The Female Leads Truly Loves You - Chapter 153

Chapter 153: Sam always worth the anticipation
A thoroughly disordered crowd, resistance against a formidable opponent was futile.

But often, the most solid defenses crumble from within…

Sophie was in no hurry, watching the girls engage in a chaotic activity.

Among the boys, the situation could only be described as dire, with the continual sound of Badges being torn off.

The scene was incredibly chaotic, to the point where even the teachers nearby were starting to lose track of the action.

“It’s so thrilling, I need to get closer to see!”

“My goodness, Alice, how is your student Sam so strong? He’s like a war god!”

“It’s exaggerated, his speed and accuracy! Why not let him be a track and field athlete? He would achieve outstanding results!”

Alice listened to these exaggerated praises of Sam without showing any sign of surprise. On the contrary, this was the level she expected Sam to demonstrate.

She had long noticed that Sam was not only outstanding in terms of appearance and sexual powers but also exceptional in other aspects.

His ability to dramatically improve his learning capabilities in a short time made Alice wonder if he had been intentionally hiding his strength.

Now, it seemed surprises continued to unfold, with Sam always seeming worth the anticipation.

Alice followed the crowd with calm steps, not too eager to see what happened next, as the outcome seemed foreseeable.

The chaotic battlefield was finally about to declare its victors.

By what seemed like a twist of fate, only two groups were left standing.

Like a war god, having torn off countless boys’ Badges while successfully defending their own, were Sam and Sophie.

On the other side were Teacher Cyrus and Thalia.

With only two groups remaining, Cyrus could tell that this student named Sam possessed a natural strength that could be described as Herculean; he would believe it if someone said Sam was the Schwarzenegger of their time.

Where did a high school student get such immense strength?

Thus, recognizing the situation, Teacher Cyrus decided it was time to employ some tactics.

“Sam, since it’s just the four of us left, I have a proposal.”

Sam appeared to be in good condition, despite his clothes being a bit disheveled from the tugging, but it didn’t hinder his ability to remain calm and composed.

“Cyrus, feel free to speak,” Sam said.

Cyrus smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proposed, “This is a battle among men, let’s leave it to the two girls on the other side. How about we don’t interfere with each other?”

Sam immediately saw through Cyrus’s intentions.

It was simple: Cyrus believed he could hold Sam back, while Thalia, appearing stronger than Sophie, could quickly deal with her. Then, it would be two against one against Sam, increasing their odds of winning.

Sam didn’t respond immediately but looked towards the girl standing not too far away, already prepared and calmly meeting Thalia’s gaze.

“Sophie! Cyrus suggests we each have a one-on-one battle without interfering with each other. Do you want it this way?”

Sam’s words also reached the ears of the surrounding girls.

“Sam is so caring about his partner’s feelings, he’s really thoughtful and gentle. I like him so much!”

Of course, the four people involved were no longer concerned with the opinions of bystanders.

Thalia understood Cyrus’s intent and looked towards Sophie.

“Do you dare? We should settle our score anyway.”

Sophie calmly faced her, even appearing somewhat indifferent, not showing the anger Thalia had expected.

“I don’t think there’s any score between us.”

“Hah? Are you scared? Coward?”

“But I accept this proposal, Thalia. I’ll show you not everyone acts according to your wishes. Your perceived truths are not the ultimate truths.”

“Heh, you’d better seize this opportunity… Then come on!”

Unlike the two girls engaging in a verbal duel, the struggle between Sam and Cyrus began first.

Facing the young man before him, Cyrus felt as if he had regained his youth for a moment throughout the night, experiencing again the reckless abandon of his younger days, when he would do anything to achieve a goal, no matter how naive it seemed.

It felt somewhat foolish looking back, as if it was only after stepping into society that he understood the complexity of the world.

But more than that, he felt nostalgic for the version of himself that charged ahead with purity of purpose, without the need to weigh every decision or consider every consequence, which now made progress difficult.

This is what youth is about…

Recklessly pursuing a goal, possibly laughable, with all your sweat and tears—this is the essence of youth!

Teacher Cyrus looked at Sam and shouted with all his might.

“Sam! I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a student. You’d better bring your best!”

Sam smiled back, replying warmly, “Teacher Cyrus, I admire your courage, but that’s as far as it goes. Courage is invaluable, but strength is paramount.”

“Enough with the big talk! I won’t lose to you! Sam, be prepared!”

“Then bring it on, Teacher Cyrus, right now!”

“Right now!!”

Their impassioned shouts surprised many.

Of course, the nature of their surprise might be a bit unusual.

“What is Teacher Cyrus saying to Sam?”

“Wait, is that really Teacher Cyrus? Just by the voice, I thought it was a young student!”

Even a few teachers couldn’t help but facepalm.

“I’ve always said Teacher Cyrus is quite straightforward, haven’t I?”

“I don’t care, I’m ready to tease him about this for a month when school starts. This is hilarious hahaha…”

“But don’t you think… Teacher Cyrus is completely immersed in this? Just like these kids… Think about it, if it were us playing like this, we probably couldn’t reach this level, right? I’m actually a bit envious of Teacher Cyrus.”

“Indeed… now that you mention it, I kind of understand him… This is a side of Teacher Cyrus we’ve never seen before… Go Cyrus! You can do it!!”

“Yeah! Go Cyrus! You have to win!!”

People often see in others what they lack themselves, which can evoke nostalgia and stir emotions.

It might not necessarily be for the person they’re witnessing, but rather a homage to a past they can’t return to, a summer gone by.

Unfortunately, while fantasies are enchanting, reality is stark.

Despite his best efforts, when Teacher Cyrus summoned all his strength and passion as if reclaiming his youthful vigor, the moment he charged towards Sam, he felt as though he had traversed through time, becoming younger and braver.

But the instant he actually reached Sam, Sam precisely caught his hands.

Before Cyrus could react, Sam effortlessly lifted his hands. With a slight exertion of force, Cyrus was spun around, immediately feeling Sam’s touch on his back.

He couldn’t resist Sam’s strength, and his Badge was torn away.

Standing there, seemingly soulless even after being let go.

He smiled bitterly. “It’s okay.”

Then, looking up at the vast expanse of stars, he pondered if he had once gazed at a similar sky in his youth.

What dreams did he harbor then, what future did he fantasize about, and did he ever imagine he’d be where he is today?

Indeed, his youth had ended long ago. But life… continues on the journey.

After this, Sam didn’t assist Sophie or engage in any other action.

Instead, he became an observer, quietly watching the close combat between the two girls with great interest, much like the spectators around them.

Sophie and Thalia didn’t engage in any particular pre-fight preparations, mainly because they weren’t exactly sure what strategy to employ—or if they even needed one.

After all, their confrontation was driven more by emotion than tactic.

Thus, they charged at each other from the get-go, their only mutual understanding being to avoid degenerating into hair-pulling, which would be rather embarrassing in front of an audience.

Sophie’s hands intertwined, constantly shifting direction, seemingly sensing her opponent’s resolute determination to win and the uncompromising force behind it.

Thalia, taller and seemingly more robust, looked as though she had superior athletic abilities, and she quickly gained a slight upper hand over Sophie.

As she exerted force, Thalia sneered coldly at the earnest-faced girl before her. “Sophie… aside from your pretty face and good grades… you have nothing. Don’t you see?”

Sweat beaded on Sophie’s forehead, but she showed no sign of conceding. “Don’t make me laugh. We’re students; what else do I need? Wealth like you? Or those fake friendships?”

“Do you dismiss those friendships as fake because you’ve never had any?” Thalia retorted disdainfully.

Sophie scoffed even harder. “The friends you’ve made circle around you for the benefits and gifts you provide. Do you really think that constitutes true friendship? I don’t need friends like that. I don’t feel pitiful or lonely. The one who’s deluded is actually you!”

“Stop being so stubborn!” Thalia pressed on, her eyes nearly shooting flames. “You could have been friends with me… You didn’t have to go through all this. But you chose this path! Is it because you look down on us? Think we’re too childish to be your friends? Why?!”

Sophie was taken aback by Thalia’s words, seemingly caught off guard.

And in that moment of distraction, her strength waned just enough for Thalia, who hadn’t let up at all, to take advantage…

“Bang!”

Suddenly, the situation escalated uncontrollably.

Both of them ended up on the ground, with Sophie lying on her back and Thalia straddling her waist in a somewhat awkward position.

Thalia glared straight at Sophie. “It’s your personality that repels people! Do you think I’m jealous of you because you’re pretty or because you have good grades?! Damn it… You’re the one who’s full of yourself!”

Sophie’s brow furrowed slightly, still standing her ground.

She asked, “Then why?”

At this moment, Thalia seemed to forget their current predicament, having too much she wanted to say to Sophie.

“I just can’t stand it! Why do you have to be so unique, to insist on being different? Why can everyone else be friends, but you choose to stay apart? Why do you think you can achieve what a group cannot?!”

It seemed like Thalia was only now coming to understand the meaning behind these sentiments. Indeed, she was somewhat jealous—jealous of Sophie’s beauty, jealous of her intelligence that allowed her to take a break from school and still come back to top the class…

But more than that, she felt incapable of being someone like Sophie.

Thalia had always been lonely, left alone because her parents were too busy with work. She craved companionship, needed more friends to alleviate her loneliness.

But did Sophie not need the same? She never spoke of loneliness, never sought friendship or interaction… Even when Thalia tried to befriend her, she was rebuffed.

Why? Why did Thalia appear weaker in comparison?

These emotions had overwhelmed Thalia, fueling her antagonism towards Sophie. She had to win, to prove to Sophie a point—that having friends might not solve everything, but it certainly beats being alone.

Sophie seemed to understand something then. She took a deep breath.

“When I win, I’ll tell you why.”

“You still think you can win? Don’t dream…”

Before Thalia could finish her sentence, Sophie, leveraging her flexibility, quickly raised her upper body. She let go of her hands and suddenly embraced Thalia.

In the moment Thalia was still puzzled, Sophie reached for Thalia’s back with precision and accuracy. Surprisingly, it was Sophie, who had been underneath, who tore off Thalia’s Badge!

Thalia was stunned, only then realizing what had happened. As her mood seemed to collapse, she stood up, and Sophie rose as well.

“Thalia.”

Sophie, now standing, called out the girl’s name.

Thalia looked up dazedly, but instead of seeing a victorious smirk on Sophie’s face, she saw calmness.

Sophie spoke softly, “Everyone has their own life and the right to choose their way of living. You might need more friends, but I might find that burdensome.”

Thalia murmured dejectedly, “What kind of answer is that…”

But then, Sophie extended her hand towards her. Thalia was initially confused… wasn’t Sophie the one who didn’t need friends? Why this gesture?

Sophie sighed, “But you’re not wrong, and neither am I. Maybe there are things I haven’t done well enough, but I don’t plan to change them for now.

However, maybe I didn’t make it clear to you before… so, let me say it again. I don’t need what you call a ‘best friend’ right now, but we can talk occasionally, greet each other when we meet, I… don’t dislike you.”

Thalia reached out and shook hands with Sophie. After pulling Thalia up, Sophie let go and turned away, still the lone wolf.

Sam watched this scene unfold clearly. He chose not to comment because it wasn’t necessary. It was enough that she understood herself.

But there was something he needed to do.

“Sophie!”

Sophie turned to face Sam.

Seeing Sam approach and raise his hand towards her, Sophie asked, “What are you doing?”

Sam looked at her as if it were the most natural thing. “We won!”

“I know, so what are you doing!”

Sophie understood what he meant, but it seemed like she had never considered engaging in such an act. Sam, however, insisted with a smile, “Because we won, so give me five.”

“I don’t want to! That’s so childish.”

Sophie knew she was being somewhat pretentious; after all, such gestures were normal. But how could she partake in them, living as she always had, on her own? Why did Sam keep putting her in these awkward situations?

But Sam said, “Hurry up, otherwise it’ll be awkward for me.”

“Let it be awkward for you, who cares about you…”

Despite her words, Sophie noticed the curious glances from the people around them, wondering what was going to happen… Annoying!

Taking a deep breath, Sophie turned to look at Sam, who was still blinking and holding up his hand.

“Just this once!”

“Slap!”

Sophie’s palm met Sam’s. The sound wasn’t loud, but it felt like a boulder had dropped in her heart, creating ripples of echo.

Then, as she lowered her hand, she heard Sam’s excited shout beside her. “We won! Yay!”

Sophie immediately blushed, wishing she could cover her flushed face. In front of so many people, this was just too embarrassing!