Chapter 3

Sophie's POV

The next day, after Mom and Dad bought the plane tickets, they held a farewell dinner and invited all our neighbors and close friends over to say goodbye.

Flynn arrived early. The moment he stepped inside, he walked over and affectionately ruffled my hair. "What are you spacing out for? Did you secretly cry yourself to sleep yesterday?"

I looked up at him, dazed. He casually twisted open a bottle of juice and held it out to me while laughing.

"Juniper and I decided to go watch a movie yesterday. We didn't tell you on purpose because we wanted to see if you could find us. We even joked that if you really lost track of us, you'd probably hide somewhere and cry by yourself."

I stared at Flynn in disbelief. To them, I was nothing more than a joke.

"Flynn, we should break—"

"Hey, jackass. I was only a little late, and you already made my Sophie cry again."

Juniper appeared out of nowhere before I could finish my words. She rushed over and grabbed my arm angrily.

Flynn immediately pulled me toward him without hesitation. "What do you mean 'your Sophie'? She's my girlfriend…"

Once again, I became the prize they were fighting over. They tugged me back and forth between them. My eyes fell on the matching outfits they were wearing. My ears started ringing.

I had seen those clothes before. At the night market yesterday, I had shyly tugged on Flynn's sleeve. "The shop owner said couples who kiss in public to prove their love can get this matching outfit set for free…"

At that time, he had looked at me with obvious disdain before flicking my forehead. "Why are you so into childish stuff? Stop hanging out with Juniper so much. She corrupted you when you were just fine before."

Yet now, Flynn and Juniper wore those exact outfits. A wave of nausea churned violently in my stomach. Their playful banter screeched in my ears.

The next thing I knew, the last thread of my restraint snapped like a mousetrap. I shoved them away with all my strength, covered my head with both hands, and screamed ferociously, "Don't touch me!"

The room fell silent. Then, a soft laugh broke the stillness.

Flynn stepped closer and lifted my face gently with a look of surprise. "You're actually mad, my little nerd. Fine. Looks like I lost the bet. I guess I have no choice but to buy someone dinner tonight."

Juniper immediately kicked him. "I told you, jackass. With the way you mess with Sophie, even a saint like her would lose her temper eventually."

He grinned and played along. "But I think Sophie is way cuter when she's mad. She's usually too quiet. She should be more like you. Sulk when she's upset. Loud when she's angry. That's what makes her lively."

"Look at him, Sophie. He always comes up with the weirdest bullshit!" Juniper complained. "Obviously, I'm with reason. Sophie, tell him I'm right…"

Here it was again. The same familiar scene, over and over.

To them, I was the joke they laughed about after dinner, the prize they fought over to prove themselves, and the stake in their little bets—anything but a person with real, hard feelings.

Hearing them talk over each other, I felt a deep sense of helplessness. "Flynn…"

I looked straight into his eyes and let out a long breath. "Let's break up."

As soon as those words left my mouth, the room fell silent again. The smile on Flynn's face disappeared instantly. For once, he looked at me seriously. "What did you just say?"

I opened my mouth, barely making a sound, before Juniper grabbed me anxiously and pulled me aside. "Sophie, you can't just throw that around to get his attention. I know Flynn. He doesn't fall for things like this."

Flynn froze when he heard that. The seriousness on his face melted into a knowing smile, as if he had expected this all along.

"You really can't take a joke, can you, little nerd? You should learn something from Juniper. Sure, she's loud and dramatic, but at least she can take a joke."

When his eyes fell on my reddened ones, he tugged at the corner of his lips. "Seriously? You're crying again. Anyone who didn't know better would think we did something bad to you. You're being a little too sensitive."

I stared at Flynn in disbelief, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"Okay, fine. I'll apologize. Just stop crying…"

Maybe he finally realized he had pushed it too far. His voice softened as he stepped closer and reached out to wipe away my tears, but I turned my face away. His hand froze. He clearly hadn't expected me to avoid him.

While he was stunned, I shoved him away and ran out of the house.

"What the hell did you do, jackass?" Juniper seethed. "What did you say to Sophie?"