NOVEL EP7 [SPOILERS AHEAD] (Patreon)

Min 

You might be wondering what we were on about. Cat and Mouse? Even though we bicker like long time friends. Of course, that’s not true. We’re not friends. He hates me, and I hate him.

It’s because he is a prince. He’s not part of my high school caste level. He’s on the top of the ladder. People know him because they like him, because he catches the eyes of every other person in the hall with his mellow confidence.

He’s relaxed, he’s easy-going, he’ll pay for your meal. He’ll tolerate anyone who talks bad about him, and try to compromise.

That’s why he's easy-going with me, even after I told him in freshman year that not every girl out there was prepared to kiss his feet and ready to get in his pants. I think he glanced back down at my shoes and for the first time, he retaliated.

“I just complimented your shoes. You need to lower your own image of yourself. Not everyone who is nice to you is trying to hit on you. You’re a small-minded person.”

I don’t remember why he snapped at me, but I think I backtalked him every other time he participated in class, always countering his answers.

Even the English teacher was fed up with us, and forced us to reconcile by sticking us together for a project. I gave him a hard time.

And then, one day, the pencil in his hands snapped. He stared moodily at me, excused himself, and went to toss the broken utensil in the trash. I think I felt guilty. I ran after him.

I caught him by the bathroom. He folded his arms.

“Why are you following me?”

“Wait—Please don’t leave me alone in the project—”

He sighed. “I’m not that worthless that I would do something like that. But, you make this so difficult. If you hate me so much for something I’ve said, maybe you should’ve protested earlier to the teacher.”

I bit my lip, lowered my head, and loudly apologized. “I was being immature. I didn’t consider how you would feel. I thought we were both unbothered by these arguments. But, I think I’ve hurt you—”

He had put his hand on my shoulder, and I glanced up at him. My eyes had widened then, since the expression he had on his face was something so vulnerable that I thought I wasn’t meant to see it.

“Do you… mind… if I use the bathroom?”