Chapter 5
Three years later, Brain Warrick appeared in front of me again.
He seemed to have changed a lot–gone was the youthful immaturity, replaced by a calm and steady demeanor. Yet the faint citrusy scent he carried remained the same, lingering and familiar.
When my student found out that Brain and I used to be desk mates, her curiosity got the better of her. As our tutoring session ended, she began peppering me with questions about the past.
“Was my cousin’s performance really as bad as I’ve heard?”
fell… not great, bottom three in the class.”
“Did he ever have a crush on someone?”
“I… don’t think so.”
“Was he really a good fighter?”
“Does kicking open a door count?”
The questions were all about Brain Warrick. It felt inappropriate to answer behind his back, so I responded vaguely.
Toward the end, she declared with certainty:
“With his awful personality, I doubt any girl would like him.”
I glanced toward the floor–to–ceiling window, where Brain stood, casually taking a phone call. His calm gaze drifted outside, unaffected.
In truth, he had been very popular.
Beyond his looks, there were moments that caught people off guard–like the time at an arts festival when a piano performer had an emergency. Brain filled in on the spot, playing a song that captivated the audience and earned him countless admirers.
There were even brave girls who stopped him to confess their feelings.
With his hands stuffed in his pockets, he replied indifferently,
“Sure, get first place in the exams, and we can date.”
His words sparked a competitive frenzy. Many girls buried themselves in their studies, determined to succeed.
I had asked him at the time, “Are you holding a tournament to win your hand?”
He tilted his head, smiling faintly.
“In that case, you’d better guard the ring carefully.”
The truth was, his offhand remark worked; fewer people approached him after that.
But I ended up bearing the consequences. My academic rivals suddenly became extraordinarily motivated, flooding me with competition.
Thankfully, I managed to maintain the top spot from enrollment to the college entrance exams, a record that remained unbroken.
The girls who once declared their love for Brain eventually found other crushes or moved on to their dream schools. At a class reunion years later, some even brought their boyfriends, joking,
“We should thank Brain Warrick. If not for him, I wouldn’t have achieved so much.”
“Yeah, that dull and uninspired time really needed a strong motivation to push me forward.”
Looking back, those moments were just fleeting emotions, now softened by nostalgia.
Chapter 5
The conversation delayed my departure, and by the time I packed up my materials, I noticed it had started to rain.
Brain stood at the door, holding an umbrella. He said naturally,
“It’s dark, the road’s far, and it’s raining. It’s not safe.”
His reasoning was thorough, leaving no room for rejection.
This was a villa area, quite far from campus.
Brain’s driving was steady, and I leaned against the passenger seat, the soft rhythm of raindrops creating a soothing atmosphere. Questions swirled in my mind, but the sound of the rain lulled me into sleep.
When I woke up, we were already at the school gates. The neon lights blurred in the rain.
buckling my seatbelt, I thanked him.
“Thank you for the trouble.”
“No trouble, Ms. Lenna.” He smiled lightly and tapped his phone screen, showing me a QR code for payment.
“Waiting for your fare.”
Of course, he didn’t actually accept my transfer in the end.
Cars weren’t allowed inside the campus, so he walked me back to the dorms with his umbrella. The light rain reflected a shimmering glow on the ground.
At the end of the pathway, I saw Mack Washington and Pearl Forbs.
They seemed to be arguing.
Pearl’s face was pale as she spoke to him, but his gaze bypassed her entirely, locking straight onto me.
His eyes were fixed, brows furrowed, as if he’d been watching me for a long time.
I felt a twinge of confusion.
Was his displeasure directed at Pearl?
Or at Brain Warrick, who stood by my side, bearing a slight resemblance to him?
