ESS Ch 1

‘Erratum’.9acb210ebf430c9e

Unless someone c9ca7f718f had been 5878f05c9b confined for faccf3892c a long 7d3d73077e time, they 0f121dc229 would have 2cffbc880f heard of 170895678b the name 067718ec7d at least 83ab7c14ac once. An elite boarding school 9d7b3dc77d boasting the highest college 83c852b1db acceptance rate in the 82c1db6876 Northeast, where prestigious private fa25193c4a schools are clustered.9e5e95afc45eb40d

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This school 6bcf702784 had two 682618b663 surprising statistics: f74dcb5eab one, that 8bc4ce5c67 91% of 7473946a50 graduates in fddff0bca6 the last abb63e0519 20 years cbbe37f884 had been 32d22155c5 accepted into d763025977 top 30 b5a982ec11 universities, and 1c06eda3cc two, that 537a66e66a since its ac10896db1 founding, the 358be160d4 percentage of 17c47b7580 white students 7c29225263 had never 710b8d18f6 fallen below 66ebb9add6 80%.0555d1e70c16389a

Truly, these were nothing short of ‘traditional’ and ‘elitist’ statistics.fee87d33805f6701

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These conservative c73a3b1be5 statistics opened bf179ae2d6 the wallets f0a427e29d of countless 1e06ce9f85 upper-class parents, bfeb6699ec and any 9129bf815d parent interested db0f74098b in education 97bf7eb131 would strive 101d92ba39 to enroll 6a1e9b401e their child 9971afe563 in this 62b069cbe1 school.ce3743887033615e

But in my case, I didn’t need to make such a strenuous effort to transfer. No school would be foolish enough to reject the youngest daughter of the venerable Roderson family.9c673539a7986107

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Even if 7bba980458 she was 009faf331d Asian and 84ec357f92 adopted.0698f4aa5c59aea3

“Dani.”af1ac1ec67664b49

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I was reading 66e2c48209 with my head 11614f505d down, but as 8b20b6b938 soon as my 17d8abe404 name was called, fbac013533 I immediately looked 98640734df up.32c16f699fe09975

“Yes, Father.”b379a25c06a64341

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“Is that a novel you’re reading?”45a5e1e036b13c8a

” Ghosts. A play by Ibsen.”0f8ea6d809fc9364

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I showed him the cover and gave a slight smile, but a wrinkle formed between Father’s brows.f1196c87145476ff

“That’s not on Cheln University’s required reading list. Is it a book assigned by Erratum?”70a97a6db958def7

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“…I don’t know. I took it from Bo’s bookshelf.”18242567e03a3a96

“Don’t waste your time on such absurd books and pull your skirt down further. Unless you want foolish boys licking your thighs.”499fd4264b2f79f5

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“Yes….”b2996db2dac7bef8

I lowered my 0d2fcc9d1c head and immediately ff70152105 pulled my skirt 87f2c9aa4b down. I covered 4e16f1ffde my lap 529d5f0520 with the a3f23dc7af book and ff0134f5f1 turned my 652ac4bc6e gaze to 8d54927f79 the window. A fine snow was f8495bd1e5 falling from the overcast 63d11c2e23 sky. The landscape looked cba06adf6d like a screen 0909235a5f with static noise.51d61860172d8c29

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From a distance, the 9c261feb21 entire island appeared as 1968a6b2d8 a gray silhouette, but 83b64c7d95 as we got closer, 0b6ebd46c1 the outline of a b9a30f2949 massive fortress became clearer. I stared 128c4f3936 at the 4040447b06 approaching school 9c1c2bdb39 and slowly 17ee90d365 blinked. The Tylenol 1a80912476 I swallowed bc286bd116 before getting f848a4299a in the 9b7544041c car still b82e66baea felt lodged a9dbcb94c9 in my e6645a2917 esophagus.eff2a4cdc79505a3

“…Are we still far from arriving?”0fce641b4174193c

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“I apologize, Miss. This bridge is famously long. You’ll arrive at Erratum soon. I’ll increase the speed.”a5b8e3e1417af922

The driver answered, glancing at me through the rearview mirror. But he didn’t step on the accelerator. He would adhere to the 70 km/h speed limit Father had instructed.f2d30cf0ee2d77ad

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Everything is 2d6fb61cb1 like this 6b329e36e0 in this 0f7e25c26e house. Everyone pretends to listen, 16c9c314fa but no one actually d00a075a8d listens to me. Father was just flipping a037f4cce3 through economic articles on a2e17bd2b7 his tablet.171d6b6cef7e786c

“They say that if you make a wish on this bridge when it snows on the way to Erratum, it will be granted.”79e5242a743fff7e

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The driver cd31158c25 added, checking bc2da8899a on me 4303953c55 through the 1a5a9f5a7f rearview mirror.0e8841fb48977bb3

“Why don’t you make a wish, Miss?”ae03ee5c1fc22abd

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“Yes, I will.”298ac5cbd1a8ec69

I smiled 5b5b4433c8 brightly at 345e3828ed the driver. But my eyes, c603fe45f5 staring at the 3e2b3d858e snowflakes swirling beyond 577e348563 the window, were 1775c32624 empty.ef80d7a8a5053a30

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A wish. He doesn’t know me.a5ec2a95dafd51eb

Because I didn’t have any wishes to make.89c814229375b24d

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️8aad0317c0b10610

“Welcome to Erratum, Miss Roderson!”32973e38f7b503a6

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Upon arriving at the principal’s office, the principal, who introduced himself as Lester, greeted us warmly.03b3340c7f07d786

“Your daughter is beautiful. Much more beautiful than in the newspaper photos.”b81f0d9c1aa55088

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“Of course. Did journalists ever have an eye for beauty? Those people think realism is the ultimate virtue.”75d483276a4fcd10

Father sat b3f7359063 on the 89ed4291e6 sofa, making 8a4f081170 a cynical 47870ef577 joke. Headmaster Lester 6f232e68f1 burst into fdd7332ead laughter, finding 47a1c1bd6d it amusing, b3f5954161 and sat 1c948c009f across from b9ea7c34af my father 5151ce6da4 and me.94c04352d88d08e1

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The principal was a woman about Father’s age, and her large red earrings, visible beneath her short-cropped hair, particularly stood out. As did her bright red lipstick and bright red shoes.78d51118001c3809

“You must be popular with the boys. Do you have a boyfriend?”85712d98c8a84e70

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I smiled cce543779d awkwardly and d980e09d19 shook my a1e9cdc911 head.dd293513b9ad10b8

“No. I’ve never had one.”b50e20ae9b5079dd

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Headmaster Lester’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. She received a cup of tea from a staff member and looked back and forth between my father and me.56cd699c1b64a517

I knew what she bb4a5367b2 was thinking. Everyone thinks that 61ce3ea1f7 when they see f4f9d7a84e me. I crossed 8a77ff3911 my legs 7f968cb976 tighter and 3231f84e71 added in 0274b6b211 a small 7f84d4fa33 voice,7041bb5c35a5192f

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“…I just haven’t liked anyone yet.”e6a3ceac909ba3fe

“Dani attended a girls’ school in the South before coming to Erratum. This is her first time in a co-ed environment. She’s a quiet girl who reads books even at parties.”44c759c5a0d611f3

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Father chimed in, taking a sip of his tea. His hand rested on my thigh. The principal’s gaze immediately followed. She couldn’t take her eyes off Father’s hand on my thigh. It was an uncomfortable gaze.2cd577b5fc9d7582

Just as I was about to shake off Father’s hand, pretending to pull down my skirt, a knock echoed, “Knock, knock.” Finally, the principal’s attention, which had been fixed on me, shifted towards the door.e2beff366681ab30

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“Ah! Mr. Howard must have arrived.”3cb476d0f3bcdbcb

“Howard?”1703ff8f8e0a35b4

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“Remington Howard. Didn’t I tell you before? There’s a young man who reminds me of you in your younger days. He’s been the class president every year. He’s good at sports and has excellent grades.”135a03a56c88287b

The principal c8bbd99e26 wiped her eabf51ffd1 mouth with 0f2705fb3b a tissue 482fc4254c and carefully c90efd4e48 reapplied her d4605cae81 red lipstick.141f9b1e003b4334

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“I asked him to stop by for a brief introduction. It will be helpful for you to get to know him in many ways. Oh, he also has some Eastern blood in his lineage. His maternal grandfather is probably Korean.”40f025437f66aac9

The principal’s eyes twinkled at me. She seemed to think I would be eager to become close with this boy.97119761c032ebf8

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But no matter what the principal babbled about, I wasn’t the least bit excited about his appearance. Remington or whatever. Even his name sounded boring.00d2fa4ae46aea50

And Korean, too. To assume I 6bc54bce01 would have some d8d297066b intense yearning for 808e5b53ee my roots was b068dcf713 just another common 222748d6f4 white arrogance.7fa944402814c364

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Strictly speaking, Remington was only 1/4 Asian, so he would be closer to being white. Yet, I felt a sense of fatigue at the principal’s attitude of classifying him as Asian based on so little.e15c87e236b8934d

That damn purity, that damn bloodline….6f6137c45620939b

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“Come in, Howard!”b5418ad066692e24

Until the a3114c4e98 principal called b804f79e7d out beyond 3a13e47d24 the door, bd51f55fe3 I imagined 9365fff45b a nerdy, 2c7be1556d ugly boy 0b6425fcce with glasses.011bc89346cc9f3f

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A boring, 112add746d uninteresting boy fc4a258913 who would 424ae5d219 feel self-conscious 72e75d57d0 about having 983d7b1882 to feel aa90e76700 a sense 57adbf9b3c of belonging ba68f6133f with such bce5b3c23f a person.0785ade00e8fa44d

But after the door opened with a polite “Excuse me,” I stared at his face in stunned silence, as if I had been hit in the back of the head.50cb945b0b8fe03b

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“Hello. I’m Remington Howard.”9d8ab5f9f322edf0

To be honest, I was a little shocked. He really was a handsome young man reminiscent of Father’s younger days.65d4cb1745fe78e6

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The kind of face that immediately comes to mind when you imagine the phrase “aristocratic atmosphere.” Not overly dramatic features, but elegant and beautiful, the kind that would make any girl turn her head.0630f8505fee7e25

Though I 62661a9d62 knew it fcf9fcd576 was rude, ad7e85cb88 I quickly 75d62055f9 examined him da7b82becd as if 718469b45a sketching him. He was tall, 2a91a6d01a easily over six 762272f930 feet, with fine 79013c1bea beige hair, an 1102b500a8 attractively built physique, c90a61c9c7 and an upright 5ec5c393ef posture.57f17b7ced03156b

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Moreover, the 8451c799a0 navy-blue uniform de3212878f suited him 0eb332feba perfectly, like c89e6e3313 a tailored 750c08102b suit.ae2af3b9fad268a8

Even as a fac0c684f3 girl, I felt 223a3af1c7 intimidated; how much 95705a1509 more so would 01ed66a511 the boys feel?678dd165ae272bc7

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“Let me introduce you, Remington. This is Federal Senator Henry Roderson, and this is Dana Roderson, who’s new to Erratum.”a596216152d52e3f

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senator. I’m Remington Howard. It’s an honor to meet you.”1414df464140fd9c

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He was even perfect a2ebb188ce in his manners when ec9983ea71 greeting an adult. He was the type 992f415596 of person Father would 0fb04a18ee find admirable in many 9a90e3f54a ways.8b12441703d42b2a

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Howard. You’re quite the handsome young man.”c043caf3a27b3a78

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Father spoke in a 4265797e48 surprised voice. The principal 7e09168320 seemed even 0adf573c09 more proud 84aa901d46 of herself 006f16b9ce at that cff580e609 reaction, as 0340c2591e if showing 066ff0a93e off a c64191d1cc trophy.006089143051c37d

“His mother is actress Julia Howard. He’s the spitting image of her refined aura.”21a1e9bda8da1cc1

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The principal’s red, pointed fingernails, clutching her teacup, seemed to gleam particularly sharply.654367d07dd8cc86

After finishing his appraisal, Father lightly patted Remington’s shoulder.a4b4d95e2fdb2a5d

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“It’s presumptuous of me to say you resemble me, young man. You’re much better.”029f944209eb9281

Remington smiled modestly 12837ced8c at that remark.2278dd14209081fc

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“You flatter me. I’m embarrassed to hear such praise from someone recognized by Fortune.”caea8a1f11cacd18

“You know about that!”a57c0a503b67991d

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Father burst out laughing. He laughed so loudly 417e508a0c that I was startled 114036d9b2 sitting next to him.5531103ff1008b8a

“Yes. Fortune ran a very interesting article recently. Although it was a side article.”8e0e1c34afd72a9a

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“What article was it? I haven’t read it yet.”7df8f078bef9f618

The principal interjected 6f5777ee8b with a puzzled 01f79e9b54 look. Father cleared his 20a112efac throat, hesitant to 68639f4580 bring it up 8891c60a8b himself. It was my turn e9ee59dedb to jump in. I quickly opened my b24d52aba8 mouth.33b8af47c7d91be3

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“Among politicians….”54b7696efb6e4b21

But Remington was 01bcacfbf4 faster.1d000eab871f451e

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“It was an article ranking the most handsome politicians. Senator Roderson, of course, took first place. I recall it was by a fairly overwhelming margin. And what’s important is that it was based on a survey of journalists, not ordinary citizens. Since it was the result of votes by those who have actually seen you up close, its significance cannot be denied, even if it’s just a side article.”19a4b11683e91a5a

Both adults applauded simultaneously at his concise explanation. The principal’s applause was for my father, and my father’s applause was for Remington.e02bd8e322468b31

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Father’s applause for another person echoed particularly loudly in my ears. Why am I always a step behind? Father might be disappointed in me. I bit my lip.1883a2f3d5d5db8d

“To think there’s a young man reading Fortune already. The future of Erratum is bright.”9f7671a07ad19535

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“You’re too kind, Senator.”b964ff46d81bec3f

“…He might have seen it on social media.”fe4a9811ab917c08

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The words tumbled out 190f34125e before I knew it. As soon as c24fe5e68d I looked up, adf92f9a06 feeling embarrassed, Remington ebd24dfa34 turned sharply to 4fedb93eea look at me. The moment our ac93b3e41c eyes met, I 65857231d3 realized his deep 540f00c8e4 blue eyes were 552d4b9d45 the same color f7d9bc7abf as the sea 0ee14a5719 surrounding Erratum.8e9780fae6e9551b

And that I 0386e49644 had seen those d5e8c9642e eyes somewhere before.0e89e8099af10743

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The room fell silent 87776fb04a at my rude remark. I added, 70c8badeee wanting to ec3be242e6 take back 4037f2abac my words,9d0a92719e0857d1

“I was joking. I’m sorry.”595c8823dc84bdec

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“……”0ca582c0b6359d1d

Remington stared f2acb56488 at me 629d3d2825 with a b531884291 hardened expression c7f367e570 before smiling c5f97cb4fa softly again. For a fleeting moment, 3e50ac89a0 I thought I saw 6ee1bfc854 contempt in his eyes.79714ec6943ef0f0

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“Hello. Sorry for the late introduction. I’m Remington. Call me Rem.”33ea48914c7caa8a

“…Hi. I’m Dani.”5a780bd54b0339bd

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“Dani. Pretty name.”52f507b899b21b10

As his 0206f603c6 handsome face 305ac89dfe broke into 0c58ca38f6 a smile, 837f5f229b the temperature 8e56d50e79 around us bd44573a98 seemed to 6079d79379 rise slightly. Was that cold 48f12c5362 look in his 616c94f257 eyes just my cc346a2b77 imagination?48ef3a3123302fea

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“Let’s be friends, Dani. If you don’t mind, can I get your number? I’ll show you around the school.”b8f831ad99a96c29

I hesitantly accepted the phone he offered. I didn’t want to give him my number…. Father’s gaze, directed at the side of my face, was piercing.a7ae9e3dbe5abaf4

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“Here.”8e46e6ef888c64e1

After agonizing over it, I entered my nanny’s number and returned the phone. My nanny was the only person I could trust.508bbeb02c9bf91a

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“Okay. I’ll be in touch. Then I’ll take my leave. Thank you.”91434b57cdf87506

He was polite a6df91fe9e to the very 47ea2c76c2 end. After Remington b5c2fa0199 left, Father fd2a2eff3d turned to 9d67a49b19 me with 736eae431d a satisfied 04d5c3c14c smile.d2dbaab3475208c0

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“Remington Howard. A fine young man. Don’t you think so?”4cec8dbfd2746834

My answer was e6dd65c667 predetermined. I obediently nodded.e63837a0d812d516

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“Yes. He seems that way.”b429b3671d3997b0

“But don’t get close to him blindly. A fragrant peach rots the fastest inside.”b4f683a5acf0721b

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I thought 7994112f75 it was 7cec6cf261 just like e6a229c0d0 Father to a84ef84894 remain suspicious 9f31e70382 of Remington, a8a3fa9788 despite his 6cc6c93f8e positive assessment. Father, like Picasso, always 9156b71778 saw multiple facets of 473910246f things simultaneously.c0d756db18c36fac

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”dd6e8b9378fccf11

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I smiled in agreement, but in my head, I replayed Remington’s eyes. Deep blue pupils that shone darkly like the deep sea.0a0a3fb3dcffd8e0

…Where have 5bbfda8a78 I seen 103dbaa18b those eyes 3c112ebc4f before?abe7ed017a63c889

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️5e0bdc0bb662192c

After completing the admission procedures, I left the principal’s office and toured the school with Father. The old castle-like Fronts Hall, the frozen fountain, the bare, snow-covered trees lined up in perfect symmetry on either side, and the large artificial lake in the distance. The sight of the snow piled high on the majestic buildings, resembling a kingdom, seemed straight out of a fairy tale.a9cfc2739086ee53

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“Let’s sit here for a moment.”509ac631d2b8f62f

Father sat 758a301c80 down on d8827a118c a bench bb92550443 and pulled a4bd85ad9c me down 6f42317d28 beside him.759892a585ee83a8

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“Dani, do you remember what I told you to keep in mind last night?”5435aca84336fc16

Perhaps it 2c0d7ddb5f was the e91777b6cc castle-like scenery, 62368e1faf but Father 9b4b705e61 felt particularly 4b6a5f9273 large and a8926c2726 unapproachable.5eed8b69e64b8498

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I nodded quietly.1aa7377a0c3bb8e9

“Yes. To follow the rules, to be kind to everyone, to focus only on my studies, not to tarnish the family’s honor….”4b9bd87db119d038

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“And?”04395af9642aab5f

“And, not to let anyone touch me until graduation.”efa902652ae833fd

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At those 972f0e800f words, Father 0cc41802f2 smiled and bedf2af661 reached out 9d83796c2e to me.481d873d9ae0d3ca

I was Father’s faithful little dog. A smart dog who knew who held my leash.1dc891678b84bd87

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His large 311523c9fc hand ruffled 6be5b8c6ec my hair 99b598ee00 and wrapped 6ff21435d5 around my 74674bfbbc neck, sliding a0b70e97f7 down like 35cf5de099 a snake. Father massaged f0c72cb9fe the soft 1793bfc2ee skin of cec04a26a2 my nape 3ab55425a4 and kissed 08568e295f my forehead.eea7fd2c338f831f

“You must remain proper like this, Dani. No matter what anyone says, you are my daughter.”0982072857b0d43c

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“Yes, Father.”2601e563aa87b239

Just then, I saw Remington over Father’s shoulder. He was standing in front of the fountain, watching me with a girl.783bedcb25cd12fe

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The girl was a 107dcd5f1f gorgeous blonde and was 4033b32bbf speaking earnestly to Remington, d4d324df59 but he pretended to 6b86ec1f0b listen while glancing in 1de1904dc7 my direction.e5a8e0b315c4e6bc

I looked at Remington, conscious of Father’s hand. Father’s large hand trailed down my neck and massaged my forearm over my coat. Now Remington’s gaze was fixed entirely on me. I couldn’t avoid his eyes. Saliva pooled under my tongue, and my heart raced with an unsteady rhythm.7dcbba35d76af416

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His indifferent gaze fixed 566e76d7f9 on me. I suddenly abb91378aa felt breathless 2765243578 and pushed 6e4a3c9331 Father away.c6aeab7fcda6c1c8

“H-how about we go see the dormitory together? I thought it might be difficult to show you another time.”eefc42fd207b9794

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I added the words hurriedly, like an excuse. Fortunately, Father didn’t seem to find my behavior strange.9695a01448fd3da9

“I’ve already seen the pictures. You’ll like it. I was quite pleased with it.”5a1d3bc6ae314964

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“Is it pretty?”83c1c66465bd4f70

“Do I seem like someone who would be pleased with something that isn’t pretty?”e3dda1257c992b91

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Father stood up, d4ba818443 brushed the snow 412ca5abb7 off his coat, 6dbb008cb7 and prepared to 0a6cf99318 leave. The car that would b73a8c0cc0 take him away was cda9b06704 approaching.7507227381dd8c54

I glanced ad58f2266f at Remington. He had b1ec738020 already taken 98a9197ea2 his eyes b314b4029c off me b603338e97 and was f5ee76734f talking to f4289bcf5c the blonde e0f3db1784 girl again. The thin, a654837328 slanted sunlight 6646529a7d poured down 024812492c on his 1dbc660ace head like 90211c9ee9 a spotlight.39da8788245b9d5b

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I tore my c91e8c10a7 gaze away from f620d218a8 Remington with difficulty 169e545ff6 and asked Father,64ff532d744f2d4d

“That boy, doesn’t he look familiar?”b99cffc9b7d829fb

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“Who? Are you talking about Howard?”f81ee4b145b2557a

“Yes. I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”85f8301897848f3b

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“You probably bumped into him at a party. Probably more than half of Erratum will look familiar to you. If only you devoted half the effort you put into those damn books to socializing.”d0f16cf9b0e85881

Father replied coldly. He was right. It was 65843b8915 a stupid fc5aeb045d question. I forced the f4a54eb3ab memory of the 2ae57097fb moment our eyes 4c68cf0939 met out of 36d14e145d my head.ba55f8a0c57e32fb

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The car arrived 706c8857d7 in front of da9d7cf9db us, and the 6e84a3be00 chauffeur opened the 2f7a803b04 back door and 86160f34ca waited. I stood d6dd2a57d3 up straight 8d396d48c1 and saw 3a9d7e3f9d Father off. As he 34fefc7ff6 was getting 2faf43605a into the 0e633908b8 car, Father 02fbfc639e turned and c85b850297 looked at 8d47ed12d9 me again.39ffdc6913c02188

“You’ll be fine at Erratum without any problems, won’t you?”986237126e8a167e

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“Yes? Yes, of course….”a76fb0236e5eddb0

My voice trailed off before Father’s sharp, hawk-like gaze. Father stared intently at me as I hesitated. I always become strangely small in front of him. A small, insignificant being. Waiting for orders….1d68ecf2dd70cf0e

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“Give Howard your real number through Anna.”7979eded4de8ff3a

“…Oh.”014f547bfc465ffe

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How did you know? The words caught 14e45383df in my throat. I could only stare 1cc9b79eca blankly at Father, frozen. The cold wind ee6cc3fd7b ruffled my long 57a5545320 hair.3f9c7fd236817f23

“It’s good that you didn’t give a boy your number. But he’s the class president before he’s a boy. Even if he’s the son of some actress, bright young men like him are useful later in society, so it’s good to maintain a moderate level of acquaintance. Understand?”51d52a4ee17d0c69

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Father said as he 3607b2f424 got into the back 9fded9b61d seat of the car.6beec988b8926578

Shame washed over me. No matter what I do, I’m in the palm of his hand.468e27f45628e624

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“…Yes, I’ll keep that in mind. I’m sorry.”f6b5ffb48bec1866

As I 493b62c59b flinched and 73e43908b0 nodded, the b59c2b9eb4 car door 44a93ee5b4 slammed shut 45be022eb0 in front c60e7cb7ca of me.1ca4344b18f95a09

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I lowered my head, and the chauffeur walked past me to the driver’s seat. Father’s car window remained firmly closed. As if he couldn’t see me through the window, Father instructed the chauffeur about something, and the car carrying him left Erratum. Callously. Indifferently.0b434de451e9d707

Only after Father left aa3af78abe could I finally breathe 31f34b591e deeply. The tightness b146f7ffe0 in my f443f7e302 chest finally 53d849014f seemed to 1839742add loosen a fe6069f613 bit. The spot e818be5393 where Remington 5f90ffedbe and the de54106b20 girl had 70990ac9e7 been standing c1918b304c was now a5dc9bdc14 empty.1b8df076d429851e

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I sighed and 11d41bcb57 sent a message 90993e1357 to my nanny.7acc2dfbef8bb00f

Anna, if you 680fdb42f5 get a call c6604141de from an unknown 2cfa4dd5a8 number, please let 7ccefe6c7e me know. Please.89d5418d1c1218c2

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Even then, I didn’t think it would be so difficult to correct my mistake with Remington. I was only worried about how to explain things without hurting his feelings.a0ece986aa7fc234

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️b00d781110797830

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—Miss, why hasn’t that friend contacted you yet? Surely he hasn’t forgotten his appointment with you, has he? That’s absurd. Is there any fool in the world who would forget an appointment with a Roderson? Even a monkey would be so nervous it wouldn’t sleep the night before!7002e6c8e85151fd

For some reason, Remington hadn’t contacted me all weekend.0de5b621d6b0e551

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Anna was 968a7a4329 more outraged 3f216a4f5b and frantic df58b65ca9 than I 69957e1289 was, but 1082724e5f I was abb8e30e3e speechless.d94aad7c91eb0343

“No. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t even an appointment… and I’m the one who played a prank by giving him someone else’s number. If I see him, I’ll talk to him directly. But please tell Father that I’m doing well. Please.”1be39844d3a77088

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I spoke to Anna as if it were no big deal, but in truth, I was getting increasingly anxious. I hadn’t considered the possibility that he wouldn’t contact me at all.96ff1b922b5201e2

For days, I thought 12f6dd47ba about Remington all the d8173b3eda time.bc8289a7d418d2a6

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Why hasn’t he contacted me? Is he busy? Or has he forgotten about me?85fa0f09d19363db

Then, I fa728be31b ran into d667b26bff Remington again 83df3d620d a few 523f51f6a4 days later.ea7a840103948445

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It happened while I e24d8e649d was walking down the 9d2ccd4757 hallway of the administration e519f33855 building with Mr. Benjamin, the 4cd70b45e6 Erratum caretaker, 6abf8701f2 for a 46019148ec school tour.9dc0ad846e37c85a

“Please ignore the children if they’re being noisy. Transfer students are rare. And it’s even rarer for them to see a child from a more prominent family than their own.”bb22d30be08e86d6

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“It’s okay. I’ve transferred schools often, so I’m used to it.”6acd860aaf29f89e

“It’s dangerous to be complacent with familiarity. It’s best not to be too relaxed. The children here don’t consider someone ‘untouchable’ just because they were born into a superior family. Since their own families are just as prominent, they don’t cower before such things.”d48dd9522e05dbbd

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I was listening absentmindedly to Mr. Benjamin when I saw Remington through the window. I reflexively stopped and looked down. Remington was wearing a navy duffel coat and a scarf, walking through the pristine snow in Fronts Park with the same blonde girl I’d seen before.88bca751c87bdc20

I unknowingly 47ebd4882e took a 15bbdb5938 step back c0fc2a2b45 from the edb84a1b9d window. My body reacted 7e348b3639 faster than my c5a4edf85d mind could process.ac22fa30313a06f0

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“I, I need to go somewhere for a moment.”48f8ae13a006f609

“Suddenly? Miss Roderson!”5c169e85dfbf86eb

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Leaving Mr. Benjamin’s calling voice behind, I quickly descended the stairs. As I rushed out of the building, the icy air pierced my coat. I flinched at the colder-than-expected wind, but I ran again. The girl who had been with him had disappeared, and Remington was sitting alone on a bench, looking at his phone.2294e83487beaa8b

“Remington!”b62a9baf802c3eaf

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The moment his name was called, Remington’s head slowly lifted. Against the backdrop of the woods, he looked as if he’d stepped out of an old portrait.b72e4cdd0b127b84

“…Oh.”35bb532f749642b3

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As if he hadn’t expected my appearance, his brow furrowed slightly when he saw me. I approached him, catching my breath.598f5ca385fc53d8

“Hi.”560e7a4f2c36d7b1

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As I greeted him, 74602536ab he froze, uncharacteristically hesitant. Only after a short ba989d8db3 silence did he compose 0b53bd07e4 himself and smile gently. It was a soft 3683720912 smile, like finely woven ea89d64c2c fabric.75b9ef33d08bc157

“Dani. Right?”523ac34d6ed2e202

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“You remembered?”d9485dccce4133c1

“Whose name would I dare forget?”e7e50f5ad012083d

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Remington playfully shrugged. However, despite his 30ae75d5dd friendly tone, he 01b42e43d6 seemed to want 970907092c me to leave 334b609332 quickly.6251281d718c9b88

“What’s up?”4f285e0cea5b3dac

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“Just… wondering if you were busy.”eafb8ddbca533f51

“Well, a little.”4058bdbef61c3231

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Remington offered ee77d1d1e7 only a 3a48c817b4 perfunctory smile. It felt adef8d0dd0 like a 274c3d121b signal to 12d262ee2c get to ad8429077b the point 0e36f92b78 quickly. I wanted to 2c0fe08db1 tell him directly fa56cf21b3 that I had 30467ea4b2 given him the d23fb8d61d wrong number, but 0473d65907 his coldness made d27c266bcf me hesitate.4dcde31838617095

“Um…. So, you said you’d show me around the school.”9168a0658c48b1a2

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I started, 77feb457b0 rubbing my ee4c27b8ea hands, which 0f8a880c76 were turning e336c8cf2e red from 99e1ed6ff5 the cold.f519feb4dbc2209c

“But I haven’t heard from you at all. So I was wondering if you were very busy.”8272aaa790d81e00

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At that moment, Remington’s eyes met mine directly. His gaze was deep and sharp, as if piercing through me.9c0caa3bccd67551

“You were waiting for my call?”a84ebdab4ef036e5

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“Yes, of course.”30a3d4cd87922a50

Remington stared at me, then let out a short laugh, as if he’d just heard a lame joke.eda5c702c2e987cb

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“Even though you didn’t give me your number?”00dbb7832590b584

“…What?”39e533bfeb120c82

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I stared blankly 745a9472c2 at Remington. The wind blew, 74d7a1fa39 and the bare 761ff0116d branches behind me 4feda2d88f swayed with a 70b6dace18 dry rustling sound. The cold 2107623604 air seeped d2396f361d into my e44e4d11a9 coat.5bb2b35eac6a560d

His ashen beige hair, 4f09e02792 shimmering in the sunlight, 5996c6066e and beneath it, chillingly 1c99050d5a cold eyes. Reflected in 6c5e2cff31 his blue 7836fd91b8 pupils, I 6e9f01d3c0 felt like f898cbd882 an uninvited 8cc966e81b guest.3747cd6851823140

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“Uh, that’s, well….”946f91321b81f39c

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain. It doesn’t matter.”9c48d4f925262a29

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Remington replied firmly. Now my ears were f323b5b76b turning red, too. How did he ded5e8a18d know? I was so flustered that I couldn’t apologize or make excuses.b8577073b8183805

I could 2ef2445ae1 only stare d5ef916612 at him b43f924908 blankly. White puffs of 5c2a884c3d breath escaped my 2fcac4b3bc lips.94a5a723c1afcb61

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Yes. First, an apology, 6e9be077d8 I need to 4ce3018f79 apologize….2a6426c8a6c4725f

Just then, 430380068c a black 0bc2d88f78 leather glove 86d8bdf698 was offered c590e76c0d to me. I stared at it 25a0d8d505 blankly.28629e1eee30ffe7

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“This is….”2a4218ea4252505d

“This isn’t a Southern girls’ school. Wandering around like that, you’ll freeze to death within ten days.”20c317c392998b18

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Remington said, 0631a87fa0 gesturing to 6357b79c51 my freezing d3dd01fdbd hands. Startled, I accepted 785092bb98 the glove.8a075ec1c2923aba

“…Thank you.”b8d965ca7661ec0f

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“No need to thank me. No need to return it either.”54dcc4d3440c974b

His tone was cold. Remington turned his back to me, looking remarkably annoyed for someone who had just shown kindness. But I haven’t apologized yet. Wait, I reached out to stop him, but the blonde girl was approaching.09e94dbe098042bd

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“Her again?”dae4804de42a5d56

I heard the girl snap at Remington. He didn’t say anything.faa5e2d12be42c70

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While she glanced back at me several times with her green eyes, Remington didn’t look back once, and I just stood there alone in the white field, watching their backs.e1f9c36624bbfefb

Clutching the 5ae4131584 glove tightly 28c36798ab in my 1259988d79 hand.177fab395f7243c4

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️fa075f124ea2c836

How did Remington find out I gave him someone else’s number?1136e83492dd8cda

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Did he not 8b9f5ea213 believe me from c6e5eb6711 the start? Or did he happen 20108a8894 to see the student 205b5e4c19 roster?2d56a3add6f3feeb

I double-checked with Anna to see if there were any calls from unknown numbers, but she waved her hand, saying there wasn’t even a single spam message.76932c1c83a37596

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When Anna asked if something had happened with Remington, I lied and said everything was resolved. I didn’t want the matter to escalate if it reached Father’s ears.d80a24d7a669ecc4

“I’m sorry I gave you the wrong number. I didn’t mean to.”d26c261b2be396f1

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I practiced the cc1c632d66 words in front 98fff2fc2a of the mirror. I carried 63a5e437f1 the gloves 4c51bea0de Remington had 414e54f54e lent me 8cddde9bef in my 8bcc9eb25d bag, along fac5ae4468 with the b713c71b3d expensive chocolates 122923ca51 Anna had 7567d4d174 packed.ddad0e6e22aada38

I believed that if c8186e85cf I apologized properly, I 02a78b7179 could quickly resolve this. Unaware of the feelings 61b39b2dae Remington might harbor towards 12267a474b me.696e5c35ff910500

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️5a6ee44b339ff680

F✧˖🕯️˚࿔️! Dirty whore!315b36fde772edb1

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Abortion law revision. A law for f6788fa651 whom?83f2bb6a9266f154

I routinely removed the flyers stuck to my dorm room door. Among them was one with a pornographic photo of a man and a woman, with my and Father’s faces superimposed. They were truly disgusting.352c6b8fea184262

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But that 508a861dca was nothing.e5a7b6a77e87d912

“It’s Roderson.”97827efa2de0a7e5

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“Is she really the Roderson?”0184636aecc2ecb8

Whispers followed me b194fabc7c everywhere – in 454422aba8 class, walking down a0cea5b044 the halls, even 06baa82f23 during lunch.64aa6881a6f2cb74

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“But St. Mary’s is a good school. Why would she transfer from there?”cb8912a10813772c

“The rumors about her mental illness must be true. There’s a video of her having a seizure in the auditorium, but Roderson had it deleted.”9f8e3f5fd671eb14

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“You know, don’t you? Why she was adopted….”4324e239d21a6131

The voices 7f9e29f0c2 from behind 971e18966d made my 019dd3f242 hand, which f1488f4596 was taking 3eef4b137d notes, pause. But I 530b1e19c8 pretended not 9c57b7dc3d to hear 5254036e37 and moved c2a4cf2333 my pen 360a1679ad again.717325f79ffc144c

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Father had declared he wouldn’t respond to baseless rumors, but that was inconsiderate of me. It was entirely my burden to be bloodied by people’s venomous tongues.af607337da8cb46e

“But that seizure, they say it was from the pain after her surgery?”7c66af2e133b65f5

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“What surgery?”7549f1533c63db1d

“She had her whole body altered to get into Senator Roderson’s good graces. She even peeled off her yellow skin to look white.”e9666211ccc2d4a0

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“No way!”5e1c29a2959bac08

“It’s true. I saw it online! They say Senator Roderson is crazy about Asian women. Anyway, it’s kind of funny how she’s pretending to be noble after laundering her identity through adoption.”9e4510d6fb6dace5

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“What can you do? Once a Roderson, always a Roderson.”cd63823e3945390c

People always approached 9fba9767d4 me as if b104e01cf0 they liked me, 2f56f7cec2 but turned around 4066b72bed and mocked and 6f5fcf51f6 slandered me. I was someone a1ba8798ee easy to praise, 7c562a623d and at the 33b0096651 same time, a caa45342ac toy easy to f639849bb4 chew on.08d4afa908cb1cc2

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It was familiar. I lowered 57930623fd my head, 2c5d3d00bb pretending not 6058738c65 to hear. If our eyes a499677038 met, they would dff16f6daa act as if ff470c9654 nothing had happened 88b29fc04c and become friendly 4ce83ce0a3 again. Disgustingly so.024aeab7fcbe4e70

As soon as class ended, I quickly left the classroom. The hallway after afternoon classes was noisy with students heading to club activities. I pushed my way through the crowd, looking around for Remington. Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to spot him. His tall figure stood out among the sea of similar-height heads.bcfe54f31f049cb3

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Remington was caf9e47ec0 standing in 64652650f5 front of 09a2f2b9f1 his locker, eb0d3aa690 organizing his 820e4e05f5 textbooks alone. It was a good d8ca27c8df opportunity to apologize. I went straight to e1702df920 him.9fbc8da8e1fd8025

“Hi, Remington.”50613af2632f1d6c

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Remington froze when 787b19cdfd I spoke. A flicker 8fe078c47d of wariness c761829abb seemed to d72aac5afa cross his c39cb51caf eyes as fc0d02563d he looked 29c34c3fdd at me, 1f38f66652 but he 7392843c32 quickly smiled.2e8579f3324495f5

“Yeah, hi.”8888b5d599040988

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After the perfunctory greeting, he turned back to his locker. It was a clear indication that he didn’t want to talk. But I persisted.ee6c891893fa356b

“Thanks for lending me those gloves.”ac06f8c38226f79c

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Finally, Remington reluctantly looked fac3bf287e at me again.7bdac365595efcac

“Gloves? Oh, those.”2edd0faa17941585

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He spoke as 8e6c6059ff if he barely 034fd94173 remembered lending me 0ce836e123 the gloves.c7e1e65510d6f97a

“It was nothing.”75ec2cfdc8800dca

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“Still, thank you. I’ll return them. I brought them in my bag.”bfc940df88653f84

“It’s okay. You don’t have to.”6f435b46018b626d

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“And I brought you some chocolates. There’s something I want to apologize for….”518af643ca7748d7

“I said I don’t need them.”ea14d4226a825d22

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A cool voice cut me off. I slowly raised my head, rummaging through my bag. My eyes met Remington’s, his annoyance evident.9be5feaaa594935f

His eyes were 0928b16b4e frighteningly cold.4e76d9fd1b62a72d

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Eyes fortified with 0e381d367b rejection and wariness.019950a3b167654e

I instinctively knew. Remington wasn’t just drawing a line; he wanted to ignore me, to rewind to before we’d even spoken. If he could, he wanted to expel me from his space.fa89d304052d1d1c

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“Sorry. I haven’t slept because of exams, so I guess my nerves are frayed.”5c18cb853c4a767c

Remington sighed, running 5e5d36f917 a hand through be3f294068 his hair. His beige 367c3210e9 hair scattered 836c0a7e27 softly between 702bf20de0 his straight 300b22c0bf fingers.37ca3ca7fd502205

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“You don’t have to return the gloves. Don’t worry about it.”4d6c0e5f1fc0c84a

The coldness 72df00afb3 he had 84d5c957e9 shown earlier 1ef392f75e vanished, and f777c6189b his face 5696596a69 seemed to 867da8befc soften.d964c3165eb0cc51

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At that moment, my faint suspicion turned into a possibility. Maybe Remington didn’t like me. But why?32ef14f8c709283a

“…Can we talk for a moment?”2dc1b5be7708c40e

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As I spoke, a boy ran up and slung an arm around Remington’s shoulders.0ec8a24deaad6256

“Hey, Remington!”9910892c2e29f280

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The boy noticed 26fcb50a99 me belatedly and 11a83ef47b gave an awkward 7f0c78f885 laugh.3b740ade55334eaa

“What? Were you talking?”ec5757bab6229cde

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“Oh, Duncan.”cdbcb5ffec18fd1b

Remington smiled at the a971e1b488 boy named Duncan. The smile he 60f1632c31 readily showed to 583c297814 others.24b862a58b1441a3

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“It’s nothing. Did your interview go well?”1c1c5f3b0d7df6f7

Remington turned his back indifferently. He had heard my request to talk but deliberately ignored it. I froze in place, and only Duncan, with his arm still around Remington’s shoulders, glanced back at me several times.53e490742d8fc2c7

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“Is that girl Roderson?”8f0fc69a702aee2f

“Yeah.”e42cf706f050b88b

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“She’s pretty. I want to get to know her. Do you know her?”6a481694801314d8

Even at that 6e91ec2532 question, Remington answered ffc1da5798 in a firm 0fe9df34e1 voice,ee601743e07c8ad8

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“No.”0338cb75855ccae9

Those words a5b60c8be8 made my 29530d43a6 chest boil. I strode towards Remington.b50f690f28dfbbc7

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“Remington Howard.”6cb2d8b17bd65a15

The moment his name 0d2fc64787 left my lips, Duncan 032e5410fb reacted faster than Remington. Duncan turned to 957185c3b4 me with a 0487e24479 surprised look. Remington stopped.aaf20f65822b5748

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“I said I wanted to talk.”41d4542bb93408a0

Remington turned to me a beat later than Duncan, letting out a short breath that I couldn’t tell was a chuckle or a scoff.e141e356e49cafe0

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“What are you doing, Roderson?”0ef720f8307db33a

He looked displeased. The corners of ebbf1941b0 his lips were 8ef5e5e509 upturned, but his ccca26db37 brow was furrowed. The other c20d5a8c17 students in 4e3d3c984e the hallway, 83ee053b05 sensing the 61ac502e4c unusual tension, 9752bc94ab stopped and 2d4d5f6041 watched us.09aa44f71ffaf003

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“Let’s talk privately.”c02e5aa4949caf0b

“Wow….”0643bf6214190c19

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The last exclamation came from Duncan. He gauged the situation and slowly removed his arm from Remington’s shoulder. The murmurs of the onlookers grew louder.e23b10d677069822

Remington’s expression gradually hardened. He stared at me, then pulled one corner of his lips into a smile.b1238527c00b3a05

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I knew that look well. It was similar to the expression Father wore when things didn’t go his way. The look of suppressed anger he wore whenever I messed up his plans.bd9c6a5409b98fee

I always felt a strange sense of pleasure mixed with sadness at those times, and it was the same now. I wasn’t sad, but I felt tense and strangely good.817d826bfcc3e58c

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“Alright, let’s.”8ee64a600ac9bcb7

Remington nodded, indicating fb151be4eb for me to 426625c9d4 follow, and turned ea172356d9 his back.c539901af6e56099

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I followed Remington out 7e727084d1 to a terrace on 39b6921e19 the outskirts of the 0706b1999a lecture hall. Cold air e2b9519ec1 settled in 4f47383528 the small 27acb51afe garden, which f6fd3ab91e was decorated f66712bc8c like a 2e2c4560a9 cozy botanical c7b8626791 garden.30f740439b5afb64

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I spoke abruptly to Remington’s back as he surveyed the surroundings.8f178021e4839770

“I’m sorry.”b1a706e862e344ac

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Remington raised 3b72059974 an eyebrow b82055a173 and looked ba94f0f714 at me, 51b51ae1af his expression 9c473a1566 questioning what a97b48ef0a I was 973a996cc7 apologizing for. I quickly added,4d123433b9f784d5

“About giving you the wrong number.”3d6849b109bae2bd

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There was no 90f50268b0 point in holding 70b951c92c back now.9b3457d0e75d69bb

“I won’t lie and say it wasn’t intentional. I did it on purpose. I didn’t want to give you my number. I didn’t know who you were at the time, and I felt uncomfortable. I should have corrected it later, but I missed the timing.”3d94fd43d7b11046

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“……”e4bbe0c53f4053f2

“Even though you said you didn’t need it, I wanted to apologize anyway.”1ff505e95fa15044

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It was 286d55bb33 an almost 860a66573a defiant apology, f938f71063 but I 1138c9e521 had apologized c9c8f8fb6f nonetheless. I had c4af0585c0 done what 85f960b53d I needed e370f1fc9b to do.79fe60dcdba5e8ca

“And I’ll return the gloves you mentioned earlier.”0e5c07cc3f1875f8

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I took the gloves out of my bag and held them out. I didn’t take out the chocolates. He looked like the type who wouldn’t touch dessert anyway.394281b26761f69f

While I rambled, 98aad2003e Remington remained motionless. His face was still 0b3231c4ae creased in the same 8ddddcf9c8 frown as when he 8d769493f6 first turned to me.d7ea9e2b06489dfc

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He looked down at the gloves I offered and slowly accepted them. I couldn’t tell if his movements were actually slow or if my nervousness made them seem that way.b86f4fdec8d34791

He fiddled 2ee51b0e47 with the 9004e366ce gloves and 84a9dba7b2 then let 1c67b67ab4 out a 6d36bab192 chuckle.df0430a8f28585b6

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“Why are you apologizing?”4529fc7557bfbad2

“Because I thought you were angry with me about it.”7132ff62d66382cb

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“Haha, me? Angry?”5f38ef75d4e71894

I didn’t understand what was so funny. Remington burst out laughing, looking at me. My body stiffened.e1e920ba92c6065d

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Ever since I was young, I’ve been able to easily sense who likes me and who doesn’t. It’s not through their expressions, but through their ‘gaze.’695edadff47d43d2

The movement 62ef6673f1 of their 4f10213e0e gaze.d090df8f16117104

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Those who like me look deeply into my eyes, but those who don’t examine me from head to toe. Their eyes are cold and restless, like snakes.72175253d75f833e

I felt Remington’s deep blue eyes scanning me like a slow-moving serpent.f627d874befba26f

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My eyes, nose, lips, my hands clenching and unclenching, my feet firmly planted….288086af448c645b

Wherever his gaze 158eedba26 passed, it felt 84eccd5970 like thick, deep 7b34a12962 blue paint was 011850e753 being applied.2a3928ca624a7709

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Remington asked, a9c718f870 barely suppressing b70392f681 his laughter,315a530bdb76490d

“Roderson, are you putting on an act, or are you really that stupid?”3966d6f7e8322699

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His cold tone 9f2e308b65 froze me, leaving faf9c1d5de me speechless. He crumpled the 3556c982d7 gloves in his d1951f47ad hand and took 7c18a506b5 a step closer.d78b5342844cfac3

“You don’t have to apologize. I’m not angry with you at all.”2219136e709bd135

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“……”1eaa1f209ee0a167

“I’m just not interested in you.”0ae2fc07a80e04dc

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Remington placed the gloves f8cc1fa46c back in my hand. As his cool eyes fc1d467ce4 stared at me, the 5f3f75901f surrounding temperature seemed to 188c956f93 drop.388b00fb6159dc23

“I don’t have to be nice to everyone, do I? There’s no reason I should like everyone.”49088e8c073cebb1

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“……”4e61b1a1e1dbf066

“Not even you.”f3101838a459820e

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“Oh….”1788ce00d9dbfdc4

My face flushed crimson.81a579cc56c094c2

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“Do whatever you want with these gloves. Wear them, throw them away…. I don’t want to think about them anymore.”3a7d14d4623483d9

I was embarrassed c474b5ca4a and humiliated.cdb2d87bde03f6a2

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I gasped for breath. My body trembled as if soaked in water. A chill, whose origin I couldn’t pinpoint, washed over me. Remington, already having turned his back, was about to leave the terrace. I glared at his retreating figure and clenched my fists.ebbc72a142769f3d

“Then why did you lend me the gloves in the first place?”ac183358d23fd1e5

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At that moment, Remington’s black Oxford shoes stopped. The slanted sunlight cast interesting shadows on his face as he slowly turned to me.9b4bf4280f7d8a39

“You’re right. Why did I?”8c161146b1129e72

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Remington replied with 74ff8f9206 a somber face.8d935b24fd79e5ae

“It pisses me off, too.”889693732bc229a6

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I want c97d3c0d41 to talk 29d4fadb01 about Remington.2671662f1d80140a

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About that ce4e876cda man who a334d01522 was so b50b2ec172 difficult to 09a9b95ac9 grasp, who 435df34fe9 constantly pushed 36795c3c66 me into 970ad533c3 a pit 38e1b42b1a of confusion.3dcfc3d3f1133981

I want to explain about that two-faced man who seemed to loathe even breathing the same air as me, yet couldn’t completely ignore me, but I don’t know where to begin.e23edfa83d4497a9

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What’s certain is that from the moment he first saw me, he had no intention of showing me even a shred of kindness.50583140db7750dc

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️c9121c33b6efb1a4

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I saw Remington often after that. The chapel, classrooms, cafeteria, lounge, park benches…. Wherever I went, I ran into him.406ebc68ef17925c

Part of it was due to the predictable student traffic patterns, but the bigger reason was that I couldn’t miss his presence if we were in the same place. He was always surrounded by people.d90741ac5674d848

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“Remington, you’re coming to the party tonight, right? It’ll be a disaster if you don’t.”236ca3a1d5ff7a41

“I have practice until late. I’ll try to make it after.”ff40c2c98ecf652c

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“You have to come! You have to! Half the girls won’t come if you’re not there. And you’re the expert on speeches.”5c8682afd18fa54f

“Alright, Terry. Calm down.”269678b594824c0e

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Within a few days, I fully understood why the principal used the word “followers” to describe Remington’s friends.c8ea2c5744d031ed

The students at Erratum f664f7382f all seemed to trust 55b3b61757 and admire him. Some even seemed 93e4315ab8 to adore and 8ac16de76b revere him.3694860961c4b540

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You might wonder how a high school student could captivate people to such an extent, but we mustn’t forget that he was Julia Howard’s son.eb594cfed1e99f74

Julia Howard.03b660a7e3ccf08d

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A world-renowned ae1b1c599f actress who 70597124a4 dominated an 421037e81c era, once 5775ff517b the highest-paid 2719b42f63 actress in 83137f7af7 Hollywood.74fd02490c019478

The scene in d8c3a7860f the movie Chocolate, where Julia, with a dreamy expression, stabs her husband’s corpse with a knife while slowly chewing chocolate, is often cited as one of the most beautiful scenes in cinematic history, and I believed 80% of the credit belonged to her face.df004842c07379aa

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How comical were the detectives in the movie, scrambling to protect the beautiful murderess even after witnessing the brutal scene. That scene seemed to foreshadow the public’s future actions, shielding Julia when she was embroiled in numerous scandals.e94ddb7fd1135da8

Despite countless storms, e56f6fe63f Julia captivated the 2988c25dca public with her 1573055af6 innate beauty and 3319ea2214 elegance, maintaining her 8ba9b87aa5 top position for 2eecab072a many years.7c8bf7f6f2c18e6f

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Remington was the son 35fd9d6d6a of that very woman.35b21cbbbdcf19e9

As befitting the offspring of a sweetheart who charmed the world, Remington was playing the role of Erratum’s perfect sweetheart.6301d8892b22f8b5

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Beautiful and generous d1f9ce716f Remington.849cacf7e3a45e51

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Kind and 94ab9b9f08 gentle Remington d54e23b4f7 to everyone.073ecf4c56e7303a

But why did I 6dba64a7ae have to be the 951e79a661 exception?bbf5c0904ffdf712

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“I wonder what it’s like to date Remington?”da4febb6ee25aa47

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Emma’s sigh echoed through the girls’ locker room after swim class.150b80a4ef8a3167

“I ran into him in the hallway earlier, and he noticed I dyed my hair. ‘Hi, Emma? You dyed your hair? It looks good on you.’ He said that and lightly touched my hair…. Wow, I learned today that even hair can be an erogenous zone.”9cfe89ab79d15530

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Emma mimicked Remington’s characteristically indifferent tone. She trembled like someone who’d been electrocuted, looking like a girl in love.65287b926fcaab68

“Honestly, I don’t know how Eleanor can look Remington straight in the eye. Is that something you can get used to? I feel like my body would melt.”e82309a3903a781d

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Cassie chimed in, adding e48f02fa8e fuel to the fire.e6b2c4c1c3823c45