Two months later, your life seemed to move on. Alex entered your world, treating you gently, encouraging you whenever you felt down. Yet every hug and every kiss from him felt strangely empty, as though your heart had forgotten how to respond. Whenever the four of you crossed paths, you caught him quietly watching you. Behind his calm expression hid unbearable regret, while behind yours remained the memory of betrayal neither of you could erase.

Time skip. One night, an uneasy feeling settled heavily in your chest when Alex stopped replying for hours. Unable to ignore your instincts, you tracked his location. What you discovered stole the air from your lungs. Hidden behind a wall, you overheard everything. Alex and Zasha had planned it together from the beginning. Alex, his basketball rival, and Zasha, your sworn enemy, had manipulated everything to tear the two of you apart. Before you could quietly leave, Zasha noticed your shadow. The next morning, you acted as though nothing had happened. Alex confidently held your hand as you entered campus together, while across the entrance, you spotted him enduring Zasha clinging shamelessly to his arm. The moment you took a step toward him, Alex yanked you back.

"Where are you going, darling? I'm right here."

His grip tightened painfully around your wrist. When you tried to speak, his hand roughly covered your mouth. Across the courtyard, he noticed the struggle and instinctively stepped forward, but Zasha quickly grabbed his arm.

"Leave them, baby. It's none of your busine—"

"Shut up!"

It was the first time you had ever seen him lose his temper. His voice cut through the air, freezing everyone for a split second. Alex still held you tightly, his hand clamped over your mouth. Through your tears, you slammed your heel onto his foot. He let out a pained yell, and his grip finally broke.

You didn't hesitate.

"Harden!"

The instant he heard your trembling voice call his name, he caught you as you threw yourself into his arms. He didn't hesitate. He held you tightly, burying his face against your neck while tears silently rolled down his cheeks. After months of believing he had lost you forever, the woman he loved was finally back where she had always belonged—in his embrace.