7
I dodged the jacket he tried to drape over my shoulders. “I’m fine. I’m going back now.”
Jake paused. “I’ll take you.”
I still refused. “We’re not close.”
Jake gently took my arm. “It’s late. Taxis are hard to find. Just think of me as your driver, okay?”
Liam, standing off to the side, his face a thundercloud, cut in, “Sarah, don’t go with him.”
I sighed, patting Jake’s shoulder. “You should probably go check on him instead. He’s not quite right in the head, you might want to keep an eye on him. I’ll just bike back.
With that, I walked over, scanned a shared bike, and with a swift push of my foot, pedaled off into the night
As I rode, I hummed a tune. “In those fleeting years, how many times did we say ‘see you later, only to delay the final goodbye? It’s a shame no one truly… Love wasn‘ t just a heated debate of passion and desire…”
I looked at the streetlights, casting a soft, hazy glow. Behind me, Liam’s trembling voice echoed. “Sarah, you lied to me…!”
I stiffened, then realized. That song. It was Liam’s favorite. He played it so often, I’d unconsciously picked up the tune.
I looked at the warm, blurry lights, pedaling harder, then stretched out my left hand and waved behind me.
“Goodbye!”
But it was clear: as long as I remained at this university, saying goodbye to Liam would be impossible.
Initially, some on the forum dismissed the incident as rumor or misunderstanding. How could Liam possibly pursue someone as ordinary as me? But then, Liam’s behavior became truly obsessive.
He started seeking me out, just like in my previous life, pursuing me with a furious, burning intensity.
I saw the stubborn defiance in his eyes, as if seeing our past selves reflected there.
Back then, I’d thought Liam was just toying with me, so I’d repeatedly refused to meet him. He’d gotten my number from my roommate, found me on Venmo, and sent me ten transfers of five thousand dollars each. When I tried to send the money back, he’d already blocked me.
Such a huge sum, I absolutely had to return it. Out of options, I met Liam, intending to clear things up. It was then that I was gradually won over by his youthful ferv-
or and apparent sincerity.
That Liam, the one from my past, truly loved me. And so, his childish tactics had worked.
This time, he used the exact same trick. The moment my phone buzzed with a notification for a five–thousand–dollar transfer, I knew it was Liam. By the third five-
thousand–dollar transfer, I’d blocked him.
Even if he was willing to keep sending money, I wasn’t going to chase him down. That amount of money meant nothing to Liam. Since he’d marked it as a voluntary gift, he could consider it a charitable donation.
When Liam realized I wasn’t coming to him, he called me.
On the other end, he let out a low chuckle, as if he’d caught me red–handed. “You did come back, didn’t you? You still remember me, Sarah. Even if your appearance changed, your personality never will. The old you, no matter what, would have contacted me to return the money.”
I remained silent, then hung up. From that day on, I stopped answering any calls from unknown numbers.
Liam began waiting for me downstairs from my dorm every day. He’d bring a different bouquet of flowers each time, waiting for me as I headed to class. He didn’t
bother me, just watched.
“Sarah, I just need an explanation.”
I reported him to the university. The school issued a strict warning against Liam’s behavior, but it didn’t stop him. He stopped bringing flowers, but he started “accid-
entally” running into me all over campus.
Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I walked straight up to him. “Alright, let’s talk this out.”
