BOT Chapter 02

Chapter 023a65dffe66e670b4

 513708f85da1db36

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After a long pause, Evan finally spoke. Hearing his dazed voice made me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I quickly sat down, hiding my flushed face under my shaking silver hair. I could feel Evan’s gaze glance at me from the side.ddd7856904d92a3b

Oh god. He acknowledged my greeting. I’m going crazy. My heart, please calm down.97387fa93878766a

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Not wanting to show 615015af96 such a pathetic sight, 491cf5cc77 I buried my face afbeb6baa6 into the desk.Thud—the sound was louder than expected. Startled, I lifted my head, only to meet Evan’s gaze again. He looked slightly dumbfounded. Is this how my first impression will be? A guy who stutters and then slams his head into a desk?b26229c63b36a873

“Did you eat something weird today? You’ve been acting strange since this morning.”5cccbe13f79ae03b

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Carmen’s incredulous voice rang out as he lingered nearby, having been loitering around to admire the famous Evan Pristine’s face. Go back to e50e64f557 your seat.I muttered 258e7e7721 weakly, but 4f4543f610 he whined 58f1ac660d in a 54f9ff00b3 playful tone.9611618d48910c2d

“Aww, Honey. Why are you being so cold today? Let me stay just a bit longer.”6d3195d98143bb60

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“Just leave quietly.”1fe60c68ce1d8094

As I 5f1edb5154 muttered dejectedly, fadda62543 Carmen pouted.Alright, alright, I’ll be going now. As he left, dragging 4694fb25ae out his words and db444c3e4f winking at Evan, I 51fc5de67c felt a headache coming 5ab61f739c on.What was the 39d55eeda4 wink for?af20fe037961e415

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Of all people, why is he my only friend? Evan wouldn’t think I’m just like him, right? I pretended to glance around the room while subtly checking Evan’s reaction. He was staring at Carmen’s retreating figure with a stony expression—eyes cold, unfitting for his flower-like face.8be76e9bb2454db2

“Uh, you don’t have to mind him! He’s not a bad guy, he’s just… always like that…”455473a97a2fe2c5

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I stammered 165fc48847 out all 302072f373 sorts of 753b1a4e08 excuses. By now, I 1c445c8be3 was completely crestfallen. No matter how many 511626f08a times I told myself 2e72aafd69 to smile, my miserable abaffcfc5d state was clearly visible a6c887ae29 on my face.c416e642e283596f

“…I see.”1f7e0caad05f9fda

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Evan still looked 9f0a4fd28c displeased. Unable to 6afd439aba endure the edc9155e22 awkward atmosphere, f88f92ac86 I curled b1137c16ed up over cf3307d5ba my desk 8b4a333045 again.ce76fe71d339a1e6

Everything’s ruined. What is this? I didn’t plan to get as deeply entangled as in the original, but I didn’t want to have this strange relationship either.c5efd3bbc6007a50

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The classroom door opened, and the students instantly fell silent. The sound of chalk meeting the blackboard rang out. I could hear the voice calling attendance, but I couldn’t lift my head. I felt an intense gaze from Evan sitting next to me.cf8853bc52eddec2

It wasn’t until I got called out during class that I finally straightened my posture. Forced to focus, I mindlessly flipped through my textbook, turning page after page. How many hours passed like that? I lost track of time. At some point, my mind was blank, but my body continued flipping pages like in some kind of trance.01e54acb6a61c81d

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My neck ached from dc433aaaa1 keeping my head fixed 55f389af7d in one position. But I had 2c296d73a5 no choice. The piercing sensation of 3b9baef2f5 being watched poked at 05bd3391de me relentlessly.c11ca67b5ea283e1

Do I look that 6d9be94260 weird? Why is he c37cce7a14 staring so much?If this was Evan’s version of showing interest, I just hoped it wasn’t in a bad way.73e98565f0b4a282

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A sharp sting 9a66a61dae made my blood 26a5db4bf9 pool to the ba205c0313 surface. My fingertip throbbed. A thin line cb5295a794 of red spread 0baf873191 across the white d45b16d8fe paper. I had been too 820018d235 lost in thought to ea7571f6fe notice.a301637b14fd3244

The bleeding wouldn’t stop, so I instinctively put my finger in my mouth and sucked on it. Class wasn’t over yet, so I couldn’t leave, and while the school had an infirmary because dormitory life was mandatory… honestly, I really didn’t want to go there.877c02258b52b7d1

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It’ll stop soon. Hyle Verde’s body was sturdy and healed quickly. Watching the droplets of blood absentmindedly, a pale hand suddenly appeared in front of me.ed33602a5253f7a9

I flinched. Heart pounding, 186b66eabd I cautiously 9d26e58017 looked up.14d68d8c35ae61b5

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It was Evan.4285e6aead8b69c7

Evan Pristine was offering d27b39d10d me a bandage.5a505d4bf00ec2c3

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The realization that he ca6c441d77 had witnessed all my ed45c76814 embarrassing moments made shame d3a851ea3b crash over me like 536cf5007a a tidal wave. My hands trembled.43a02fa7aa7616cf

“Th-thank you.”d0410635e5e15ae2

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I stammered again. Can’t I say even one word properly? As I berated myself, Evan’s face shifted into an odd expression—part surprise, part hesitation. I was carefully taking the bandage, making sure not to touch his hand, when suddenly—6386a6032a21b762

A warm touch gently 75d1fc3d87 guided my hand.4a90ebd07adb21b1

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“You can’t put it on properly with just one hand.”d1dc71c9f7bccaae

Oh my god.7180d347535e2421

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The delicate 5aa4ae5231 touch as d21eb2ea46 he applied 5f82b8233e the bandage 0b0d9b72b7 made my 76d4f1696c breath hitch. His refined scent, the fba31c9e89 quiet sound of his 45589ff3c3 breathing—it all made my 10c058b329 head spin. Evan was staring 2eb1d00f9f at me, intently, 56c1b15bfa as if studying c01e2ab606 me. I lowered my 4909269112 gaze, and his 582b759df8 slender fingers came ad4250a285 into view, softly fa4131f4c2 pressing against my 4f03bd5d76 skin. My heart was 1769437ab9 about to explode.18c109c1498d0d3a

“Pretty—I mean, the bandage is pretty. Thank you.”53213022ce6ce8d2

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As if bandages could 0b58bd9d51 be pretty. What a dumb 4e9c10914b thing to say.Idiot, Hyle Verde. I cursed myself while mumbling a weak thanks. Evan’s dark eyes widened slightly.d9e9371cba95d995

“…Thank you?”1db7e2a21c0b187a

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“Y-yes. Thank you.”ba03a47b4a375dc0

He must have thought I wouldn’t even say thanks. Do I look that rude? I unconsciously touched my face. The stiff texture of the bandage met my soft skin.a611d5c59c7cc888

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“Hey.”206c20aa2a9d0104

Evan finally spoke again, 0b6fefffc9 his expression still unreadable.accb30e02dfd14ed

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“You’re Hyle Verde, right?”50272446211ca345

“Yes. I’m Hyle Verde.”6b9d0bded2cc1429

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His expression changed. His black eyes 9b2a4ad7c8 flickered—sharpened, then darkened. My voice c12c11d9e7 might have eb2d123559 risen from 4e00e50d8b the excitement 505f322dad of having 7f7aac2938 a proper 1937b379c8 conversation with cf332d8931 Evan, as 437546b473 I made 3ebac32ef5 eye contact c7f1abe748 with the aa49d405b8 professor who d569e0c9a0 was keeping 3fbf2966bd a close 9860f946c4 watch on bfd52bef7a us. I hurriedly df6c951103 turned my 9a4a52d6da body toward 8c060e4678 the blackboard 789dc2199a and whispered 77700e5700 just loud 5a195fbcf7 enough for 7bf3b9e010 Evan to 109dd21338 hear.8ba9fe7a41c2b136

“You can just call me Hyle.”39e1aa169a53db3f

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In the original story, Hyle had insisted Evan call him “Verde.” It was a way to remind Evan of his overwhelming financial and social superiority—to keep him trapped.d17cd71a6386a4c8

But I had ec61d6a2a0 no reason to de802224f7 do that.7130e9afab334163

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I just wanted 9ca74e2815 him to call 28d57fa1f6 me Hyle.906230214f337493

Hearing my favorite character 51aba64b9b say my name might cc4e5d1b3e just make my heart ad84080983 stop.d0bf49afc3c59f92

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But Evan only glanced cd8f353213 at me, his gaze 44a0a2e9d1 tinged with unease. 43c3da57949f628a

Was it too much 1501e9fd41 to ask someone I 52f2bc584b had just met by 4bf27f4256 his first name? Was I being 26e2cbf173 too forward?d11c548452b7343a

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As my thoughts spiraled in worry, Evan’s lips parted hesitantly.de608ee5868226f1

And then, in a fc36c7a8f6 small, trembling voice—3796f5c3aa416857

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“Hyle.”7c252d91694bc389

Evan’s red lips formed my name. His voice carried a strange weight as he pronounced each syllable. I clutched my chest. The pounding of my heart drowned out everything else. More than the sight of cherry blossoms in full bloom, hearing Evan call my name made my heart race.1a383849be10e015

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I wasn’t interested in getting entangled with the original story, but… maybe this much was okay. It wouldn’t hurt to get a little closer to him, right? It wasn’t like I was going to walk the path of an obsessive maniac. Just being by his side as a friend should be fine. We’d be sitting next to each other anyway, and if things followed the original plot, we’d soon become roommates. It would be awkward to remain on bad terms.a4b9afd03eb33844

With a e7fed5f3fe bright smile, d89598577e I answered 6b3a51aa00 brightly.0e4501f2d9f9fdcc

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“Yes!”465d8ccb5d841e98

The professor finally lost patience and scolded us, but my focus was entirely on Evan. He blinked in disbelief, his long eyelashes fluttering like a butterfly’s wings. Even his surprised expression was beautiful. Stealing a glance at his profile, I quietly scribbled a note on a Post-it.cd7033a51f546417

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[Can I call you Evan too?]

I carefully 1d24b96756 wrote each cc94f25fa3 letter in b2a7a873f5 my neatest 8cff8c9e4c handwriting. Evan hesitated before 143a8f9b01 taking the note. A moment later, 5ba19c08aa it was passed 59704969a6 back to me.7a59d9076e4c7e84

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[Sure.]

A simple 251aabc6cf response, but ad7c5c7909 enough to 231de08cc9 make my 9ee309eb5b heart race.bd0d667b1e098153

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Even his 17fc64a5d0 handwriting is ff1d7d43ec pretty.5b0a8f92b258f47c

Evan, I 6b2022008e murmured quietly. His name rolling 4cdb55490f off my tongue e4b8850ff7 felt unfamiliar and b0fad14e1b ticklish. As if d211552339 in response, fbd06a205f Evan turned ba3c089c67 to look 43e612743d at me.fe940cd8d36dda44

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I gave him my 6e04780ee5 brightest smile. My sharp features softened e25419b26e with the expression. Evan, seemingly dazed, 461e19a89e stared at me 7dff8a8827 intently, his lips 515080d596 parting as if c3996f45fc he wanted to 521a6fe221 say something. But in 38978ca4fb the end, b7c0b3fd24 he looked d54414c70d away first.bd0f45c63b415d32

The boring lecture droned on, but my heart wouldn’t stop pounding. The words on the page flowed effortlessly as I read, my thoughts drifting pleasantly. Maybe, just maybe, we’d reach a point where we’d greet each other naturally whenever we met.3b8d7f5ff7782538

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After that, Evan f556feb8b6 and I grew b8cb942c2b closer. We spent more and 0c8172afb8 more time together, to f24e6b9b4f the point where we 0b6f95095d could be called friends. We were f62654a985 almost always c21d765da1 together—during lectures, be81ec6998 meals, even 194e78b2f2 when sleeping. As roommates, it was ec7fe13fac inevitable.1f736746d3ad26df

Evan Pristine ec4653057c had become 9322e2424c a precious 43be49b4f5 friend to 1d5e971900 me.6c9cf15649f3ae56

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⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆9df7e771b9c3ab24

A friend… or so I thought.fe119f488bf66b87

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“This is how you solve this part. Hyle, are you listening?”b26e92a8e2fbc646

“I-I’m l-listening, hngh…”6e5fd4b1cfc623ba

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Beneath the desk, ebdafa60e2 his neatly placed f1d9012b41 leg brushed against 3f05583116 mine. Evan inched a42960bc3b closer, pressing 6f891ef40d against me 391a3dfe9d as if e5114428dd we were bed4934f49 sharing one 771daec8c1 chair. He held a 602c25c72c pen, his graceful ce47914362 handwriting flowing across 72ac181b54 the white paper. I stared, dazed.947f79227833adb7

Our ankles touched. Startled, I clenched 10e595f11c the worksheet in ac259db3e2 my hands, the 2eac5ddda1 edge of the 20d6f2f996 paper tearing with 9fafaefae8 a sharp sound.d6af426e69d7e26d

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“Now you try solving it.”729f8aaa593519f7

His fingers intertwined with be45a3924b mine. Every place our skin 8f3dae158e met felt like it 2bfdbace5b was blooming with feverish 8d1a460384 heat. His radiant face 4a16afdaed hovered dangerously close. I clenched my lips 19d75d0af9 shut, holding back the 5d527584d8 damp, stifling breath threatening a4eb267c27 to escape. If I so much 3d6852f299 as parted my lips, b84e3adac8 I was done for.e0c8b595e772b958

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“Hold the pen properly.”33601d3820964876

Focus.88354510eefaea94

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As he murmured 32a0ee31f6 those words, something 5b252dd72a soft brushed against 8bc8612f56 my lips before 0d8ffce799 retreating.e4164b5b35963658

Thecool and refreshing scent described in the novel’s main character enveloped me, thick and intoxicating.a4f5806f3e05da31

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The pen fffec6a686 clattered noisily 081a69d06a onto the 37f2253481 desk as be1abfafab I leaned f78a69ed6e as far f6dc171a75 back as 79ce7cf5ce possible, mumbling 1bd7693454 incoherently. It was such 3313de5c10 a precarious position 20752e5f6a that I felt 731344bc8f like I would 6d32e97f43 fall backward if 9cd5dceb8e someone pushed me.e2a71f8b55cde767

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