Lucian sighed deeply, catching sight of Avey standing in his path, her eyes focused solely on him. He looked down, avoiding her gaze altogether, his chest tightening as he approached. If I stop, it’s going to create another scene, just like yesterday. The thought weighed heavily on him.
Please, Avey… he thought, just don’t do it again. But even as he hoped, he knew her too well—her persistence, her vulnerability, the way she wore her emotions openly, even at her own expense. He wasn’t naive enough to think she’d walk away easily, and he knew the heartbreak she might face if the crowd got the show they wanted. He could already sense the whispers around them, like a low hum waiting to turn into a roar if anything happened. He knew that, unlike him, Avey wasn’t used to carrying that weight.
And so, he braced himself, knowing he couldn’t go through that again—not for her sake or his own. There’s only one way, he thought grimly, and it might hurt her, but it’ll hurt less than if I stop and listen. Taking a breath, he steeled himself, gripping his bag strap as he moved closer to the building entrance.
Lady luck, huh? he thought sarcastically. “Hey, Max, what happened to all that good fortune you promised?” he muttered to himself, cursing the mechanical voice that had assured him he was in his “golden period.”
“Host,” Max responded calmly, almost mockingly, “until now, it was your golden period. Your fate is about to shift. You’ll see what I mean.”
Lucian’s face fell, a heavy sigh escaping him. Golden period? Don’t mess with me, Max, he fumed internally, his annoyance rising. If this is the best you’ve got, I think I’ll pass.
As he got closer to the entrance, each step seemed to echo louder in his mind, like the ticking of a countdown. Eyes were already on him—students glancing over, some whispering, others nudging friends. He could feel their anticipation, the ripple of curiosity in the air, as if the entire school had been waiting for a second act. He knew he was about to give it to them, but not the way they expected. With his head down, he walked past Avey, not slowing, not even looking her way. He barely even registered the hand that reached out to him, touching lightly against his back as he passed.
“L-Lucy,” Avey’s voice called out, soft, hopeful, and trembling as she tried to reach him. Her hand rested on his back for a brief second, the touch filled with a longing he couldn’t bear to face. He didn’t respond, his feet continuing forward without pause, as if her voice and touch didn’t even exist. He moved with a single-minded determination, each step taking him further from her, further from everything he once thought he wanted.
The entrance doors opened, a gust of wind sweeping over Avey as Lucian slipped through the threshold and into the building, disappearing from her sight. She stood frozen, the cold air and his silence leaving her hollow and numb. Her hand slowly lowered from where it had touched him, fingers trembling as realization dawned. He…he ignored me.
She stared at the doors as they swung shut behind him, her heart dropping, disbelief flashing across her face. Her mind spun, replaying the moment over and over, as if struggling to believe he’d truly walked past her without so much as a glance. No… no, this isn’t happening, she thought, tears blurring her vision. She barely felt the first tear fall, or the second, but soon her cheeks were wet, and she was struggling to breathe, each tear a sharp reminder of the rejection she couldn’t deny.
Her friend Cassandra stepped forward, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, Avey… it’s going to be okay,” she whispered, trying to bring comfort to her friend, though her own heart ached seeing Avey like this.
Avey shook her head slightly, her eyes fixed on the entrance, where Lucian had vanished moments before. She whispered brokenly, “He… my Lucy ignored me…” The words were barely audible, her voice cracking under the weight of disbelief and hurt. Her body shook, and her hand moved instinctively to cover her mouth as a sob escaped, her heart twisting painfully at the memory of Lucian’s cold silence. The reality was too stark, too harsh, and it felt like her world was tilting, like everything she had known and held onto was slipping away from her.
Cassandra’s heart sank. She’d known Avey for years, had seen her through highs and lows, but she had never seen her friend look so… lost. There was no anger in her, no bitterness—only a raw sadness and confusion that seemed to drain the color from her face. Cassandra kept her hand steady on Avey’s shoulder, gently guiding her away from the entrance, shielding her from the eyes of those who watched, whispering and speculating.
“Come on, Avey,” she murmured, trying to steer her friend toward a quieter space, away from the prying eyes and judging stares. But Avey barely moved, her feet glued to the spot, her gaze still fixed on the closed doors.
Students exchanged shocked glances, their expressions mirroring one another’s disbelief as they watched Lucian stride past Avey without so much as a nod. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, each voice hushed but carrying a note of astonishment, as though they were witnessing the impossible.
“Did… did Lucian really just ignore her?” one girl whispered, her eyes wide with shock.
“No way! The guy who used to watch her every step, as if she were made of glass, just brushed her off like she was nothing,” her friend replied, her voice filled with disbelief. “It’s like he didn’t even see her standing there.”
“This… this doesn’t make sense. He’s always been so gentle with her. He practically worshiped her,” another chimed in, eyebrows knit together in confusion. Heads turned to Avey, who stood frozen, her hand lingering mid-air where she’d reached out to stop him, only for her fingertips to graze nothing as Lucian kept walking.
She looked as though the life had drained from her face, her eyes hollow and her lips parted in silent disbelief. Slowly, her hand lowered, fingers trembling as the realization settled in. Her once bright eyes shimmered with tears she could no longer hold back, glistening like glass before they slipped down her cheeks, leaving her looking fragile and broken.
“Look at her… she’s like a ghost. It’s like he just took everything out of her in one moment,” a girl nearby murmured, sympathy softening her voice.
Avey’s shoulders began to shake as her best friend, Cassandra, moved closer, resting a gentle hand on her back. “It’s alright, Avey,” she whispered, her words quiet but filled with concern. “It’s okay, just breathe. Let’s get out of here.”
But Avey shook her head, her lips quivering as she continued to stare at the door Lucian had disappeared through, unable to tear her gaze away. Her voice barely a whisper, she murmured, “He… he didn’t even look back. It was like I wasn’t even there… like I didn’t exist.”
Cassandra gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, her heart breaking for her friend, but there was little she could say to ease the sting of Lucian’s cold indifference. Avey’s entire world felt as if it were collapsing, and the crowd around them, once captivated by Lucian’s relentless devotion, now looked on with a mixture of pity and disbelief at the sight of Avey, hollowed and crumbling.
“I never thought I’d see this,” someone said softly, looking down, unsure whether to feel relief or sadness for the girl who’d once held Lucian’s heart so completely.
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i dont know why i have this feeling that you guys will love its…
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