Chapter 2

During gym class, when we were pairing up for the buddy fitness run, Julian's eyes locked onto me.

"Julian, do you want to partner up with Chloe?" the teacher asked.

He nodded without a single second of hesitation.

The buddy run meant one partner had to carry the other's heavy gear—or even carry them physically if they couldn't keep up. Partnering with Julian meant I would have to drag him across the finish line.

It had always been like this in my past life.

But back then, I was the one who volunteered. This time, I hadn't said a word.

My heart skipped a beat as I met his expectant, entitled gaze.

He really was reborn.

I spoke up immediately. "Coach, I already have a partner."

Julian's face froze. He hadn't expected me to reject him. He shot a hostile look at Logan, who was standing next to me.

Logan just smiled back at me reassuringly.

In my past life, Logan was the only person in class who had never joined in on the bullying.

Hearing my response, the coach sighed and tried to find Julian another partner.

But Julian shut down completely. He stood in the middle of the field with his head bowed, refusing to move.

He looked like an abandoned puppy.

I used to be fooled by this exact look.

Now, it only annoyed me.

But the coach didn't know his true nature. He forced the two of us into a group anyway.

Julian climbed onto my back with practiced ease. On my shoulder, his raspy voice whispered the first words he had spoken to me since our rebirth:

"Why didn't you choose me?"

I countered, "Then why didn't you choose Vivian?"

Didn't he leave her a hundred love letters and his entire estate? Why didn't he choose her now?

He gripped my collar tightly. "She... she'll hold me back..."

My chest tightened, a wave of bitter resentment washing over me.

He really was consistent, wasn't he?

"Chloe," he called my name. "Let's just keep things the way they were."

I couldn't take it anymore. I dumped him right off my back onto the grass. "Keep things the way they were? Servicing you for over twenty years, making my entire life revolve around you?"

He frowned, looking genuinely confused. "Is that not okay?"

My heart felt like it was being sliced by a dull blade, over and over.

"No, Julian," I said, coldness dripping from every word. "In my past life, I didn't know you loved Vivian. But now I do. So, stay the hell away from me."

"Once high school is over, I'm applying to a college on the other side of the country."

"We will never see each other again."

I choked back my tears and ran off.

But the moment I stopped running at the end of the track, Julian suddenly stumbled over and threw up all over my head and shoulders.

The entire class burst into roaring laughter.

Without a shred of mercy, I pushed him straight to the ground.

Julian stared up at me, dazed by the fall.

He looked at my covered, filthy clothes, his eyes still filled with that innocent, uncomprehending look.

I thought he just didn't get it.

But when Vivian rushed over to help him up, Julian pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket. With obsessive care, he wiped Vivian's hands clean.

"I'm dirty..." he mumbled.

Vivian chuckled. "How could you be dirty, Julian?"

She then turned to me, standing on her moral high ground with an annoyed expression. "He only threw up because you ran too fast and jostled him! How could you just dump him on the ground like that? Don't you know he could have been seriously hurt?"

Covered in vomit, I only wanted to change my clothes.

But Vivian wouldn't let it go. "No way. You have to apologize to Julian right now."

I looked at Julian. "Julian, if I apologize, will you leave me alone?"

He avoided my eyes, turning his head away, and practically ran off.

I let out a cold laugh. "See that, Vivian? He doesn't want my apology."