Chapter 12: New Emotions
Just as he collapsed, a convoy of riot police vehicles roared onto the scene. The gang scattered immediately. One officer stopped, ran to The Handsome Butt, and helped him up, looking almost apologetic.
"I'm sorry for being late," he said, bowing his head.
Turns out, before rushing to save me, he had managed to call for backup.
I was trembling like a frightened kitten, sitting silently in the car, not even daring to breathe loudly. Occasionally, I stole glances at him. I was doomed. He was beaten to a pulp because of me. And knowing his violent nature, what if he took his anger out on me?
The car started moving, and his voice was unexpectedly gentle.
"Does your leg hurt?"
I was too scared to answer. If he were yelling at me, that would've been understandable. But this? This was not normal at all. I kept my head down, my brain working at full capacity to assess the situation. Was he pretending to be sweet just to lure me somewhere and set me on fire?
His voice softened even more.
"Sorry for scaring you."
I stole another glance at him. His face was bruised, his clothes were a mess, his shirt had several buttons torn off, and he was breathing heavily. But his eyes… his eyes were incredibly gentle.
In this moment, he looked even sexier than before. Ugh, what was wrong with me? Why was I still simping over him even now? But clearly, he wasn't acting. There was a fresh streak of blood on his lips.
What was he trying to do? Guilt-trip me to death?
I reached over, carefully fixing his shirt and wiping the blood from his lips. He seemed surprised but didn't stop me. There was a deep scratch on his skin—if not treated properly, it would definitely leave a scar.
I stayed silent the entire ride, staring blankly out the window. I was still shaken.
When we arrived at my dorm, he turned to face me. My brain short-circuited for a second, and I froze. Was he going to… kiss me?
Sure, he was attractive. Sure, losing my first kiss to him wouldn't be a tragedy. But I didn't want it to happen like this. Right now, he was under the influence of the notebook, and none of this was real. I didn't want it—not like this.
But no. He simply opened the car door and smirked.
"You're so paranoid. Do you think everyone's as scheming as you?"
Excuse me? Who shoved me into the car like a caveman and made me overthink everything?
I stepped out of the car, and that's when I realized—the pain in my foot was excruciating. I could barely stand. Stumbling, I clung to the car, biting my lip.
Just as I was about to crouch down and take off my cursed high heels, The Handsome Butt suddenly appeared in front of me. He gently knelt down and slipped them off my feet.
The tenderness in his actions made my heart melt.
He looked up at me, eyes locked onto mine, and smirked mischievously.
"Want me to carry you in?"
I frantically waved my hands in protest.
"Are you insane? If you carry me, no one will ever want to marry me."
He leaned in closer.
"With me around, why would you need to worry about that?"
I was speechless. Completely out of comebacks. But thankfully, he let me off the hook.
"Go inside. I'll pick you up for class tomorrow."
I kept my head down, not daring to meet his gaze. In the tiniest voice, I whispered, "I'm sorry."
Then I limped away into the dormitory.
Once I made it to my room, I stood on the balcony and watched as his BMW slowly drove off.
He truly treated the people he cared about with incredible tenderness. But I… I wasn't someone he genuinely loved.
That thought stung a little.
When I opened the door, Duyen was still studying. Everyone else was already asleep. Tomorrow, we had a class with The Witch, so I knew Duyen was working hard to prepare, just like me.
I didn't know what kind of person she used to be, but the Duyen I knew now was impossible to dislike. Did The Witch really not see that?
Seeing me limping inside, Duyen immediately rushed over to support me, her face full of concern. She helped me sit down and found some ointment for my foot.
I told her everything that had happened. She listened quietly, then smiled knowingly.
"He's like that," she said. "Harsh with outsiders, but incredibly gentle to the people he cares about. Stop running away from him."
I was too exhausted to think about what she meant. The moment my head hit the pillow, I drifted off to sleep, her words echoing faintly in my dreams.