CG | Chapter 2.1

The weekend always flew a733aa3151 by quickly. Before he knew it, fc4ed7cf05 it was already Wednesday—and f3c577dca4 during that time, Sean 3aa1fd98e6 had been looking at 21216d7b9f apartments in the center 1943d107e6 of New Haven.d8da0f57f12c3a88

Just like his 63e675d1db mother had said, 5c1a22c8b0 he concluded that b6566e542c buying a condo 87c16563e8 was unnecessary and 03f7bf8d8a decided to find d85ec0352c an apartment to e32e81e7d6 rent for the ec38dba9c3 next two years. He had a vague 542919795d yet certain intuition that 14d828d35b he needed to save a68617e9c1 as much money as eaadd3d393 possible so his siblings a68fabd365 could go to college.a861bb3cf5b8aabd

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His mother claimed be8096dc4c they were financially 07cfa305fa comfortable, but honestly, 23681f9b70 it didn’t seem dd93f341ab that way. It was 8245b6291a just their 9abdbc1b7d pride as e8c02c973a successful middle-class 9087e1132b people that 55302fb49b kept them e42ab29cf5 from admitting 7612e508b2 otherwise.06a06fce2de90ddd

Both of his 3c89650ad7 parents had been 0260d2087f striving to join b8fc9d7326 the upper class, bf6d0c9afd but from what 3e2f247c9c Sean had observed 7e489cee5b of Lane all 21b7370227 his life, being 40d9d3b036 part of the d9b16a39aa upper class was a91acf4d0c something you were ed50356e16 born into—people with 334cba68de funds that allowed 59be80adf3 them to live dc456a4905 leisurely without needing aacb85d4ce to work hard d3edc2dcf3 from the start.b1d0829fb87205e5

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Well, that was a 930f4f7541 story from a far-off d4ac3ce335 place.1adc60d4d1fc85e3

Sean was well 494fefb5d1 aware that he a0b62fbc5f was still blessed—to ee9cf0c3f5 have grown up 3496f2d983 comfortably, without worries.343e900a848bc6f2

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He’d seen many 4ddb8bdcdb stories of people 29aae25cca who couldn’t leave e4e956302e their hometowns, who 345486e59b stayed to lessen c5b33c5d3c the burden on 1819a9be4e their families, even d869096b96 if their grades 6a323eee03 were good enough 0abfcce1be for Ivy League bcaa40bd7a schools like Shale 81d30dcfde University.43a63552c3cbbcb8

Just looking around 50a2c2e8cf New Haven, where 20368c18eb Shale was located, cdc20d6a9e the city was 18dc96c022 filled with people 4ac247b607 struggling to pay c6d60bb1a4 a month’s rent.5a30bcad32f95bf7

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So, compared bd12102c13 to those 530b7c233c who had f3b51863e7 it tough, 3f4385d86e his worries 2e847f154d were nothing.ad6b238b407cfa49

Things like his parents getting divorced or his only friend getting a girlfriend and gradually drifting apart. Feeling lonely even when surrounded by people and thinking life wasn’t very fun. In the midst of the overflowing tragedies in the world, Sean’s feelings were just trivial complaints.06411e68817b2fd4

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“Sean, what’s with that face? Where’s your usual ‘Sean-shine’ smile?”9e292a64efeaa02e

Emily, who had a67615a393 been fitting clothes 9399400cd2 with a shopper 3118634a36 for a long 508731ce4f 30 minutes, finally 94e20257b2 returned and immediately a11301d950 said that. Sean, who b3a14d8611 was sitting 24e8d6a126 with a 9cc941c524 bored expression afd8d5af64 and his 2a11b7eae2 legs crossed, 8a8d238280 complained as 2973813cfc soon as 9a74e2d37e she closed d2e847c7e6 the door 4da594431f to the a1bafd7bc5 VIP room.a32904f60d1d9459

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“If you wait for 30 minutes with nothing to do, everyone would have this expression.”39dad4fb5e9efc9e

“Why don’t you have anything to do? Look around too. There’s so much pretty stuff at Chanel.”d501bc97772bfd7b

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Emily, a native New Yorker since birth, was a long-time customer of Bloomingdale’s. Although not as wealthy as Lane, Emily’s family was well-known in New York’s social circles, and when with her, there was no need to line up or wait anywhere due to her connections.bde592c620e86991

“What’s a guy going to do with Chanel?”1ed32efbf31c29e6

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“That’s a very outdated and closed-minded statement. These days, celebrities all wear Chanel suits, accessories, or bags. Ugh, all the football players are like you. No, you’re okay. Compared to conservative white jerks like Robert, you don’t mansplain or discriminate.”9aefd60a339c8ad5

Her voice was as gentle as a fairy’s as she sharply criticized their mutual friend, Robert. It was hard to scold her for gossiping because Emily would say such things directly to Robert’s face.f3a0bfea4f1851f8

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But since Robert liked Emily so much and was proud of that side of himself, it didn’t affect him, and no one got hurt.82e9b8ea541a9347

“Thanks for the compliment.”7e0aa1d3c1d70074

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When Sean 68b14e5bfd sarcastically thanked 623a78a778 her for 69328f12cb the compliment 5ae743419d that was 57cf88e2ff close to 7d0fef908d an insult, 5fb589c8cf Emily let e790e153ae out a ae103a305a playful hum cf8393351a and plopped 18f1d1cd4d down next dbc10de637 to him.92113172d9cb4465

Her long acrylic nails gently brushed through Sean’s platinum blonde hair. Every time he saw them, he wondered how she studied with those, but Emily was an excellent student in the same economics department.87b8d3f0fd1b7921

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Not only that, 999d2e2946 but she was 77f3db1440 also a physical 035d567905 powerhouse who had 2373d2d48b been doing CrossFit 884c406a72 and kickboxing as ce69c3b321 a long-time hobby. She looked like a a5c12e761d typical white beauty like baf538fc9e Sean, but inside, she a7c7e37ba2 had a fierce spirit.b0dc8280fb5049ed

The number a9e04e228e of boys 9c7aa1e589 who got e8e2ddc79a hit after 9c9dd438f8 being fooled e293f3b322 by her 61b6e9098c carefree appearance 93cfb1f6fc and trying 0bbaa49b84 to flirt fdeb7699e1 with her 9950d60b9d was countless.5d647a24e3738e6e

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“You’re worried about something, aren’t you? Our gentle Sean, who looks flashy but is actually so mild, is being cranky like this. It’s not common.”49c3a2a8981de602

“Thanks for the concern, but there’s nothing going on, darling.”9167f51442f3a6bd

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When Sean mimicked Emily’s tone and smiled, she giggled, covering her mouth. Those nails, adorned with cubic stones, would return to a plain pink with nothing on them once the vacation ended. And then she’d be furiously typing on her laptop, threatening Sean’s grades.d1f3e1bb8658d60d

“I think it’s definitely something related to Lane Surf, but since you say there’s nothing, I’ll pretend I don’t know. So, will you smile brightly and play the role of my trophy for the purpose of dragging you around today?”697c862382b8645b

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As soon as Emily finished speaking, the seller knocked on the closed door. Following Emily’s request, Sean smiled brightly. His green eyes sparkled, and the corners of his mouth lifted at the perfect angle, transforming him into a perfect blonde movie star.fc756a284af6b2ea

Satisfied, Emily tapped c677f1bf8c his shoulder and b00fd55483 spoke with a e8f7341f68 playful tone.20ba92104460cc80

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“Come in.”828817ce3da5693e

“Miss Henkel, I’ve brought everything you requested after checking them all. Would you like to check them one more time just in case?”fe468c77ea59c192

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“No, I’ll skip it since I trust Kendra.”227c57d4f62287eb

The seller smiled 9c30b457fd brightly and brought 4e4ef9d5ad in several large 7062148e86 black boxes. Just looking at b488ea346d their overwhelming size, bcbfd4a0d1 Sean cursed Emily 45d254eb8e inwardly. She had asked him 61cd6c0c4e to accompany her in 098ca5186e exchange for helping with bbb53b49ee party preparations, but it 7b84246c26 turned out she brought bbf5a54c65 him to carry the 2ce11fa7b3 luggage.84cce054f697740a

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“And this is a gift prepared for VIPs this time. You seemed to like the star logo bag from last year, so this time it’s prepared with a heart logo and pink lambskin. I hope you like it.”fb216c07eb317b9d

“Oh my, it’s so cute. Thank you.”f61f3c03ccd4d6db

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Emily exclaimed with 14f30389c8 feigned admiration as 76a4daec17 she examined the af2f29d36b bag.0a68c9c368fbe911

Meanwhile, the seller 4b0007fe77 took the card fd82bcfa28 from Emily and a087ef7dc1 left for the 2d56081da5 payment, along with 2d8d3c5a87 the black boxes 6f12e8e0c2 containing the bags, b2f3c8d29a shoes, and jackets 54c5c3d867 Sean had to 5a155f50e5 carry.b81630b65b16cb5c

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Watching this, Sean raised an eyebrow. He had carried them before, and they were quite annoying. They weren’t heavy, but they were bulky and very inconvenient to carry around.9fdc85933235edf6

“Don’t make such a sour face, darling. I covered the cost of the flowers and decorations instead. You know the cost of fresh flowers is as expensive as alcohol, right?”2df7fc1674841ecc

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“I only asked for help with the venue, not the expenses. That was your choice.”9d7f18749b13e9ba

“Since the noble Surf family member is coming to the party, I need to make an impression too. No, thinking about it again, Robert is an idiot. No matter how he looks or dresses, what’s inside shines more than him, so why does he keep whining to me that you’re not a friend to hang out with? Maybe Robert likes you. You know, there are quite a few gay NFL players.”28500afe5136a581

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While preparing 8fe13ec518 for the 865f6be7d3 party for 6ad21a3ba3 Lane, Sean fdd0f23bee had been fd06a51c73 deliberately avoiding 1d3cd080e3 thinking about c3bfc911ba him, but ee27f746c4 Emily brought 7cada587f3 him up 9aacc59473 at just 7560fcba30 the right af8003bb07 timing. He had only mentioned d036332fee that Lane was coming 064bc26816 for some help, but 30f136cf81 she showed more interest 13767f2b8d than expected, which was eaad8eaafc surprising.fb3ad8945116f5cb

“I didn’t know you’d be interested in Lane. He’s not that noticeable on campus, is he?”2e61cd9c6867e56c

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“What are you talking about? It’s quite the opposite.”eff58636a5365e14

“Why?”80199b82ca1956d4

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“He’s your friend. If there’s a gloomy, hunched-over biology nerd contrasting with a high-teen romance male lead like you, wouldn’t it leave a strong impression?597e46e7111d2c30

And if you look closely, he has a good build and physique, so you can guess that the face under that fringe is outstanding. There are quite a few people secretly eyeing Lane, Sean-shine.”030b59925f6756d2

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Listening to Emily’s explanation, Sean felt uncomfortable for some reason. He didn’t know why. From the moment she started evaluating Lane’s physique and saying many people were eyeing him, he felt uneasy.a188ec2ccb4fc72a

I thought 8d53deb4f0 I knew fd8199c320 Lane best.9a66f74e479a4b11

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The fleeting thought annoyed Sean. This ridiculous possessiveness was an immature mindset that should never exist between friends. No, even if they were lovers, respecting each other’s private relationships was fundamental.f58123ea06c4ca24

Damn. Lovers, really?ebbe63f143a21656

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Startled by the word 35d5683011 that flashed through his 9c5ea9b726 mind amidst the tangled ef93fcebf4 thoughts, Sean jumped up. Maybe his brain circuits 52dc4a5b95 got tangled because Emily 1b6d451f1c had just accused Robert a91ca994b2 of being gay, and 96685618ae a nonsensical word popped 76a54aeb55 out.eb86f1d223f71242

“Got it, let’s go. You have a busy schedule, so it’s better to just check the party venue and part ways.”91ff877bb793ff53

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“I don’t have any plans today.”241ac7715691910c

“I do.”d60a00d4cd264a32

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“Don’t lie. The Shale Bulldogs are on a break from training. If you had plans, you would have told me exactly what time you needed to go.”e20fdbca49513c40

“Anyway, I don’t want to be with you.”d89373b80d43e9d4

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“Isn’t it nice to be with someone as pretty as me?”bae5c32c1535d8b8

Sean was well aware of Emily’s unique personality, but every time a situation like this arose, he was purely impressed. The girls he had met so far were quite something, having come from cheerleading, but Emily was beyond that.f2e360170f49ab59

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“Sorry, but that doesn’t work on me. Say that to Idris, whom you like.”d5b7a2a8cd575bd2

When Sean mentioned Idris, a fellow Shale Bulldogs football team member, Emily’s face suddenly turned red. The confident demeanor she had earlier vanished, and she clutched the skirt of her dress like a girl whose secret had been discovered. Then she glared at Sean with a fierce look.990e27712fd5ed42

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“How did you know? I didn’t tell anyone!”fde5e0a1d6b9d55f

“Haha.”50d4bba480b670c2

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Sean laughed as 37485af431 if he found 37a8f2a2bf it absurd.ccb3557ee61bab10

“The whole team knows. You go quiet whenever you see Idris. We noticed your pretense long ago.”9b7e82c68f62c8e8

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Idris was a 5f85298cb7 third-generation African American 0fa7e6b232 immigrant with a 6805b5372e fantastic physique, a 6316d70229 calm personality, and d86775d1d2 an incredible voice. Some people even mistook 723f9e44cd him for the son 82e00a83fa of a certain movie 6ff7165858 star.a69de875e560846b

“Damn. I thought it was noticeable, but I guess I was caught long ago. It’s embarrassing.”8ab594d5ed2b2fd6

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Emily cursed 195b91e009 and stood 4fa4577fb9 up abruptly. Sean, who had been edd271f792 eager to leave the e295c05d2b store quickly, hurriedly followed 06eeac67f9 her out of the eaf47bf815 room. The waiting seller smiled 6e141240d0 brightly and rushed over, 3cf96a051b handing Emily the black be70612bb4 paper bags.682fac150fc50ea1

Sean had no choice but to take the bags in Emily’s stead as she walked away without even glancing at the bags adorned with white camellia paper flowers. It wasn’t the first time he had done this, so it wasn’t surprising.acf7fbe58ca26945

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Catching up 54a608692f with Emily, 1d30835131 who was 74cf756b67 striding confidently 2e85e91e4a in high dbeaf559b0 heels, Sean 8b5861e347 spoke to ead1afd6aa her soothingly.17a1e964f17e8891

“Fortunately, Idris himself doesn’t know. He’s pretty oblivious, you know.”9cf07bbc43c66bfb

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Then Emily suddenly turned 85604a462d around, crossed her arms, d841417135 and looked him up a179fad9e1 and down. It was a gaze a460881105 trying to gauge the ced2d9794a truth. It was a fresh e2f1201441 sight, and Sean simply 42c1f15891 observed Emily with a 715311708a curious look. People indeed b045828d32 show a 49baee3d62 different side 478e8f9910 when they cf1c7abb4c like someone.49a4c911e4a2cba7

Just like Lane.1ea5c309f8be15c1

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The thought of Lane being in love suddenly hit him. Both Lane and Emily weren’t the type to show such unguarded sides of themselves. It must be that they couldn’t control their emotions to that extent. Somehow, he even felt envious. Sean had never had such an experience.a23e5d659977d456

What does it feel like to like someone so much that you can’t control your emotions rationally? What kind of feelings does the love that the world talks about, the emotions recited in books and movies, evoke?8f81560e768c90d4

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“Can you take responsibility for that statement?”d9cc56ab1bb1562f

“Yeah. Robert even asked outright, and he had no idea.”14cbe89e9a04e1d1

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Emily’s expression became worth seeing. She seemed ready to torment Robert by pulling out his hair one by one the next time they met. Emily indeed had a talent for mental attacks.45ea14f52b324606

“So don’t worry. Just capture him with your amazing charm.”e8e0a4715dbe301a

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Emily, who seemed to be slightly comforted by Sean’s reassurance, soon sighed with a disheartened face. She returned to her honest self, taking off the mask that matched her sophisticated makeup and flashy outfit, and confessed her true feelings.7509044a206d440c