Chapter 1System Update: The Heart’s Variable

I was dead last in my class. The System told me the only way to fix my brain and raise my grades was to bind myself to the student ranked #1 and establish "physical intimacy." So, I became a simp for my toxic childhood friend, Julian. I followed him around like a lost puppy, ignoring his mockery and disgust, doing everything to please him.

Then, I got a new desk mate. Liam was a transfer student, already scouted by Ivy Leagues. He was smart, gentle, and his smile looked like the sun. He brought me breakfast every day and patiently taught me how to solve math problems.

Julian hated him. He ordered me not to speak to Liam. I obeyed. Until the next mock exam results came out. My new desk mate had dethroned Julian. Liam was the new Number One.

* * *

The noon heat after the mock exams was suffocating. As I walked up to the classroom to deliver porridge to Julian, I heard the boys laughing inside. Their tone was flippant, stinging my ears.

"Did Stella actually go buy medicine?" "Yeah, I just casually mentioned Julian wasn't feeling well, and she bolted." "It's like a hundred degrees out there." "So what? She's so obsessed with Julian, if he told her to bark, she'd probably get on all fours." "Actually," someone mused, "Stella is pretty cute. She's got a nice face and a good temper." Someone jeered, "You like her? Ask Julian to pass her to you." "Julian, would you miss your little sidekick?"

Silence for a few seconds. Then, Julian’s cold, clear voice cut through the air. "Get lost." He sounded annoyed.

The room went quiet, then someone asked hesitantly, "We tricked Stella into thinking you were sick so she’d run errands in this heat... you're not mad, right?"

"Why would I care?" Julian paused, his tone indifferent, dripping with his usual disdain. "If she's stupid enough to believe whatever people tell her, how is she any different from a pig?"

The room erupted in laughter. Someone was even pounding the desk. It was lively inside.

I looked down at the porridge and medicine in my hands. Julian has a weak stomach. I’ve seen him pale, vomiting, and weak. That’s why when I heard he wasn't feeling well and saw him face-down on his desk, I ran to the pharmacy. Turns out, I was being played.

I stood there, dazed.