Blurb：
I brought breakfast burritos for my childhood friend Liam, but he rejected me, embarrassed by my gesture. The class beauty Sophia only added to my humiliation. That’s when I noticed the text bubbles revealing my scholarship deskmate Ethan’s future as a tech mogul who loves burritos. Despite his cold, Rukawa-like demeanor, I insisted he take the food, using my sweetest tone. He finally accepted after I pretended I couldn’t finish them. Did the stubborn genius actually eat them? Discover this enemies-to-lovers romance filled with jealousy, hidden crushes, and a determined heroine chasing the future billionaire.
Content：
I brought my childhood friend Liam breakfast, ten warm, generously filled breakfast burritos.
He frowned and said, Stop embarrassing me, okay? I’m not some laborer.
The class beauty, Sophia, patted his shoulder and handed him a beautifully wrapped sandwich.
When she saw my burritos, she exclaimed, “Wow, that’s enough to last me three days !”
I felt a sting.
Then, text bubbles popped up in front of my eyes.
【LMAO, the scholarship kid just walked by lowkey eyeing those burritos.】
【No wonder he becomes a tech mogul later and says in interviews his favorite food is burritos.】
【His stomach is growling so loud lol if someone offered him a few burritos now, they’d probably become his lifelong crush.】
I turned and handed the burritos to my deskmate, the genius. “Want some? They’re still warm.”
Unexpectedly, the genius replied coldly, “No thanks. I’m not hungry.”
Me: ?
Are both of you messing with me?
I wasn’t ready to give up. I opened the bag.
The smell of meat, dough, and oil wafted out with the rising steam.
Even though I’d already eaten, I couldn’t help but swallow.
“I heard your stomach growling. Are you sure you don’t want any? These burritos are seriously amazing. My dad woke up early to wait in line and buy them for me.”
I have this habit,
Whenever I eat something delicious, I really want to share it and get others to enjoy it too.
It feels like a hidden treasure finally getting the recognition it deserves.
After my hard sell, Ethan finally stopped writing and looked up.
His bangs were a bit long, falling smoothly over his eyebrows.
His eyes were calm,detached.
He had a sharp nose, a tight jawline, and a prominent Adam’s apple.
His blue-and-white school uniform was clean but faded at the cuffs.
He was lean but broad-shoulders.
It hit me that he kinda looked like an old-school anime heartthrob, like Rukawa from Slam Dunk.
We’d been desk mates for almost a month since Ethan became my deskmate, but this felt like the first time I’d really looked at him.
I felt my cheeks get warm.
Ethan’s gaze dropped to the burritos in my hand, and his thin lips parted.
“Thanks, but I don’t need your pity.”
Then he lowered his head and went back to drowning in his studies.
I stood there, frozen in awkwardness.
Seriously, his stubborn attitude was so Rukawa-like.
Who said anything about pity? I just wanted to share good food!
The text bubbles came back again, this time mocking.
【Hahaha, is she brainless? Trying to openly pity the genius?】
【She probably read the comments and wants to become his white moonlight. How delusional.】
【The genius already has someone else as his white moonlight. Give it up.】
My face burned hotter.
Because they’d called me out.
That tiny thought of trying to gat close to him had crossed my mind!
A future tech tycoon—of course, he’d be rich.
Was it so wrong to want to be friends early?
Just as I was getting mad, I heard a faint gurgling sound.
It seemed like it was coming from Ethan’s direction.
I glanced over.
Ethan’s pen paused for a second. Then he kept writing like nothing happened.
But I saw the tips of his ears turn pink.
I sighed.
Whatever, why bother arguing with someone who doesn’t have enough to eat?
I tugged gently on his sleeve and turned on the sweet tone I use with my dad.
“Help me out, Ethan. I can’t finish these, and I hate wasting food. Can you eat them for me?”
Ethan didn’t say anything.
I pushed the burritos to his side of the desk. He didn’t push them back.
Tch, so stubborn.
“Remember to eat them. I’m going to the restroom.”
There were only ten minutes until morning study session started.
If I didn’t go now, I wouldn’t have another chance!
When I got back to my seat, the whole bag of burritos was gone.
I sniffed the air—no meaty smell left.
Huh, did Ethan not eat them?
Did he throw them away?
I was about to ask when our strict teacher, Mrs. Grim, walked in.
“Take out yesterday’s homework. If you didn’t do it, stand in the back. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
I immediately ducked my head and didn’t dare breathe too hard.
Senior year teachers were all intense about review sessions.
By the time I’d numbly finished listening to Mrs. Grim go over the homework, I’d completely forgotten about the burritos.
After school, Dad was busy in the kitchen when I got home.
A homemade meatloaf and mashed potatoes were already on the table.
“Wow, mac and cheese!”
I reached out happily to grab a piece, but Mom tapped my forehead.
“Wash your hands, you little gremlin.”
I grinned, dropped my backpack, and ran to wash up.
When I came back , Dad brought out a basket of warm, buttery rolls.
“Dinner’s served!”
I clasped my hands together. “Thank you, Mom and Dad, for all your hard work. I’ll do my best to eat everything!”
The three of us chatted happily as we ate.
Dad smiled and asked me, “Want me to get steamed burritos again tomorrow morning? Did Liam say they were delicious when you brought them for him today?”
Liam Walker. My childhood friend.
Just hearing his name made the fried fish in my mouth lose its flavor.
I mumbled, “They were good.”
Dad, just like me, loves feeding people.
“Liam hasn’t come over for dinner in a while. You seniors are so busy and stressed. Emma, eat up, get your strength back.”
Liam and I grew up together. We were both chubby kids.
He loved my dad’s meatloaf, and I loved his mom’s baked ziti.
We were always together, eating our way through every hidden gem in the neighborhood.
Then, almost overnight, Liam shot up to six feet tall.
His soft little belly turned into abs, and his buzz cut grew out into a stylish fade.
The person beside around him changed from me—chubby Emma—to the class beauty, Sophia.
Liam and Sophia went out for smoothie bowls and avocado toast instead of coming to my house for sweet and sour ribs.
I tried a acai bowl once, too.
A bunch of blended berries? How could it compare to my dad’s mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, or fried chicken?
What made me even madder was that he ate the sandwiches Sophia made him and called my pork burritos “greasy spoon food.”
Sophia even said ten burritos would last her three days.
What’s so great about weighing 90 pounds?
I’m 5’3″ and 120 pounds—a little curvy, but healthy and strong, okay?
I shoveled a big mouthful of rice into my mouth.
I had to break the habit of saving food for Liam. Stop caring about that traitor!
No more chasing after him!
I was happily eating when the text bubbles started scrolling again.
【Huh? This curvy girl is the villainess, Emma? Her family seems so loving. How does she end up so messed up later?】
【Probably because she went to some shady college and fell in with the wrong crowd.】
【Plot convenience. The villainess’s death is what brings the main couple back together! Too bad her parents passed away not long after she died…】
The meatball in my mouth dropped right back into the bowl.
Hey, you text bubbles—explain yourselves!
I pushed my bowl away, wiped my mouth, and said, “I’m done eating.”
Then I rushed to my bedroom, locked the door, and focused on reading the floating comments.
According to them, I’m the villainess in this stroy.
My childhood friend Liam is the male lead, and the class beauty Sophia is the female lead.
After graduation, I confessed to Liam and got rejected.
He told me he and Sophia had already decided to go to the same university and get married after graduation.
Blinded by anger, I tampered with his application—sending him and Sophia to colleges over a thousand miles apart.
I, with my mediocre grades and desperate to stay near Liam, ended up at a low-tier local school.
Because I, the villainess, kept stirring up drama, the main couple was constantly torn apart.
In college, Liam didn’t date anyone—including Sophia.
I confessed to him again.Got rejected again.
Again, out of spite, I started dating some troublemaker who hung around my campus, trying to make Liam jealous.
Liam ignored me and focused on his studies, aiming to transfer to Sophia’s grad school.
I stayed tangled up with that troublemaker until senior year, when he accidentally strangled me to death in a motel room.
Then he fled.
My parents were utterly broken by the news.
Liam, out of some leftover childhood loyalty, helped my parents with the arrangements.
The story of a college girl found dead in a motel room blew up into a full-blown scandal.
Sophia, by then a journalism major interning at a news outlet, came with her internship team to interview my parents.
That’s how the main couple reunited—over my death.
They’d both grown into better people and, without me around, fell in love fearlessly.
I didn’t even finished reading before rage boiled up inside me.
The text bubbles said my parents died not long after I did.
So my whole family was sacrificed for the plot?
This is insane!
I admit, I did have some feelings for Liam.
We grew up together, and he’d become a sunny, athletic guy with abs.
But sabotaging his applications? Dating some dangerous loser? I’d never do that!
Even if Liam rejected me, a good pizza or burger would’ve cured me.
Foodies keep it simple!
As for the villainess storyline—I’ll just steer clear of it!
Once I made up my mind, Icalmly opened my bedroom door and yelled, “Mom, don’t clear the table yet! I’m coming back for seconds!”
The only real break during senior year was gym class.
The boys played three-on-three basketball, and the girls played badminton.
Those who couldn’t exercise were allowed to sit courtside and watch the boys play.
So usually, more than half the girls claimed it was “that time of the month” and camped beside the court.
Even the messiest boys would wash their hair the night before andwear their favorite jerseys.
Liam sank a perfect three-pointer and lifted his purple-and-yellow jersey to wipe sweat off his forehead.
His abs drew soft, admiring gasps from the sidelines.
He flashed a bright smile and glanced toward.
I followed his gaze—right to Sophia.
They shared a quiet, sweet moment.
I felt a strange pang—almost like an emotion that wasn’t really mine.
I shook it off.
A girl next to me grabbed my arm and pinched the soft flesh.
“Emma, why does it feel like you and Liam haven’t been talking much lately?”
I mumbled, “It’s nothing.”
“You should be careful, or Sophia will steal your childhood friend. That little绿茶is totally calculating.”
I thought about it.
“Then I’ll just wish them well. They look good together.”
After all, they’re the main couple.
“Really? Liam’s so hot now. You’d just let him go?”
I didn’t really want to keep talking about Liam—it felt like tempting fate.
Just then, I spotted Ethan.
I pointed subtly in his direction, changing subject.
“Ethan’s pretty hot too, don’t you think?”
Unlike the others, even during the game, Ethan kept his school uniform on.
The zipper was neatly pulled up to his collarbone, and he’d only rolled his sleeves to his forearms.
His slightly long bangs were damp with sweat, and his lips pressed tightly together.
The girl next to me snorted.
“Ethan? He’s okay-looking, but he’s so quiet and gloomy. His game’s pretty average too.”
“And don’t top students have weird quirks? Everyone else is wearing jerseys, and he’s still in uniform.”
The text bubbles exploded.
【What are these two gossiping about? The antagonist is a scholarship student who can barely afford food. How could he have energy for sports?】
【His uniform is washed clean every day—it’s his most presentable outfit. Buying a jersey? He’d rather buy more bread.】
【These gossipy girls are so annoying. No wonder only the female lead becomes his white moonlight.】
【Just wait till the antagonist becomes a tech tycoon. His presence will be huge, and he’ll be insanely hot.】
【Maybe the female lead should keep both the male lead and the antagonist. Two is better than one!】
Huh?
I was stunned.
Ethan is the antagonist? Sophia is his white moonlight?
But I’ve never seen them talk…
The text bubbles left me totally confused.
Just then, Liam’s game ended, and he came off the court.
The girl beside me shoved a water bottle into my hand and pushed me forward.
“Go give Liam some water! Quick, go for it!”
I stumbled and stood in front of Liam.
Liam saw the water in my hand, and his eyes lit up.
“Hey, finally ready to apologize? Just because I didn’t take your burritos, you gave me the silent treatment. You didn’t even wait for me to walk to school. So petty.”
Ever since I found out I was the villainess, I’d been avoiding any interaction with Liam—trying to escape my terrible fate.
But now, I blankly held up the water bottle.
“I wasn’t trying to give you water… It’s for…”
I looked back toward the court.
Who was that girl who shoved the water at me?
I couldn’t even remember!
Was she even in our class?
A cold sweat broke out on my back.
Liam grew impatient.
“Whatever, no need to explain. If you know you were wrong, it’s fine. I’m thirsty anyway.”
He reached for the water, but a slender, pale hand reached out at the same time.
“Liam, drink this electrolyte water instead.”
Sophia smiled slightly.
“It’s imported electrolyte water～”
“Emma, no offense, but that generic bottled water might as well be tap water. You really should drink that.”
“If you’re going to bring someone water, at least make it something like Perrier. Right, Liam?”
Liam licked his lips and took the beautifully packaged drink from Sophia.
“She’s right, Emma. You should really cut back on cheap stuff. Maybe then yyou’d slim down a bit. Stop being such a little bumpkin.”
They smiled at each other, making me look like a complete fool.
A couple of guys nearby started snickering.
“Liam, you’ve got it made! Two girls bringing you water after a game.”
“Jealous? The tank’s still holding that water. Why don’t you take it?”
“No way, I don’t want the tank latching onto me. Hahaha.”
My face burned.
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My eyes stung.
My feet felt nailed to the ground.
Text bubbles scrolled past.
【Public humiliation arc. I’m getting secondhand embarrassment for the villainess. Is this where her downfall starts?】
【Yep. She could’ve gotten into a decent college, but this pushed her into competing with the female lead.】
【She stopped eating to lose weight, begged her parents for money to buy luxury goods, chased the male lead, and stopped studying. Ended up at a shady college.】
【Serves her right. She knew the main couple was perfect but still butted in and embarrassed herself.】
No! This wasn’t me—I was being forced by the plot!
I never meant to bring Liam water!
Then—
Thud!
One of the snickering guys clutched his head and yelped.
“Who the hell threw that ball?!”
Everyoneturned toward where the ball came from.
Ethan stood with one hand in his pocket, expressionless. His voice was calm.
“Sorry, my hand slipped.”
Ethan was thin, but he was tall—maybe 6’1″—with broad shoulders and long legs.
He was usually quiet and kept to himself in class, but teachers loved him for his straight A’s, so no one messed with him.
The snarky guy who got hit scowled and muttered, “Freakin’ weirdo,” but didn’t dare throw the ball back.
Then, right in front of everyone, another ball smacked the second snarky guy in the head.
“Ow! What’s your problem, Ethan?!”
Ethan didn’t flinch. His tone was still even.
“Sorry, my hand slipped again.”
The guy who got hit wasn’t stupid.
“You did that on purpose!”
Ethan blinked.
“I said I was sorry. If you’re not satisfied, take it to the teacher.”
No one would dare. The teachers always took his side.
Ethan was being groomed for the Ivy League.
The crowd began to lose interest and drift away.
The text bubbles were confused.
【Wait—was this in the plot? Why did the antagonist help the villainess?】
【No way. He must be jealous seeing the main couple close. Trying to get the female lead’s attention.】
【Gotta say, he looked pretty cool throwing that ball one-handed.】
【His hands are huge! He can palm a ball? His fingers must be long too… drools】
【So the antagonist already likes the female lead? I thought it would happen after that incident…】
【No spoilers! It’s no fun if you say it.】
Whatever the comments said, Ethan had helped me.
My eyesight is good—I could clearly see how gry and chapped his lips were after playing.
He usually drank from a soft, crinkled water bottle with the label peeling off.
He never bought drinks from the school vending machines
I walked over and handed him the water.
“It’s sealed. For you. Your lips look pretty dry.”
Afraid he’d refuse, I added, “Not out of pity. Just… thanks. For stepping in. Whatever your reason was.”
Ethan looked down at me.
His pupils were dark, his gaze intense.
After a moment, he pursed his lips.
“Second time.”
It was such a random thing to say. I didn’t get it.
But he took the water and drank it in a few deep gulps.
He must’ve been really thirsty—he drank like he’d been in a desert.
A trickle of water escaped and trailed down his neck, over his collarbone, and into his collar.
I watched Ethan’s Adam’s apple bob and suddenly felt parched too.
My heart beat a little faster. Before I could think, I asked him.
“Did you… help me just now because of?”
Ethan tucked the empty bottle into his pocket. His reply was toneless.
“Just returning the favor for the burritos. I don’t like owing people.”
I said, “Oh.”
I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
What was there to owe over a couple of breakfast burritos?
Guess the text bubbles were right after all.
Ethan probably stepped in because of Sophia—he just didn’t want to admit it.
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