The Female Leads Truly Loves You - Chapter 203

Chapter 203: Was this really just a joke?
Zoe boarded the bus ahead of Sam.

With the woman gone, Sam could finally breathe a little easier.

Her invitation seemed alluring, as it always did. Any invitation from her naturally carried a certain temptation.

But Sam didn’t think this was necessarily a good thing; it was just a means to immerse oneself in endless desire.

The world was on the brink of corrupting his mind, which remained undying, and here he was, struggling and floundering amidst temptations strewn everywhere, making his arduous way forward.

Yet before the bus to school arrived, something slightly different from his usual life occurred.

It all started with a man carrying a briefcase who made a phone call next to him. The abrupt sound made Sam turn his head.

And from this angle, he saw an unexpected scene.

A figure in a black pleated skirt, stunningly beautiful, appeared in his view.

It felt unfamiliar.

Unfamiliar because this figure shouldn’t be in such a scene, at least Sam had never seen her there before.

With an indifferent expression, she exuded an aura of ‘keep out,’ as if anyone who came close would be frozen.

Sophie…

She saw Sam too, a rare look of surprise flickering in her eyes before vanishing.

It was as if their gazes crossed inadvertently, like a beautiful illusion that never truly happened.

Although they lived unexpectedly close to each other, Sam couldn’t recall ever encountering Sophie on the same bus.

It was strange, really. Ever since he found out they lived near each other, Sam had thought about such a possibility, but when it never happened, he gradually let go of any expectations or thoughts.

Why meet in such an awkward situation now?

He wondered when she had arrived and whether she had seen Zoe, who had been by his side just five minutes earlier.

But it probably didn’t matter if she had seen Zoe or not. After all, he was a man with many ‘debts’, and the misunderstandings this girl had about him were no longer surprising.

Besides… it wasn’t exactly a misunderstanding, was it?

It was just that beyond the facts, this girl naturally harbored some prejudices against him.

Now that they had unexpectedly met… what should he do?

Sam was at a loss. It wasn’t like he could just wait for the next bus, right? That would mean being late.

And it would be a waste of time. When the bus arrived as expected, and the waiting crowd began to board, Sam decided to get on as well.

Whether the other person would follow was not for Sam to consider.

He got on the bus, found no seats available, and so he stood by the window.

From this vantage point, he saw Sophie at the end of the line, reluctantly boarding.

Just as he had thought.

No one wants to fight with time, and sometimes you have to endure feelings you shouldn’t have to.

The two of them were separated by a distance, and once she boarded, it seemed they couldn’t see each other anymore, which made it less awkward, but…

As the bus slowly started towards the school route, there were still stops along the way, with people getting on and off, but eventually, more people got off than on.

So the bus quickly emptied out a bit.

And Sam could see Sophie standing in the opposite direction, their backs to each other.

It seemed she had deliberately chosen this, which was in line with her character.

Sam didn’t do anything more deliberate. He just watched the sunlight shift outside the window, casting shadow after shadow, all silhouettes of time.

The mottled dust on the walls.

The traces of graffiti on the streets.

The streetlights still in their morning slumber.

And the people hurrying by.

Seemingly always visible, commonplace, and worthless.

But then again, what really deserves to be remembered deeply? Is it the girl behind him?

Sam chuckled to himself.

When the bus stopped not far from the school gate, he got off.

He didn’t leave with the girl; it seemed Sophie deliberately waited for him to get off before she slowly followed.

Walking to the shoe-changing area, he saw her as calm as ever, changing her shoes. It was then that it seemed nothing had changed, and perhaps this wasn’t their first time on the same bus.

Could it be that Sophie was just too good at hiding her presence, blending in like a passerby, making Sam unaware of her?

Who knows.

The shoe cabinet seemed to be the last place they encountered each other.

Once back in the classroom, all those scenes vanished.

Familiar faces, the familiar classroom, and the familiar blackboard.

But now, to Sam, these people all seemed mundanely. It’s often said that everyone is unique, but it’s undeniable that some people are special. And after meeting such a person, even having profound interactions, how could one remember the dust?

There was nothing special about today’s classes. Alice didn’t seek him out particularly, and Angel didn’t rush over to his classroom right after class like a typical lovestruck girl, eager to claim her territory.

Nothing special happened.

Until after school, when Sam headed to the club room.

Opening the door, this time he only saw Isabella, sipping coffee in small sips at her usual spot.

“Hey? Sam’s taking the initiative to come to the club? Is the sun rising from the west today?”

Listening to Isabella’s sarcastic remark, Sam walked in irritably and dropped his backpack. The spot beside her was empty, with no sign that Sophie had been there.

“What do you mean ‘taking the initiative to come to the club’? Was there ever a time when I was dragged here?”

Isabella smiled and said, “That’s not it, but surely you didn’t come here just to contribute to the club, did you?”

“That kind of talk is a bit hurtful, you know. I’m totally dedicated to the club’s well-being.”

“Oh~ is that so? I thought you were here for Sophie.” She continued to tease Sam.

Annoyed, Sam retorted, “It’s precisely because you, senior, keep making such weird comments that Sophie didn’t come, right?”

Isabella blinked, feigning surprise, “Sam, you really have a thick skin, don’t you? Who she doesn’t come for, don’t you have any idea?”

“I don’t know.”

Sam shamelessly denied it.

Because he always felt that Sophie, being such a smart girl, wouldn’t do such a thing.

If she avoided coming because of Sam, wouldn’t that be tantamount to admitting she cared about him a lot? Her pride would never allow such a situation to happen.

Isabella took a sip of her coffee.

“The biggest flaw people have is playing dumb, and on that front, Sam, you really excel.”

“I still think it’s because Senior Isabella likes to tease her too much.”

Isabella looked at Sam as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Isn’t that obvious? There are only three of us in the club. If I don’t tease you guys, who will I tease?”

“Then why don’t you recruit more members?”

Isabella huffed lightly.

“No way. I’m a person who prefers quality over quantity. The idea that ‘the more, the merrier’ doesn’t apply to our club. Having you two is enough.”

“What if, after today, there are only two people left?”

Sam asked tentatively, considering the current situation, Sophie’s threat to leave the club might not be an empty one.

Isabella smiled.

“Don’t worry, that won’t happen. If Sophie were to quit the club, it would mean admitting she’s bowed down to some difficulties. Rest assured, I understand these things very clearly.”

Just then, the club’s door suddenly opened, and Sophie’s figure appeared at the doorway.

Isabella and Sam both looked towards the door.

There stood the girl, her face calm, even a bit gloomy, overall more downcast than usual, and somehow more intimidating.

Sophie walked step by step up to Isabella.

Without speaking, she pulled a form out of her backpack and handed it to Isabella.

Isabella was taken aback, then picked up the form. After a glance, her face turned to shock.

“You’re quitting?”

Sophie nodded calmly.

“Yes, I’ve given you a heads-up before. I’ve thought it over, and I’ve decided to quit.”

Sophie’s calm words surprised Sam as well. It seemed different from what Isabella had said. But what was the real reason?

Was it truly because of Sam, or did she feel the club wasn’t right for her? Were the events that had occurred not what she wanted, and was she worried about similar issues arising in the future, prompting her to prepare to leave?

Isabella looked troubled as she faced Sophie.

“Sophie… does it really have to come to this? We haven’t done anything particularly offensive to you, have we?”

Sophie shook her head, her gaze indifferent.

“There’s nothing particularly hateful, it’s just my personal feeling. I don’t want to waste my time on these matters, and they affect my mood to a certain extent. I’m not used to it, so it’s better this way.”

“But… you know that if the club doesn’t have three members, it faces the risk of being forcibly disbanded by the school…”

“You can just find someone to fill the spot. After all, no one is irreplaceable. As for the rest, that’s for you to consider, not my problem.”

“But…”

Isabella wanted to say more.

But Sophie had already turned away, seemingly unwilling to waste more words.

She was coolly unreasonable, showing little regard for others’ feelings, and hadn’t even glanced at Sam who was standing by.

Of course, Sam knew that silence was the best option at this moment, so he had no intention of speaking up.

As Sophie walked towards the door without any sign of attachment, and Isabella struggled to find words to make her stay, frantically signaling to Sam, who remained indifferent.

Sophie opened the door but stopped unexpectedly.

Her expression changed.

“Why are you here?”

She frowned and spoke in a tone that sounded quite displeased.

Just as Isabella and Sam were both puzzled. They heard a familiar voice.

“Excuse me.”

That voice…

Sophie instinctively stepped back.

Then a figure slightly taller than Sophie appeared at the door, walking in with an air of nobility that seemed to tower above others.

“I heard you’re quitting the club?”

The noble girl asked with a disdainful smile.

Sophie frowned at the girl who was disagreeable to her in every way.

“What’s it to you?”

Sam’s eyes widened. Why was Angel here?

Angel had walked in, said with a smile.

“Indeed, it’s none of my business. But your club only has three members, and if you quit, doesn’t it mean it will be disbanded? That doesn’t concern you?”

Sophie frowned.

“Since I’m quitting, this place is no longer my concern. Besides, what does it have to do with you showing up?”

For some reason, Sophie had a bad feeling in her heart. She couldn’t shake the sense that this woman had come here to stir up trouble.

Then Angel, smiling as she stepped closer to Isabella.

“It’s nothing, I just think it’s such a pity for such an interesting club to disband like this, don’t you agree? So…”

“So?”

“Snap.”

Angel pulled out a piece of paper and slapped it down on the table in front of Isabella.

Isabella instinctively grabbed the paper and looked at it. Then her eyes widened.

“An application to join… Angel, you want to join our club?!”

Isabella couldn’t believe her eyes, and neither could Sam. What was this all about? This girl joining their club? It had to be a joke, right? There’s got to be a limit to making a scene!

Sophie’s expression changed in an instant as well.

It seemed she finally understood what was happening. Angel was actually planning to do this!

Angel nodded with a smile, provocatively looking at Sophie.

“That’s right, I’m applying to join. There shouldn’t be a problem, right? Are you going to accept or reject me?”

Isabella made a snap decision.

“How could we possibly refuse? Having Angel join us is something we could only dream of…”

Then Angel continued, looking at Sophie with a smile on her face, who was clearly not pleased.

“What a pity, it seems that someone knew in advance that I was coming and chose to leave… How should I put it? I’m grateful for your self-awareness. Otherwise, being in the same club and getting overshadowed by me in every aspect would be quite embarrassing, wouldn’t it?”

Sophie looked at Angel, fully grasping her intent.

She took a deep breath, her expression calming down.

Then she walked over to Isabella, took the resignation application she had just submitted from the table, and tore it up in front of Angel.

“Who said I was quitting? It was just a joke.”

“…”

Angel and Sophie’s gazes collided in the air.

Only Sam was looking out the window with a helpless expression, as if even the sunlight had dimmed.

Was this really just a joke?