Chapter 3

Claire snickered teasingly, "Ryan, this can't be some kind of aphrodisiac, can it? Emily cares so much about your private life."

"You really ought to thank her. After all, you did say you two are just friends. It's quite something for her to be this thoughtful about you," she added.

As she spoke, her gaze slid provocatively over Ryan's crotch, her tone as intimate as his girlfriend's.

The live stream comments flooded with messages cheering Claire on, dotted with countless exclamation marks. It was as if everyone thought she'd pulled off something amazing.

I frowned, not the least bit understanding what they were all getting worked up about.

Now that I'd taken care of what I'd come for, it was time to head back to the lab and get back to work.

I was just about to leave when Ryan stood up and called out to me. "Wait, let me walk you back."

Maybe it was guilt over the way he'd misunderstood me earlier, and he wanted to make amends.

I noticed Claire's lips twist into a clear pout, obviously displeased.

The comments started scrolling again. Netizen A: [Ugh, I'm so jealous. Emily totally came here just to piss off our Claire. What a bitch.]

Netizen B: [Can Emily just get lost already? I can't stand seeing her in the plot for one more second. Total male-obsessed pick-me.]

Netizen C: [Don't worry, the key plot twist is coming soon.]

Netizen C: [Ryan's gonna give up the international competition and get recommended for grad school at our university. Then Emily will go off to another school, get bullied to death by her advisor, and Ryan and Claire can live happily ever after.]

I froze, my eyes fixed on the scrolling bullet comments.

Claire stood up and blocked Ryan's way. "Ryan, you promised me you would stay here tonight. You lost the bet. Don't you go back on your word."

Her words were thick with suggestive innuendo, setting off another round of rowdy hoots and cheers from the crowd in the booth.

Ryan froze mid-step, his cheeks turning bright red. He shot me a look of helpless embarrassment.

I sighed deeply and said, "No need to walk me. I'll head back on my own."

Before I left, I turned to Ryan and asked him point-blank, "Does our promise to go to Silversmith University for graduate school still stand?"

I was practically guaranteed a spot in Silversmith University's postgraduate program via recommendation, but Ryan still needed the certificate from the upcoming international competition to secure his place.

With his talent and skill, winning a major award in the competition should have been a piece of cake.

It was only because Helen's health had taken a turn for the worse during his sophomore and junior years that he'd missed out on the chance to compete those times.

Truth be told, my college entrance exam scores had been good enough to get me into Silversmith University straight out of high school.

I'd chosen to stay at this university just to be with Ryan. When he found out about that, he'd promised me that we'd go to Silversmith University together for our master's degrees.

I couldn't bring myself to believe that Ryan would break that promise. And I refused to accept that I'd end up with such a miserable outcome in the end.

Ryan nodded solemnly. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I let out a sigh of relief.

The comments on the live stream had always been a mess of nonsense. None of those ridiculous predictions would ever come true.

In the days that followed, I buried myself in the lab, waiting calmly for the official announcement of the postgraduate recommendation spots.

On the day of the competition's submission deadline, I'd texted Ryan on WhatsApp to ask if he'd finished his piece. It took him a long time to reply, but he'd sent me an "OK" emoji. That was enough to put my mind at ease completely.

But I'd barely flipped through two pages of research papers when my eyes were drawn to the scrolling comments again.

Netizen A: [Look at how Ryan's expression changed the second he got Claire's call for help.]

Netizen B: [Our Claire is so smart. Faking a harassment claim to test Ryan, genius move.]

Netizen C: [You can tell how flustered Ryan is. The second they meet, it'll be time for them to confess their feelings for each other.]

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My hand shook as I dialed Ryan's number. The phone rang a few times, then went dead. He'd hung up on me.

My heart sank like a stone. I dialed again and again, but every call was met with the same cold beep of rejection.

The live stream comments were drowning in mockery, laughing at my foolishness.

Netizen C: [Is that pick-me girl still delusional enough to think she can call Ryan and rush him to submit his artwork?]

Netizen D: [This is hilarious. Can't she even tell how little she means to Ryan? There's no way she can come between Ryan and Claire.]

Netizen E: [Who does you think you are, trying to compete with our Claire for Ryan? Just go to Silversmith University like a good girl, and save yourself the heartbreak.]

I stared at the words on my computer screen, my mind a chaotic jumble. I couldn't make sense of a single word on the research papers in front of me.

It wasn't until very late at night that Ryan finally replied to my messages. Ryan: [I think staying here for my master's degree is a better fit for me.]