Capturing the Cool Boy

Chapter 1

[1]

My bestie's younger brother is such an arrogant guy.

[2]

The first time we met, I accidentally caught him coming out of the shower, and he just tossed one of his clothes over my head.

[3]

My bestie, Averie Butcher, tried to smooth things over, she said,

[4]

"This is my bestie, Martha. Isn't she pretty?"

[5]

He gave me a cold, disdainful look and said,

[6]

"Ugly."

[7]

Oh, such an arrogant guy, huh? Let's see if I can't handle you.

[8]

After a period of my attentive care, thoughtfulness, and attention to his every detail...

[9]

I gave up.

[10]

He remained as arrogant as ever and hadn't given me any friendly response.

[11]

Then, two days after I gave up, he messaged me for the first time,

[12]

"Is this playing hard to get?"

[13]

"Beauty."

[14]

1

[15]

I went to Averie's house to drop something off and ran into a handsome guy fresh out of the shower.

[16]

He was tall with long legs and well-defined muscles. Only a tiny amount of fabric covers his private parts.

[17]

Before I could take a good look, one of his clothes was thrown over my head.

[18]

Blinded, I belatedly realized what happened and couldn't help but let out a scream.

[19]

Averie came out at the sound.

[20]

I pointed at the handsome guy now wrapped in a towel,

[21]

"Who is this?"

[22]

Averie said,

[23]

"My younger brother, Ryland."

[24]

I was filled with confusion in my mind.

[25]

Wait a minute, I remember Ryland was a short, dark-skinned little guy, wasn't he?

[26]

Averie turned to the handsome guy, trying to ease the awkwardness, "This is my bestie, Martha.

[27]

Isn't she pretty?"

[28]

He gave me a cold look and said,

[29]

"Ugly."

[30]

And with that, he turned and went back inside.

[31]

I was speechless.

[32]

Wow, it turned out he was an arrogant guy!

[33]

I asked Averie,

[34]

"How old is he?"

[35]

Averie, looking apologetic, answered,

[36]

"He's twenty,

[37]

and he was just a bit rebellious."

[38]

I squinted at Averie,

[39]

"As long as he's an adult."

[40]

She revealed an understanding smile and promptly pushed the Whatsapp of him to me, and said,

[41]

"Help me teach him a lesson."

[42]

2

[43]

The arrogant guy's name was Ryland Butcher, a junior at Starlight University, and he's apparently quite popular on campus.

[44]

He certainly had the qualifications to be an arrogant guy.

[45]

My interest piqued, I started a friendly conversation with Ryland on Whatsapp.

[46]

"Hey, wanna grab a meal together sometime?" I asked him on Whatsapp.

[47]

"Who are you?" He responded.

[48]

"Your sister's friend, the one who caught you fresh out of the shower." I answered.

[49]

He didn't reply for a long time.

[50]

I was filled with confusion.

[51]

Then I tried to send message to him on Whatsapp again. But I only received red exclamation mark.

[52]

What?

[53]

Did the brat delete me?

[54]

I quickly contacted Averie on Whatsapp, "Ryland deleted me, get him to add me back!"

[55]

"He doesn't listen to me, you'll have to talk to him yourself." Averie responded me on Whatsapp.

[56]

"How can I talk to him if he deleted me?" I continued to ask her on Whatsapp.

[57]

"Do you play League of Legends?

[58]

He and his classmates will play with me tonight, I'll give you my account." She responded me on Whatsapp.

[59]

Oh, my amazing bestie, I'm eternally grateful!

[60]

That night, when I joined the team chat, Ryland's classmates were surprised to hear my voice that wasn't Averie's.

[61]

"You're not Ryland's sister?"

[62]

A soft-voiced boy asked,

[63]

"Who are you?"

[64]

I replied gently,

[65]

"I'm Ryland's sister's friend."

[66]

"Oh, do you know

[67]

how to support?" He asked then.

[68]

"I

[69]

do." I replied.

[70]

"Then just relax,

[71]

we'll carry you to win."

[72]

I was touched. What a treasure of a younger boy. Who cares about Ryland? I'm switching targets!

[73]

Then Ryland played as the archer, and I had to follow him as support.

[74]

Ryland said,

[75]

"Support, go scout the bush."

[76]

I eagerly went.

[77]

And got ambushed by a group of enemies hiding there.

[78]

Ryland said,

[79]

"Support, see you."

[80]

Excuse me?

[81]

Weren't you the one who told me to scout the bush? I thought.

[82]

This happened several times, and I seriously suspected Ryland was doing it on purpose.

[83]

In the end, I didn't contribute much in the game.

[84]

Even though we won, I was still very annoyed.

[85]

Ha, you like playing archer, huh?

[86]

I'll play a soft support.

[87]

In the second game, I decisively picked game character Yaria.

[88]

Then Ryland picked the side lane hero, Ma Chao.

[89]

I was speechless.

[90]

Throughout the game, whenever I jumped onto Ryland, he'd speed up and use his skills to send me into the enemy crowd, watching me die alone while he left gracefully.

[91]

I even seem to hear his faint laughter.

[92]

I was furious!

[93]

Unknowingly, we started losing, with all three high ground towers destroyed.

[94]

The soft-voiced boy was very puzzled,

[95]

"Ryland, how can you, a national server Ma Chao, play so poorly against lower-ranked players?"

[96]

I snorted,

[97]

"Maybe even a national server Ma Chao has off days."

[98]

Ryland suddenly stopped beside me,

[99]

"Get on."

[100]

"Why?"

[101]

I was confused.

[102]

"To carry you

[103]

to get victory."

[104]

Ha, I didn't believe it, surely he was going to send me into the enemy crowd again.

[105]

However, I did as he said anyway.

[106]

After all, this brat hadn't added me back on Whatsapp yet.

[107]

To my surprise, he got serious, scoring double and triple kills, and quickly pushed to the enemy's high ground.

[108]

Of course, I died in the process.

[109]

When our team wiped out the enemy team, he walked into the tower and deliberately got himself killed.

[110]

I was confused,

[111]

"What are you doing?"

[112]

Ryland didn't answer, but the other boys teased,

[113]

"The couple heads home in pairs."

[114]

I blushed.

[115]

What nonsense, these kids have no sense of propriety.

[116]

3

[117]

After the game that night, I realized I forgot to ask Ryland to add me back.

[118]

Knowing he wouldn't see it, I still sent him a message in frustration, "Annoying brat, always bullying me."

[119]

Unexpectedly, it went through.

[120]

I was stunned for two seconds, just about to retract it, when Ryland replied, "Oh."

[121]

I was speechless.

[122]

"But you looked really cool turning the game around at the end." I said to him on Whatsapp.

[123]

Ryland replied, "Oh."

[124]

What kind of reaction is that, so indifferent.

[125]

"Can you say something else nice?" I continued.

[126]

Ryland didn't reply for a long time.

[127]

My heart skipped a beat, was he going to block me again?

[128]

"Just kidding, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to, just don't block me!" I said.

[129]

Two minutes later.

[130]

"Going to sleep." Ryland replied.

[131]

I stared at my phone, unable to suppress a laugh.

[132]

Annoying brat, being so arrogant to me will have its price!

[133]

4

[134]

After that, I started bothering Ryland on Whatsapp whenever I had the chance.

[135]

But it was all trivial conversations.

[136]

Like, have you eaten, have you slept, did you miss me?

[137]

He ignored all the previous questions, only replying instantly to the last one.

[138]

No, impossible, don't dream about it.

[139]

Oh, the first time I failed to chase a man, and it was a little brat?

[140]

Unwilling to give up, I sought advice from Averie.

[141]

She dragged me to a bar, where we drank and she vented, "I don't know when Ryland started excelling in his studies, got into a top university,

[142]

and then became all weird..."

[143]

I listened patiently until I was thoroughly drunk. Averie patted me and said, "I just called Ryland over.

[144]

I'm leaving now, seize the opportunity."

[145]

Before I could say anything, she was already gone.

[146]

Bored, I waited until someone approached me,

[147]

"Add me on Whatsapp, beauty."

[148]

To avoid being pestered, I complied easily.

[149]

I could always delete him later.

[150]

The man persisted, "Are you alone?

[151]

Want to

[152]

leave together?"

[153]

I rubbed my temples in annoyance and looked up to see Ryland.

[154]

"No, my boyfriend's here to pick me up."

[155]

I smiled, pointing to Ryland in the distance,

[156]

"There he is."

[157]

The man wisely backed off.

[158]

Ryland walked up to me, looking down from above.

[159]

In the dim bar light, I couldn't make out his expression, but I sensed he might be angry.

[160]

Was he upset about being forced to pick me up by Averie?

[161]

I whispered,

[162]

"You didn't have to come..."

[163]

Ryland replied,

[164]

"And then you'd leave with another man?"

[165]

With confusion,

[166]

I was taken aback.

[167]

"No."

[168]

Feeling a bit tipsy, I stood up unsteadily and leaned towards Ryland.

[169]

He suddenly grabbed me, dragged me out of the bar, opened the car door and threw me into the back seat of the car.

[170]

Then he leaned into the car, his arm resting against my side, his nose almost touching mine, and I could even see the trembling of his eyelashes.

[171]

My heart was pounding wildly.

[172]

In the heated, alcohol-laden atmosphere, Ryland's words were cold, "You can flirt with others,

[173]

just don't involve me."

[174]

What?

[175]

Did he think I was just playing with him?

[176]

I really meant it!

[177]

The alcohol had me too weak to explain, so I lay limply in the back seat.

[178]

He drove to my apartment building and then noticed something was off with me.

[179]

"Faking being drunk?"

[180]

Ryland asked.

[181]

"I feel like throwing up,"

[182]

I replied.

[183]

Ryland was speechless.

[184]

"Don't throw up in my car."

[185]

He warned.

[186]

Perhaps still caring for his car, he got out and pulled me out.

[187]

I leaned weakly against him,

[188]

"Could you please not be so cold towards me?"

[189]

He stayed silent.

[190]

I continued to complain,

[191]

"Take me to a hotel."

[192]

Ryland stiffened,

[193]

"Not a chance."

[194]

I felt wronged, "I live on the fifth floor, no elevator,

[195]

I can't climb up."

[196]

Ryland was silent.

[197]

After a moment of silence, he suddenly crouched down,

[198]

"Come on my back."

[199]

Huh?

[200]

Was he going to carry me up?

[201]

"I want you to

[202]

carry me in your arms!" I said.

[203]

"You have

[204]

some seconds." He replied.

[205]

I quickly jumped on.

[206]

Having drunk, my senses were dulled, and the entire process seemed to pass by without me really feeling anything. All I remember is that the scent of Ryland was very pleasant.

[207]

It was like fresh grass after rain, carrying a hint of spring.

[208]

He took me home and even got me a glass of water.

[209]

I deliberately leaned on him, and when he pushed me away, I fell, forcing him to catch me again.

[210]

I felt great to tease the brat.

[211]

Initially, I planned to pretend to be drunk to keep him from leaving, but I reconsidered.

[212]

Ryland dragged me to the bed, and as he turned away, I lightly brushed my lips against his ear.

[213]

He reacted as if electrocuted, then quickly left, almost as if fleeing.

[214]

I was stunned.

[215]

Did he just leave like that?

[216]

The alcohol had mostly worn off. I sighed, feeling a bit annoyed, and went to the convenience store to buy two bottles of beer.

[217]

Leaving the store, I opened a can and saw someone standing under my building from afar.

[218]

The red glow of his cigarette flickered and finally disappeared as I approached.

[219]

He took some steps forward, his face gradually becoming clear from the shadows.

[220]

"Is pretending to be drunk fun?"

[221]

Ryland asked.

[222]

5

[223]

Oh,

[224]

no.

[225]

I instantly started acting as drunkenness again, stumbling towards Ryland, slurring,

[226]

"You haven't left yet."

[227]

He stared at me silently, the situation growing awkward.

[228]

Luckily, I was thick-skinned, determined to act as drunkenness, leaning against Ryland like a limp noodle, mumbling nonsense.

[229]

"Are you worried about

[230]

me?"

[231]

I knew he wasn't.

[232]

"Clearly,

[233]

you care about me."

[234]

The more I spoke, the more absurd it became.

[235]

"Do you secretly

[236]

like me?"

[237]

What was I even saying?

[238]

Unexpectedly, Ryland didn't push me away, standing still like a statue, letting me lean on him and speak nonsense.

[239]

I didn't want to probe whether he saw through my act. Looking up at him, I pitifully asked, "I spent a long time on my makeup today,

[240]

do you think I look good?"

[241]

Ryland's eyes flickered, and he suddenly pinched my cheeks.

[242]

His sudden action startled me into forgetting to react, letting him mold my cheeks into strange shapes.

[243]

He looked at me and chuckled lightly,

[244]

"Ugly."

[245]

The hallway is dim, but his eyes shone unusually bright.

[246]

It took me a moment to process.

[247]

Did he just call me ugly?

[248]

I decided to make him carry me upstairs again, starting to act silly.

[249]

Ryland watched leisurely, and when I tugged at him, he pinned me against the hallway wall.

[250]

The strong presence overwhelmed me, and I froze.

[251]

Ryland leaned in slowly, stopping just short of touching me.

[252]

He squinted, his tone unreadable, "The pretending game ends here.

[253]

Next time, have someone else take you home."

[254]

With that, he turned and left without hesitation.

[255]

Leaving me full of confusion.

[256]

Did he see through me?

[257]

Why didn't he call me out when I was acting?

[258]

And what did he mean by having someone else?

[259]

Did this brat really think I was that easy?

[260]

Before bed, the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I picked up my phone, typed a long explanation in the chat box.

[261]

But just before sending, I deleted it all.

[262]

Maybe I was too forward, causing him to misunderstand me.

[263]

Forget it, I'll tone it down. Don't want to scare the him away.