The Female Leads Truly Loves You - Chapter 272

Chapter 272: As long as you don’t say it out loud, I won’t disappear from your world
“Bang!”

The words hit the floor with a sound.

Accompanied by Sophie’s nearly hysterical scream, it was like a tearing roar.

The water glass on the table was knocked over, shattering into glittering fragments, leaving wet stains behind.

But after such a loud crash, the room fell into a profound silence.

Sophie knew this was a rare, even unprecedented, display of emotion from her.

It was almost as if she was screaming her lungs out, hysterical.

As if her emotions had collapsed in an instant, completely out of control.

It was an emotion she herself couldn’t manage.

She really didn’t know why, just by seeing this boy, her emotions would fluctuate so visibly, many of which were negative.

Yet the problem was, all these negative emotions couldn’t stop them from meeting again and again, deepening their relationship each time.

Those feelings of disgust, dislike, anger.

It seemed they couldn’t outweigh the moments that made her smile, the moments her heart raced.

This… perhaps was the crux of the issue.

It was a territory she was temporarily unable to touch, unable to grasp.

In this moment, it seemed everything shattered—the days of not speaking, maintaining silence, the cold treatment, the pressure and gloom, as if all were venting out now.

Not just Sophie’s scream, but also the breaking of the glass.

Sam looked at her.

“Don’t move.”

Sophie just stared at Sam, who quickly grabbed some paper towels and a trash bin, then picked up the larger pieces.

He then swept up the smaller fragments with a broom.

The final step was using a mop.

To clean up those tiny, but equally sharp fragments, and the water stains.

Sophie of course understood what Sam was doing, but what she didn’t understand was why he was doing it.

Was this his way of showing concern that she might get hurt?

Why choose to do this now?

Sophie didn’t understand, but she didn’t stop him until Sam had finished everything.

He stood up, taking a deep breath. “That should do it, but still be careful not to walk barefoot on the floor.”

Sophie frowned.

“What… what are you really trying to do?”

Sam answered as if it were obvious.

“It’s just part of the bet, wasn’t it said that household chores are included? It’s pretty normal.”

“I mean, what have you been doing since just now?!”

Sophie couldn’t help but say it directly.

Sam looked back at her with an even stranger gaze.

“Shouldn’t it be you who’s been doing something odd? What I’m doing is perfectly normal, isn’t it? Seems like you’re overthinking.”

Hearing Sam’s words, Sophie was taken aback.

Indeed, she did seem strange.

But why was it strange, didn’t Sam understand that himself?

She clenched her teeth, about to say something when Sam suddenly spoke. “Sophie, are you curious?”

His words stopped Sophie’s prepared speech abruptly, and the room fell silent.

So silent it seemed only their breathing could be heard.

“Curious about what?”

Sophie was puzzled, but she didn’t want to be led by the nose by Sam, could a simple sentence really change the dynamics of their interaction?

She didn’t want it to be that way.

Sam smiled.

“You’re curious about what I’m really doing, wondering if I completely misunderstand you, or if I’m playing dumb, pretending not to see what happened last time?”

“…You are playing dumb, is there even a need to discuss that? I was just informing you what our relationship will be like from now on… I don’t need your agreement.”

She deliberately appeared calm, but at that moment, many thoughts were intertwining in her mind.

Sam said with a smile, “I remember when you declared we were friends, it was you who announced it, right? So why do you get to decide everything… You seem quite arrogant.”

“That’s different, don’t twist my words!”

Sophie tried to say something to prove she wasn’t that kind of person, because if she was, wouldn’t that make her just like that woman, Angel? She certainly was not!

She had always thought of herself as selfish, but not to the extent of imposing on others, at least not interfering with their decisions.

But with Sam’s remark, she felt as if she involuntarily revealed more of her flaws, even the worse aspects of herself, on this boy.

There was no reason for it.

Sam took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Sophie, startled, instinctively stepped back, trying to avoid any contact.

But Sam didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping, continuing to advance.

He pushed her back step by step until there was no more room to retreat, and Sophie found herself against the wall.

Sophie crossed her arms defensively, not hiding her wariness and the discomfort of the moment.

As Sam’s breath grew closer, she could almost feel his burning body heat.

Her cheeks flushed rapidly.

Her eyes wary and tense, she watched Sam.

There was no way out now, her heart beginning to beat uncontrollably.

What the hell was this jerk doing?

Sam observed her reaction and lowered his head.

“What’s the difference? And… please don’t be so defensive about something you don’t have.”

“…What do you mean something I don’t have… jerk!!”

Sophie slightly lowered her head and immediately understood what Sam meant.

She was also aware that, compared to many of her peers, although she had long legs and wasn’t short among girls, her breast development was indeed pitiful.

That’s why she had always been sensitive about this topic, not allowing anyone to mention it.

Sophie instantly wanted to push this boy away.

But unexpectedly, Sam seemed to have anticipated her move, quickly grabbing her raised wrist.

Sophie was no match for him in terms of reflexes.

“Let go!”

“You think I’d let go when you’re trying to hit me? I’m not crazy.”

“You’re not crazy? Aren’t you the craziest one here?!”

Sam held her wrist firmly, his smile seemingly laced with mischief.

“How am I crazy? Cooking for you, cleaning for you, doing chores—how does that make me crazy?”

“When did I ever ask you to do those things? Why are you always like this!”

The girl, unable to struggle, spoke with a tone that even seemed unfamiliar to Sophie herself, almost tearful.

Sam’s expression softened slightly.

“Like this… what do you mean?”

“You’re always like this! You never understand what I really want from you. Why do you eagerly do the things I don’t need? Did I ask you to cook, to clean? I just wanted you to quietly leave my life. Why must you play dumb?!”

Sophie, nearly hysterical, couldn’t help but have her eyes redden.

It seemed to be the first time Sam saw her so vulnerable and helpless, enough to make any guy feel utterly guilty.

Sam’s gaze dropped.

His hand loosened.

Her hand fell, and Sophie clenched her fist.

“Thump.”

She leaned against the wall, pounding on Sam’s chest.

Sam didn’t step back, just looking into her reddened eyes.

It took a great effort for her to restrain herself, to not let the tears of humiliation fall.

“Thump.”

Another punch, not weak.

But Sam still didn’t retreat.

He didn’t stop her, just kept his head down, watching her.

Letting her punch after punch land on his chest, starting fiercely, then growing weaker.

Seemingly out of strength, her arms finally fell limply.

She looked up at Sam.

Her reddened eyes tried to widen, but the shimmer in them didn’t lie; it only made her look more pitiful.

“Sam… how long are you going to keep tormenting me?” Sophie asked.

Seeing her red eyes, witnessing her stubborn yet heart-wrenching expression, Sam felt as if his heart was melting for the first time.

“I’m not tormenting you.”

“Then why are you doing this?” Sophie couldn’t help but challenge him.

Sam reached out his hand.

“Thump.”

It wasn’t a retaliatory punch.

Instead, he placed his hand against the wall beside her face, seemingly bringing them even closer together.

So close that it made Sophie momentarily forget the grievances in her heart.

All that was left was the quickening of her heartbeat, the flush of her face.

She just stared dumbly at the extremely handsome Sam looking down at her, their eyes locked in an unguarded moment.

He just looked at her, then asked, “So tell me the truth, do you really want me to disappear from your world? Do you want… all those times we met, all those words we said, to just evaporate after today, turn into nothing?”

“…”

Sophie opened her mouth.

She seemed at a loss for words at that moment.

There was an impulse, almost like a desire to destroy the whole world, to recklessly give a definite answer.

And then to abandon everything.

Like committing self-destruction in life.

But why, when she opened her mouth to speak, did her heart ache as if it was being squeezed by an invisible hand?

She meant to tell Sam that she did want it that way.

But why did the words that finally came out when she spoke were,

“Do you really think I would treat what happened that night as an illusion? Don’t be foolish, Sam…”

She tried to say something to convince him, perhaps even to convince herself.

But Sam cut her off directly.

“You can’t bring yourself to say it, can you?”

“So what if I can’t! So what if I admit that I occasionally go soft!”

“Then don’t overthink it, just let things be. If your heart doesn’t accept it, it doesn’t accept it. As long as you don’t say it out loud, I won’t disappear from your world.”

Sam’s words shattered all of Sophie’s defenses almost instantly.

What was this?

Was it a promise to her?

But why… why make such a promise?

Could it be because Sam didn’t want to stay by Angel’s side? But how could that be possible?

Sam slowly released his hand.

He stepped back, picked up his backpack, and then looked at the girl who seemed still not to understand, flashing a familiar smile.

“If you want to know what I really intend to do, what I’m thinking… I can tell you, but…”

“But what?”

Looking at Sophie’s bewildered eyes.

Sam shook his head.

“But not now.”

“When then?”

“When you tell me… when you tell me you love me.”