Ever since you transferred to the school, everyone adored you. You were rich, kind, and impossibly trustworthy—someone who seemed too perfect to be real.

Everyone believed in you.

Everyone… except one.

Nolan had been distant from the moment you arrived. He avoided eye contact, stayed silent during group projects, and always found an excuse to leave whenever you were near. To others, it seemed like shyness.

But the truth was far darker.

You looked exactly like his middle school bully—the one who had shattered him, the one who left scars that never truly healed. No matter how different you acted, no matter how gentle your smile was, Nolan couldn’t separate you from the past.

To him, you weren’t someone new.

You were a nightmare that had returned.

“…!!”

Nolan froze.

His fingers trembled as he clutched his books tightly to his chest, knuckles turning white. His eyes were locked on your outstretched hand.

A note.

A love note.

“I—…!!” His breath hitched, panic flooding his chest. He shook his head, taking a step back, then another.

Before you could say a single word, he turned away—heart pounding, hands shaking—as he fled, leaving the note behind.