Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 48

I never expected the guy I was staring at to actually be Darren.

He was usually rocking those silver specs and had this laid–back artsy dad vibe going on. To put it bluntly, he gave off this slightly stuffy and old–fashioned air.

It was like he was a whole different person from the smooth charmer standing in front of me

now.

What a stark contrast.

“So, Xaviera, you’re disappointed to find out it’s me?” he teased.

I waved my hand dismissively, clarifying, “No, no, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that your current look is a dead ringer for a character in our game, and that’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

That probably came across a little rude.

Darren seemed taken aback, he sighed and said, “And here I was thinking you had a thing for

this version of me, Xaviera.”

I raised my eyebrows, momentarily at a loss for words.

Just then, Tina and Kevin came bounding over from the right and greeted me enthusiastically.

“Xaviera, you have no idea, before you got here, a bunch of chicks were hitting on Professor Yearwood,” Tina said with a hint of pride, lowering her voice, “and they even brought him coffee.”

Kevin mimicked in a falsetto, “Sweetheart, sweetheart, what flavor do you like?”

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really do have a chick magnet vibe.”

more but Darren cut him off, “If you guys keep

and Kevin wisely backed

the university professor, was often bossed around by Tina and Kevin to

our paths crossed.

me to various unique anime

day, and I couldn’t let their help go unrewarded, so I suggested we

at Aurora Eats.

expect, as we passed by a second–floor private room, we bumped into Hilary

glanced at Darren by my side and asked, “This guy looks familiar,

to set the record straight when Darren beat

moment before extending her hand, “Handsome young

cat, I thought, frowning

teach at N University,” Darren replied politely,

he spoken than Hilary’s look became

subject, asking Darren to go ahead and order while I stayed behind

actually happy to see you settling down

Only

Hilary’s makeup was a bit off, with

you, Hogan’s really been over the top lately. He’s even been pushing me to bring Ms. Irwin to social gatherings. If his

off, turning her face away, looking like she was

insists, just go along with it. There’s nothing

worried about those people in the Zade

called out to her, Hilary stopped and then returned to the private room, not before making

really getting the hang of this wealthy lifestyle.

for my daily bread.

dinner tonight; we were all old classmates, reminiscing about

I was

lying in bed, I felt a strange sense of contentment, like maybe life had