Chapter 1

Melody's POV

While in the classroom, Dorian Harmon handed me a new thermal flask.

"Melody, your mom brewed you some herbal medicine. Drink it while it's still hot," he said, his expression cold.

I reached for it instinctively and downed the contents in one go. But today's medicine tasted different from usual—it was extremely bitter.

In fact, it was so bitter that my face twisted in agony, and I didn't even notice the tears slipping out.

After I finished drinking everything, I automatically stretched my hand out and smiled at the expressionless Dorian. After all, whenever I drank this herbal medicine, he would always have candy or dried fruit prepared for me.

But this time, he only said with disgust, "No candy. You're all grown, and you still need candy with your medicine? How childish."

As soon as the words left his lips, Ayanna Cambor—who had been standing next to us, watching all of this unfold—suddenly burst out laughing while clutching her stomach.

"As a mute, you can't complain even when you swallow something bitter. You're way too easy to fool, mute girl. You're really going to believe whatever Dorian says?"

She looked at me, the smile still plastered on her face. "That's not herbal medicine in your thermal flask at all. It's melted dark chocolate—the 100% cocoa powder kind."

I froze for a moment, a touch of bitterness rising in my heart. Still, I signed to Dorian, asking for confirmation.

"Is what she said true?"

Dorian turned his head away and looked elsewhere, not saying anything. Whenever he encountered a difficult question, he always chose silence.

I had my answer. I picked up the thermal flask and was about to throw it into the trash when Ayanna stopped me.

She pouted and asked, "Dorian, that 100% pure dark chocolate is so bitter, but why isn't she saying anything? Is it because she doesn't want to?"

Dorian patted her head indulgently. "I don't know, and I don't care."

His answer made my chest tighten.

The bitterness in my chest surged, even more intense than the aftertaste of the pure dark chocolate.

But Ayanna clearly wasn't satisfied with Dorian's answer. She stomped her foot and threw a tantrum.

"Don't tell me you couldn't bring yourself to mess with your childhood friend! Did you secretly replace the 100% dark chocolate in the thermal flask with something less bitter? No, I have to try it myself!"

With that, she swiftly snatched the thermal flask from my hand and took a sip of the remaining residue. But she couldn't even handle one sip, spitting it straight out onto the floor next to my desk.

"You're just asking for trouble," Dorian teased as he took out some tissues from his pocket to wipe her mouth.

"The tissues aren't enough," Ayanna said. "It's really bitter. Here, you should try it too."

She grabbed his arm and burrowed into his embrace, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

After a brief kiss, the two separated.

Ayanna's cheeks flushed pink. "Congratulations on passing the test, boyfriend."

She hooked his pinky finger with hers and turned to me with a victorious smile.

"See that? Dorian is my boyfriend now. You're not allowed to act cute around him and ask for candy anymore. Got it, mute girl?"

Dorian looked at me and said coldly, "Still not leaving? What? Didn't get enough of a show?"

I turned around blankly.

Only when I reached a place with no one around did I finally raise my hand to wipe away the tears at the corners of my eyes.

My secret crush… had come to an end.