It wasn't loud or aggressive. It was an incredibly cute, quiet possessiveness that usually flared up when he ignored her.
One afternoon, the professor canceled the class at the last minute. The room was mostly empty. Mark sat at his desk, completely absorbed in a newly imported Japanese volume of his favorite light novel. He was mentally translating a complex strategy scene involving Reine Asakura.
A shadow fell over the pages.
Chloe dragged her chair closer. She sat down, rested her elbows on his desk, and literally placed her face directly between his eyes and the open book.
She pouted, her lower lip sticking out slightly.
"Am I boring you?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms.
"I'm just reading," Mark said, leaning back a few inches to focus on her face.
She glared at the glossy cover resting on the wood and inspected the flat, unbothered expression of the dark reddish-brown-haired girl printed on the paper.
"I don't understand why you stare at that book all day," Chloe mumbled, tracing a finger over the edge of the pages. "She looks completely plain. I dress way better than her."
"She's a fictional character, Chloe."
"I know," she shot back, a faint dusting of pink hitting her cheeks. "I'm just saying. You could pay attention to real people sometimes. Like the person sitting right next to you."
Mark offered a small smile and closed the book and placed it inside his bag. Her bad mood evaporated instantly, replaced by a satisfied, triumphant grin.
She never admitted anything to Mark and she never confessed any feelings or tried to define what they were doing. She just operated with the total assumption that she was the most important person in his daily routine.
The years burned away.
Graduation day finally arrived.
The campus was a chaotic sea of black robes and flying caps. Families crowded the grassy lawns, taking hundreds of pictures under the bright afternoon sun. The noise was deafening, a massive overlapping chorus of cheers and crying parents.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. A single message from Chloe.
*Meet me on the roof.*
Mark managed to slip away from the crowd. He walked into the main academic building, taking the concrete stairs all the way up to the top floor. He pushed open the heavy metal fire door and stepped out onto the roof.
The wind hit him instantly.
It whipped across the flat, tar-covered surface, rustling the heavy fabric of his graduation gown. The sky above was shifting into a deep, vibrant orange as the sun began to dip toward the horizon. Down below, the noise of the ceremony sounded like a distant ocean wave.
Mark arrived first. He walked over to the high concrete ledge and leaned against the safety railing. In his right hand, he held a thick, brand-new paperback.
It was the latest Japanese volume of "Welcome to the High School of Meritocracy." Today was the official release day in Tokyo. He had paid a huge premium to have a copy shipped directly to his apartment overnight.
The heavy metal door creaked loudly.
Mark turned his head.
Chloe stepped out onto the roof. The wind immediately caught her long hair, blowing it wildly around her face. She was wearing her graduation gown open, revealing a stunning, tailored white dress underneath.
The golden light of the setting sun hit her skin, creating a glowing halo around her silhouette.
She walked toward him, her heels clicking softly against the tar. She stopped a few feet away, her hands clasped together in front of her.
"Congratulations on your graduation, Mark," Chloe said. Her voice was uncharacteristically soft, lacking its usual confident bite.
"Congratulations to you too," Mark replied, offering a polite nod.
The wind howled around them. For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Then, Chloe's face changed. The casual, trendy mask she wore for the last four years vanished entirely. Her expression turned incredibly serious. The air between them suddenly felt incredibly heavy.
She took a slow step forward, closing the physical distance.
"Mark," Chloe started, looking down at the concrete before raising her eyes directly to his. "Am I beautiful?"
Mark blinked. He was entirely surprised by the sudden, loaded question. He studied her face, the perfect makeup, the expensive dress, the way the sunlight caught her eyes.
He nodded slowly. "Yes. You are."
She swallowed hard. Her hands tightened into fists at her sides.
"Do you like me?" Chloe asked. Her voice trembled just a fraction on the last word.
A sudden, sharp heat rushed into Mark's cheeks. He blushed, a rare break in his usually stoic composure. He could not maintain eye contact so he looked down at the gray concrete near his shoes.
"I..." Mark stammered slightly. "I like you."
"You don't like me?" Chloe pressed, stepping even closer.
"No, I mean..." Mark let out a quiet breath. "I like you."
"Look at me in the eyes."
The command was firm. Mark slowly raised his head and turned to face her, meeting her intense, desperate gaze.
"Tell me that again," Chloe demanded softly. "Looking at me in the eyes."
Mark held his ground. He did not look away this time.
"I like you," Mark said, his voice steadying. "Any guy would fall for you."
Chloe inhaled sharply. She closed her eyes for a second, letting out a long, shuddering exhale. When she opened them again, the hesitation was completely gone.
"Mark," Chloe said, reaching out. She pointed a manicured finger directly at the glossy paperback held in his right hand. "I know you really love that novel."
Mark glanced down at the book, then back up at her.
"But I don't want to be number two," Chloe continued, her voice gaining strength. "I want to be the only one."
She took one final step forward. She was standing far too close now, entirely inside his personal space. Mark could smell her expensive perfume, cutting through the smell of the city air.
"Seriously, Mark, we can be together," Chloe pleaded, looking up at his face. "But you have to completely remove Reine Asakura from your life."
Mark's eyes widened. A cold shock hit his chest.
"I want you to forget that fictional character," Chloe demanded, her tone shifting into a desperate ultimatum. "I want you to stop reading that light novel. Mark, if you can do that, we can be together. I'll marry you right away if you want to. But please. Make me the only girl in your life."
Her eyes were locked onto his. They were wide, wet with unshed tears, and filled with a raw, terrifying honesty. She laid her entire future on the table, offering everything she had in exchange for his complete devotion.
Mark stood perfectly still.
The wind whipped against his graduation gown. He looked down at the glossy cover of the book in his hand. The flat, unbothered amber eyes of Reine Asakura stared back at him.
He looked at the girl standing in front of him. A beautiful, wealthy, loyal girl who was practically begging to spend the rest of her life with him. The logical choice was obvious. The socially acceptable choice was staring him right in the face.
He looked down at the concrete.
Ten long, agonizing seconds passed in total silence. The distant cheers from the campus below sounded like ghosts.
He slowly raised his head. He looked into Chloe's hopeful, terrified eyes.
"Chloe," Mark said. His voice was incredibly quiet, almost swallowed by the wind. "I'm sorry. I can't do that."
The hope shattered instantly.
All the color drained from Chloe's face. Her lips parted in a silent gasp. She almost cried right there. Her eyes filled completely with tears, blurring her vision.
She took a stumbling step back, creating distance between them. She looked up at the darkening orange sky, taking sharp, jagged breaths. She fought violently against her own emotions and refused to let the tears fall, managing to swallow the heavy lump in her throat.
She went completely silent for a whole minute. Mark did not interrupt her. He just watched the heartbreak settle into her posture.
Finally, she lowered her head and looked at Mark. The desperate energy was gone, replaced by a hollow, profound sadness.
She leaned closer.
"I see," Chloe whispered. "Mark, I love you. But I can't love someone who loves a fictional character more than me."
She leaned in, tilting her head.
Mark felt something wet and incredibly soft touch his left cheek.
It was a kiss. Gentle, trembling, and deeply sad.
She pulled away immediately.
"Goodbye, Mark," Chloe whispered.
Not waiting for a response, she turned around and walked fast toward the heavy metal fire door. Her heels clicked rapidly against the tar. She pushed the door open, slipping into the dark stairwell, and disappeared entirely.
The door slammed shut. The heavy metallic boom echoed across the empty roof.
Mark stood alone.
His knees suddenly lost all their strength and collapsed, dropping straight down onto the hard, abrasive tar of the rooftop. His graduation gown pooled around him in a messy heap.
The wind blew violently, tearing across the concrete ledge.
He looked at the latest volume of the novel resting in his lap. The printed ink looked vibrant against the dying light of the sun. He ran his thumb over the spine.
Then, he tilted his head back and looked up at the vast, darkening sky. The first few stars were just beginning to pierce through the twilight.
"Oh man," Mark said to himself, his voice sounding hollow and exhausted.
He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. The reality of what he just threw away crashed down on him.
"Chloe is a great catch," he muttered to the empty air. "I will probably regret it."
He opened his eyes and looked back down at the glossy paperback. He stared into the printed eyes of the girl who had taught him how to survive the board.
"But," Mark said softly, tightening his grip on the cover, "I can't remove Reine from my life."
The wind howled across the rooftop, carrying his words away into the cold evening air.