The heat of summer had fully arrived, with each day feeling hotter than the last.
On what seemed like the hottest day of the entire season, the final exams finally came to an end. As Emily handed in her test and stepped out of the classroom, she found Ryan waiting for her under the shade of a tree, where he had been standing for a full forty minutes.
"You handed in a blank paper, didn't you?" she grabbed his arm, her voice filled with panic.
"No."
"Did you just guess randomly because you didn't know the answers?"
"No."
"Then why did you finish so early?" she glared at him, grinding her teeth in frustration. "Didn't I tell you? Even if you don't know the answers, you should fill every empty space on that paper! As long as the bell hasn't rung, you should be writing. I told you this, didn't I?"
Ryan looked at her, half-amused, half-exasperated. This girl—she used to seem so delicate and gentle, but now she was becoming increasingly bold, even daring to yell at him.
Yet somehow
He couldn't help but think she was more adorable this way.
"What are you smiling at? How can you still laugh?" she was on the verge of fainting from anger. "What if you fail? What then?"
"Let's go. I'm hungry," Ryan commanded, his fierce gaze silencing her, before he slung his arm over her shoulder and steered her toward the cafeteria. "Today, I feel like having Korean BBQ."
Emily felt like the world was spinning, a wave of disbelief washing over her as she struggled to process what she'd just seen.
A few days later, someone had managed to get hold of photocopies of the grades from the final exams, which soon made their way into Emily's hands. She stared at the results, rubbing her eyes, then rubbing them again. She even considered grabbing a magnifying glass to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
What in the world?
This had to be a mistake!
Out of all five mandatory exams, the highest score in each class was achieved by the same person. And that person's name was—
Ryan!
"You bribed the teachers, didn't you?!" Emily hissed as she dragged him behind a secluded tree, lowering her voice to an incredulous whisper. "Did you bribe every single one of them?"
Ryan leaned lazily against the trunk, scowling at her. "Are you out of your mind?"
"You went way too far! All you had to do was ask them to let you pass—why fake the top score in every subject?" She started pacing back and forth, pulling at her hair in frustration. "You're such a fool. A total pigheaded fool."
His forehead twitched with irritation. "Hey! I did this on my own, okay?! And I'm warning you, if I hear the word 'pig' out of your mouth one more time, I'll make sure you end up with a pig's head!"
"You did this... on your own?" She stared at him in disbelief, as if she had just heard the most impossible thing in the world. "You think I'm some kind of pig?" she muttered, her mind still frozen in shock. "Even if I was a pig, there's no way I'd believe that!"
A series of painful yelps echoed across the Elm Academy campus.
The glass door of the clothing store swung open, and a refreshing gust of air conditioning greeted them, an instant escape from the sweltering heat outside. It felt like stepping into a different world—cool, comfortable, perfect.
The sales assistants inside smiled warmly and bowed slightly as two new customers walked in. The pair looked like students—one was a tall, strikingly handsome boy, his presence radiating like the summer sun. A small diamond stud glittered on his nose, adding a touch of rebellious charm to his confident demeanor. The girl beside him had short, cute hair and eyes that sparkled, but her forehead had a strange pinkish hue, as if someone had just knocked on it.
"Hey! You still haven't prepared my gift?" Ryan glared at Emily, clearly annoyed. How dare she? She had promised him a present, and now, at the last minute, she was dragging him out to shop for it.
"You're still laughing?"
Emily nervously scratched her head and sneaked a glance at him. "Actually, I've been planning it for a while. I just couldn't pick it out by myself."
"What is it?" he asked, growing suspicious.
She grabbed his hand and led him toward the display near the window. On the elegant shelves sat rows of brand-new men's shoes, each pair polished and pristine.
"I heard the quality of this brand is really good," Emily said, pointing to the shoes.
"Shoes?" Ryan was taken aback. "Why shoes?" He had expected something romantic, something special.
"Excuse me," Emily turned to the sales assistant. "Which of these shoes is the most durable?"
"Durable?" The saleswoman was startled. Most customers asked for trendy or comfortable shoes, but durable was a rare request.
"Yes," Emily grinned, her eyes bright with mischief. "The kind that can withstand being kicked against doors all the time without breaking or hurting your foot." She glanced back at Ryan, sticking her tongue out playfully. "You kick the classroom door a lot, right? Your feet must get sore. So I thought getting you a sturdy pair of shoes would be perfect."
"Do you like them?" She tugged at his arm, flashing an innocent smile.
"No, I don't!" he snapped, though deep down, the thought of her considering his habit with such care left him a little flustered.
"Why not?" Emily's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought long and hard to come up with the perfect gift for you."
"Damn it." Ryan's face tightened with irritation. "If you didn't want me kicking doors anymore, you could've just said so, no need for all this roundabout nonsense."
"Wait," Emily blinked in confusion before her expression brightened in realization. "Now I'm starting to believe your grades were real. You're not as dumb as I thought."
Smack!
The fifth playful flick to her forehead landed, leaving Ryan fuming. His fingers clenched tightly, a mix of frustration and something else swirling inside him. He glanced at her reddening forehead, and for a moment, he had the urge to rub it, to soothe the spot he'd hit. But this annoying girl!
"Are you mad?" Emily cautiously peeked at him. "I was just joking around."
Ryan pressed his lips together in silence.
"Don't be so petty," she whispered with a smile. "Actually, I've had your gift ready for a while, but I'm not giving it to you today."
"You're lying again!" he muttered in frustration. "You probably forgot about it altogether."
"No, I didn't."
Emily gently held his hand and smiled warmly at him.
"Because your birthday is on Saturday. I'm planning to give it to you then."
Ryan's body stiffened in shock. "How did you...?" He had never told anyone his birthday before, nor had he ever celebrated it.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, lowering her gaze. "I found out by accident. If you didn't want to tell me, I understand."
Ryan stared at her for a long moment, taking a deep breath before responding. "Give me the gift on Saturday, then." For once, he thought, maybe he wouldn't have to spend that day alone.
"Okay."
Emily gripped his hand a little tighter, her smile blooming like a flower.