Anne sat at her desk, staring at the glowing screen of her laptop, but nothing on it made sense. The words blurred. Her thoughts weren't in the classroom, or on her assignments. They were lost—caught somewhere between curiosity, guilt, and confusion.
She didn't understand why this one man kept popping up on her feed.
Liam.
Not William. Not the loser she used to know. Not the one she rejected and forgot.
This Liam... he was famous. He was everywhere.
Every time she opened Instagram, there he was.
"Modern Archery in Another World: Now a global hit webtoon!"
"Author Liam reveals stunning new artwork!"
"The man who rose from nothing—mystery billionaire shocks the world!"
It was crazy. He had a huge fanbase, a luxury coffee shop empire, and now apparently even a private jet.
Anne had never met anyone like him. Handsome, confident, powerful. He seemed too perfect to be real.
And yet... something about him tugged at her heart. A weird feeling she couldn't explain.
There was something familiar about him.
But she had no idea why.
Meanwhile, Ethan was also getting sick of seeing "Liam" everywhere.
He slammed his phone onto the desk in the dorm lounge.
"Every post, every comment—just 'Liam this' and 'Liam that,'" he muttered.
One of his friends looked up. "Dude, are you jealous or something?"
"Why would I be jealous of some pretty boy influencer?"
The friend shrugged. "He's not just an influencer. Bro's a millionaire. Owns a mansion in Grand Haven. Drives a Ferrari. He just dropped five chapters of his webtoon and the art looks better than most anime."
Ethan didn't reply.
But his fists were clenched.
He had seen the guy before. Not in real life—but in videos, photos, livestreams.
Something about him irritated Ethan more than he wanted to admit.
That same day, Liam parked his black Rolls-Royce Phantom outside Blackwood University.
He hadn't planned to return. Not here. Not ever.
But something inside him said it was time.
Time to face the past.
He stepped out, dressed in simple but expensive clothes. No need for a show. He just wanted to see it all one last time. His footsteps echoed on the pavement as he walked toward the main campus building.
Heads turned.
People whispered.
"Who's that guy?"
"He's hot... is he famous?"
"I swear I've seen him online."
Some took pictures. Others stared openly.
Liam didn't care.
He was here for himself.
He wandered toward the garden area near the student café. It hadn't changed.
He stood under the same tree where he once cried. Where he once watched Anne holding hands with Ethan.
Now, they were just memories.
"Excuse me?" a voice said behind him.
Liam turned.
It was Anne.
She looked the same—beautiful, stylish, confident—but there was something else in her eyes now. A kind of tiredness.
She didn't recognize him. Not even a little.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I thought you might be someone I knew."
Liam smiled, just a little. "No worries."
Anne paused. There was something about his voice. It gave her chills.
"You're not... a student here, are you?" she asked carefully.
"No," Liam said simply. "Just visiting."
"I see." Anne hesitated. "Sorry again."
She turned to leave.
"Anne," Liam said softly.
She froze.
Slowly, she turned back. "How do you know my name?"
Liam shrugged. "Just heard it around."
Anne narrowed her eyes. "Have we met before?"
"No," Liam said with a calm smile. "Not like this."
She stared at him. His face. His eyes. That smile. It was all new. But something—deep inside—something felt eerily familiar.
Her lips parted like she was about to ask more, but Liam nodded politely and walked past her.
Anne turned slowly, watching him disappear into the distance, heart racing.
Why do I feel like I know him...?
Later that day, she met up with Ethan at the campus café.
"I saw someone weird today," she said.
"Okay...?"
"He felt familiar. But I swear I've never seen him before."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Tall, handsome, rich vibe?"
Anne blinked. "Yeah... how'd you know?"
"Because that guy is everywhere online. That's 'Liam.' He's the one who owns the mega-coffee chain. Author. Artist. Billionaire."
"Liam," Anne repeated. "That's his real name?"
"No idea," Ethan muttered. "But he's all anyone talks about. I'm getting sick of it."
Anne stared down at her cup, thoughts racing.
Could it be...? No... William looked nothing like him. But... those eyes.
Back at his villa, Liam sat in front of a digital sketchpad, drawing the next chapter of his webtoon.
He had finished the final scene—his MC standing over a defeated dragon, flames glowing in the background.
But his mind wasn't fully focused.
He kept replaying the moment with Anne.
She really didn't know it was him.
She looked right at his face... and didn't recognize him.
[System Notice: Emotional Interference Detected]
"Not interfering," Liam whispered. "Just surprised."
[Optional Quest Available: "Reveal Yourself or Remain a Legend"]
Option A: Tell Anne the truth
Reward: 5x Emotional Resolve Talent, 1,000 Points
Option B: Keep your identity hidden
Reward: Public Perception Boost, +10 Mysterious Aura, +1,000 Followers
Liam chuckled.
"Not yet," he said. "Let her figure it out herself."
[Choice Confirmed: Option B]
[Reward Granted]
The next day, Liam visited one of his newest coffee shop branches near Blackwood.
This one was special—it had a mini library attached, live music at night, and a hidden second floor with VIP rooms.
As he stepped inside, his employees immediately stood straighter.
"Mr. Miller! Welcome back!"
Liam nodded. "I'm just here to check the vibe."
The customers didn't recognize him—at least not yet.
He ordered his usual from the counter and sat in a corner booth, laptop open. He needed to finish writing his next novel—his second series was about to begin.
But halfway through his outline, something strange happened.
Anne walked in.
She didn't notice him.
Not right away.
But as she stepped up to order, her eyes darted around. She stopped. Froze.
She had seen him.
She stared at him.
And something clicked.
Her heart skipped.
She walked slowly toward his table.
"Excuse me," she said softly. "It's you again."
Liam looked up. "Yeah. Hi."
"This is your shop?" she asked.
"One of them."
Anne sat across from him without asking.
"I... I don't know why I'm here," she said. "But I saw you again and I just... needed to ask something."
"Go ahead," Liam said calmly.
"Do I... do I know you?"
Silence.
Liam smiled faintly.
"Maybe. Maybe you did. A long time ago."
Anne's eyes filled with confusion. "I don't understand."
"I don't expect you to," Liam said.
He stood up and left his drink untouched.
Before walking away, he turned to her one last time.
"People don't always see what's right in front of them," he said. "Until it's too late."
Then he walked out the door.
Anne sat there, frozen.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
It was him.
She didn't know how.
She didn't know why.
But her heart screamed the truth.
It was William.
The boy she ignored.
The boy she used.
The boy she abandoned.
And now?
He was a legend.