"Let's break up," he said. My lips parted the moment he spoke. He looked at me seriously, waiting for a response.
His words pierced through my heart, as if it was about to shatter into tiny pieces. Despite the pain, I sat down firmly, facing him without showing any emotion.
"I don't love you. It was all just a game for me, and guess what? I won the bet..."
Each word from his mouth slowly crushed my heart.
"I made you fall in love with me. So, let's end this, Casana," he said seriously. I clutched my chest, staring at him.
Haha, how cruel. I knew he was a player, but I didn't realize he was also a deceiver and manipulator. He made me believe he loved me. I took the risk to love him, even after knowing how he made other girls cry.
Gosh, I'm so stupid!
I tilted my head. "You won? How much did you make?" I asked jokingly, forcing a fake smile.
His face showed confusion. He glanced to the left before answering.
"A million dollars," he said.
I swallowed hard. One million dollars is a huge amount. I was just a bet to him and his friends, nothing more.
I smiled bitterly as I picked up my bag. "Congrats! You successfully made me fall in love with you," I said, gripping my hands tightly. He looked away, his lips parting.
"Still, you were a great actor. I salute you for that!" I said, the last thing before leaving him in the café.
As I walked out, it was dark and noisy. People were everywhere, and it seemed like it was going to rain. The sound of thunder and lightning made it feel even more dramatic. It was better this way; the rain would help hide my tears. A blessing in disguise.
Raindrops began to fall, growing heavier with each passing second. I bit my lower lip as I looked up at the dark sky, tears streaming down my face. I clenched my left hand and kept sobbing.
The rain hid my tears in this cruel, unfair world filled with boys like him. I continued to cry, wiping my tears as I went.
As I walked, I recalled my past with him. It was all fun and love.
"I love you? I miss you? Haha. What a ridiculous joke," I mumbled. The pain he caused was so intense that I couldn't cry in front of him. I didn't want people staring at me because of a guy like him. There are plenty of other men in the world, but he was different.
I bit my bottom lip and cursed him in my mind.
"F*ck him! I hate him. No, I loathe him, forever and ever!"
Furious, I stomped through the streets, searching for a nearby club to drink away my sorrows.
I stopped when I saw a bar near a convenience store. Many people were entering and leaving the bar, men with their arms around their partners. I hate crowded places, but I needed something to drink to forget him, even if just for a while.
One bottle of wine would be enough. I gathered all my courage and entered the bar. It was bright and loud inside. People danced to loud music with flashing, annoying lights. Girls and boys kissed each other and did whatever they wanted. But I didn't care; I just needed a drink. I glanced around, observing the place.
I immediately spotted the bartender cleaning a glass with a napkin. I ran towards him. The bar was crowded, except for the seats near the counter.
I slammed my hand on the table and sat down, calling the bartender.
"The most expensive wine, please!" I shouted. The bartender flinched, surprised. He chuckled and nodded.
"Coming right up, madam," he said, flicking his hand before turning away. A few minutes later, he brought me the wine and a glass. He placed them on the table and smiled at me.
I smiled back. "Thanks," I said, my gaze downcast. I kept remembering him, and I hated it. Imagining his face after the breakup was the worst thing I could do.
"My pleasure!" he said and went to another customer. The table was round, meant for many people, but only two of us were there—the man who had been winking at me and another guy who looked foolish.
I grabbed the glass, poured some wine, and drank it. The taste was strong.
Minutes later, I burst out laughing uncontrollably while tears welled up. I sobbed and drank at the same time, having flashbacks of him.
"You're my world? My foot!" I shouted furiously, taking another swig of wine. I continued crying, knowing that no one would notice me, except for the guy at the other table.
I could cry as much as I wanted; no one would care. They had their own problems.
After a while, I felt dizzy. My vision swayed. Suddenly, the same guy who had been winking at me sat down next to me. He stared at me from head to toe, which was annoying and disgusting.
I didn't care much about him and drank the last of the wine. I flinched when he tapped my shoulder. I was sweating and blushing, looking like a ripe tomato.
"Wanna go outside?" he asked, winking. I felt like vomiting at the sight of his face up close. I gulped and swatted his hand away. "Go away!" I yelled, pointing my middle finger at him. I laughed when I saw his priceless expression. I heard him say something as I left.
"Tsk. You think you're pretty?" he said. I ignored him and went straight to the bathroom. Why should I care about what he said?
I felt like vomiting, so I quickly ran to the bathroom.
As I approached the restroom, I heard unusual noises coming from inside. I pressed my ear against the door and eavesdropped.
A woman's moan, "Ahh... nghh..." made me blush deeply.
"…S-stop..." I heard a girl's voice pleading. My eyebrows furrowed as I listened more.
"Shh. Stop making weird noises. I'm kissing you, not f—" The voice was cut off suddenly as I opened the door.
Two faces emerged from inside. The man was on top of the woman, and he quickly pushed her away when he saw me.
I smiled cheerfully, my eyes sparkling with excitement. "Woah! I was right! It's Kokoro! I'm your biggest fan!" I shouted, pointing at Kokoro, who was wearing a hoodie. Then I vomited loudly and started hiccuping.
My expression changed from cheerful to deadly serious.
"Flirt! I'm disappointed, Kokoro. You broke the number one rule of being an idol." I said angrily, snapping a picture of both of them. He jolted, his eyebrows furrowing as he glared at me.
"What the?!" he shouted furiously, approaching me. I winked and ran away. "Flirt!" I teased as I fled, continuing to vomit.
I ran quickly out of the bar, not looking back. I knew he was a good runner because of his long, slim, muscular legs that every fan wanted to touch.
Kokoro is an idol, a member of the Starless group that became famous in just four months due to their outstanding skills, looks, and connections. And I'm one of their fans, with Kokoro as my bias.
What a terrible day. I broke up with my boyfriend, dealt with a creepy guy, and discovered that the idol I admired most was kissing another girl, which is strictly prohibited.
I laughed as I exited the bar. "Stop!" I heard his raspy voice from behind. The same voice he uses when he raps and sings. I guess he's following me. People on the street stared at us. His face was unrecognizable in the dark, despite the street and store lights.
"I refuse to stop!" I shouted back and ran faster. The fresh air and the smell of cigarettes were familiar.
"Stop!" he shouted again. But I ignored him.
The sparkling lights and loud noises from the honking cars were overwhelming. This is what it feels like to be drunk—a free bird out of its cage. I jumped and ran with a cheerful smile.
I turned into a dark alley, a perfect hiding place for someone not used to this kind of place.
I stopped abruptly when I saw a huge wall in front of me. Glancing left and right, I spotted an old gate with a hole at the bottom. I smiled when I felt someone grab my hand. I stopped.
"Got you," he said, gripping my hand. It was my first time seeing him up close. He was shining, handsome, and tall. My ears heated up, and I blushed seeing him so close.
I looked at him as if I were gazing at the clouds.
"You're a fast runner too! Hoho!" I said cheerfully, making a proud face. His left eyebrow furrowed, and he glared at me. The grip on my hand tightened, causing me pain. I winced and made a funny face.
"It hurts!" I complained, pouting. I felt myself burning and blushing.
"You're drunk, woman!" he said, holding my pocket. I jolted and kicked his foot hard.
"Ughh!" he winced, jumping on his left foot. But he didn't let go of my hand.
"How dare you?!" he said angrily, giving me a deathly glare. I looked away when he suddenly grabbed my face with one hand. He used his hand to force me to look at him. I blushed when oureyes met. His eyes were like shiny rubies, bright and intense.
"Give me your phone," he demanded in a gruff tone, holding my gaze.
I gulped. "Nope," I said curtly.
He sighed heavily. "How much do you want? So you can keep it a secret and delete the photo." He released my face but kept a tight grip on my hand. The pain in my arm was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I looked at his hand with veins bulging and swallowed hard.
I shook my head and looked away. "Hmm..." I pretended to think, pouting. I looked back at him.
"Revenge for me," I said with a serious expression. I was desperate to get back at my ex-boyfriend.
He sneered. "No," he said firmly. "I can't interfere with other people's affairs." He explained. I looked down, feeling disappointed. He spoke again.
"Anything but that," he suggested. I looked at him, then he averted his gaze.
"Then—" My words were cut off when he suddenly shoved me away. A loud gunshot rang out at the same time, and he pushed me to the ground.
I hit the ground hard. My eyes widened as I saw blood dripping from the side of his stomach. My body trembled in fear as I watched him, horrified. I covered my mouth as I saw him suffering from the pain. The blood continued to drip, refusing to stop.
"Tsk. Missed!" I heard another man's voice. I quickly glanced to the side and saw a man loading a bullet into his gun. I was startled when Kokoro held my hand again.
"Run!" he shouted with authority.
Confused and disoriented, I stared at him. He angrily bit his lip. "Bullshit!" he cursed as he pulled me along and we ran.
His face was growing pale, and the blood still dripped from his wound. He was becoming red and sweaty from the pain.
"W-what happened?" I stuttered, looking at him.
"Someone tried to kill me—or you, I don't know!" he replied angrily. I was at a loss for words, unsure of why anyone would target me. I had no enemies, except maybe the girls who liked Zero.
"We need to run or he'll catch us, and worse, he'll kill us." His grip tightened with every step we took. The suffocating feeling was overwhelming. We kept running, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
I flinched and made a strange noise when I heard another shot. I looked back and saw the man chasing us, his gun pointed at us. Three shots missed us, or so I thought.
The fourth shot hit my right foot, causing me to lose my balance. I was about to fall when Kokoro pulled me into his arms and ran faster.
"Can't lose a fan!" he said, making me stare at him in surprise. He was supposed to be indifferent and uncaring, a soulless figure according to rumors.
The fifth shot nearly hit his hand, and the sixth shot finally struck his right hand. We were off-balance, but he didn't give up. He regained his balance, biting his lip, and continued to run despite the pain.
I glanced back at the man, who had stopped to reload his gun.
"He's reloading!" I warned Kokoro. His breathing was heavy, and his face was growing even paler. I flinched as pain shot through my foot. I winced and made another strange noise.
We stopped near an abandoned building, where we found some empty, large boxes. We hid inside them. They were filthy and smelled awful, but we had no other choice.
Kokoro sat down, holding his side. The bleeding hadn't stopped, and I was helpless since I didn't know anything about first aid. I felt useless, sitting by while my bias lost so much blood. My own bleeding had stopped and the pain had lessened, but his was still severe.
I watched him with empathy.
"Stop staring!" he snapped, clearly irritated and catching his breath. His face was now ashen, and his hands were slick with sweat, soaking through his hoodie.
"That damn old man!" he fumed, wincing in pain. I immediately got up and moved closer to him.
I squatted beside him. "How can I help?" I asked, panicking and waiting for his response.
He sneered. "Ha..."
"Deleting that picture would be a huge help," he said. For a moment, I thought he was joking, but his serious tone made it clear he wasn't.
"Sto—" I started to respond, but he covered my mouth.
"Hush," he whispered, glancing to the left.
"He's here. Stay quiet," he murmured in my ear. I shivered from the tickle of his breath and blushed uncontrollably as his hand remained over my mouth.
Minutes later, we heard a ringtone from outside. Kokoro's eyes remained focused on the ground as he listened intently.
"We lost him, sir. Sorry." We heard from outside, followed by a series of gunshots.
"Yes, sir." The man outside replied. Kokoro finally removed his hand from my mouth, but I didn't mind.
He lay down, exhausted. "He's gone," he said weakly, turning on his side. "Are you going to sleep here?"
He nodded.
"It's better if we stay here for now. He might come back later, so keep quiet, okay?" he instructed in a firm voice. I rolled my eyes and lay down beside him.