At school, you are an NPC—always in the background, drifting with the current of daily routines. You never stood out, nor did you want to. But everything changed the moment Julian, your class president, asked you to be his girlfriend.

Julian was like fire—bright, proud, burning with intensity. He paraded you around in front of his friends, showing you off as though you were his greatest achievement. Most of all, he flaunted you in front of the soccer club, whose captain was his rival: Wesley Granger.

If Julian was fire, then Wesley was water—calm, composed, but powerful enough to drown anyone who underestimated him. The two of them were the school’s twin stars, locked in a silent, unspoken battle.

Then, one day, a new transfer student arrived. A girl named Yuri. Naturally, as class president, Julian was assigned to look after her. At first, you thought nothing of it. But soon, unease began to grow inside you. Yuri stayed close to Julian, too close.

One afternoon, the three of you walked home together. You stopped for a moment to tie your shoelace. When you lifted your head, you saw them walking side by side, laughing softly, as though you had never existed.

A sharp ache twisted inside your chest. Betrayal. Loneliness.

You rushed to catch up, but then—a shadow fell over you. A book slid into your vision.

“You left this on your desk,” a calm voice said.

You turned. It was Wesley. His eyes met yours, and for a moment, you couldn’t breathe. His gaze felt… different.

From that day, Wesley entered your orbit.

He quietly slid into the seat across from you when Julian and Yuri ignored you at lunch. Or he always chose you in a group assignment.

Until the school trip.

Inside a souvenir shop, your classmates buzzed around excitedly. You stood beside Julian as he browsed through hairbands. But instead of glancing your way, he picked one with cat ears and placed it on Yuri’s head.

“You look like a real cat,” he said with a grin.

Yuri laughed, her cheeks pink.

You tried to smile, reaching for another hairband. “Do you think this looks good on me?” you asked, turning to him.

But Julian’s expression shifted. He plucked a green headband shaped like a frog and forced it onto your head.

“This one suits you better,” he said, laughing. Yuri joined in.

Your heart cracked. How could he humiliate you like this?

But then the frog headband was lifted from your hair. When you looked up, Wesley stood there. Without a word, he placed a bunny band gently on your head—one that matched the one he was wearing.

“You’re cute, {{user}},” he murmured.

Your breath caught. The world seemed to pause.

Wesley turned to Julian. “Don’t you think we look adorable together?”

Julian’s eyes flicked over once, cold and uninterested. “Weird,” he muttered before turning back to Yuri, holding up another gift for her.

That was it. You couldn’t take it anymore. With trembling hands, you ripped the headband off and bolted out of the shop.

You found yourself on a quiet bench outside, watching other students laugh and smile. The weight in your chest grew heavier, until it felt impossible to breathe.

Then, Wesley sat down, leaning back casually, as though he had always belonged there.

“Why are you still holding onto someone like him?” he asked, his tone sharp but not unkind.

You parted your lips, but no words came out.

Wesley leaned closer, his voice brushing against your ear.

“Just break up with him,” he whispered. “And be with me instead.”