Chapter 3

"Peyton, have you already cooked the bacon? I only mentioned in passing that I liked it last night." Rita appeared in a yellow dress; her footsteps light as she skipped toward Peyton. She giggled and smiled shyly.

That was when I realized I'd thought too much of myself. So, I hurried out of the kitchen, saying, "Uh, I just remembered that my manager told me to diet. I'm going to skip breakfast!"

I had to escape!

The live stream's viewers continued mocking me.

"Look at her. The little vixen still has to make way for the real deal, doesn't she?"

"Will Peyton cook bacon for Rita every day once they get together? Just thinking about it makes me happy!"

"Hey, is it just me, or does Peyton look a little disappointed?"

…

To ensure that my cover wasn't blown, I actually skipped breakfast. However, I was anemic. All I could do was head to the living room after having some candy. I prayed we wouldn't need to exert too much energy on our first day.

I supposed I should've known how horrible my luck was.

After we drew lots to pick our partners for the day, I was paired with a 35-year-old man. We even had to cycle to a nearby amusement park to take photos there.

When I saw that my partner wasn't exactly the fittest, I sighed and knew I would have to rely on myself. After we finally made it to the amusement park, I saw Peyton and Rita there, too.

That was odd. Was that where they were also supposed to be?

When I saw how well they got along, I wondered if my deduction about the situation was wrong. They were practically glued at the hip, and Rita looked like she was into Peyton. Why hadn't they gotten together in my past life?

My mind wasn't working properly after having skipped breakfast, though. I could only temporarily push thoughts of them aside.

I split up with my partner to search for where we needed to take photos. As I walked along, I sensed my energy depleting. There weren't any food stalls wherever I went, and I had to lament my bad luck.

I wanted to find a place to take a break when my head suddenly spun. I tripped and fell to the ground. In the next second, I heard frantic footsteps behind me. I was lifted from the ground, and a candy was stuffed into my mouth. The sugary sweetness spread through me.

"Are you an idiot, Riley? No one skips breakfast when they're dieting!" a man's voice snarled.

It was familiar and icy. It immediately cleared my head.

What was Peyton doing here? Shouldn't he be with Rita?

I wanted to tell him to put me down after composing myself, but he carried me to the amusement park's entrance without waiting for me to say anything. There was a bistro opposite the amusement park.

"Uh, you can put me down, Mr. Grant. I'm not dizzy anymore." I was nervous when I sensed the attention I was catching. I didn't want his or Rita's fans to criticize him for this.

He continued walking without saying a word, though. His handsome side profile seemed particularly severe as he walked under the sun.

I didn't know why, but he gave me the feeling that he would soon shout something ridiculous like, "Make sure she's okay, or I'll kill you!"

I couldn't help smiling as I imagined it. It made Peyton turn to look at me. "Is this funny to you?"

I immediately dropped my smile. I thought about his germaphobia and suspected that he probably felt horrible. Yet, he had no choice but to carry me because he was just that kind. It made me feel guilty.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect this to happen," I said.

He sighed softly, sounding slightly helpless yet doting as he said, "Oh, you…"

I suddenly wanted to cry when I heard him sounding like he didn't know what to do with me. I even suspected he'd recognized me.