Chapter 2 "Lila, who do you think is the most handsome boy in our class?"

The question hung in the air.

Lila froze.

Her mind immediately went to Adrian.

Unfortunately, her mouth reacted faster than her brain.

"Jack."

The answer slipped out before she could stop herself.

For a moment, silence filled the space between them.

Anne blinked.

Maria stared at her.

Even Lila was shocked by what she had just said.

Jack?

Why had she said Jack?

Sure, Jack was tall, smart, and well-liked by many students in class. There was nothing wrong with him.

But he wasn't her type at all.

Lila preferred quiet people.

People who didn't constantly attract attention.

People more like Adrian.

Her heart sank as she realized what she had done.

"Jack?" Maria repeated suspiciously.

Lila forced a smile.

"Y-Yeah."

Anne and Maria exchanged looks.

"Really?"

Lila nodded quickly.

The last thing she wanted was for them to discover the truth.

If she admitted that she liked Adrian, she knew she would never hear the end of it.

So despite regretting her answer immediately, she decided to stick with it.

"Yes. Jack."

From that day onward, her peaceful school life disappeared.

Anne and Maria became completely convinced that Lila liked Jack.

And they never let her forget it.

Whenever Jack entered the classroom, one of them would immediately nudge her.

"Lila, look."

"Your Jack is here."

"Oh, he's coming this way!"

Lila would instantly bury her face in her notebook while her friends laughed.

"I don't like him," she would mutter.

Neither of them believed her.

As the days passed, the teasing only became worse.

During lunch breaks.

During classes.

Before school.

After school.

It seemed as if Anne and Maria had found a new favorite hobby.

One morning during assembly, the students gathered together as usual.

While everyone stood in their designated places, Jack was sharing something with a few classmates nearby.

The moment Anne and Maria noticed him, they turned toward Lila.

"Oh look, Jack is talking."

Maria grinned.

Anne tried not to laugh.

"I think he's looking this way."

"He is not."

"Maybe he is."

"He isn't."

"Lila's getting nervous."

"I'm not!"

The two girls burst into laughter.

Lila groaned.

She wished she could disappear.

If only they knew the truth.

If only they knew that every time they teased her about Jack, she secretly found herself glancing at someone else entirely.

Days continued to pass.

The teasing never stopped.

At first, Lila tolerated it.

Then she ignored it.

Then she tried denying it.

Nothing worked.

Anne and Maria remained absolutely convinced that she liked Jack.

Finally, one day, after enduring yet another round of teasing, Lila reached her limit.

"Fine!"

The sudden outburst startled both Anne and Maria.

Lila crossed her arms and glared at them.

"I don't like Jack!"

The two girls immediately fell silent.

Their eyes widened.

"You don't?" Maria asked.

"No!"

Anne looked confused.

"Then who do you like?"

Lila realized what she had just done.

Her frustration had gotten the better of her.

Now there was no escape.

Her heart began racing.

Slowly, she took a deep breath.

Then she finally admitted the truth.

"I like..."

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