Of all my senior and junior fellow disciples, I was closest to my second junior brother.
We liked much the same things, had similar tastes, and even shared a little of the same personality.
Anyone could see it was only natural that I fell for him. He and I were made for each other.
But one day, he told me he hated me. The warmth was gone from that familiar face, and the coldness in his eyes cut me to the heart.
"You're truly repulsive."
"You're so pathetic, a poor wretch abandoned by your family."
"I only hung out with you because I felt sorry for you. Don't think you're anything special."
I stood in his room, frozen, my mind completely blank. In the end, the others had to drag me out.
Later, he apologized, saying he'd only said those things in a fit of anger and hadn't meant them.
I smiled and accepted his apology.
But our relationship could never go back to the way it was. Like a shattered mirror, it would always be cracked.
I still greeted him whenever I saw him, but I no longer sought him out alone.
The gifts I used to give only to him, I now gave to everyone. His felt more like an afterthought.
I also stopped sending him messages nonstop, asking what he was doing or what he wanted to eat. And I no longer bought him nice clothes whenever I spotted them.
My second junior brother and I would probably never be close again.
But then he came looking for me, grabbing my wrist and pleading desperately. He said he couldn't live without me, that I was everything to him, and that he'd liked me from the moment we first met.
Then why had he said those cruel things to me?
I didn't understand, so he kept talking.
He loved me,
but he hated me, too.
I still didn't understand what he meant.
So I gently removed his hand and looked away from his expression.
He didn't try to stop me.
Of course.
It was just a prank of his,
he only wanted to mess with me.
[Before You Read]
* Both leads are virgins.
* A melodramatic, angsty romance with a groveling ex. The main story is told in third person.
* No writing advice, please. If you don't like it, leave.
Blurb screenshotted on 260422.
Theme: Speaking up is the only way to get a good outcome.
