“I didn’t know that someone can be earlier than me. Good morning, Emmy.” 

I was dazed. I had to admit that Mason’s visual was still too much for me to handle. He was really a school prince. Even he had princely vibes.

​​

It took me a while to realize that Mason Hall was talking to me, which was also unbelievable in my previous life. 

Even right now, it was still unbelievable that he had the urge to greet me first.

…

“Hello, Emmy? Are you there?” Mason tilted his head. He sat on the bench, sitting close to me without any gap between us. I jolted and immediately slid my butt to the left, distancing myself from him. 

It was almost like an instinct to avoid him because I got bullied horribly in my previous life due to that incident of him carrying me to the infirmary. 

I didn’t want to restart the same experience in this world. 

Mason scratched his head when he saw my nervousness, “Um… is there something that makes you nervous?”

Yeah, your crazy, vindictive fans. 

I shook my head. I didn’t want to stay here for so long. I’m afraid that another student might catch us here sitting together and got me targeted again. 

“I have to go—” I said. But when I was about to stand up, Mason suddenly grabbed my wrist. 

“Wait!” 

I turned my head at him and saw Mason smiling at me. I could see his facial feature at this close range for the second time, including the blue eyes behind that glasses. 

“I thought you’d notice it,” Mason took something out of his pocket and then showed it to me.

It was a wallet, but more importantly, it was my wallet. 

“You should be more careful. This is your wallet, right?” 

I instinctively touched my back pocket, “H—How did you—”

“Mhm, you dropped it in the corridor. I was walking behind you, and you accidentally dropped it. So I picked it up and changed my shirt first before coming to the schoolyard,” Mason explained. 

Somehow, it felt weird when he said that he picked up my wallet. I was very sensitive with my surrounding, let alone my belonging. I would’ve noticed it first.

“I see…” I wondered. “Thank you for picking it up. Please give it back.”

“Oh, I will. But you have to sit here with me first. It’s very rare to see someone come this early. I don’t mind having a friend to talk to. I also doubt that you have something else to do, right?”

…

I followed Mason’s request and sat beside him, I gave us a gap, so our thighs wouldn’t touch. 

“So you know my name because you checked my student Id?” I inquired a bit more.

“Yes,” Mason replied. He maintained his charming smile and prolong the conversation, “Why are you here, Em? It’s so early, you know.”

Okay, him calling me Em or Emmy was a bit strange. We weren’t that close. Boys in my middle school called me Emmelyn. 

Even Mason called me Emmelyn in the previous life. Why did he call me Em now? 

“My mom had an early morning shift, so she drove me to school early,” I lied, and then I asked back, “How about you? It’s still too early.”

“Ah, I usually come this early to avoid few people,” Mason replied. 

“You mean, your fans?”

“Fans… haha,” Mason cast his eyes to the ground and laughed dry. “I’d rather spend time with just one or two people. I’m not really good with people….”

Mason glanced at me, and he smiled, “I’d rather spend time with one quiet girl rather than with many chatty ones.”

…

“Ah, sorry, Em. Please don’t take it the wrong way. I was just saying that I like a quiet place more than crowded ones.”

“How about you? Don’t you think it’s better to stay in a quiet place?” He asked. 

“Yeah, I like serenity,” I replied.

…

Mason stared at me for a moment and grinned, “Good.”

His short affirmation and grin somehow gave this uneasy feeling in my heart. Maybe because I was still scared of him.

Mason stood up. He gave my wallet back, “I’m going to exercise. You’re welcomed to watch if you want. I don’t mind.”

I just realized that he was wearing training pants and a simple white tee that showed his muscle. He usually wore something more modest.

But that was not my main focus. I looked around and was relieved that nobody was around. It could be my doom if someone saw us together. 

“No, I need to leave now.”

“Ah… that’s unfortunate,” Mason sighed. “Well, I will see you later then, Em.” 

…

I walked out of the schoolyard to the building. I dared not to look back because I could feel Mason was still staring at my back until I entered the school building. 

“Fuck, he got my name,” I cursed at my misfortune. Now I had another task to do. I had to avoid him as much as possible. If someone heard him calling me ‘Em’ or ‘Emmy’ then I’m done for. 

“Okay, new mission, avoid Mason as much as possible. Just avoid him, damn it!”