Chapter 3

Gabriel's POV

Once I was back in my dorm, I locked the door. I pulled open the bottom drawer of my closet. All of Esther's things were inside—a gray hoodie, a mug, and a pack of Polaroid film.

I crouched down and stuffed everything into a trash bag, one by one. As I shoved a scarf inside, I was reminded of that winter back in sophomore year. She handed me the lopsided scarf with a grin, her hands covered in needle pricks.

I tossed a trophy into the trash bag as well, and it cracked in half. I froze, lost in a daze.

In sophomore year, Esther loved playing badminton, and every time she won a trophy, she would insist on giving it to me.

Every day, she would drag me to the badminton court, sit with me in the stands, and explain the rules. All she ever said was, "Just keep watching. You'll get it one day."

I suddenly realized that it wasn't that we didn't have anything to talk about. Whenever she was willing to explain things to me, I understood her perfectly.

But now, I wasn't the one she wanted to talk to anymore.

The next day, I went to class in the afternoon like usual. The moment I walked into the classroom, I found a few guys huddled together in a corner, snickering.

A young woman nearby blushed and gave me a little poke. "Check the class group chat."

I pulled out my phone. I unmuted the class group chat and realized it had been blowing up all afternoon.

Lionel: "Breaking news! Our college heartthrob is secretly a male escort. DM me if you want his service."

There were nearly 200 messages to go through. As I scrolled, I saw messages like "Got more?", "I want more photos!", and "I just saved it."

I tapped on the photo and realized it was me in my dorm. I had just stepped out of the bathroom and was checking myself out in the mirror. I was completely exposed.

The mocking comments hit me hard. It felt like I was being humiliated in public.

I dug my nails into my palms and walked toward Lionel. I seized him by the wrist, my voice trembling uncontrollably.

"You actually posted that photo in the group chat? How could you do this to me?"

The corners of his mouth lifted, and he quickly tried to explain himself. "Gabriel, don't get me wrong. I was just trying to send the latest gossip I found online, and I somehow ended up sending the wrong picture."

"Out of thousands of photos, you ended up sending this one? You clearly did it on purpose."

"I really didn't…"

"Delete the photo right now." I reached for Lionel's phone, but he tightened his grip and pulled it out of my reach.

I stepped forward to reach for it, but as he leaned back, the chair tipped sideways. He crashed to the floor, his knee slamming into the table leg.

The phone slipped from Lionel's grip and fell to the floor, causing the screen to crack.

The class fell silent. Then someone held up their phone and started recording.

Esther suddenly opened the classroom door, two bottles of drinks in her hands. The moment she saw Lionel sprawled on the ground, she froze.

"Why did you push Lionel? He's your best friend. Why are you being so petty?"

All I could hear was my own hoarse voice. "Me? Petty? He just posted a photo of me like that in the group chat!"

Esther's brows furrowed as her voice grew colder. "Lionel already apologized. Aren't you going to let this go?

"You're the reason the professor docked his points yesterday, and now you just pushed him? Apologize to him now!"

I stared at Esther. I had seen the exact same serious expression back in high school.

I almost laughed in exasperation. "I'm the victim here. Why should I apologize?"

Esther fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. Finally, she spoke, her voice carrying an unmistakable threat.

"Then I have nothing else to say. You really don't fit in with us, huh? Think about what you've done. I'll have Lionel delete the picture once you've apologized."

Esther helped Lionel out of the classroom, bending down to check if his knee was okay. I couldn't stand to see how worried she was for him.

I ran past the classrooms along the hallway and across the field. I found a quiet spot beneath a giant tree, crouched beneath it, and finally let all my frustration out.

Once I was back in my dorm, I made up my mind to take three days off.