Chapter 1

The SATs were over when someone found a love letter Stephen Hayes had written to me.

Everyone started chanting, asking if I'd say yes.

Young and shy, I was too embarrassed to admit it, missing the dejection in his eyes.

Years later, he used me as inspiration for a coming-of-age movie that swept the film awards.

When reporters asked if he regretted not being more proactive back then, Stephen Hayes wept on camera, hoping to find me through the media.

Suddenly, the whole city was buzzing.

But by then, I was no longer able to respond…

Reborn, back to that summer when I was eighteen.

I snatched up the love letter first and walked straight up to him:

"Stephen, do you want to be with me?"

He lowered his eyes, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"No."

As his words hung in the air, a suffocating awkwardness filled the room.

Some people tried to comfort me, others were just enjoying the spectacle.

I ran a hand through my hair, taking two steps back with a self-deprecating laugh. "Oh, I see. Alright then."

The whispers around me threatened to drown me:

"Who is she? So bold!"

"I think she's from Class 3? I heard she got into our school on an athletic scholarship. Otherwise, with her grades…"

"So where does she get the confidence to confess to Stephen? He's a top student, accepted to Harvard University…"

"Who knows. Aren't all jocks like that? Reckless airheads…"

I squeezed my palm, forcing a smile to keep myself from looking too awkward.

"It was just a dare. Don't take it seriously."

Just as I was about to turn and leave, Stephen suddenly spoke.

"That letter… you shouldn't take it seriously either."

In my previous life, I didn't take it seriously either.

That day, after the graduation ceremony, everyone was eagerly clearing out their desks and lockers.

Papers and textbooks cascaded out of drawers with a whoosh, fluttering through the air between the school buildings.

It was then that Stephen's love letter fell out of my drawer.

The guys who usually treated me like one of them snatched the letter, yelling:

"Holy crap! Someone wrote a love letter to Farmar Davies?!"

Stephen's exam papers were always passed around and studied by the entire grade.

My name was written on the envelope in elegant, strong handwriting. It wasn't hard to recognize the sender.

"There are words in here I don't even know! Am I illiterate?"

"Who knew the school's genius would go for a jock like her — Ouch! Not the face!"

I blushed furiously, grabbed the letter back, and shoved it directly into my pocket.

"Stop messing around. How could he ever be interested in me?"

My friends laughed, asking if I had feelings for him.

Back then, my teenage crushes were secrets kept in a diary.

In my friends' eyes, I was always the outgoing tomboy.

My hidden feelings were suddenly exposed, and instead of joy at receiving the letter, shame was the first thing I felt…

At that time, I blurted out:

"No way! We're not even in the same league."

Too embarrassed to admit it, I completely missed the dejected figure in the corner.

The next time I saw him was ten years later, live on a awards show.

Stephen Hayes cried on camera during a media interview.

I stared at the hospital room ceiling, my eyelids growing heavy.

I heard the host ask, "What kind of presence is the female lead's inspiration to Director Stephen Hayes…"

Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear the answer…

When I opened my eyes again, it was back to that summer when I was eighteen.

This time, I walked towards him, but he took a step back. "No, I don't think so."

What came next was even more humiliating than a gentle rejection…

"Sorry, I put it in the wrong drawer."

The room fell silent, as if the world had pressed pause.

"Oh, well, you can have it back then."

I heard myself force myself to speak calmly.

Then I fumbled in my pocket for the crumpled letter, suddenly at a loss.

"Uh, I accidentally wrinkled it…"

I desperately tried to smooth the letter flat—

A button came out of my pocket and rolled to Stephen's feet.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed tight.

Stephen looked down at his collar.

The second button was missing, as if it had been forcefully torn off.

At that moment, the mocking gazes from everyone felt silently directed at me.

It was indeed Stephen's button.

I had spent a month bringing water to the basketball team, begging his teammates, just to get my hands on it.

It was easy for guys to snag a button while playing basketball, without drawing attention.

Now, my carefully hidden secret was exposed, like the punchline of a cruel joke.

I bent down to pick up the button, but it seemed to grow legs, rolling all the way into the depths of a nearby flower bed.

I didn't care how prickly the freshly trimmed branches were, reaching out to get it—

A pair of sneakers stopped in front of me. "Don't bother looking, I don't want it."

I stood up, wiping the sweat from my face. "Oh, alright."

After Stephen left, I also pretended nothing had happened and left.

Then I found an empty classroom and finally couldn't hold it in, bursting into tears.

It shouldn't be like this… Why is it completely different from what I imagined?

I had caught up with time, only to be harshly pushed away by the person within that time.