All Chapters of The Boy I Forgot to Hate: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The rich, warm aroma of freshly baked cookies hit me the second I pulled open the oven door. I quickly set the hot baking sheet onto the counter, waving my hand to waft the scent toward me as I admired my work.“Perfect,” I muttered, thoroughly satisfied.“Wow... After all this time, your signature cookies!” my dad greeted, his eyes lighting up as he reached out to snatch one.I swatted his hand away. “What do you mean 'all this time'? I make these every single week. Nice try, you sneaky man, but these aren't for you,” I teased, keeping him at bay.My dad narrowed his eyes. “Don't tell me they're for another man. I won't allow it,” he bantered.I smiled. “They're for Julian. I remember how he used to devour them and stuff the leftovers into his romper pockets. I swear, the only reason he cried so hard when they moved away was because he knew he wouldn't get to eat my cookies anymore,” I reminisced, a bittersweet feeling washing over me.“I feel the exact same way. I'm practically weep

I slipped into the tiered seats of Lecture Hall Theater A, out of breath and in a frantic rush, peeked at my watch, there were still ten minutes left before introductory chemistry started.‘Whew!’ I thought in relief as I dropped into a seat.‘That was close. My supposedly perfect first day was almost ruined by Julian Vega.’I took a spot in the very front row, wanting to focus 100% without paying attention to any of my classmates' absurd antics.Click.The main doors swung wide open, followed by a sudden burst of rowdy chatter echoing through the room. My reflexes kicked in and I glanced back, the pen in my hand slipping right out of my fingers.Julian Vega.His previous jacket jeans now changed into a dark plaid flannel, the sleeves rolled up haphazardly to his elbows. Right behind him, Valeria Montes strutted in with an artificially graceful stride, flanked by her three loyal sidekicks.Julian’s deep brown eyes swept across the room, scanning the crowd. The moment his gaze locked o

"Ugh..." I groaned, a cold sweat breaking out across my temples.I sat in the farthest corner of the library, right by the old, thick, dusty bookshelves—the students' absolute least favorite spot.And more importantly, a safe haven from Valeria.My hand shook as I gripped my pen, trying to redraw the cellular metabolism graph that had been ruined by Valeria’s iced mocha earlier, while my left hand pressed hard against my stomach.It hurts so bad, I winced silently.The growl from my empty stomach echoed loudly in this quiet corner. I pulled my cloth wallet from my bag and glanced inside, my heart sinking.'Pathetic...'There was only a single fifty-cent coin and a few crumpled one-dollar bills.'Just make it last until the end of the month, then wait for the free dinner tonight,' I whispered, trying to reassure myself. 'Don't be a crybaby, Elena. It’s just hunger. You're used to being hungry back in Solverde.'Unfortunately, my head was now beginning to throb, pulsing in perfect sync

"You are so ridiculous, Gosh," I muttered, lightly punching his shoulder while laughing at his absurd decision.Julian chuckled, then groaned and collapsed right onto the concrete floor, stretching his long legs out. His canvas shoes made a hilarious squelch sound because they were filled with water."Look in the mirror, Castillo. You were literally getting ready to dive into the pond yourself if I hadn't stopped you," Julian retorted, his teeth lightly chattering from the cold. He raised his hand, running it through his wet hair to push the damp bangs away from his forehead.Shit, I cursed internally, quickly averting my eyes, terrified that my heart might fall for his charm from a movement that was actually so simple. Julian Vega’s aura was truly irresistible, even when he wasn't even trying."Sit down, Castillo. You’re making my neck hurt from having to look up."I hesitated for a moment, glancing at my dry flannel jacket and then at the concrete floor that was now soaking from wet

~(JULIAN’S POV)~"You have to come to the stadium this afternoon, El. You absolutely have to," I said, holding the door to Room 305 open, looking at Elena who had just finished tying her canvas shoes across the corridor.Elena looked up, pushing her thick-rimmed glasses up with a suspicious expression. "Ugh, what for? Why are you being so pushy? I have a lot of assignments, Vega," Elena declined.Her answer disappointed me, but of course, I wasn't going to give up.I replied with a chuckle, trying to hide my nervousness. "Well, I want to show you my best performance as quarterback. If I score later, it's a dedication to you. Think of it as my way of thanking you for not throwing that rock at my face back then."Elena snorted, but the corner of her lips twitched as she held back a smile. "Aren't you a show-off? Alright, we'll see. As long as I don't fall asleep in the library."‘Yes!’ I cheered internally.That brief exchange was enough to make me walk toward the stadium with a light s