Ch. 3 - Me, Who Refuses to Fail, and the Idiot Brother
My Fake Girlfriend is Going All Out to Defend Against Their AttacksThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
From behind the banyan tree, where no one could be seen, a voice came:
“S-so… you already have someone you like… huh? Ahaha… sorry for bothering you.”
Soon after, a boy slowly walked out from behind the tree, his face full of disappointment. He held a rejected love letter in his hand, head lowered. Bathed in the evening sunlight, he looked almost like a down-and-out middle-aged man.
He had probably confessed to someone he liked and got rejected. Heartbreak makes boys grow up—it’s just part of youth. Time will eventually wash it all away.
The boy noticed me and Wu Yaoyao, and a trace of panic flashed across his face as he seemed at a loss. After glancing at the envelope in my hand, his expression shifted to understanding and sympathy. He nodded at us and walked away, his demeanor gradually becoming lighter.
Hey, hey—don’t tell me he thinks I also confessed and got rejected? And now he feels like he’s got company?! That’s awful. No wonder you got rejected!
Seeing this, Wu Yaoyao’s angry, almost biting expression softened. She must have realized that the earlier line—“already has someone they like”—wasn’t said deliberately, but was just an excuse to reject that boy.
I looked behind the banyan tree and found no one there.
“Fine then, tell me who you like. Let me see just who is so amazing that they’ve won your heart!” Wu Yaoyao snorted, staring at me coldly. “If you can’t say it, I’ll confess to you every single day. At your house, in your classroom, in the student council room!”
“I-it’s… it’s…”
“Who is it?!”
This script is completely different from everyone else’s! Shouldn’t she have given up like that boy did after hearing this? Why is she threatening me so confidently instead? If she really confessed to me like that every day, my high school life would be ruined.
And besides, this was just an excuse I made up on the spot. There isn’t actually anyone I like. And in the entire Peony High School, where would I even find someone better than Wu Yaoyao?
Wait—there are two. My thoughts stirred slightly.
Tang Xin and Senior Ning Yi.
Tang Xin is absolutely impossible. Sure, she’s pretty, does well in school, and I see her every day—it would make sense if I liked her. But the problem is, I’ve definitely badmouthed her in front of Wu Yaoyao before, so that won’t work.
That leaves only Senior Ning Yi.
There’s no doubt about Ning Yi’s appearance. Academically, she’s already been recommended to one of the top universities in the country within the city. Tall, with a cold aura that keeps people at a distance—people’s understanding of her is limited to “aloof,” “beautiful,” and “excellent in studies.” A girl like that is absolutely deadly to high school boys.
These thoughts raced through my mind at high speed.
A perfect shield.
“The person I like is…”
“Who?”
“Senior Ning Yi.”
Sorry, Senior Ning Yi. I’ll have to trouble you to be the one I like for now. I silently apologized in my heart, just hoping Wu Yaoyao wouldn’t go find her with a bow and arrows.
“As expected, it’s Senior Ning Yi.” Wu Yaoyao looked like she had already guessed it.
Even so, to my surprise, Wu Yaoyao didn’t seem very upset. Instead, she looked somewhat relieved.
Even Senior Ning Yi isn’t enough to make her back off? Seriously?
I started to feel nervous, watching her face closely for her reaction.
“So, I can’t go out with you. Sorry.”
I quickly repeated my rejection, just in case things got more complicated.
“You think I’d give up just like that?”
Wu Yaoyao pretended to think for a moment. Then her twin ponytails bounced slightly, and the corners of her lips slowly curled upward. She looked at me with a teasing expression.
That still didn’t scare her off? And what’s with that look like she’s already come up with a perfect counterplan?!
“B-but—” I began to panic a little.
“First, you like Senior Ning Yi, but she doesn’t even know you. Second, as far as I know, your social circles don’t overlap—you barely have any chance of being together. And third, she’s already in her third year. By this time next year, she’ll be in college.”
Tilting her head, Wu Yaoyao’s usual warm smile returned to her face. After softly finishing her last point, she clasped her hands behind her back and took two steps closer. Standing on her tiptoes, her hair lightly brushed against my ear. The warmth unique to a girl reached me, and a faint, captivating fragrance lingered at the tip of my nose.
“Even if you don’t like me now, once you realize my charm, you’ll slowly fall for me.”
A soft touch brushed against my face.
Her fragrance, so close, left me frozen in place. Covering the spot that still held a trace of warmth, I stood there in a daze, not daring to move.
“I’ve got something to do later. Hehe—see you tomorrow.”
As if she had accomplished something perfectly, Wu Yaoyao—her face flushed red—waved at me. Then she skipped off toward the tennis court.
By the time I came back to my senses, she had already disappeared from view.
As my heart rate slowly calmed and my thoughts returned, I realized that nothing had actually been resolved! My instincts told me that more trouble was definitely on the way.
But as things stood, there was absolutely nothing I could do.
I felt completely drained.
Checking my phone, I realized I was already more than half an hour late to pick up my younger sister.
…………
The sky had already grown dark.
“Bai Lu, you’re still waiting?”
A girl who had just come out of the theater walked over to another girl who was standing quietly and asked with some concern.
“Mm.”
The girl smiled and nodded.
“Will your brother really come?” The other girl frowned, her dissatisfaction evident—as if silently criticizing that irresponsible brother.
“He definitely will.” Bai Lu’s clear eyes held not a trace of doubt.
“I see…” Seeing how firm Bai Lu was, the girl gave up trying to persuade her to go home. Instead, she stood beside her and started chatting. “Hey, Bai Lu, I’ve never met your brother. What kind of person is he?”
Hearing that, Bai Lu looked at her like a wary little kitten.
“Oh, don’t worry—I’m not going to fall for your brother,” the girl giggled, covering her mouth.
At those words, Bai Lu paused. Her cheeks flushed red, and the corners of her lips curved slightly upward.
“My brother…”
“…is a big idiot.”