Chapter 1

On the day of the graduation photo, the photographer told the couples to stand closer together.

But Flora pressed down on my shoulder and pushed me to the edge of the line, putting Alex next to her instead.

"Alex and I are the top humanities and top science students, so it makes sense for us to stand together."

This wasn't the first time she'd pushed me away.

When I brought her the problems I'd gotten wrong, she said my foundation was weak and I was wasting her time.

Alex was weak in math, but she'd stay up until dawn to break down every problem for him into the simplest steps.

When I wanted to go study at the library with her, she frowned and said it would throw off her studying.

Yet she'd skip class to walk with Alex along the seaside just because he'd dropped a rank.

The photographer teased with a smile, "You two aren't a couple, are you? You look good together, and your grades match up too."

Flora looked at Alex, smiling gently and proudly. "We've always been the most compatible partners."

Alex smiled and tightened his arm around her waist, and the classmates around them cheered them on.

I stood outside the crowd, still clutching the number tag for the photo I'd wanted to take with her.

The spot beside her had never been saved for me.

And now, I didn't want it anymore.

1.

I looked down at the number tag in my hand and suddenly it seemed ridiculous.

Just to have a graduation photo with her, I'd not only paid to bring in a professional photographer, I'd even bought matching couples' outfits for us.

But today Flora wasn't wearing the matching outfit I'd bought. She was wearing the exact same competition team uniform as Alex.

In the end, I didn't even have the right to stand beside her.

I turned, walked over to the trash can, and dropped the number tag inside.

In the homeroom teacher's office, he handed me my report card and clapped me on the shoulder with a smile.

"You did well. Go home and prepare well for your college applications."

He thought for a moment, then said,

"I hear you're planning to apply to universities in the capital with Flora? The admissions cutoffs in the capital are too high. With your grades, going to the capital... isn't really worth it. My advice is to put your own future first."

I gripped my report card, thanked the teacher,

and the moment I stepped out of the office, I ran straight into Flora and Alex.

When they saw me, both of them froze for a second.

Then Alex hurried over to me, his smile warm and easy. "So this is where you went."

He smiled and held out a drink toward me.

"We bought drinks—Flora got one for you too."

I looked down.

They were each holding the same jasmine milk green tea, the cups stamped with couples' combo meal stickers.

And what he was handing me was the mango tea that came free with the combo.

I'm allergic to mango. Flora knew that.

I forced a smile, took the mango tea, turned, and dropped it in the trash can beside me.

Alex's face stiffened, and he looked at Flora, at a loss.

Flora's brows drew together at once. "Ronnie, what are you upset about now?"

Her tone dropped a few degrees.

"Just because I pushed you aside a moment ago and let Alex stand next to me? I'm the one who did it—why are you taking it out on Alex?"

"I already explained it to you! I'm the top humanities student and Alex is the top science student. Us taking a photo together is perfect for the school to use in their promotions."

"Besides, didn't I say I'd take one alone with you later?"

I looked at her, and suddenly I didn't even have the strength to press her.

She'd said she would take a photo with me.

But once the group photo was done, she never thought of me again.

In our classmates' social media posts, there were more than a dozen photos of just her and Alex.

Everyone egged them on for a solid ten-odd minutes while she leaned in close against Alex's chest, smiling sweetly.

After that she went with Alex to the back alley to buy drinks, and now here she was, coming to the office for her report card.

For a whole hour she hadn't sent me a single message. She'd forgotten I even existed long ago.

It was as if everything had changed the moment Alex transferred in.

Flora was the top humanities student, he was the top science student, and their names were always mentioned side by side.

No matter how hard I fought, I could barely trail behind them—it took me forever just to work out a problem they mentioned in passing.

Flora brought up Alex more and more.

Time and again, under the excuse of helping him fit in with the group, she pulled him into the moments that were supposed to be just the two of us.

And now, I'd finally become the one who didn't matter.

Seeing that I said nothing, Flora seemed to lose her patience at last.

"We'll take it now, all right?"

Before I could answer, she'd already snatched my phone and handed it off to Alex.

Alex hesitated, but took it anyway.

Flora came to stand beside me, but her shoulder didn't move an inch closer.

Before I could even lift my head, she'd already reached out, taken the phone back, and pushed it into my palm.

"There, no more fussing now."

"I'm going with Alex to get his report card. Wait here. We'll go home together after."

With that, she turned and pulled Alex into the office.

I stood where I was, looked down, and opened the photo album.

In the picture, the shot was blurred, catching only the gray-white floor of the hallway and half a corner of her clothes as she turned away from me.

I stared at that photo for a long time, and finally let out a soft laugh.

I hit delete, then blocked Flora.

Gripping my report card, I turned and left the school.

A few classmates I usually hung out with called for me in the group chat, saying that now we'd graduated we should get a farewell dinner together.

Right in the middle of the meal, the guy next to me suddenly let out a snort.

"Holy crap, did Alex just make it official?"