My One True Love

A few days before the league competition, the person I had a crush on got together with my roommate.

I became the talk of the town—or rather, the talk of every university campus.

Everyone said I only managed to advance in the competition by shamelessly clinging to them.

I was isolated.

No one was willing to accept me as a teammate.

Then, a top player from a neighboring university stood before me.

"Would you like to join my team?"

1

One o'clock in the afternoon.

I had just finished my post-lab report.

When I lit up my phone screen, I found it exploding with messages and missed calls.

A bunch of people were urging me to check my messages.

They'd also sent me a link.

Filled with suspicion, I clicked on it.

It was a video posted on the confession wall.

In the video, a couple was walking hand in hand.

I immediately recognized the guy as the one I had feelings for.

And the girl?

She was my roommate.

Also my classmate under the same advisor.

The comment below the confession wall read: Dante is actually together with Fiona now.

They used the word "actually" because everyone knew.

Everyone knew I had feelings for Dante.

2

When I first started grad school, my advisor asked if I had a boyfriend.

I shook my head.

He told me, "Come by tomorrow. There are plenty of guys here. You can take your pick."

I thought the old man was just joking.

But the next day, standing in his office, I stared at a group of guys in white lab coats—tall, handsome, sharp-featured—and I was completely stunned.

My advisor even shot me a proud look: *Pretty good-looking, right? Take your pick.*

I was a bit embarrassed.

Even though I was single, I really didn't have any interest in dating.

I'd known since I was young that I was sapiosexual.

In other words: I liked people with high IQs.

So, I had this admiration for people who were more accomplished than me.

These senior students, a year above me, I was meeting for the first time.

They left a decent impression, but nothing that really moved me.

My advisor wasn't in a hurry either.

He told me to take my time observing.

After all, these guys would be around every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon.

I: "..."

I didn't notice Dante that day.

It wasn't until later, during an experiment, that I really saw him.

We were stuck on a tough problem.

A group of us were gathered around a whiteboard, racking our brains trying to figure out which step had gone wrong.

That's when Dante showed up.

He just glanced at it briefly and told us to swap in a different theoretical formula to solve it.

Then he demonstrated it himself.

What I noticed first was the airtight logic in his calculations.

Only afterward did I take in his focused, handsome face.

That deep-seated admiration for the intellectually superior in me made me desperately want to get closer to Dante.

After that, every experiment Dante was part of, I showed up.

Over time, everyone assumed I liked Dante.

I didn't even know if it really counted as "like."

But being around Dante did feel easy.

And I was willing to get closer to him, to work on experiments together.

But then…

Seeing that confession wall post, I felt absolutely nothing.

3

The comments under the confession wall were overwhelming.

Dante was a big name on campus.

He'd been competing in various contests since undergrad.

He'd won a lot of honors for the school.

Of course, most people probably noticed his striking looks.

Even my roommate, Fiona, when she first saw him, grabbed my arm excitedly and gushed about how handsome he was.

But she never once showed any sign of liking Dante in front of me.

I thought she was just appreciating his looks.

Now, staring at the confession wall post, I felt lost for a moment.

Back in the dorm, Fiona was already there.

When she saw me, her expression was a mix of awkwardness and embarrassment.

She came over and took my hand.

"Um, Rowan, I need to tell you something."

"I know. You and Dante are together."

I didn't expect myself to be so blunt.

Fiona's fidgeting froze.

I'd been doing experiments all afternoon and was tired. I pushed her hand away and changed my shoes.

Fiona followed me.

"Yeah… sorry, Rowan. I know Dante was your crush, but… feelings are unpredictable, right?"

Mm, she was right.

Everyone knew I liked Dante.

But Dante had never shown any interest in me.

Liking him was my business.

Who he ended up with was his.

Fiona kept rambling in my ear.

I had a headache.

My head felt swollen.

I really didn't have the energy to listen to Fiona's hollow excuses.

"Fiona."

I cut her off.

"Did you finish the project assignment from last week? It's due tomorrow."

Fiona's expression instantly shifted.

I looked down, changing my shoes, pretending not to see the conflict and resentment in her eyes.

4

I went to sleep.

When I woke up, it was six in the morning.

The dorm was quiet.

Fiona was already gone.

I wondered where she'd gone so early.

Then I thought, *Not my business.*

After washing up, I headed to the lab building.

The lab report was due today, and I wanted to double-check my data before the teacher arrived.

When I got to the lab floor, I noticed the light was still on.

I was sure I'd turned it off before I left yesterday.

Curious, I walked closer.

Then I heard familiar voices.

"Dante, thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"For what?"

It was Dante and Fiona.

I felt like I might be intruding.

Fiona was clinging to Dante's arm, acting coy.

Dante was gently stroking her head.

They looked deeply in love.

Dante saw me first.

His smile faltered for a second, then he pushed Fiona away.

"Someone's here."

Fiona saw me too.

Her smile slowly faded.

I shrugged.

I really hadn't meant to interrupt.

"Rowan, you're here."

Dante greeted me like always.

His smile was warm, harmless, friendly.

I nodded.

Before I could speak, Fiona cut in.

"Rowan, thanks for reminding me about the project yesterday. I would've forgotten. Luckily, Dante was here. He stayed with me the whole night, or I never would've finished."

So that's why Fiona was gone so early.

She'd been in the lab all night.

Dedicated.

Guess I'd have to step up my game too.

Dante patted Fiona.

"Why are you saying all that? I have class too. I'm going now."

"Okay. Take care."

After Dante left, Fiona looked like she wanted to say something.

But I was busy double-checking my data.

She didn't say anything, so I didn't ask.

5

After morning classes, our advisor called us to his office.

Dante was there too.

He handed us some papers, saying the list of qualifiers for the regional competition was out.

A month ago, our advisor had us sign up for a national university league.

From regional to provincial to national.

The wider the scope, the fiercer the competition.

And the more impressive the people you'd meet.

"All three of you qualified this time. The next round is in a week. Prepare well. I've already arranged your leave."

The advisor hoped we'd stay in the same group.

Keep supporting each other.

Taking the leave slips and project materials from him, all three of us were pretty happy.

"Dante, you have more experience. Help them out."

"Sure."

Outside the office, Dante asked if I was free that evening to discuss the competition.

I had no objections.

But Fiona looked upset.

"Didn't you promise to take me to a movie tonight?"

"The competition's coming up. We can see the movie after it's over."

Dante said.

Fiona's face darkened, and she turned and walked away.

Dante frowned, then looked at me questioningly.

I: "..."

Why was he looking at me?

His girlfriend was storming off—shouldn't he be chasing after her?

...

News of our advancement from regional to provincial soon spread across the school's official accounts and forums.

A lot of people saw Dante and Fiona's names listed together and started gossiping.

The confession wall incident had already caused a stir.

Seeing their names together, people went all out with the praise.

*A power couple.*

*Perfect match—brilliant guy, brilliant girl.*

Then someone noticed the name stuck in the middle and found it annoying.

Someone asked, "Who's Rowan? Never heard of her."

Sorry.

Rowan is me.

I don't know how I ended up in the crosshairs of these busybodies.

My phone and messages were flooded again.

I was reading a book when I found out.

I opened the school chat group.

The comments about me had gone from "Never heard of Rowan" to "Rowan likes Dante" and "If Rowan hadn't shamelessly chased after Dante, she'd never have made it to provincials."

I: "..."

And that last comment was starting to look like some kind of organized smear campaign.

Who was so bored?

That evening, back in the dorm, Dante created a group chat for the three of us.

"Rowan, don't mind what people say online. We all know your strength. Just prepare well. Good luck in the competition."

As soon as I joined, Dante sent a message.

Fiona followed up.

"Yeah, Rowan. We believe in you."

Whether they believed in me or not didn't matter.

They were just a bunch of spectators.

I replied, "I don't mind. We'll see the results when the time comes."

Dante responded with a "mm" and sent a cheering emoji.

Fiona didn't say anything.

But later, she sent me a private message.

"Rowan, Dante and I are out. We won't be back tonight."

I: "..."

6

A week later, a bus came to take us to the competition venue.

Fiona and Dante sat together.

Dante told me not to be nervous.

Fiona chimed in.

"Yeah, with Dante and me here, just relax, Rowan."

I: "..."

I wasn't nervous at all.

The bus stopped at another school to pick up more students—others who'd also qualified for provincials.

I closed my eyes to rest.

Then I heard an exceptionally pleasant voice.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

I opened my eyes.

A man in a mask and glasses stood there.

He was tall, slightly bent over, asking me.

His black hair fell over his forehead.

Behind his lenses, his eyes were steady and deep.

He was smiling, but there was a kind of polite distance in it.

I shook my head. "No, go ahead."

He said thanks and sat down.

Like me, he closed his eyes as soon as he got on.

Before the bus started, I glanced at the school name outside.

*Whoa.*

Top-ranked school in the province.

I'd heard it was full of provincial valedictorians and competition prodigies.

I wondered which one the guy next to me was.

When we got off, people came to take us to our accommodations.

Fiona and I, along with girls from other schools, were assigned to the same dorm.

During introductions, a girl in our dorm asked me.

"Hey, Rowan, don't mind me asking, but…"

"What?"

"I heard you only made it to provincials because Fiona and her boyfriend carried you."

I: "..."

I didn't even know that rumor had spread to other schools.

I smiled and didn't explain.

The next day, all the qualifiers introduced themselves.

When it was my turn, people looked at me with a certain… meaningful gaze.

I was puzzled.

Then I overheard whispers.

"So she's the one who only got in because of her teammates?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"Tch. Doesn't look that strong."

I: "..."

Was there a giant "WEAK" stamped on my forehead?

Why did everyone think that?

Dante heard it too.

He wanted to say something, but Fiona tugged at him.

The introductions continued.

Then I heard a familiar voice.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Everett."

Everett?

What a stunning name.

But it sounded familiar.

I looked up.

Wait—wasn't that the guy who sat next to me on the bus?

After his voice dropped, surprised murmurs rippled around me.

So I wasn't the only one who found it familiar and stunning.

"Everett? Holy crap! That's Everett! The guy who's won multiple national league championships!"

I: "..."

Wait.

I think I remembered.

I'd seen that name on past national league rosters.

7

Ever since high school, I'd been interested in various competitions.

When I got to college and first looked into the national league related to my major, I came across Everett's name.

Starting from my first year of grad school, he'd participated in the national league four times.

Except for one time when he withdrew due to a scheduling conflict, he'd won the championship every other time.

*Holy crap!*

A legend!

A true legend!

My eyes lit up with greedy admiration.

I never thought that in my academic career, I'd get to compete on the same stage as someone like him!

Everett was a PhD student now.

His introduction stunned everyone.

But he remained unfazed, gave a calm nod, and walked off the stage.

Look at that presence.

Look at that aura.

I couldn't hide the sparkle in my eyes.

But since everyone was staring at him, I figured I wasn't too conspicuous.

So I let myself admire him openly.

But then, as Everett passed by my aisle, he suddenly turned his head and looked in my direction.

Our eyes met—my worshipful gaze and his calm, steady one.

I: "..."

Was he looking at me?!

Was the legend looking at me?!

My heart skipped a beat, pounding with excitement.

And then, even more exciting, he gave me a slight nod.

He nodded at me!

The legend actually nodded at me!

Did he recognize me from the bus yesterday?!

I excitedly waved back at him.

He lowered his eyes.

As he turned away, I thought I saw his eyes crinkle slightly.

8

After the introductions, the organizers announced the competition rules.

It was free team formation.

Five people per team.

We could team up with top students from other schools.

Everyone was eager, already scouting potential teammates.

I really wanted to team up with Everett.

But his school had four qualifiers, so they just needed one more.

And I was supposed to stick with Dante and Fiona.

Too bad I couldn't team up with the legend.

But being his competitor and sparring with him would be fine too.

I couldn't wait.

I went to ask Dante and Fiona about their team plans.

We had three people; we needed two more.

But when I asked, Fiona said.

"Rowan, we've teamed up with three people from another school. We can't take you. You'll have to find your own team."

I: "..."

Wait—we're from the same school, aren't we?

I looked at Dante, confused.

Dante looked troubled. "Rowan, the team we're joining is from the second-ranked school in the region. They only want two people…"

Seeing my frown, he quickly added, "I'll ask if they can take one more."

Before he could, Fiona pulled him back.

"Rowan, we're all representing our school. If we split up, we have a better chance of winning, right?"

Yeah, right. *Right* my foot.

I was speechless.

I went to look for other teams that needed members.

But no one seemed to want me.

Was I really that bad?

While I was doubting myself, someone called out from behind me.

"Junior, our team needs one more. Would you like to join?"

I turned around.

*Shocked!!!*

*Oh my god!!!*

It was the legend's school team!

I pointed at myself, skeptical.

"Are you talking to me?"

The guy who spoke nodded warmly.

"Yeah."

Everyone around went quiet.

They stared at me, incredulous.

Flattered and nervous, I walked over.

The senior who'd spoken even pulled out a chair for me.

"Have a seat, junior. This is our team."

He introduced everyone.

I greeted them politely.

When it was Everett's turn, I gave a deep ninety-degree bow.

"Hello, legend. Please take care of me."

The legend responded with a calm "mm," looking aloof and untouchable.

"Don't mind him. He's like that."

Wouldn't dare mind.

A legend is a legend.

It's normal for them to look down on us mere mortals.

9

The news that I'd teamed up with Everett and his group shocked everyone.

As soon as I got back to the dorm, someone said.

"Rowan, you're so lucky. You got into another great team."

"Yeah, with Everett there, you can just coast this time, right?"

The sour tone made me frown.

I'd never been great at competitions, but I'd never held anyone back either.

Why did everyone look down on me so much?

From the very first day, I'd been treated like this.

No matter how thick-skinned I was, it was starting to get to me.

The next day, when we started drawing topics and discussing, everyone was actively contributing.

Halfway through, I had a different opinion.

I wanted to raise my hand and say something.

But everyone seemed so into the discussion.

No one noticed me.

Maybe… I should just keep quiet.

These were all legends. They definitely knew more than me.

I sat quietly, listening.

After the next person finished speaking, someone suddenly called on me.

"Rowan, do you have a different approach?"

Huh?!

Someone called me!

My eyes lit up.

It was Everett!

He was looking at me.

His gaze was calm, but it carried an inexplicable sense of certainty.

"I… I do. I think the formula you're using is too complicated. Have you considered deriving it from Planck's law?"

I grabbed the scratch paper next to me and demonstrated.

Honestly, under the scrutiny of a bunch of legends, I was nervous.

I made several mistakes while writing.

By the end, everyone was quiet.

I put down my pen nervously.

"That's it… Did I say something wrong?"

I asked hesitantly, like the weak link waiting to be cut.

The team was silent for a moment.

Then, suddenly, everyone burst into activity.

"Yeah, that way is simpler and more efficient. Look at me, I've been overthinking it. Nice one, junior."

Everyone chimed in.

Some even applauded.

I was so embarrassed by the praise.

I scratched my head and instinctively looked at the team leader, Everett.

The legend actually smiled at me.

I felt like the sky above me had brightened.

The gloom of the past few days melted away.

In the discussions that followed, I wasn't as timid or nervous.

The clash of ideas was more exciting and exhilarating than I'd imagined.

By the end of the day, I'd learned so much from them.

10

After the first day of competition, we got to know each other better.

Someone suggested getting late-night snacks.

I was the only girl on the team.

I hesitated.

"Come on, junior. The boss will walk you back."

"No, no, that's fine."

I waved my hands.

No way would I dare ask the legend to walk me home.

But after the snacks, it was indeed Everett who walked me back.

"I really could've gone back alone."

"It's fine. I have time. Let's go."

Since the legend said so, what could I do?

I obediently followed behind.

We walked side by side.

Our shadows on the ground were close, almost overlapping.

"Legend, thank you for today."

"For what?"

In the evening breeze, his voice was still so warm and soothing.

"For letting me join the discussion and for letting me be on your team. Don't worry, I won't hold you back."

I mustered my courage and declared my resolve.

The legend suddenly stopped.

I stopped too, looking at him curiously.

He wasn't wearing his glasses, so I could clearly see the shape of his eyes and his expression.

His gaze was serious and gentle, carrying a kind of reassuring strength.

"I've seen your previous competitions. I asked you to join because of your ability. You voiced your opinion because you're brave. Don't doubt yourself, Rowan. You're excellent."

I: "..."

Was the legend… complimenting me?

I was stunned.

The sound of wind rustling through the leaves was crystal clear.

I stared at him, dazed, unable to look away for a long time.

Finally, he coughed.

"Come on, let's go back."

"Oh, okay."

I snapped out of it.

But my heart was still floating.

Back in the dorm, thinking about what he said, I suddenly laughed out loud.

Everyone in the room gave me weird looks.

11

Unfortunately, my partnership with the legend's team didn't last long.

The next day, the organizers announced that after free team formation, we'd be drawing lots for new teams.

The scores from before consisted of individual points earned, plus team points that the team could distribute among members.

This league was always flexible.

The final round was determined by individual scores.

I saw some teams already arguing over who got more points.

Some drew lots.

Others based it on how many questions each person answered.

I thought our team would do the latter.

But they gave me a third of the points.

"Are you giving me too much?"

I hadn't actually solved that many problems on the first day.

Most of the credit was theirs.

And I was one person, while they were a team of four.

Giving me a third meant they'd have very little left.

"It's fine. You're the only girl. It's only right to take care of you."

"I don't want that. If we're splitting points, it should be fair. Give me points based on how many questions I answered. It has nothing to do with me being a girl. Shouldn't it be about ability?

Besides… I don't want people to think I only got this many points because of you."

I refused, dead serious.

Everyone was stunned.

They all looked at Everett.

I looked at him too.

"Do it her way."

Luckily, Everett was on my side.

I smiled.

Even though the points I got were a bit low, I was happy.

Because I was respected.

When we drew lots later, even though I didn't end up with Everett again, I wasn't that disappointed.

"Rowan."

Everett walked over to me.

"Legend."

He was used to me calling him that by now.

He gave me a small smile.

"Good luck."

My eyes lit up, and my fighting spirit soared.

"Yeah!"

12

I was grouped with Fiona and another guy.

He was really good too.

Under the elimination format—winners advance, losers go home—we held out until the afternoon.

Barely scraping by, round after round.

Until, finally, we were up against Everett's team.

Everett's team's matches were the most anticipated and the most predictable.

With him there, their matches looked as easy as playing the first level of a casual game.

Monsters. Absolute monsters.

Everyone there finally understood the strength of a multi-time league champion.

Facing Everett as an opponent, I couldn't help but feel nervous.

My palms were sweating.

Before the match, there was a courtesy ceremony.

After I bowed and said, "Please take care of me," I stood up and met Everett's gaze.

"Good luck."

*Whoa!*

I felt like I could do anything.

But a legend is a legend.

That match was tense and exhausting.

Especially at the end, when I argued with Everett over a data discrepancy.

Finally, he calmly pointed out our calculation error.

"I agree with your data analysis and calculations. The experimental steps were correct. But the calculated data difference isn't enough to support this result. So, sorry, but you're wrong."

He was gentle but firm.

Defeating us was as effortless as defeating any other team.

That was the first time I'd ever felt so intellectually outclassed.

After the match, I was a little upset.

Dante sent me a message asking about the final individual round.

I didn't reply.

13

Late that night, someone sent me a friend request.

The verification message was a simple character: "E."

I immediately guessed it was Everett.

Excitedly, I accepted.

He quickly sent a message.

"Sorry if I was too harsh this afternoon."

???

I was upset because I lost, not because he was harsh.

"No, not at all."

I quickly typed back.

He asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Wow, that topic shift was fast.

I told him honestly.

The afternoon's experiment was tough, and there were some things I didn't understand.

"I'll recalculate it for you tomorrow at noon."

I: "Great, great."

Having a legend's guidance was always welcome.

I only realized after replying: that meant I'd be alone with him tomorrow at noon?!

...

The next day, he showed up right on time.

And after that, we'd discuss things after every match.

He gave me a lot of help and study tips.

Truly, a word from a legend is worth more than ten years of books.

When the final rankings came out, combining individual and team points, I placed fourth.

I successfully advanced to the national finals.

One little side note:

When distributing team points, Fiona demanded a larger share for herself.

The guy in our group and I refused.

"Rowan answered the most questions. Why should she get less?"

The guy stood up for me.

And with my advancement, no one said I'd coasted on my teammates anymore.

...

Back at school, my advisor praised my progress.

He gave me more responsibilities.

"I knew you had potential. You didn't disappoint. Good luck in the finals! I'll hang a banner for you."

"Thank you, teacher."

Compared to me being praised, Dante and Fiona, who'd been eliminated, were much quieter and more subdued.

Before I left the office, I sent Everett a message.

While waiting for his reply, Dante suddenly called out to me.

He saw my phone screen.

His smile was tinged with melancholy.

"You and Everett are pretty close now?"

???

What kind of question was that?

"Not really. But he's helped me a lot."

Without realizing it, my attitude toward Dante had become distant.

Dante gave a bitter smile and apologized.

"I'm sorry for making you team up with others that day."

I didn't need his apology.

If anything, if it weren't for him and Fiona, I wouldn't have gotten to talk to the legend.

I wouldn't have improved so much.

...

Back in the dorm, Fiona looked at me with a mix of resentment and wariness.

I had a pretty good idea why.

But I didn't want to get involved.

I just wanted to focus on preparing for the final round.

14

Everett and I stayed in touch.

After we both advanced to the finals, he sent me a lot of materials and data.

"Look through these when you have time. I know you won't win, but there's no harm in learning."

*Damn.*

The legend's encouragement was as blunt as ever.

The national finals brought together elites and competition pros from all over.

Before the competition, I felt like the "hope of the village."

Even the dean came to see me off, telling me to fight for the school's honor.

Full of confidence, I boarded the "campaign" bus.

But I was still a little nervous.

Until the bus stopped.

Everett got on and sat down next to me again.

"Don't be nervous. You've got this."

It was kind of surreal.

Half a month ago, when we first met, he sat next to me.

Our conversation was limited to whether the seat was taken.

Half a month later, he was sitting next to me again.

But our relationship had grown much closer.

...

The national finals were even more intense than I'd imagined.

Everyone was better than me.

On the first day, I was so nervous my palms were sweaty.

Luckily, Everett was there.

He handed me water and encouraged me.

When the team rounds came, since I was alone, I was wondering whether to hop between teams for points.

Then Everett said to me.

"Stay with our team. Don't go anywhere."

Huh? The legend was actually taking me in!

I actually had a team!

With the legend leading, I miraculously stopped being nervous.

Everett and I fought our way through, earning the highest team score.

That made the individual rounds much easier.

In the end, I didn't win the championship.

But I stood on the same podium as the legend.

"Not bad. Great job."

Everett was, unsurprisingly, the champion.

"I'll catch up to you."

I told him.

He smiled, looking handsome. "Mm. I'll wait."

Mm…

Those two words, "I'll wait," were way too tender.

Back at school, my advisor actually had a banner ready.

He proudly paraded my achievements around the office.

"See? My student. Young, accomplished, excellent! I taught her!"

I was a little embarrassed.

My advisor reassured me. "It's fine. You're only in your second year. You'll have plenty of chances. The future is bright!"

Back in the dorm, I called Everett.

He was still in the lab.

"Am I disturbing you?"

"No."

Since the legend said so, it must be true.

I happily shared my joy with him.

I also told him what my advisor said.

"Didn't your school do anything to celebrate your championship?"

"No. They're probably used to it by now."

I: "..."

So humble.

"Hey, legend."

"Mm?"

"Is it hard to get into your school's PhD program?"

The person on the other end paused.

"You want to apply to our school?"

"Mm."

"Why?"

I: "..."

Why?

Because the legend was amazing, and his school was amazing too.

Just as I was about to blurt it out, I suddenly hesitated.

Was that really the main reason?

The real reason I wanted to go to that school…

I froze.

Staring at the person on the screen, I was lost in thought.

He seemed to be waiting for my answer.

When he saw me looking at him, his eyes curved slightly.

They were steady and warm.

My heart suddenly started racing.

"No… no reason."

I dodged the question.

Everett didn't press.

He just chuckled softly. "It's not hard. I'll send you some materials later."

I had a feeling his definition of "not hard" was different from mine.

But hearing that, I still nodded happily.

"Okay."

15

To prepare for the PhD entrance exam, I started spending all my time in the library and lab.

My advisor was very supportive when he found out.

I occasionally ran into Dante in the lab or classroom.

But we were just nodding acquaintances.

He tried to talk to me a few times, but my cold attitude discouraged him.

Fiona still looked at me with dislike.

Our interactions grew fewer and fewer, unlike at the beginning of the semester.

On Friday, our advisor assigned a paper due next week.

I spent the afternoon in the library, laptop open, searching for sources.

During a break, I checked my phone.

I saw that Everett had called me.

I video-called him back.

His background looked like he was outside.

"Where are you?"

I asked.

Instead of answering, he noticed my background.

"You're in the library?"

I nodded and told him our advisor had assigned a paper.

"I'm looking for sources now. I don't even know where to start."

"I can help."

Everett suddenly said.

Right. I forgot he was a PhD student.

My eyes lit up. "I'll call you when I get back."

"No need."

Huh?

"I'm at your school right now. I should be at the library in about ten minutes."

Huh?!

Everett was at our school!!!

My eyes widened again with excitement.

My voice carried a hint of joy I didn't even notice.

"I'll come to the door to get you. You can't get in without a student card."

"Okay."

...

I waited at the library entrance for a few minutes.

Sure enough, I saw him walking down the main path.

Tall, poised, striking.

He drew a lot of attention.

Everett saw me too.

His warm eyes softened even more.

I waved excitedly.

He was at my side in a few quick steps.

I led him into the library.

I was still a bit surprised.

"What are you doing at our school?"

"I have a research project. We're collaborating with your school. My advisor brought me."

I nodded eagerly.

That was amazing.

Luckily, the spot I'd picked was a two-person table.

Everett sat down and immediately went into work mode.

"Show me the requirements."

"Here."

I sat obediently beside him like a little kid.

A legend is a legend.

He took one look and knew exactly which direction to point me in.

We spent the whole afternoon in the library.

He gave me a lot of guidance and help.

With all the source-searching and data verification, I had a clear outline for my paper.

"Write it like this. Send it to me when you're done."

"Okay, okay."

Getting guidance from the legend was such an honor.

I checked the time. It was already eight o'clock.

"Oh no, I forgot to eat."

I'd made the legend skip dinner to help me with my paper.

What a crime.

Everett smiled faintly.

"It's fine. Eating now isn't too late."

"Let me treat you. What do you want to eat?"

"I heard your school cafeteria has good congee."

Oh, the legend wanted congee.

I smiled and nodded. "I'll take you."

"Mm."

16

It wasn't mealtime, so the cafeteria wasn't crowded.

I ordered congee for the legend and got some dishes from another window.

"These dishes are pretty good. Want to try?"

"Sure."

The legend ate with his chopsticks, elegant and refined.

It was a pleasure to watch.

I didn't know why, but I felt incredibly happy.

Halfway through our meal, someone called my name.

I looked up. It was Fiona.

Huh?

She wasn't out with Dante tonight?

I was a little surprised, but it wasn't my business.

Since she was greeting me, I gave a faint nod in return.

Fiona recognized Everett too.

Seeing us together, her gaze swept over us.

"You two…"

Everett frowned slightly.

He clearly didn't like being scrutinized like that.

I could tell she was about to misunderstand.

For some reason, I really disliked the way Fiona was looking at Everett like that.

It bothered me.

So when I spoke again, my tone was colder.

"Senior Everett is here for a collaborative research project with our school. I'm showing him around for sources."

Fiona gave an awkward "oh" and left, half-doubtful.

I didn't want to deal with her.

I said to Everett, "Don't mind her. She's my roommate."

Everett responded flatly. "I know."

*Oh no. Did the legend get upset?*

I was a little anxious.

After dinner, he walked me back to the dorm.

"Get some rest."

I nodded. "Okay."

...

Back in the dorm, Fiona was in front of the mirror doing her skincare routine.

When she saw me come in, she gave me a couple of looks.

I ignored her.

If it weren't for her, the legend wouldn't have gotten upset.

Fiona waited for me to say something, but I didn't.

Finally, she tentatively asked, "Did Everett walk you back?"

"Mm."

"Rowan, are you and Everett…"

"Fiona, that's my personal business. You don't need to pry."

I put down my things.

My voice wasn't loud, but my tone was firm.

Fiona shut up, but her gaze grew even more probing.

I was annoyed.

I opened my laptop to work on my paper.

Fiona kept glancing at me.

I got even more annoyed.

I just took my laptop to bed.

17

No classes on the weekend.

I woke up early and Fiona was already gone.

She was probably out with her boyfriend again.

I didn't feel like going to the library, so I decided to finish my paper in the dorm.

It took me two days to put together a first draft.

I immediately sent it to Everett.

He was probably busy, because he didn't reply until evening.

I saw that he'd received my file.

I thought he'd get back to me tomorrow.

But he video-called me directly.

"Are you asleep?"

"Not yet."

"Open your laptop and bring up your paper."

"Okay."

I obediently opened my laptop.

I didn't expect him to guide me through my paper over a video call.

It felt like an online class.

He read it very carefully.

I marked down all his comments one by one.

Before I knew it, two hours had passed.

"Thank you, legend!"

"Fix the marked parts tomorrow and send it to me again."

"Okay."

"Mm. Get some rest."

Everett took off his glasses and rubbed his brow.

I watched his fingers.

"Did you do experiments all day again?"

He looked tired.

And he'd still taken the time to guide me.

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

Oh.

I suddenly felt guilty and a little sorry for him.

"You get some rest too. Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up just as Fiona came in.

She saw my laptop screen.

"Rowan, your paper is already done?"

I grunted in response, not wanting to talk to her. I closed my laptop and went to sleep.

...

Monday, I sent the revised paper to Everett for another look.

He said it was fine.

I happily printed it out to turn in.

When I got to the office, Fiona was there too.

But she was just leaving.

We ran into each other, and she gave me a meaningful look.

I was confused.

When I went in, I heard my advisor talking to another teacher.

"Not