Calculus class was both better and worse than I'd imagined.
Better because – surprise, surprise – my forty-five-year-old brain could actually follow Mrs. Li's explanations way easier than most sixteen-year-olds. I'd spent years crunching numbers to figure out my budget as a struggling author, so derivatives and integrals felt almost relaxing compared to trying to calculate how much rent I could afford on a freelance writer's income.
Worse because Bella spent the entire class doodling hearts around the name "Shadow" in her notebook, and every time Mrs. Li turned her back, she'd nudge me and whisper things like "Do you think he likes strawberry milkshakes?" and "What if we meet at the cat café and he pets the same cat as me? That would be fate, right?"
I'd written that Bella was "hopelessly romantic and saw fate in every coincidence." Eight-year-old me had thought it was adorable. Forty-five-year-old me just wanted to tell her that sometimes a cat is just a cat.
"Xie Mianhua!" Mrs. Li's voice cut through my thoughts, and I jumped in my seat. "Would you care to explain to the class how to solve this problem?"
I looked at the board – a complex integral that most of the class was staring at with wide eyes. I stood up and walked to the front, picking up a piece of chalk. As I wrote out the solution, I could hear whispers from the other students.
"Wow, she's actually good!"
"I thought she just read boring books!"
"Jay's lucky she's in our class – she'll probably help him win the math competition!"
I finished writing and turned back to the class, trying not to look too proud of myself. Mrs. Li nodded approvingly. "Excellent work, Xie. Please take your seat. As you can see, sometimes the quietest students have the most to offer."
I sat down to more whispers, and Bella beamed at me. "See? I told you you're smart! You should join the math club – Jay's president, you know!"
I shook my head quickly. The last thing I needed was to spend more time with Jay and accidentally encourage his crush – especially not when I was still trying to figure out how to fix the scar mix-up with Shadow. Speaking of which…
"Bella," I whispered as Mrs. Li started writing another problem on the board. "You mentioned something about a soulmate scar earlier, right? The one you're supposed to find on your soulmate's hand?"
Her face lit up like a Christmas tree – exactly as I'd written it would. "Yes! It's from an old legend my grandma told me – soulmates have matching scars on their left hands, and when they touch, they can feel each other's emotions! Isn't that romantic? I've been looking for it everywhere, but I haven't found anyone with a scar on their left hand yet."
I felt my stomach twist. Because Gray – her own brother – had a scar on his left hand. I'd written that in his character profile but completely forgot to connect it to the soulmate legend. Eight-year-old me had been so focused on making Shadow the perfect male lead that she'd mixed up one of the story's core plot points.
"Have you… looked at your brother's hands?" I asked carefully, trying to sound casual.
Bella frowned. "Gray? Why would I look at his hands? He's my brother – that would be weird! Besides, his scar is from when he tripped over a basketball and hit his head on the hoop – not exactly romantic!"
I bit back a laugh. I'd written that scar origin too – I'd thought it was "funny that a tough guy got hurt by a basketball." Now it just felt like a mistake I needed to fix.
The bell rang, and Bella jumped up immediately. "Come on! Let's go to the cafeteria – I heard they're serving heart-shaped pizza today!"
I followed her out of class, my mind racing. How was I supposed to tell Bella that the soulmate scar she'd been looking for was on her brother's hand? And how was I supposed to explain that I'd accidentally given Shadow the scar on his right hand instead of his left?
As we walked through the halls, I spotted Shadow leaning against the same purple locker as before, talking to a guy with deep navy-blue hair who I immediately recognized as Storm – the original bad boy character I'd written as a rival for Bella's heart. He was exactly as I'd described him: muscular, intense eyes, and a scowl that looked like it was permanently etched on his face.
Except… he was smiling.
He was talking to Shadow and actually smiling – a real, genuine smile that made his eyes light up. I'd written him as "perpetually angry and brooding," but right now he looked almost friendly. Bella noticed him too and gasped.
"Is that Storm? I heard he got into a fight last year and almost got expelled! Do you think he's friends with Shadow?"
I'd written that Storm and Shadow were rivals – "two bad boys competing for the same girl." But right now they looked more like old friends than enemies. Another plot hole to add to my list.
We were almost to the cafeteria when Jay caught up to us, carrying a stack of books. "Mianhua! I wanted to ask – do you want to study together after school? I have some practice problems that might help you prepare for the math competition."
Before I could answer, a voice behind us made me freeze.
"Actually, she already has plans."
I turned around to see Shadow standing there, Storm right beside him. Shadow's magenta eyes were fixed on mine, and I could feel my face heat up. Bella let out a tiny squeak, and Jay tensed beside us.
"Plans?" Jay asked, his voice tight. "What plans?"
Shadow stepped closer, and I could see the scar on his right hand clearly – a thin white line that ran from his thumb to his wrist. Exactly like I'd written it. "She's joining the parkour club. I heard she's good at problem-solving – we could use someone who can figure out new routes."
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. I'd never written Mianhua as joining the parkour club. I'd written her as "preferring quiet activities like reading and knitting." Where did this come from?
"Parkour club?" Bella bounced on her toes excitedly. "That sounds amazing! Can I join too?"
"Sure," Storm said, and I could see why I'd written him as having "a rough exterior but a kind heart." He smiled at Bella – a small, gentle smile that made her blush. "We're always looking for new members. We practice after school on the roof."
"The roof?" Jay raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Wang will have a heart attack if he finds out you're practicing parkour on the roof."
"Which is why we're careful," Shadow said, his eyes still on me. "So? Are you in, Mianhua? I think you'd be good at it – problem-solving is half the battle when you're figuring out how to climb a building."
I looked from Shadow's serious face to Bella's excited one to Jay's worried one to Storm's encouraging one. Eight-year-old me had never written any of this – she'd had Mianhua sitting in the library while the main characters did all the exciting stuff. But here I was, being invited to join the parkour club by the male lead I'd created.
What did I have to lose?
"Okay," I said, surprising even myself. "I'll join."
Shadow's face broke into a smile that made my knees weak. "Great. We'll meet you on the roof after school. And Mianhua? Wear something you can move in – we don't do parkour in skirts."
He and Storm walked away, and Bella practically screamed with excitement. "This is perfect! I'll get to spend time with Shadow and Storm! And you'll get to show off how smart you are – maybe you'll even come up with a route that lets Shadow climb all the way to the top of the school!"
I'd written that scene too – Shadow climbing to the top of the school and declaring his love for Bella under the stars. But right now, looking at the direction he'd walked in, I had a feeling things were going to be different.
We made our way to the cafeteria, where sure enough, they were serving heart-shaped pizza with pink sauce and rainbow sprinkles. I forced myself to eat two slices (Bella insisted it was "good luck for new club members") while she planned out our parkour outfits and Jay tried to convince me to join the math club instead.
"I just think parkour is dangerous," he said, pushing his own heart-shaped pizza around on his plate. "You could get hurt. The math club is much safer – we just solve problems and eat cookies."
"Heart-shaped cookies?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Of course. Mrs. Chen bakes them for us every week."
I couldn't help but laugh. Everything in this world was heart-shaped or glittery – it was like living inside a Valentine's Day card. I finished my pizza and stood up. "I appreciate the offer, Jay, but I want to try parkour. Besides, how dangerous can it be?"
Famous last words.
After school, I met Bella, Shadow, and Storm on the roof of the main building. I'd changed into a pair of black leggings and a plain white t-shirt – the only non-uniform clothes I could find in my closet (which was mostly filled with heart-shaped dresses and glittery blouses). Shadow was already stretching, and I could see why I'd written him as being "built like a warrior" – his arms and legs were lean and muscular, every movement smooth and controlled.
"Ready?" he asked, and I nodded even though my hands were shaking.
He led us to the edge of the roof, where a series of platforms and handholds had been installed along the side of the building. "The goal is to get from here to the gym roof without touching the ground. It looks harder than it is – you just have to think through each move."
I looked down at the ground three stories below and felt my stomach lurch. Eight-year-old me had written parkour scenes like they were nothing – she'd had Shadow jumping from building to building without breaking a sweat. But standing here in real life, it looked terrifying.
"Come on," Storm said, noticing my nervousness. "I'll go first. Watch my moves – it's all about balance and timing."
He took off, moving across the platforms with surprising grace. I'd written him as "good at everything he tries," but watching him now, I could see the hours of practice he'd put in. Bella went next, giggling with excitement as she followed Storm's route. Then it was my turn.
"Take your time," Shadow said, standing close beside me. "If you're not sure about a move, just stop and think. There's no rush."
I took a deep breath and stepped onto the first platform. It wobbled slightly under my weight, and I grabbed onto the handhold tightly. I could feel Shadow's eyes on me as I carefully made my way across the first few platforms, my mind focusing on each move – calculating distances, judging angles, figuring out the best way to shift my weight.
This was just like solving a math problem. Or writing a story. It was all about finding the right path.
I made it to the halfway point when my foot slipped on a wet handhold. I cried out and grabbed onto the edge of the platform, my heart racing. Before I could even think, Shadow was there, his hand reaching out to grab mine.
His fingers wrapped around mine, and I felt a jolt run through my body – warm and electric, like nothing I'd ever felt before. I'd written that Bella and Shadow would feel a "spark" when they touched, but right now, standing on a platform three stories up, holding Shadow's hand, it was me who was feeling it.
"You're okay," he said softly, his eyes locked on mine. "I've got you."
I nodded, still feeling the jolt in my hand. He helped me steady myself, and we finished the route together, his hand never leaving mine. When we reached the gym roof, Bella and Storm were waiting for us, grinning.
"See?" Bella said, hugging me tightly. "I knew you could do it! You were amazing!"
"Not bad," Storm added, clapping me on the shoulder. "You pick things up fast – we should make you the club's route planner."
I looked at Shadow, who was still holding my hand. He smiled, and this time it was different – softer, warmer, like he was seeing me for the first time. "I told you problem-solving was half the battle."
I couldn't help but smile back. For the first time since I'd woken up in this world, I didn't feel like an extra. I felt like I belonged.
But as we made our way back down to the ground, I looked at Shadow's right hand – at the scar I'd accidentally put there – and remembered the soulmate legend Bella had told me about. The one where the scar was supposed to be on the left hand.
I had a lot of work to do. But for the first time, I didn't mind. Because this story – my story – was starting to get interesting.