The convenience store was peaceful, the quiet only broken by the occasional beep of the register and the low hum of the refrigerators. A soft warmth filled my chest as I enjoyed my strawberry-fvored feast—strawberry chocote, strawberry drink, and strawberry ice cream. Truly, a divine combination.

  Strawberry was, without a doubt, the best fvor in existence.

  I had already finished my ice cream and was about to unwrap another chocote bar when I noticed movement at the counter. Daniel was staring at me, his expression unreadable.

  I tilted my head slightly. 'What? Did he want a bite? Too bad'.

  But then, something unexpected happened.

  He started singing.

  I blinked.

  Oh?

  Oh!

  He must have thought I couldn’t hear him because of my earphones. Unfortunately for him, my music wasn’t pying.

  Him practicing his singing meant that, him and Duke are practically set on performing at the festival. 'Good'.

  As I sipped my drink, I listened. His voice carried through the quiet store, filled with raw emotion. There was a weight to it—like he was pouring something deeply personal into every note. It was… captivating.

  But.

  His technique needed work.

  His breathing was inconsistent, and there were moments where his control wavered. It wasn’t bad, not at all. In fact, if he trained properly, he could become exceptional. Right now, though, he was relying purely on emotion rather than refining his voice.

  I chewed thoughtfully on my chocote. Should I tell him?

  '…Nah. That would be weird'.

  Finishing my ice cream, I stood up and wandered toward the shelves, grabbing another strawberry chocote bar. Because obviously, one was not enough. My fingers hovered over the drink section before I picked up an extra bottle.

  For Daniel.

  I didn’t even think much of it. He was working hard, so it was only fair.

  Just as I approached the counter, the store door swung open, and a tall, striking woman walked in.

  My gaze flickered to her, and recognition immediately set in.

  Crystal Choi.

  One of Daniel’s love interests.

  With long, glossy bck hair and sharp, refined features, she had an effortless aura that made people instinctively look twice. I already knew of her reputation—fiercely intelligent, independent, and, most notably, deeply distrusting of attractive people.

  I nodded in greeting.

  She ignored me.

  I wasn’t offended. If anything, I found it mildly amusing.

  Crystal despised good-looking people, and unfortunately, I had the misfortune of being born this way. It wasn’t my fault, really. And I understood where she was coming from. She had been deceived by pretty faces before.

  Her gaze nded on Daniel.

  “Hey,” she greeted him casually.

  Daniel, looking mildly confused, hesitated for a second before returning the greeting.

  I watched the interaction for a moment before deciding it wasn’t my business. Instead, I simply took my chocote and returned to my corner, breaking off a piece and letting it melt in my mouth.

  Then, Daniel’s voice called out hesitantly.

  “Evel—Miss, is it alright to ask a question?”

  I raised an eyebrow, smiling to myself. 'He almost slipped up'.

  “It’s fine,” I replied, gncing at him with mild curiosity.

  Daniel seemed to hesitate, as if debating whether or not to continue. Eventually, he exhaled and asked, “Why do you always visit this convenience store?”

  I stared at him.

  Well that's because this was the farthest store from my apartment, and I enjoyed making Alexei panic whenever he tried to track me down.

  But obviously, I wasn’t going to say that.

  That wasn’t the real reason I was here anyway.

  “I know you’re being bullied here,” I said matter-of-factly. “I can’t be here every day, but if my presence can lessen the number of times it happens, then I don’t mind coming.”

  I smiled at him as I spoke.

  Daniel’s expression flickered with something unreadable—surprise, maybe? He didn’t say anything immediately, as if he wasn’t sure how to respond.

  Before he could, my phone rang.

  I gnced down at the screen.

  Alexei.

  I sighed.

  I had just accepted my impending doom when a familiar bck car pulled up outside.

  'Oh no'.

  I stood up, gncing at Daniel. “My brother’s here. I have to go.”

  With an apologetic smile, I made my way outside.

  The passenger-side window rolled down, revealing Alexei’s stern face.

  I felt my soul leave my body.

  Then, the driver’s door opened.

  And stepping out was—

  Uncle Dmitry.

  I groaned. This was a full-blown intervention.

  Pinching the bridge of my nose, I muttered “Я попала в беду, да?” (I’m in trouble, aren’t I?)

  Both of them nodded.

  And just like that, my night became mentally exhausting.

  ==================================

  ???' POV

  I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.

  But when I heard that girl’s words, I couldn’t ignore them.

  "I know you’re being bullied here. I can’t be here every day, but if my presence can lessen the number of times it happens, then I don’t mind coming."

  I gnced at the boy behind the counter. His expression flickered with something I couldn’t quite pce. Surprise? Embarrassment?

  The girl, didn’t linger after saying her piece. She simply smiled at him, and moments ter, her phone rang. Then, with an apologetic look, she left, heading out to the expensive-looking car that had just pulled up outside.

  I frowned.

  'That was… unexpected'.

  I had assumed she was just another shallow person who liked surrounding herself with people she deemed pretty. I thought the reason she always nodded at me whenever she saw me was because of my looks. That was how people like her worked, after all.

  'But what if I was wrong?'

  I turned my attention to the boy. He was still staring at the door, as if he hadn’t fully processed what had happened.

  I leaned on the counter slightly. “What she said… is it true?”

  He blinked, startled, before hesitantly nodding. “Yeah… it’s true.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You’re really being bullied?”

  He exhaled and gave a small nod. “I am.”

  I stayed silent for a moment.

  That girl she wasn’t from around here, and yet she somehow knew he was being bullied? And not only that, but she deliberately came here just to keep an eye on him?

  It didn’t sit right with me.

  I crossed my arms. “Are you sure she’s not pying you?”

  Daniel’s reaction was immediate. He shook his head so fast it was almost comical. “No! I’m sure she isn’t!”

  I raised an eyebrow. “That confident, huh?”

  He hesitated before adding, “She’s actually a cssmate of a friend of mine. She helps people, regardless of their looks. And…” His voice softened slightly. “She saved me twice before.”

  I didn’t respond right away.

  I had been fooled before—tricked by pretty faces with fake kindness. That was why I didn’t trust people who looked like that. Their beauty gave them advantages they never had to earn, and most of them knew how to use it against people like me.

  But this girl…

  She didn’t seem to expect anything from the boy. She didn’t even wait for him to say thank you. She just said what she wanted and left, like she didn’t care whether he appreciated it or not.

  That was different.

  I sighed.

  I grabbed a drink from the fridge, walked over to the counter, and pced it down. I hesitated for a second before grabbing another one and setting it next to it.

  “For you,” I muttered, nudging the second drink toward the boy.

  He looked surprised but didn’t refuse it.

  I paid and left without another word, gripping the cold bottle in my hand as I walked out.

  I still couldn’t fully trust people like her. That wouldn’t change overnight. But… maybe I had been too snobbish toward her.

  It couldn’t be helped.

  I had been bullied enough by good-looking people to know better than to trust their kindness so easily.

  But if we ever crossed paths again…

  'I guess I could at least return her greetings'.

  DaoistDumpling