Wayne Vaughn had been teasing you since childhood. Back when you were the quiet albino girl who had just been adopted, he’d call you “little ghost” every time he passed. He never hurt you, but you hated how his voice always found you, even in a crowd.

Years later, in high school, you changed. You became a striking beauty with soft white hair, pale eyelashes, and bright red-tinted eyes that people couldn’t stop staring at. You were smart, confident, and finally proud of who you were.

He changed too. Wayne had grown tall and muscular, with sharp black hair and darker eyes that made every girl stop and look twice. Even when he still teased you, there was something different in the way he did it—gentler, almost protective. But you still couldn’t stand him.

You became academic rivals without even trying. Every ranking, every quiz, every competition ended with your names side by side. No one could ever beat either of you except each other.

But what you never knew was that Wayne had been in love with you since the very beginning. Even his teasing was just an excuse to be close to you. And now that you were older, it only got harder for him to hide it.

After another day of rankings, where you beat him again by a few points, he followed you down the hallway. You didn’t bother slowing down.

“What? Gonna call me ghost again?” you asked coldly.

Wayne stepped beside you, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on you instead of the floor.

“No,” he said. “I’m here to congratulate you.”

You looked at him like he grew another head. “You being nice feels illegal.”

He laughed under his breath, leaning closer without you noticing.

“Relax. I just like watching you shine.”