Chapter 148 New standings

Words : 897 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Sophie wiped furiously at her face, but it was pointless. The tears kept coming, her nose running as her breaths came in rapid, shallow gasps. "That night—that night, Noah! I wasn't some—some girl with a plan. I wasn't thinking, 'Oh, let me go find a boy and twist his fate so he falls in love with me!'" Her voice cracked as she clawed at her own arms, like she was trying to hold herself together. "I left my apartment off campus that day because I was having the shittiest day imaginable! I didn't want to talk to anyone, I didn't want to see anyone—I just wanted to feel something other than how goddamn numb I was!" Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her fingers gripping the fabric of her own shirt. "I went to that Rave because I thought, maybe—maybe if I drank enough, danced enough, maybe if I did something stupid like pop a pill or take a hit—maybe I'd actually feel something other than empty." She sniffled hard, her nose red, her lips trembling. "And then Lucas called me over." Her breath shuddered as she laughed bitterly. "And I went. And I met you." Her entire body trembled as she stared at him, her lips twisting into something that wasn't quite a smile, wasn't quite a grimace. "And you—you looked at me. Not like the others. Not like the guys who just saw a hot girl, who just wanted to sleep with me or show me off. You looked at me like I was a goddamn puzzle. Like you actually wanted to figure me out." Her voice dropped to a whisper, so soft it almost broke him. "Do you have any idea how much that meant to me?" Noah's throat was dry, but he had no words. Sophie's hands balled into fists at her sides. "So what if it was my luck?! So what?!" She practically screamed the words. "Are you telling me you weren't happy? That I didn't make you happy? That we didn't make each other happy?!" Her face contorted with grief, her body heaving with sobs. "Don't I deserve this?! Just once?! Just one fucking time?!" She wiped at her face, but it was useless. Her nose was running, her breathing ragged, her entire body wracked with uncontrollable tremors. Noah just stood there. Frozen. Staring at the girl who was falling apart right in front of him. He took a slow, deliberate breath, trying to steady himself. The weight of everything Sophie had just thrown at him sat heavy in his chest, but his mind was already shifting gears, trying to understand. He wiped a hand down his face. "Alright... okay," he muttered, eyes flicking up to hers. "Then explain something to me. Your dad. He didn't like me before. Didn't even pretend to tolerate me. But then, suddenly, he wanted me over for dinner? Did you—was that you?" Sophie shook her head immediately, still sniffing. "No! My luck doesn't work like that." "Then how does it work?" She sighed, rubbing at her arms as if trying to shake off the weight of her own words. "Sometimes... it rubs off on the people around me." Noah stilled. Something about that phrasing—it itched at the back of his brain. 'Rubs off?' He replayed her words, letting them roll through his mind like a fresh equation he needed to solve. 'That means It's an external influence... a field effect, maybe?' He swallowed. They'd given him a flipping coin. What if...? Noah froze. His brain hit a wall, his own thoughts betraying him for a second. 'No. No, I can't— I won't blame my entire life on her.' Whatever luck Sophie had, it hadn't been what made his parents garbage human beings. His childhood trauma? That was his burden to deal with. His parents? They were shitty people all on their own. But it didn't change the fact that... Sophie was a problem. Not just in the bad way. But in the good way too. And right now, both of them were exhausted. Their emotions were running wild, their heads were spinning, and neither of them were in the right state of mind to keep spiraling. Noah took a deep breath, then moved. He walked toward Sophie, his steps steady, his mind clearing—not fully, but enough. He grabbed his bag, but before he could turn, she reached out and held onto him. Her hands were cold. Shaky. When she spoke, her voice was raw, fragile. "...Are we gonna be good?" Noah paused. He looked at her, at the streaks of tears still on her face, at the way her lips trembled—at the absolute mess of emotions between them. And then, he sighed. "I don't know," he admitted, voice quiet but steady. "But right now? I need to eat. I need to rest. I need to get my head straight." He searched her face, making sure she was listening. "And I hope you'll come cheer for me this evening," he added, forcing a small smile. "When I fight to qualify for the interschool competition." Sophie sniffled, her grip on him tightening. Her lips parted, but no words came out for a second. Then, with a weak nod, she whispered— "...Okay."

Chapter 148 New standings

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