Chapter 1: The Boy Everyone Thought They Knew
Ethan Blake was the kind of guy everyone had an opinion about.
Some called him charming.
Some called him dangerous.
Most simply called him a playboy.
And honestly? He didn't bother correcting anyone.
At exactly 8:30 AM, Ethan walked into Westbridge High like he owned the place. His shirt sleeves were rolled up just enough, his tie slightly loose, and his hair—perfectly messy in a way that looked effortless but wasn't.
Heads turned.
They always did.
"Late again, Blake," Mr. Harrison said from the classroom door, checking his watch.
Ethan flashed a lazy smile. "Good morning to you too, sir."
A few girls giggled from inside the class.
Mr. Harrison sighed. "Just get in."
Ethan stepped inside, scanning the room like it was his personal stage. His eyes briefly met a few familiar faces—girls who smiled too quickly, guys who rolled their eyes.
And then—
He stopped.
There was someone new.
A girl sat quietly in the last row, near the window. No makeup. Simple uniform. Hair tied back neatly. She wasn't looking at him… not even for a second.
That was new.
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Interesting.
He walked to his usual seat, but for the first time in months, he wasn't paying attention to the whispers around him.
"Who's that?" he muttered to his best friend, Ryan, who sat beside him.
Ryan leaned in. "New transfer. Came yesterday. Name's… uh… Aria, I think. Doesn't talk much."
Ethan glanced back again.
Aria.
She was staring out the window like the world outside mattered more than anything inside the classroom.
Not even a single glance at him.
Ethan smirked slightly.
"Let's see how long that lasts," he whispered.
By lunchtime, Ethan had already forgotten about half the things he was supposed to care about—assignments, lectures, warnings.
But he hadn't forgotten her.
He spotted Aria sitting alone under a tree in the school yard, quietly eating her lunch.
No phone. No friends. Just… silence.
That made him curious in a way he didn't like admitting.
"Bro, don't tell me you're interested," Ryan said, following his gaze.
Ethan shrugged. "I'm just bored."
"Yeah, yeah. That's how it always starts."
Ignoring him, Ethan grabbed his drink and walked straight toward her.
Aria noticed him only when his shadow fell across her book.
She looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Ethan gave his signature smile. "You're new."
Aria blinked once. "Obviously."
That wasn't the response he expected.
He chuckled. "I'm Ethan."
"I didn't ask."
Ryan, watching from afar, nearly choked.
Ethan tilted his head slightly, amused rather than offended. "Most people are a bit more… welcoming."
Aria closed her book. "Most people probably care more."
Ouch.
But instead of leaving, Ethan sat down right across from her.
"You don't like me," he said casually.
"I don't know you," she replied.
"Same thing, right?"
"No," she said, meeting his eyes again. "Not at all."
For the first time in a long while, Ethan didn't have a comeback ready.
There was something different about her.
She wasn't impressed.
She wasn't annoyed in a dramatic way.
She just… didn't care.
And somehow, that made him want her attention even more.
The next few days didn't go the way Ethan expected.
Usually, it took him less than a day to make someone laugh. Two days to get close. A week to become unforgettable.
But Aria?
She stayed distant.
Every. Single. Time.
"Good morning," Ethan said one day, leaning on her desk.
She didn't even look up. "Move. You're blocking the light."
"Wow," he laughed. "You're always this cold?"
"I'm not cold," she said calmly. "You're just not important."
That hit harder than it should have.
Rumors started spreading quickly.
"They're talking about you," Ryan said during class.
Ethan leaned back. "When are they not?"
"They think you're chasing her."
Ethan smirked. "Am I?"
Ryan looked at him carefully. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."
Because something was different.
Ethan wasn't just playing around anymore.
He was trying.
And failing.
One afternoon, it started raining heavily right after school.
Students rushed out, trying to avoid getting soaked.
Ethan stood near the gate, scrolling through his phone, waiting for his driver.
Then he saw her.
Aria stood under the small shed, holding her bag close, clearly waiting for the rain to stop.
Without thinking much, Ethan walked over.
"You'll be here all day if you wait," he said.
She didn't respond.
He took off his jacket and held it out. "Take it."
Aria looked at it… then at him.
"Why?" she asked.
Ethan shrugged. "Because I can."
She hesitated for a second.
Then shook her head. "I don't need it."
Before Ethan could say anything else, she stepped out into the rain.
Just like that.
No drama. No hesitation.
Within seconds, she was drenched.
Ethan stood there, watching her walk away like it didn't matter at all.
Like nothing mattered at all.
And for the first time…
He didn't feel like the one in control.
That night, Ethan couldn't sleep.
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Why was she like that?
Why didn't she react?
Why didn't she care?
Every other girl he had met fit into a pattern.
They laughed. They blushed. They got attached.
But Aria?
She was unpredictable.
And that bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
The next morning, Ethan walked into school with something unusual in his expression.
Determination.
He spotted Aria in class, already sitting quietly like always.
This time, he didn't joke.
Didn't tease.
Didn't smile.
He simply walked up to her desk and said—
"I'm not giving up."
Aria slowly looked up.
For a moment, there was something in her eyes… something almost like surprise.
But it disappeared quickly.
"That's your problem," she said.
Ethan nodded slightly.
"Maybe," he replied. "But I think you're worth the problem."
For the first time—
She didn't answer immediately.
And that tiny pause?
That was enough for Ethan to realize—
This wasn't just another game anymore.