After I got back, I was still shaken. I felt like Nathan must have taken notice of me because of that name.
Over the next few days, I continued avoiding him and Rachel, sticking to my pollen allergy persona with the mask practically welded to my face.
The exchange students‘ daily routine was different from ours, too. Nathan had already started his new life, and before long, he’d forget all about me, someone who just happened to share the same name as his sister.
That’s what I originally thought, but things didn’t go according to my plan.
Nathan was like some kind of persistent ghost, though technically speaking, I was the ghost here. When I went to the cafeteria to eat, he’d sit at the table across from me. When I went to buy coffee, he’d casually order two cups right next to me–no need to guess, the other one was definitely for Rachel.
Finally, on a day when I didn’t see him, I asked Marcus to meet me at the coffee shop across from school, planning to have a good meal. The food had just arrived when Nathan pushed through the door.
Marcus was wolfing down food across from me when he glanced up and saw me sitting rigidly in my seat.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“… You go ahead.”
grinned mischievously. “Well, don’t mind if I do.” Then he swept over the panini and brownie from in front of me.
I figure stopped beside our table, placing a fresh brownie and several warm, freshly baked muffins in front of
“Eat up.”
I looked up at Nathan, feeling an urge to cry welling up inside me. Finally, gritting my teeth, I grabbed Marcus’s arm beside me.
“Thanks, but if I want to eat something, my boyfriend will buy it for me.”
The air froze for a moment. Marcus looked up from his food. Though he was a bit confused, a best friend is a best friend after all. In an instant, he understood what I was thinking and possessively wrapped his arm around my shoul- ders. Using the most stereotypically masculine voice of his life, he said to Nathan, “Dude, my baby’s on a diet right now, so it’s not convenient.”
Nathan and I were speechless.
Nathan didn’t say anything more and turned to leave the shop.
It wasn’t until his figure completely disappeared at the street corner that I stared blankly at the brownie and muffins
0.0 %
08:53
एक
Chapter 8
on the table. Marcus also sensed something was wrong, his expression growing serious.
“Is he harassing you?”
I shook my head, not knowing where to begin explaining this situation.
“Don’t ask anymore.
“Just pretend to be my boyfriend for a while.”
288 iVouchers
Marcus was very vigilant about this, walking to and from school with me every day. Because of this incident, his im- pression of Nathan wasn’t very good.
But after that day, Nathan seemed to suddenly disappear from my life.
I figured he probably understood. I wasn’t his sister. His sister wouldn’t bear to make him sad.
That evening, Marcus came running over with a sneaky expression.
“I’ve got some explosive gossip!
“Do you remember that other exchange student who came with Nathan?”
I nodded. “You mean Rachel.”
“Right, her. The confession wall is full of people calling her out right now, saying she’s cheating and two–timing!
“She’s only been here a few days and has already hooked up with several guys. I think Nathan deserves it too, trying to harass you while his own girlfriend…”
I shot up from my chair with a “whoosh,” startling Marcus.
“What did you say?”
“I, I said Rachel cheated on Nathan.”
I couldn’t hear anything after that. When I came to my senses, I was already running out.
She had class this afternoon. The sky was dark and overcast, like a storm was about to hit. When I reached their class- room, everyone had left except Rachel alone.
The moment she saw me, her body froze.
I pulled off my mask, revealing a face that partly resembled my original appearance. Rachel’s pupils constricted, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
“What are you afraid of?” I approached step by step, and Rachel retreated step by step, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
Until I cornered her against the wall, grabbing her collar.
“Wasn’t he good to you?
49.0 %
08:54
Chapter 8
“Didn’t you get what you wanted?”
Rachel’s eyes were full of terror as she shook her head desperately.
“Now you’re scared? Aren’t you afraid I won’t let you go even as a ghost?
“Why treat him like this? Say something!”
Suddenly, I noticed from Rachel’s tear–filled eyes that she didn’t seem to be looking at me.
Then, trembling, she raised her hand and pointed behind me.
A thunderclap crashed from the sky.
I whipped around, and in that brief moment of lightning, brief but enough to see clearly-
Nathan’s face.
