Now, what should you do?

In a situation where a man who had disappeared a whole day ago suddenly acted like he's in love with you, obviously you would be skeptical by his change of heart. After all, the last time you saw him, this man had accused you to be a stalker and a liar, and though he wasn't wrong, there's no way such a person would, out of nowhere, fall in love with you.

ーthere must have been a reason behind his action.

You frowned, trying to speculate but end up with nothing. Your eyes then glanced at Chen Miao who has been silent all this time. Although you didn't like it, if it's for the protagonist's sake, you wouldn't mind playing along with the transfer student's charade. After all, he is the key to Chen Miao's freedom.

If you can just lock Kai's up somewhere, then the developers can't send another playerーor actorーto control Chen Miao.

"Anyway," you smiled. "I'm glad that you're alright. You need to take care of yourself better, since we don't know what might happen if you don't."

He laughed sheepishly. "I tend to forget doing that since in the past, someone else would do that for me already."

"Your mother?" You guessed randomly.

"It was the girl I'm interested in," he answered with a loving smile. "When I was sick, she sent me porridge. When I was in a state of depression, though I can't see her, I can always feel her care. She took care of me as if I was the most precious to her that it's hard not to love her, you know?"

At this point, your expression had gone stiff. Memories of you feeding Chen Miao porridge when he was sick, personally taking care of him when he became depressed, crossed your mind, and you instantly understood that since Kai and Chen Miao shared the same lives previously, then he would also experience the care you had given to Chen Miao.

But why now?

If he's going to use that excuse as a reason to his sudden liking towards you, shouldn't he have behave like this on the first day he transfered here? Yet why is he doing this now? That's suspicious.

『who???』

『am i missing something here? i don't recall there's anyone like that around our husband??』

『that's why you brainless fools need to think instead of just seeing. what's the point of that god-given brain if you're not going to use it, heh』

『even if we were a brainless fool, at least we don't have rotten hearts such as yours, heh』

『so our kai has someone he likes... goー good for him (;´༎ຶٹ༎ຶ')』

『hmm, am i the only one who feels strange? did i miss a plot or something?』

You sneered, "Really? Then good luck on trying to gain her heart."

The transfer student smiled, but for some reason, you saw a hint of provocation in that smile. "Thank you."

Then all of a sudden, a hand reached out to grab ahold of your sleeve. You were taken off guard when you see it was Chen Miao. He was looking down, so you were unable to see his face, but you can see the insecurity in his action; the way his hand slightly quivered as he tightened his hold on your sleeve.

It was as if he was silently begging you to not abandon him.

Your heart throbbed at the sight and instinctively, while ignoring the existence of Kai and the others, you touched the wrist of the hand which was holding your sleeve. The protagonist flinched under your touch, causing him to rise his head to see your face smiling lovingly at him.

The way the tips of your fingers gently carressed his skin, tracing the veins on his wrist, somehow reminded him of the words you once told him.

ーthey can't hold a candle to you so why would I give them the same treatment as you?

Even though it was just a memory, he can't help but have an illusion as if you were whispering those words to him right now, causing his ears to turn red.

He stealthily glanced at the transfer student who passively watched you openly flirting with Chen Miao, and his stomach that felt like it was churning earlier felt a little bit better.

He was just so, so afraid that you would be stolen away.

In the past, there was only the two of you, and even with that, he was already insecure, so when there's a potential rival who openly showed his interest in you, the terrible feelings he felt were enough to make him feel like throwing out from anxiety. Moreover, he can't accept what the transfer student just told him.

"It was the girl I'm interested in. When I was sick, she sent me porridge. When I was in a state of depression, though I can't see her, I can always feel her care. She took care of me as if I was the most precious to her that it's hard not to love her, you know?"

How dare he. Chen Miao clenched his jaws, causing veins on his neck to bulge. He felt so unfair. Clearlyー Clearly he was the one you made porridge for. He was the one you took care of. HeーChen Miaoーnot Kai.

So what rights did this person have to claim that experience, that love, that care, to be his?

My memory is not yours. 

"Ah Miao?"

He heard your voice which was calling out to him, causing him to reflexively look into your eyes.

He looked at you with vulnerability, and what reflected in those pair of eyes of his, was the sight of you helplessly smiling at him. Your other hand made its way to his cheek, cupping it so intimately like a lover would, completely disregarding those who were watching the two of you with bated breath.

"You're sweating," you moved your hand to wipe the cold sweat that's forming on his face before leaning down to check his temperature in a cheesy way; forehead to forehead. "Did you, perhaps, catch my fever after spending the night together?"

ーspending the night together?!

Those yellow-minded students naturally came up with a vision that is not suitable for children in their heads after eavesdropping on your words.

『ugh why do they always become so cute whenever they interact with each other???』

『what cute? are you blind or is your moral clouded? that girl is literally his stalker』

『yeah, if it were me i wouldn't want to end up with someone who killed me』

『but chen miao already told her to regret it and make it up to him by loving him♡』

『their both are blinded by love lol』

"That won't do then," the transfer student suddenly interrupted, pulling Chen Miao away from you. "If he's sick then I need to send him to the infirmary."

Your eyes reflexively narrowed into a glare at the distruption, but because Kai still has some use to you, naturally you need to put aside your hostility.

Anyway, you don't believe that this man is in love with you. He probably had something in mind he wanted from you; just like how you wanted to lock him up in order to prolong Chen Miao's freedom.

"Okay." You relented rather easily.

ーafter all, it's better for the protagonist to not being around while you plan for the whole thing.

Suprisingly, Chen Miao listened well and left with the transfer student. Was it because he was too shy to face you or was it because he doesn't want you to linger around Kai? Whatever it is, recalling his peculiar action earlier, you were now convinced that the protagonist, indeed, had feelings for you, and that fact felt so surreal you felt like you were in a dream.

Sentient or not, you have been chasing him for several lifetimes, and to think that your unrequited love has finally been reciprocated.

"Ah...!"

Your thought was interrupted when a classmate of yours had dropped a pencil; it was your class monitor.

You bend down to pick up the pencil and handed it to him.

"Thanks," he reached out to take it.

For some reason, your eyes made its way to the photo attached on his notebook; it was a picture of him smiling with an older man.

The class monitor seemed to notice your gaze and quickly hide the notebook under his desk, flustered. You assumed that the older man must have been his father considering how they look alike.

"That reminds me," you spoke. "Have you ever lend your notes to Chen Miao?"

He looked taken aback by the sudden question. "Ah, yes. He did call me late at night a few days ago, asking me to take a picture of each pages of my notes. Did he tell you that?"

As expected, you knew Chen Miao can never write a note that easy to understand, he must have copy the class monitor's notes, but that must mean he made new notes for you in a span of a night, just so that he can help you with his study. Your heart warmed at the thought of his dedication.

"Thank you for indulging Ah Miao, that must have been a hard work."

"It was," he chuckled a little. "You have gotten friendlier. Is it because of love?"

You smiled. "Was I that gloomy in the past?"

Even that librarian said the same thing.

He seemed flustered by your question, afraid that you would be offended. "Ah no, that's not what I mean. It's just, you used to look like you don't like people talking to you. Everyone in the class is kind so they don't judge, each of us knew that people have their own comfort zones, but it's nice to see that you've changed."

You honestly don't understand why they were glad to see your change.

"I'm the class monitor so I need to look out for my classmates. After all, we're in the same year and class, I do want all of us to graduate peacefully with no conflicts," he explained after seeing your confusion. "Isn't there anything you want to be once you're older? As for me, I really want to have a permanent job soon. I want to lessen my dad's burden."

Want to be? You've never thought of that. For as long as you could remember, your life has always revolved around Chen Miao so there's nothing you want to do.

But then again, why would you think of the future when you're currently stuck in a time loop? If the class monitor knew how many times he had repeated his life as a high school student, he probably would have cough up blood. Who would want to spend their entire life studying? Certainly not you.

Hence, you can't help but feel pity for him, for all those who had dreams for the future, because there's no way it can be achieved.

"(Y/n)?" The class monitor tilted his head.

No, that's not right, there is a way.

If you can just hold Kai hostage.

Surely if given the choices, everyone in this class would choose to sacrifice a person in exchange for everyone's future, right? After all, that's how humans are, so what you're doing isn't necessarily bad.

You chuckled, realizing that you were trying to justify your actions because you knew whatever you will be doing next, is bad. 

In the past, you didn't stop to think, you would just do whatever you want in heartbeat, but like the class monitor, like you and Chen Miao, the transfer student also has his own future, and you're sure the people in the chat screen are also patiently waiting for his return.

So all that's left is negotation, huh.