Ch. 106 - I Have a Lover (2)

Chapter 106: I Have a Lover (2)

The next day, Flame walked to the academy like any other day with a hint of annoyance. However, she still diligently attended the classes.

Knowing that each moment could change her future, she didn't want to waste her time.

However, something was different today.

The atmosphere felt strange, almost chaotic, with many eyes strangely focused on her.

Were her pants torn?

Did something stain her face?

After class, Flame checked herself in the restroom, but there was nothing particularly unusual.

Passing female students whispered as they glanced her way, making it hard to ask them directly.

However, Flame wasn't the type to dwell on trivial matters.

After one lecture ended, while walking in the hallway, a group of girls from the opposite side approached Flame and intentionally bumped into her shoulder.

Taken aback, Flame slapped the girl’s forehead with the palm of her hand.

Thwack!

It was a surprisingly satisfying sound.

"Are you crazy?"

"Wh-What... What are you doing?"

"Why? Do you want another hit?"

"Eek!"

As Flame raised her palm, the student instinctively lowered her head.

Flame used her 10cm height advantage over her to assert dominance in an instant.

"Hey, enough already. Tell me what's going on."

"Wh-What's happening?"

"Ugh, this brat is really getting on my nerves. Hey, come up to the rooftop with me. Let's have a chat while I give you a taste of your own medicine."

"Are you insane? How can such a shallow girl be Jeremy's lover... Ugh!" The girl tried to say something, but she covered her mouth without finishing her sentence. However, Flame had already heard everything.

"What? Who said I'm someone's lover?"

The female students exchanged glances before one of them spoke up. "Are you pretending not to know now? You sly fox! The fact that you tried to seduce Jeremy has already spread throughout the academy."

"Wait, what kind of nonsense is this?"

Flame scratched her temple with her pen in genuine confusion. "You're claiming I tried to seduce someone? I've never done that!"

"Ha, there's evidence already."

She pulled out a photo from her pocket and showed it to Flame. The picture captured Flame in the dormitory in her pajamas, engaged in a conversation with someone.

While the person inside the dorm wasn't clearly visible, the vibrant colors of the hallway and the distinctive dormitory doors were enough to identify it as the Class S boys' dormitory.

‘This is from yesterday, isn't it?’

Indeed, it was a photo that could spark controversy. The fact that a female student had visited the boys' dormitory in the middle of the night in pajamas could only mean one thing: they were lovers or perhaps had some sort of romantic involvement.

So why did the rumor specifically spread about her being Jeremy's lover?

The photo didn’t even show the man. It spread rapidly as if intentionally shared overnight.

When she went to his dorm the previous night, there was clearly no one nearby. It was obvious someone had secretly taken this photo.

‘Wow, seriously.’

Perplexed, Flame chuckled disappointingly.

'Jeremy, that crazy bastard. So this is your game...'

Even though she thought it was a childish idea, it still gave her goosebumps.

Manipulating this situation by using students on campus for errands and spreading rumors to such an extent...

Well, in the original romance novel, he did even more exaggerated things.

Feeling a throbbing headache, Flame pressed the pen against her temple.

"Enough. This photo is confiscated."

"What?!"

"By the way, it's just a baseless rumor. Don't believe it."

"Baseless rumor?"

"We're not involved at all, you idiot."

"Idiot... Using such crude language!"

It was easy to guess why those female students were causing trouble.

Thanks to Jeremy's innocent and modern idol-like appearance, he had quite a significant fan base. His apparent involvement with some random lady was bound to make his admirers upset.

On Earth, when male idols were rumored to be in a relationship with ordinary women, there were cases where overly passionate fans would threaten her through social media or even go as far as visiting the woman's house to terrorize her.

‘Ugh, this feels like shit. Seriously.’

No matter how much she denied it, it was difficult for one person to stop a rumor that had already spread.

What could she do?

But she couldn’t skip class, so Flame quietly attended the remaining lecture.

There were fewer students bothering Flame with unnecessary disputes. Instead, most of them were excited about the new gossip, ‘The Prince and the Commoner Girl's Romance.’

She began to think it was a mistake to attend the rest of the lectures.

The rumor that Flame and Jeremy were involved spread like wildfire, almost becoming an established fact.

Afternoon, the final lecture.

Flame was about to return to the dormitory after finishing class when Jeremy walked in through the classroom door.

"Oh?"

"The Young Master came in person."

With a warm glint in his eyes, he approached Flame, who stood firmly, and said, "Flame, would you like to have dinner together tonight?"

In response, a subdued yet intense reaction erupted from those around.

"The rumors were true!"

"What should we do? The Crown Prince and Flame were really... Crazy, it's really crazy!"

Only then did she fully grasp Jeremy's intention. The subtle rumors circulating within the academy had evidence and witnesses, but without direct confirmation from the individuals involved, the situation remained frustratingly unresolved.

Jeremy asking Flame to dinner? He neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.

However, the simple action was tantamount to confirming the rumors.

‘This is insane.’ Denying vehemently and escaping at this point would be futile.

There was solid evidence, and Jeremy had personally acted in a way that affirmed the truth, so it was obvious how it would be interpreted. Flame fled due to feeling overwhelmed.

Jeremy's plan slowly tightened around her, making it nearly impossible to escape his grip, just like an acute myocardial infarction.

This rumor incident could be seen as the seed of his plan. Even if she managed to escape somehow, the seed would continue to grow until she was ensnared.

Flame clenched her cold, sweaty hands. Knowing well how Jeremy had cornered Eisel in the original romantic novel, she couldn't help but be nervous.

‘Just running away won't solve anything.’

The seed had to be completely eradicated, not given any chance to sprout.

"Flame, let's go."

Even as she pondered her options, Jeremy was drawing closer.

What should she do?

How could she extinguish this baseless rumor in one fell swoop?

Flame desperately tried to think of a way to salvage the situation and suddenly recalled a romance webtoon she had seen before.

"Hey..."

"Hmm?"

"Why would I have dinner with you?"

Jeremy smiled knowingly. "Oh, sorry. I wasn't considerate enough. It might be overwhelming with so many people. I should leave." Saying that, Jeremy turned to leave.

But Flame didn't stop there. "No, why do you keep acting like we're something?"

"Huh? Well..."

"I already have a boyfriend, you know?"

He froze.

The perpetual smile on Jeremy's face turned awkward in an instant as if he had eaten something sour.

The reactions around were the same.

Some cheered for love, while others were jealous. There were all sorts of mixed emotions, and even the passionate students who were burning with intensity suddenly became calm in an instant.

Flame pulled out a photo she had taken from the girls earlier and waved it around.

"This photo. Is there a rumor going around that I visited your room?"

Jeremy remained calm, smiling. "Yeah. Who else could it be if not me?"

"I told you already."

Boyfriend, lover, significant other.

Flame desperately tried to come up with an excuse in this situation.

She had joked and lied about Eisel being her lover to Jeremy before, but that was a lie that no one would believe.

Besides, Eisel was as fragile as a delicate fish and she didn't want to drag her into such a huge rumor.

Besides, the background in the photo was clearly the boys' dormitory, so it was impossible for it to be believable.

‘A male student in the first-year S-Class…’

One person came to mind.

She thought of a first-year Class S male student who could match her explanation.

She was truly sorry, but to survive, she had to borrow a name.

"Baek Yu-Seol."

“What?"

"My boyfriend's name is Baek Yu-Seol."

"Haha... Flame, why are you suddenly saying that?" Jeremy was visibly surprised.

It had an effect.

Flame continued, fluttering the photo in front of him. "This photo is from yesterday, taken secretly when I went to Baek Yu-Seol's dormitory. But for some reason, a rumor spread that I went to your room."

His expression turned cold.

"I'm sorry, Crown Prince Jeremy, for involving you with a commoner like me. Well then, I'll be going. I have a dinner appointment with my boyfriend."

Flame quickly left the classroom without looking back.

The classroom was instantly filled with silence.

No one dared to move easily under Jeremy's gaze.

In the midst of that, there was someone who rose like a savior.

"What are you all doing? Don't you want to eat?"

It was Princess Hong Bi-Yeon.

With an annoyed expression, she walked briskly down the hallway, and other students quickly stood up, exchanging awkward conversations.

"Well, yeah. We should get dinner."

"Haha... Dinner sounds good."

"Ah. My stomach. I'm hungry."

One by one, the students left, and Jeremy stood there frozen for a long time before wiping his face with his palm.

Then he smiled faintly. "Haha... It's not easy indeed."

An ordinary person would have fallen into the trap easily.

Flame had dodged even that. So he became even more excited.

The thrill of obtaining something hard to get was so anticipated.

Wasn’t it the same now?

His heart was bubbling and burning.

‘Tear her limb from limb! Rip her flesh! Gouge out all her eyes! I want to kill!’

'Huh? I want to kill?'

‘Why do I want to kill?’

Jeremy didn't quite understand his emotions then, but he didn't think much of it.

Comments