My best friend set her sights on the campus heartthrob at State U and stubbornly chased him for weeks. The guy didn't even spare her a single glance. Feeling lonely in her one-sided pursuit, she pushed his best friend onto me—the resident sick girl. I pointed to my pale lips. "Bestie, do I really have to chase him?" She advised me with utmost sincerity: "Dating is good for your physical and mental health." Later on, my best friend decided to give up the chase. So, I stopped chasing too. The heartthrob sent my best friend a text, his tone utterly exhausted: "I agree to be your boyfriend. Just tell your friend to take him off her blocked list. My dorm room is practically flooding with his tears." Ever since my best friend, Chloe, took a class over at State U last month, she had been completely obsessed with their resident heartthrob, Liam Hunter. She made up her mind and chased him for weeks, but the guy wouldn't even give her the time of day. Instead of giving up, she grew more determined, acting like she was possessed: "This is exactly the kind of man I want. If he's too easy to get, I won't cherish him later." Because of my poor health, my parents rented an off-campus apartment for me. Chloe lived there with me. Around nine o'clock at night, a light drizzle started falling outside. Chloe came back carrying a bunch of shopping bags, looking absolutely furious. Kicking off her heels, she started complaining to me, "Damn it, this Liam guy is impenetrable! I specifically wore my killer dress to see him today, and he was completely immune. Like a celibate monk." I pulled my eyes away from the movie playing on the TV and looked at Chloe in her red strapless evening gown. I said softly, "If he's that hard to get, why don't you look at someone else? It's not like you have a shortage of guys chasing you." "No, no." She grabbed a soda from the fridge, sat down haphazardly, and took a swig. "Liam is different. He's the only one who gives me butterflies. Plus..." She covered her mouth, smiling like a total creep. "His body is insane. I went to watch him play basketball last time, and those abs... that V-line... it's straight out of a comic book. Kissing that would be a religious experience." I went back to my movie, completely unable to understand people trapped in the web of love. "Hey!" She smiled slyly and nudged my shoulder. "Look at this picture." She unlocked her phone, opened her camera roll, and shoved it in my face. I took it, confused. A guy appeared on the screen. He had a sharp, intense gaze, with rugged, highly aggressive facial features and piercing eyes. It looked like a photo she had secretly saved from Liam's Instagram. "What about him?" "Bestie, do you like him?" Having grown up practically sharing a pair of pants with Chloe, the moment her brow twitched, I knew exactly what kind of nonsense she was plotting. I pointed to my own pale, anemic lips. "Bestie, do I have to chase him?" She blinked her sparkling eyes and grabbed my hands. "Avery, those two guys hang out together all day. Someone needs to separate them. Plus, chasing Liam all by myself is too lonely." Chloe looked at me pitifully, pleading with utmost sincerity. "Just keep me company, please? The main point is, dating is good for your physical and mental health." The movie was still playing in the background, the protagonist shouting: "I must be crazy to believe your nonsense!" The next second, my phone dinged. Chloe had AirDropped me the guy's contact info. "Trust me, Avery, you have to try. He... looks a little intimidating, but he's actually a really nice guy." I sighed. "Fine." "I love you to death!" She leaned in to kiss me, then suddenly remembered she still had her makeup on and hadn't showered. "I'll kiss you to death after I shower! Wait for me, babe!" Me: ... While she was in the shower, I went to add him on iMessage, only to realize... I already had his number saved. Huh? I looked down at the guy's contact photo. It was a picture of the Pokémon, Charizard. My own username was a bit nerdy—I went by "Sleepy Snorlax." My profile picture was Snorlax. I just wanted to eat well, sleep well, and live a carefree life like the lazy Pokémon. The guy's display name was "Caleb Hayes." My finger hovered over the screen. I figured a guy who liked Pokémon couldn't be a bad person. By the time Chloe came out, I had switched the movie to Spirited Away. I didn't have many hobbies, but watching anime and movies was one of them. "Avery, did you add him?" She walked out drying her hair, wearing a silk slip nightgown. "Yeah." I was engrossed in the anime, barely sparing a second to reply. Suddenly I remembered and scratched my head. "So, do I just announce to him that I'm going to pursue him?" "Hmm..." She thought about it. "Ask him if he likes anyone. If he says no, then you say, 'Do you mind if I add myself to the list of people who like you?'" "Huh?" I looked at her with pure disgust. "That sounds so cheesy. Is this seriously how you hit on guys?" "There are too many complicated pickup artist tricks out there nowadays. A plain, unpretentious line like mine will make him think you're pure and innocent. Do exactly as I say, you can't go wrong." "This tactic is called... courtesy before warfare." Although I thought it was incredibly unreliable, I typed into the chat box: "Hi, do you have anyone you like right now?" After hitting send, I assumed it would take a long time to get a reply. I was just about to put my phone down to watch the anime. The next second, a message popped up: "?" "What if..." What if he just sends a question mark? Before I could ask Chloe out loud, he sent another message: "No." I shuddered. Chloe leaned over my shoulder. "Girl, send what I taught you. I'm gonna go blow-dry my hair." "Okay." Caleb: "Why?" I typed: "Then do you mind if I add myself to the list of people who like you?" The moment I hit send, I tossed my phone away in sheer cringe. So gross. My phone stayed silent for a while, so I focused back on my anime. After Chloe finished drying her hair, she laid down next to me, picked up my phone, and asked, "How'd it go?" I answered honestly, "He didn't reply." She gritted her teeth in thought. I thought she was reflecting on her terrible pickup strategy, but instead, she said, "It's fine, that's normal. Liam didn't reply to me at first either." Me: ... I wanted to tell her that it was probably because the line was so incredibly cringe-worthy that it shocked the guy into a coma. Chloe had a group project to work on, so she started aggressively editing a PowerPoint and a video. I casually picked up my phone, and the screen almost gave me a heart attack. By the way, Chloe had mentioned earlier that his name was Caleb Hayes. Caleb: "Um? What does that mean? I don't just accept anyone's feelings." Caleb: "I'm not an easy guy." Caleb: "Are you saying you like me?" After that text, there was a one-minute silence on his end. He was probably waiting for my reply, but I hadn't seen it. Caleb: "Actually, I'm pretty easy. Are you trying to chase me?" Caleb: "I'm really easy to catch." Another minute passed. He started panicking: "If you like me, let's just get together right now." Caleb: "I'm sorry, I was trying to act tough just now." Caleb: "Did something happen? Can you reply when you see this?" Caleb: "It's been ten seconds. Are you still busy?" Caleb: "I misspoke earlier. I should be the one chasing you. You don't need to chase me. Can you please just reply?" Caleb: "I was wrong. I shouldn't have acted so arrogant. Honestly, I was just too excited, so I asked my bro and he told me to reply like that." Caleb: "He said if I agreed too quickly and made it too easy for you, you wouldn't cherish me." Caleb: "Baby, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad." Caleb: "Actually, baby, I've liked you for a long time, but I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't expect you to like me too." ... Me: "..." Chloe asked, "What's wrong? Did he reply?" I pursed my lips, falling silent for a moment. I asked her, "When you chase someone, the other person is supposed to reject you first, right?" "Yes." Then what the hell was happening right now? A flash of inspiration hit me. I typed: "Reject me." That way, I'll have a valid excuse to 'chase' him, and my bestie won't be lonely. Caleb sent back a crying emoji: "Nooo, I don't want to reject you." "I was really wrong. I want to beat up the me from five minutes ago for trying to act cool." "I shouldn't have listened to my bro. I know I was wrong. You can hit me or yell at me, just please don't abandon me." Me: ... "No, you reject me, and I will chase you." Caleb didn't reply as fast this time. The 'typing...' bubble stayed on the screen for a long time. After a while, he carefully sent: "Baby, is this some kind of roleplay kink?" "Promise me you won't actually dump me." "How long do you plan on chasing me? You have to tell me so I can mentally prepare myself." I glanced at my best friend who was still battling her PowerPoint, and replied: "I don't know yet." "Then, baby, I reject you." "That rejection is for the message above, not for you personally." After seeing that, I could finally turn to Chloe and say, "He rejected me." Chapter 2 Early the next morning, Chloe dragged me out of bed. "Avery, get up! Liam has a basketball game today, we have to go grab good seats!" I rubbed my sleepy eyes and glanced at my phone. It was 7:00 AM. "Isn't the basketball game in the afternoon?" My voice was still hoarse from sleep. I breathed in a lungful of chilly morning air and couldn't help coughing a few times. Chloe immediately got nervous, patting my back while pouring me a glass of warm water. "Oh, my precious fragile flower, take it easy. The game is in the afternoon, but if we go late, we'll only get to stare at the backs of people's heads. Besides, aren't you officially starting your pursuit of Caleb Hayes today? Bringing him water is a mandatory basic operation!" I drank the water, suppressing the itch in my throat, and nodded helplessly. Honestly, I had absolutely no concept of what "chasing someone" meant. All I knew was that Chloe said we were doing it, so I kept her company. After washing up, Chloe picked out a cream-colored cardigan and a light blue floral dress for me. "My Avery is so gorgeous. This fragile, tragic beauty vibe... what man wouldn't be completely mesmerized!" She pinched my cheek with satisfaction. I looked at my slightly pale complexion in the mirror and sighed. "I think I look more like a patient who just got discharged from the hospital." When we arrived at the State U basketball court, it was already packed with people. Chloe dragged me through the crowd and forcibly squeezed out two spots in the front row. Not long after, the court erupted in deafening cheers. Liam Hunter and Caleb Hayes walked onto the court in their jerseys. Liam was wearing a white #7 jersey, his expression aloof, not even sparing a glance at the bleachers. Walking right beside him was Caleb, wearing a black #11 jersey. He was very tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His muscle lines were smooth and packed with explosive power. That face really was exactly like the photo—highly aggressive, with deep-set eyes. When he wasn't smiling, he looked fierce, like a wolf ready to bite someone's head off. Chloe excitedly gripped my arm. "Avery, look! Your Caleb has a great body too!" I followed her gaze and accidentally locked eyes with Caleb. The moment that "fierce wolf" saw me, his footsteps abruptly halted. Then, under the watchful eyes of all the girls in the bleachers, his cold, tough face instantly turned beet red. His eyes darted around wildly, and he even stumbled forward awkwardly, almost crashing into Liam's back. Liam turned around and looked at him like he was a complete idiot. Caleb hurriedly stood up straight, pretending nothing happened, but his eyes couldn't stop drifting over to my section. Me: ... This guy... doesn't seem very bright. The game started. I had to admit, both Liam and Caleb were incredibly skilled. Especially Caleb. On the court, it was like he was a completely different person. His movements were swift and explosive, sinking three-pointers one after another, drawing endless screams from the crowd. It was just that, after every single shot he made, he would subconsciously look over at me. If I happened to be looking at him, he would instantly whip his head away, his ears so red they looked like they were bleeding. If I was looking somewhere else, he would act like a giant golden retriever desperate for its owner's attention, even his dribbling looking somehow sulky. The halftime whistle blew. Chloe immediately grabbed a bottle of Gatorade, looking like a warrior charging into battle. "Avery, I'm going in! You go too!" I held a bottle of generic water and slowly stood up. Before I could even take a step, a towering dark shadow loomed over me. Caleb had somehow materialized right in front of me. His forehead was dripping with sweat, his chest heaving violently, radiating intense heat. The girls around us gasped, seemingly waiting for this "campus bad boy" to throw a temper tantrum. I looked up at him, just about to hand him the water and say the line Chloe taught me: "You worked hard." Instead, Caleb suddenly pulled a warm thermos of jujube and goji berry tea out from behind his back like a magic trick and shoved it into my hands. "U-um..." he stammered, his voice so loud that the entire front row could hear him. "I heard your health isn't great and you can't drink cold water. Th-this is from my thermos, it's the perfect temperature to drink." Dead silence fell over the court. I stared blankly at the thermos in my hand, then at the cold water bottle in my other hand. "But," I reminded him softly, "I'm supposed to be chasing you. I'm supposed to give you water." Caleb snapped to his senses. The color on his face cycled from red to white, then back to red. He aggressively snatched the plastic water bottle out of my hand, twisted the cap off, and chugged half of it down. Then he practically shouted: "Yes! This water is amazing! I love it! Thank you for chasing me!" Me: ... The surrounding students: ... On the other side of the court, Chloe's situation was much more depressing. She handed the Gatorade to Liam. Liam just gave it a cold glance, said, "No need, thanks," and turned around to grab a bottle from his teammate. Chloe stood frozen with the sports drink, her eyes growing red. My heart squeezed. I was just about to go over and comfort her when Caleb suddenly leaned down and whispered in my ear. "Baby, how did I do? Did that feel like a good chasing experience?" I looked into his bright, expectant eyes, temporarily speechless. "...It was pretty good." He immediately smiled like a kid who just got a piece of candy, revealing a small canine tooth. His fierce facial features instantly melted into something incredibly soft. "So when do you plan on officially catching me?" he asked carefully. I answered honestly, "Let's see when my best friend catches Liam." Caleb's smile froze on his face. He slowly turned his head, his gaze locking onto Liam, who was drinking water a few feet away. His eyes were dark and homicidal. Liam inexplicably shivered, looked back at Caleb, and frowned. After that basketball game, my "pursuit" officially began. Even though the process was completely different from what I imagined. According to Chloe's grand plan, I was supposed to text Caleb "Good morning" every day and ask him if he wanted to grab breakfast. At 7:30 AM, I picked up my phone on time and typed: "Good morning, have you eaten breakfast yet?" Before I could hit send, Caleb's messages exploded onto my screen like a machine gun.
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