Chapter 2

I smiled as my eyes turned red. "Yeah, it's been a while.

"You've lost weight."

I felt that Nigel and I never quite had the right timing.

The System didn't care if a Player accompanied a Target for a while. After all, a lifetime was a blink to the System.

But Nigel wasn't my Target.

He wasn't even a villain.

He was a mere footnote in the main storyline.

Saving him was pure accident and a moment of weakness. I only did it on a whim.

The Male Lead and the villain had bad blood going way back, and their reckless school days were full of run-ins.

Whenever the heavyweights clashed, the commoners would always take the hit.

Nigel was especially unlucky. He always ended up as collateral damage.

I lent him a hand whenever I could. He always remembered it.

He was always awkwardly sincere, clumsily trying to repay me. He was treating me very nicely.

At first, I wanted to laugh. I never really took it seriously.

But honestly, no one could say no to such genuine warmth.

My desk was always spotless. My thermos never ran out of warm water. He kept handing me notes that were easy to understand.

But what truly moved me was something so small that it was almost insignificant.

Back then, we were reckless with youth, always letting our emotions take the lead.

After the Male Lead left me stranded on the street yet again, I wandered with no destination in mind.

Maybe it was because it was New Year's Day, or maybe I was exhausted from all the tasks.

When I looked up and met Nigel's gentle, peaceful eyes and that faint, quiet smile, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He kept me company, always at the right distance.

When the New Year bells rang, I suddenly found a warm coat around my shoulders. It was fresh, soap-scented, and perfectly clean.

I was still working on the Male Lead, but my gaze kept wandering to Nigel.

Nigel was smart and capable, but he could never outshine the Male Lead.

That New Year's Eve during our final year of high school, as the clock struck midnight, I looked at him.

"Nigel, why don't you head south?" I said.

With his grades, he could've easily gotten into any top school up north, but he agreed without a second thought.

"Seriously? You said yes that easily?" I said.

For once, Nigel was smiling blatantly.

"Celia, this is the first time you've ever asked me for anything. How could I possibly turn you down?" he said.

So, I stayed up north with the Male Lead, while Nigel packed up and moved south, leaving his hometown behind.

Though we didn't get in touch all the time, we always seemed to be up to date on each other's lives.

There was a calico cat hanging out under his dorm, always charming the delivery guys and swiping their takeout with its adorable tricks.

In his sophomore year, he launched his own startup and registered the company as "Celia Cloud."

His city had many great restaurants hidden in the most unexpected, out-of-the-way spots.

The year I graduated from college, I arrived in that city.

Nigel seemed the same. He was still thoughtful in all the little ways, always carrying that clean scent of soap, and his gentle smile was as soft as ever.

But at the same time, he seemed to have changed a lot. He would actually throw punches at the Male Lead and the villain. There was also a hint of possessiveness and insecurity lingering in him.

The day I confessed my love to him, Nigel, who had become a business hotshot, was frozen in place, eyes rimmed with red.

He hugged me tight, his voice trembling between laughter and tears. "I'm fine with it. Even if you're using me, even if I'm your second choice, I'll take it. Don't leave me, okay?"

I scowled and leaned back, putting some distance between us. "Nigel, I only date people I actually like. Do you get that?"

He threw himself into my arms, nodding like crazy, crying even harder.

Nigel was a terrible cook. He could only manage the same few dishes.

However, he was also an amazing cook since he could make anything I liked.

The day we got married, the System notified me that the mission was complete.

At that moment, a surreal sense of absurdity washed over me.

All those years, I'd kept my progress with the Male Lead perfectly balanced. It was enough to avoid punishment, but never enough to finish the mission and leave.

But I forgot that for men, the ones they couldn't have were always the most desirable.

I tricked the System and finally confessed everything to Nigel.

He stared at me, stunned. "I always thought I was the third wheel, but you actually never liked them at all."

Seeing my speechless face, he laughed and pulled me into his arms.

He said, "Then we should cherish every second we have together, right? No point wasting time on these trivial things.

"Celia, I love you. I really, really do. Thinking about you makes my heart feel full.

"If that day ever comes, please don't fight it for my sake. All I want is for you to be okay."

A few years slipped by.

It had been so long that I stopped worrying all the time, and started living every moment seriously and happily.

I finally got bold enough to poke holes in the condoms on purpose and have a baby.