7

The classroom had nearly emptied, leaving only Chloe Johnson slowly packing her books. She always waited until everyone left—lately, she'd been swarmed by admirers, even the student council president Alex had joined the chase. Ugh.

"Chloe, you've hit the jackpot! Two of the hottest guys this century are after you. Rumor says you're already dating Alex. So what happens to Ryan Carter?" Lin Chu's eyes sparkled with gossip.

After meeting Ryan that morning, she'd instantly recognized the quiet longing in his eyes whenever he looked at Chloe. Too bad this clueless girl couldn't see it.

"Ryan's just a friend. And I'm not dating Alex," Chloe muttered, slinging her backpack over her shoulder to escape.

"If you don't want him, hand him over," Lin teased.

A mature, devastatingly handsome guy like that? Chloe clearly didn't appreciate her luck. Lin would absolutely treat him right.

"Chloe." Alex Taylor's voice cut through their conversation—and conveniently saved Chloe from Lin's pestering.

"Alex Taylor." Chloe's shoulders slumped. Great.

"Let's share a ride." Alex grabbed her backpack with one hand and her wrist with the other, steering her toward the door.

"Lin—!" Chloe shot a betrayed look over her shoulder as Alex whisked her away.

The next morning, as soon as Chloe Johnson stepped outside, she saw Alex Taylor already waiting for her.

"Morning," Chloe greeted him politely, seeing no way to avoid him.

"Morning. Sleep well last night?" Alex took her backpack and grabbed her hand, leading her toward the bus stop.

"Great," Chloe replied. Truthfully, she'd slept terribly, racking her brain trying to figure out how she'd suddenly become Alex Taylor's girlfriend.

"Yesterday we'd just walked home together, and then he'd unilaterally declared himself her boyfriend—it made no sense at all!

Chloe suddenly felt someone watching her, but when she turned around, she saw nothing. She mentally scolded herself for being paranoid.

"Bus is here," Alex reminded her.

As Chloe boarded and took her seat, she glanced out the window and thought she spotted Ryan's car across the street. But before she could be sure, the bus pulled away.

For some reason, an unexpected wave of disappointment washed over her.

Inside his car, Ryan Carter finally looked away. He'd come again despite himself—it had become a habit. But now someone else walked her to school. Maybe it was time to break this routine.

Perhaps what she really wanted was a boy who'd carry her backpack, ride the bus with her, and eat lunch together—someone her own age who thought like she did.

So what exactly was his place in her heart?

Spring passed, and the sweltering heat of July arrived. During these days, Alex Taylor always walked Chloe Johnson to school, ate lunch with her, and accompanied her home—so naturally, everyone assumed they were a couple.

Life went on quietly. Chloe occasionally found herself thinking about Ryan Carter. But with the college entrance exams approaching, she couldn't afford to dwell on him too much. She had to focus on studying—Alex had made it clear she had to get into T University with him.

She didn't understand why everything had to be decided by Alex Taylor, as if she had no say in the matter.

Lately, she'd flipped through some books about romance. They all said first love was supposed to be the sweetest, so why didn't she feel any sweetness with Alex?

Were they even really dating?

Today, Alex was busy, so she walked home alone. Backpack slung over her shoulder, she stepped out of the school gates. She'd planned to take the bus, but for some reason, her thoughts drifted to Ryan Carter. She wished he could give her a little encouragement before the exams.

Come to think of it, they hadn't seen each other in at least three months.

Chloe Johnson, ever the woman of action, decided to go find him!

When she arrived at ​The Apexion Tower, she approached the front desk and stated her purpose.

"Little miss—" Just as she was about to tell the receptionist she wanted to see the CEO, ​Jake Thompson appeared and called out to ​Chloe Johnson.

"You didn't go to Africa?" Chloe teased when she saw him.

"Nope. Sorry to disappoint you. Here to see Ryan?" Jake asked with a smile.

"Yeah." Right now, she really wanted to see him—immediately. But she didn't understand why the urge was so strong, nor did she want to dwell on the reason.

"He's in a meeting. Wanna hang out in my office for a bit?" Jake offered. He was curious about what had happened between her and the boss.

Ryan had been gloomy lately, throwing himself entirely into work without caring whether his body could handle it. It worried Jake.

After some thought, he was sure ​Chloe Johnson was the reason for the change.

Going to his office sounded better than waiting around bored anyway.

Without objection, Chloe followed Jake upstairs.

After the meeting concluded, the secretary escorted the guests out. Ryan Carter didn't lean back in his chair, instead raising a hand to massage his temples.

He'd thrown himself completely into work to avoid having time for distracting thoughts.

Taking a brief moment to collect himself, he stood up, intending to find Jake Thompson to discuss planning for this case.

But as he stepped out of the conference room, he saw Chloe Johnson speaking with Jake and the secretary.

He shook his head, thinking his longing had conjured up hallucinations. She shouldn't be here at this time - yet there she stood, undeniably real.

Chloe Johnson suddenly sensed someone watching her. She turned sharply to find Ryan Carter leaning against the doorframe, quietly observing the scene.

He looked thinner, his eyes deeper - like wells threatening to pull her in.

His expression carried a melancholy she'd never seen before. What was wrong? While never exactly sunny, he'd always worn at least a faint smile. Was he heartbroken? The thought twisted something in Chloe's chest.

Before she could examine this unexpected pang, Ryan had already crossed over, taken her hand, and led her into his office.

"You've lost weight," Chloe Johnson said once they were in the office.

At this moment, Ryan Carter had no interest in discussing his weight. All he wanted was to pull her into his arms and soothe the longing in his heart. But he couldn't—he didn't want to burden her.

He released her hand and sat down, steadying his racing emotions.

"Are you troubled by love?" Chloe crouched beside his chair, hands resting on the armrests as she looked up at him with upturned face.

"Your exams are tomorrow," Ryan stated—not a question, but a declaration. He knew every detail of her life.

"Yes. Exams are tomorrow." Just mentioning them sent a wave of panic through Chloe. She didn't feel confident about the tests at all.

"Ready for them?" Ryan asked.

"Not sure."

"Believe in yourself." With tender affection, Ryan raised his hand and ruffled her hair in encouragement.

"Ryan, what's love supposed to feel like?" Chloe Johnson asked—this was what she desperately wanted to know. She'd considered asking Ethan Johnson, but feared he'd laugh at her. Besides, she trusted Ryan Carter to answer her honestly.

"What kind of love are you hoping for?" Ryan countered instead of answering directly.

"I don't know. But I'm supposedly in a relationship now."

"Alex declared himself my boyfriend, and suddenly he was. He said we should commute together, so we did. He decided I'd attend T University, so I aimed for it—never mind if I could even get in. He wants juice, so I don't dare drink soda. It's all become... routine."

Chloe sighed softly. "And honestly? I'm kind of afraid of him. Around Alex, I can't voice my opinions, can't have my own hobbies, can't even think for myself."

"I don't know if other relationships are like this. Books say love requires compromise, but this feels like losing myself completely."

"Why aren't you in class?" Ryan asked after a quiet sigh, deliberately changing the subject.

"School's out." Truthfully, she hadn't needed his answer—just saying these things aloud lifted a weight off her chest.

"Aren't your legs tired crouching like that?" Ryan studied Chloe curled kitten-like beside his chair. Though her posture warmed his heart, he still worried she might be uncomfortable.

"I don't want to go home. I just want to stay like this and talk to you." All she wanted was to look at him, to hear his voice—about anything, as long as it kept her mind off tomorrow's exams.

"Let's go." Ryan stood and offered her his hand.

Without asking where, Chloe placed her palm in his, letting him pull her up before following him out.

Pausing at his secretary's desk, Ryan gave brief instructions, then led Chloe away.

"The boss is playing hooky," she teased as she slid into his car.

Ryan leaned over to buckle her seatbelt—again. She always forgot, so he always did it for her, which meant she'd never remember. But as he reached across, Chloe shifted slightly, and their lips brushed in the lightest graze.

A flush spread across Chloe's cheeks. She jerked back against the seat, putting distance between them, her heart hammering from that accidental touch.

They'd shared deeper kisses before, ones that never stirred anything unusual in her. So why did this fleeting contact leave her breathless? A quiet realization flickered in her chest—something dormant was waking.

Seeing her recoil, Ryan felt a sharp pang.

Had she learned to avoid him now? If a mere glance of lips made her pull away, what did their past intimacy even mean?

Maybe back then, it was just her playful nature. But now…? His eyes stayed fixed on the road, his grip steady on the wheel—even as his thoughts churned.

Chloe Johnson stole a glance at the solemn-faced Ryan Carter, wondering why she could once stare at him openly—even shamelessly complimenting him—but now felt so awkward.

She hated this change in herself, truly hated it! Yet her tangled emotions refused to unravel.

The car remained eerily quiet as both sank into their thoughts.

When they reached their destination, Ryan parked in the lot while Chloe kept gazing out the window.

"Chloe." His voice was soft when he called her name.

She turned abruptly—only to meet his eyes and immediately look away again.

Ryan averted his own gaze, unbuckled his seatbelt, and stepped out.

Following behind, Chloe couldn't understand why she was acting so timid, so unlike herself.

She gave a frustrated shake of her head, as if to physically cast off her confusion. By the time she refocused, Ryan was already far ahead.

"Wait for me!" she called, running to catch up. He already seemed troubled; she couldn't burden him further.

Ryan stopped and turned—just as Chloe reached him, her clothes and hair whipping in the wind, making his heart soar along with them.

Chloe Johnson ran too fast to stop herself and crashed straight into Ryan Carter's chest.

Her forehead smacked against his chin with enough force to make her eyes water.

"Chloe, are you trying to take us both out?" Ryan chuckled, raising his hand to gently rub the red spot on her forehead.

"No!" she blurted instinctively. The last thing she wanted was to "take out" Ryan.

"Come on." He slung an arm around her shoulders as they continued walking.

When the ocean came into view, Chloe gasped with delight and immediately wriggled free from Ryan's hold, dashing toward the sand with every intention of plunging into the cool water.

"Chloe, shoes first!" Ryan called after her, anticipating her impulsive move.

Sticking out her tongue playfully, she kicked off her shoes and sprinted to the water's edge, chasing the waves.

So refreshing! The salty sea breeze felt incredible against her skin. No wonder Jacky Cheung always sang about "wanting to feel the wind with you"—she could definitely get used to coming here with Ryan regularly.

"Ryan, I've decided! No matter what happens, you'll always be my best friend!" Chloe shouted over her shoulder from waist-deep in the surf.

That was one unchangeable fact—he would always be her closest friend!

Then Chloe Johnson spotted a seashell beneath her feet and happily bent down to pick it up.

"Ryan! I found a purple seashell - it's so pretty! Want me to give it to you?" She came running back up the shore, holding out the shell to Ryan Carter.

"Thanks." Ryan accepted the shell from Chloe, seeming to want to say more but ultimately only managing those two words.

"No problem!" Chloe splashed back into the water, scooping up handfuls to toss into the air. The setting sun glinted off the droplets, making them sparkle like gold before they landed cool against her hair and face.

In this moment, she forgot all about Alex Taylor, forgot tomorrow's entrance exams - aware only of Ryan watching her from the shore.

Completely carefree, she lost herself in playing along the beach.

As the sun dipped lower, Ryan called back his thoroughly entertained companion.

When he handed her a neatly folded white handkerchief that smelled faintly of fresh linen, she hesitated, glancing up at him questioningly.

Seeing his indifferent shrug, Chloe unceremoniously braced against him while wiping her feet clean before putting her shoes back on. She then pocketed the handkerchief. "I'm keeping this."

"Whatever," Ryan replied, already turning toward the parking lot.

"Where are we going?" Chloe asked once they were back in the car, watching Ryan start the engine.

"Dinner," came his characteristically brief answer.