Chapter 4

After class, a bunch of girls were chatting about whether they should go over to Class 3 next door to catch a glimpse of Jason.

But Claire was the only one who looked like she was being attacked by invisible bugs, squirming in her seat and scratching her back nonstop, her face twisted in agony.

I snickered. Then I grabbed my cup and headed out to get some water.

Out in the hallway, I happened to see Jason coming out of his classroom, with a bunch of girls flocking around him.

Even with all those people in the way, he still spotted me, flashed me a grin, and waved me over.

"Move it, fatty. You're blocking the whole hallway like a mountain. Do you really think Jason would ever look your way?" someone snapped.

Out of nowhere, someone shoved me hard from behind. It was one of Claire's friends from class, pushing me aside like I was nothing.

Then, they switched to sweet, fawning smiles, holding out snacks and drinks like they were offering treasures to Jason.

"Jason, this is just a little something from us. Please take it," they said.

But they never expected that Jason's gaze would suddenly turn sullen. He was usually quite chill.

"What did you just call Violet?" Jason demanded.

They froze, totally caught off guard. "What?"

"Those words just show how nasty you really are. If you've got any decency, you should apologize to Violet right now," Jason snapped.

Jason's face was stormy as he brushed past them, heading straight for me.

He stopped a few steps away, his tone much gentler now.

"Don't let what they said bother you. High school's all about your grades anyway," Jason said.

I couldn't remember the last time someone had stood up for me like that. I nodded, feeling a warm rush of gratitude.

Just then, Claire came out of the classroom, clawing at her neck. She was so itchy that she couldn't help but shrug off her school jacket.

As she passed Jason, she barely managed a strained smile before hurrying past him.

Jason's brows furrowed as he asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Maybe something's wrong with my clothes," Claire said quickly and then hurried off toward the restroom.

After the last class, I didn't want to run into people I'd rather avoid in the cafeteria, so I headed straight for the commercial district outside campus.

I went into a high-end restaurant and ordered myself a meal.

To my surprise, my skin looked noticeably better.

My eyes, which used to be squeezed into tiny slits by all that fat, could actually open wide for once.

Even the acne that had covered my face was finally starting to fade.

I couldn't help but smile. After drying my hands, I walked out of the restroom.

But as I stepped out, I happened to catch Jason's friends talking to him nearby.

A guy rocking a baseball cap and a trendy outfit joked, "You skipped your trip abroad to come back and see your dream girl. Now that you've seen her, are you let down or what?

"Told you, no girl's so drop-dead gorgeous that she'd steal your soul. You were totally looking at her through rose-colored glasses.

"I was honestly curious what kind of girl could have you so whipped, but man, talk about a letdown."

Jason kept his eyes down, his face hard to read as he absently stirred his spoon around in his bowl.

"Just drop it. I'm already upset enough." Jason sounded really down as he spoke.

"Do you even know what it feels like to watch someone you always thought was totally perfect and spotless get torn down and humiliated? It just breaks something inside you."

"Alright, alright, so when are you leaving?" his friend asked.

"After this competition. It won't be long," Jason replied.

I was rooted to the spot, totally stunned. I couldn't even put a name to what I was feeling.

The one I thought was different, the only one who ever seemed to care about me, turned out to be no different from those who judged by appearances.

It was fine. I didn't need anyone's pity. I'd shine on my own and be the light in my own life.

After that, Claire kept bugging me for stuff even more, all because she was desperate to snag the cheerleader spot.

Sometimes, when I wasn't around, she'd straight-up rummage through my things, trying to swipe whatever she could.

Good thing I was on high alert after seeing those comments. I started swapping out anything I left on my desk with my deskmate's stuff, just to be safe.

The LifeSwap System was working its magic. My skin was getting smoother by the day, and my features were slowly returning to how they used to be.

Even the stubborn fat that I could never get rid of was finally starting to melt away.

Meanwhile, Claire would start nodding off as soon as class started, and she'd suddenly burst out laughing in her sleep.