Chapter 6: Rivalry, Reversals, and Running Toward Love

I moved left, they blocked right.

Their legs were slouched, their ripped jeans torn to shreds.

One hand held a cigarette, the other looked like it was hiding something.

I surrendered fast. I couldn’t fight five, but I could run fast.

So I got ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.

But when I turned, a green-haired punk was behind me.

"You know the drill?"

"Anyone taking this shortcut pays a toll. You look like you’ve got cash."

No way out, the punks blocked me and laughed.

The red-haired one waved his cigarette in my face, the cheap smoke making me want to sneeze.

"Hand it over," he said.

I pulled out a crumpled five-dollar bill: "This is all I’ve got."

"Come on," Red sneered. "Nobody takes cash. Use Venmo."

He pulled out a QR code: "You’re new here, right? First time, so a discount—pay us $40 and you can go."

I barely had any money left. I took a deep breath and tried to haggle: "Can you do better? The number’s unlucky."

After negotiating, I got them down to $20.

At least I saved a bit.

I took out my phone to pay.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?!"

Before I could open my app, a hand grabbed my collar and yanked me aside.

A figure in black barreled into the group, fists flying.

Sean Wilder didn’t even break a sweat—he took down the five punks in seconds.

A pile of colorful hair lay on the ground, like a spilled bag of Skittles.

Sean, in a black hoodie, kicked Red again: "Like collecting tolls, huh?"

Red, bruised, looked up in fear: "No more, I swear."

After teaching them a lesson, Sean turned to me, still frozen:

"Scared stiff?"

The voice was familiar, the build was familiar. My hero was definitely Sean Wilder.

"No, no."

I wiped my nose and looked at Sean in awe.

The way the bad boy pulled me aside and fought barehanded was just too cool.

And those punches—watching him was like being in an action movie.

No wonder every cheesy drama has a hero saving the girl. The heroine always falls for him after being rescued.

If only for saving my $20, Sean deserved my admiration.

"So cool!"

I couldn’t help giving him a thumbs up. I swear, my heart skipped a beat.

Sean picked up my bag: "I’ll walk you back."

Back in the dorm, I was still lost in the hero-saving-the-girl moment.

It’s a pity the hero left so fast.

Sean walked me out of the alley, put me on the bus, and left.

At the time, my mind was blank. I only managed a few stammered thank-yous.

For the next few days, I thought about it in class, dreamed about it at night, and even while watching Netflix, the scene replayed in my mind.

"I’m doomed," I lay on Maribel, stars in my eyes. "I think I’m falling for him."

After these run-ins, Sean wasn’t as scary as I thought. Instead, he stood up for me.

Plus, his confidence in a fight lit up something childish in me.

"What do you mean, falling? Don’t tell me you like Sean Wilder?"

Maribel teased.

Unexpectedly, I nodded slowly and firmly:

"Yeah, I kind of like him..."

"Girl," Maribel set down her phone and cupped my face, "Are you possessed?"

No one believed I liked Sean. Even if I shouted it across campus, people would think I was joking.

"Why? Sean’s not bad-looking, right? Even with face blindness, I can tell he’s handsome."

"He’s hot, and sure, he’s got a temper, but apparently..." Maribel tapped her head, "Apparently he’s clueless. Even when the campus queen gave him a love letter, he didn’t react. That’s the campus queen! If I were a guy..."

My eyes lit up: "So, Sean’s never dated?"

"Probably not. Why are you so excited?"

I looked serious: "Honestly, that’s a rare find."

Actions speak louder than words.

I’m not a fast learner, so I asked my roommates with dating experience for advice and finally made a step-by-step plan to win Sean over.

Step one: get closer to him.

To thank him for saving me, I got a little gift for Sean.

After finding out where he’d be, I dressed up and went to find him.

Sean had just finished a basketball game and looked surprised:

"Josie Monroe, you actually know today’s my birthday?"

Lucky guess. My eyes lit up and I played along: "Happy birthday, here’s a gift I made for you."

Sean opened it: a felt sheep keychain.

It was the perfect size for his backpack.

I couldn’t afford anything fancy—I’d already given fruit, so this time I made something by hand.

Sean seemed genuinely happy and immediately clipped it to his bag.