Rollin had barely stepped out of the classroom when he collided head-on with a girl who was walking with her head down, headphones on.
"Ah~"
The girl clutched her forehead, stumbling back. Before she even saw who she had hit, she was already apologizing in a trembling, conditioned panic. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!"
"It's fine. Are you hurt?"
Rollin looked down at the fragile creature before him, noting the excessive caution in her posture and the flash of genuine fear in her eyes.
Maria.
The collision wasn't accidental. With Rollin's intelligence and agility now quadrupled beyond human limits, and a 3D radar constantly active, it was impossible for a normal person to blindside him. He had orchestrated it.
This was Maria, the protagonist of Look Away.
She was timid, inferior, and broken. At school, she was the target of relentless bullying. At home, she faced a submissive mother and a perfectionist father who treated her like a defective product, utterly indifferent to her soul.
Her only "friend," Lily, was a classic toxic frenemy who kept Maria around solely to make herself look better by comparison—the "ugly duckling" prop for the social swan.
For the first seventeen years of her life, Maria was a punching bag for the universe.
But after turning eighteen, she would swap places with her reflection—Airam, her deformed, stillborn twin sister—and embark on a dark, vengeful rampage.
Rollin looked her over. Honestly, Maria was beautiful. A breathtaking, fragile kind of beauty. He couldn't understand why no one helped her. Were all the guys in this high school blind?
Fine. If they don't know how to cherish a treasure, I will.
Rollin didn't mind extending a hand to a poor girl. He had no ulterior motives, of course. He just wanted to give her a warm home.
"Ah, no… I'm okay."
Maria's eyes welled with tears. It hurt. It felt like she had walked into a steel wall. This guy was rock hard.
But… this hard man spoke with unexpected gentleness.
She tried to remember the last time a classmate had spoken to her without a sneer or a command. She couldn't.
Despite his kindness, Maria remained defensive. Her history had taught her one lesson: everyone who touches you wants to hurt you. She dared not trust.
Instinctively, Maria looked toward her best friend, Lily, standing down the hall. Her eyes pleaded for help.
Lily, a blonde girl who practically radiated "fake," saw the plea. Her first instinct was to turn away and pretend she hadn't seen the embarrassing collision.
But then she saw Rollin.
She saw the handsome face, the unique aura of confidence, and the broad, muscular frame hidden beneath his shirt. Lily's eyes lit up.
"Hey there, handsome!"
Lily strutted over, completely ignoring Maria's distress. She bulldozed her way into the conversation with practiced aggression.
"I am so sorry about her. I'm Lily, her friend. You have to forgive Maria; she's a bit… slow. Please don't hold it against her."
Lily flashed a conspiratorial, mocking smile. "Did you know? She couldn't even speak a full sentence until she was six."
Watching Lily's lips curl into that familiar, condescending smirk, Maria quickly buried the small smile that had started to form on her own face. She lowered her head in shame.
Yes. I'm just the stupid girl.
Not like Lily. Lily is smart. Lily is popular. Lily can make friends with anyone.
Rollin and Madison both frowned simultaneously.
Madison, in particular, narrowed her eyes. She smelled her own kind. She recognized a "Green Tea Bitch" when she saw one.
That poor little girl. She's just a prop to show off how 'great' this blonde narcissist is.
Rollin completely ignored Lily, who was trying desperately to make eye contact. He kept his focus locked on the trembling girl.
"Is your name Maria? That's a beautiful name. I'm Rollin, a Senior. You can call me Rollin, or just Lin."
Rollin felt Madison's sharp gaze boring into the side of his head, but she didn't interrupt.
Game recognizes game, but it also despises it. Madison hated Lily on sight. Madison might be a "Mean Girl," but she had a code. She didn't use her friends as stepping stones. If Madison Montgomery was your friend, she would kill for you—literally. Lily was just a parasite.
Hearing the compliment, Maria looked up in shock. Rollin's smile was genuine. It felt like sugar melting in her chest.
He's so handsome.
Maria felt a rush of vertigo. Her face flushed red, and in her panic, she started babbling.
"Ah, um, Rollin? I… yes, sorry! I mean, thank you!"
She didn't know what to say, but she noticed the envy burning in Lily's eyes, and for the first time in forever, she felt a flicker of dark satisfaction.
He's looking at me.
In his eyes, I'm better than Lily.
Usually, when people approached them, Lily would intercept them, charm them, and leave Maria standing awkwardly in the silence. Or she would interrupt Maria's conversations and steer the topic back to herself. It made Maria feel small, like Lily was the sun and she was just a shadow.
But now, Rollin was looking at her with scorching intensity.
Does he… like me?
Maria let the bold thought exist for a second before her gaze drifted to Madison. The former child star stood there with a confident, effortless smile that made Maria want to shrink again.
Rollin's companion was even more impressive than Lily.
Lily, meanwhile, was drowning in awkwardness. She tried to think of a topic to steal Rollin's attention, but he treated her like she was invisible.
This made Lily furious.
I'm livelier than that quail! I'm bolder! Why aren't you looking at me?
"By the way, Maria," Lily interjected sharply, grabbing Maria's arm with a grip that was too tight. "Didn't your mom say you needed to be home early? We have to go."
She tried to physically drag Maria away.
"Maria," Madison's voice cut through the air like a whip. She sneered. "Your 'friend' is fascinating. She steps on you when you're down, ignores your feelings, and controls your schedule."
Madison crossed her arms. "I suggest you stay far away from a 'friend' like that. She won't help you when you're drowning. She's just isolating you so she's the only 'friend' you have left."
Maria, who had been reluctantly following Lily, stopped. She looked up in surprise and saw a flash of panic in Lily's eyes.
"Hey! What are you saying?"
Lily dropped Maria's arm and stormed up to Madison, glaring furiously.
"I'm telling you, what happens between me and Maria is none of your business! You bi—"
SMACK!!