My Childhood Friend Has Long Been Coveting Me

It was pure chance that I overheard the school beauty confessing her feelings to her childhood friend.

Annoyed and restless, I couldn't help but wonder how I could ruin their little moment.

Of course, I had to stir up some trouble!

1

Toby Hussain and I grew up together, our families bound by decades of friendship and business ties.

But Toby had always looked down on me, and I wasn't exactly fond of him either.

Our constant bickering became so routine that even our parents stopped paying attention.

As he shot up in height, he started bossing me around, using his size to his advantage. I realized if I didn't do something to level the playing field, I'd never stand a chance against him.

So, I begged my mom to sign me up for Taekwondo. After one brutal session, I came home bruised and defeated, only to be scolded by her.

My grand plan to take him down was over before it even began.

Somehow, he caught wind of my Taekwondo attempt and decided to join the class himself. To my dismay, he fell in love with it and had been training ever since.

Now, I was even more wary of provoking him. He never missed a chance to tease me about it, but I'd learned to smile and walk away, silently cursing him in my mind.

He continued to dominate my life until high school graduation. I thought college would finally set me free, but fate had other plans.

The day before moving to campus, I was happily packing my bags when he appeared at my door, leaning against the frame with that infuriating smirk.

I eyed him with vigilance, but the thought of rarely seeing him soon gave me courage. I straightened up and glared at him. "What do you want? I'm busy, you know."

He stepped closer, stopping just a foot away. Instinctively, I held up a pile of clothes as a barrier, staring at him in confusion.

He glanced at my suitcase, his expression dripping with mischief. "You seem thrilled," he said slowly.

I rolled my eyes and shot back, "Of course I am! Finally free from your tyranny. I'd be setting a feast in celebration for this."

He just smiled, that enigmatic, plotting smile I knew all too well.

Years of being on the receiving end of his schemes had taught me one thing, which was that smiling meant trouble.

My mind raced, already mapping out escape routes.

With his Taekwondo skills, I was no match for him physically, and arguing was equally futile.

If our parents were around, I'd feel fearless, but now... I glanced around the empty house, realizing I was completely at his mercy.

Before I could make a move, he turned and walked out, leaving me standing there, bewildered.

What was wrong with him?

Well, who cared? The joy of escaping from him made me quickly forget about it and continue packing my things.

The next day, my dad dropped me off at campus. Just as I was about to savor my newfound freedom, a familiar voice called out from behind. "What a coincidence! You're here too?"

2

I spun around to see Toby, suitcase in hand, greeting my parents with his usual charm. My jaw dropped as I stared at him, utterly speechless.

He caught my stunned expression and strolled over, his voice low and teasing. "Surprised? Bet you didn't see this coming. Do you like your little welcome gift?"

I clenched my teeth, resisting the urge to slap him. "Didn't you apply to Astra College? What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering, he shot back, "How do you even know where I applied?"

I hesitated, avoiding his gaze. "Just mind your business!"

The truth was, I'd secretly asked his mom, who assured me he was heading to Astra College.

That was why I'd been so eager to pack for Westwood University. But now, here he was, standing in front of me with an admission letter to the same school.

He smirked, clearly enjoying my shock. "When you asked my mom, I did say I was going to Astra College. But later, we all agreed that Westwood University was a better fit. Both schools are top-tier, so it doesn't really matter, right?"

I nearly exploded. "Doesn't matter? Your mom gave me false information!"

No wonder he'd looked so smug yesterday. He'd known all along we'd be at the same school, while I'd been bragging about celebrating my freedom.

My dreams of a life without him crumbled before my eyes.

To make matters worse, my parents were thrilled. "With Toby here, we feel much better," my dad said, patting Toby's shoulder. "You've always been able to handle her."

I groaned, "Dad, I'm an adult. You don't need to babysit me!"

My mom shot me a look. "You are too clumsy to deal with troubles. You definitely need someone to get your back. Just live with it. Don't interrupt." Then she continued to kindly remind Toby, "Take good care of yourself at school. Let us know what you two need, and we'll bring it to you..."

Her quick change of attitude left me in awe.

Toby, ever the charmer, smiled politely. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her." The way he said it made my skin crawl.

As soon as my parents left, his true colors showed. He grabbed my bag and dragged me toward the campus gates, his grin widening with every step.

The campus was buzzing with activity, upperclassmen manning tables to welcome freshmen.

I scanned the crowd, trying to spot my department, but the sea of faces was overwhelming.

Instead, many people were openly looking at us, their faces filled with excitement.

I was very familiar with this kind of gaze. From childhood to now, whenever Toby and I walked together, this happened.

It was because Toby was good-looking.

His appearance made everyone feel he was a mature, gentle, and attentive gentleman.

If you only looked at his exterior, you'd think he was the type to do volunteer jobs at weekends, a model youth with good grades, good character, and good looks, definitely the school heartthrob, attracting attention wherever he went.

But only I knew, deep down, he was a mischievous and annoying brat.

From childhood to now, because of his face and pretense, my mom always sided with him.

I stepped away, trying to put some distance between us. "Stay away from me," I muttered.

He just laughed, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "Your mom told me to look after you. How can I do that from far away?"

"I'm not a child!" I snapped.

He smirked. "Oh really? Who was it that cried over a dropped ice cream last week?"

I glared at him. "That was your fault! And I didn't cry-I was just... frustrated. Stop twisting my words! I don't believe you managed to get in Westwood with your absurd logic."

"I got in the same way you did," he answered with a grin.

"You..."

Before I could argue further, he nudged me toward a table labeled "School of Economics and Management."

I blinked in surprise. Had he been helping me find my department?

Thinking of this, I awkwardly touched my nose and smiled, "Since you're so eager to make peace, I won't hold a grudge about last time."

"No, you should spill your grudge once and for all, otherwise you'll bring it up again to criticize me one day."

"What? Are you serious?"

"No, no, today is the first day at the campus. Let me help you maintain your image; let's have a truce."

He handed me a form and a pen, his expression softening.

Seeing the serious look in his eyes, I realized he had a point. It wasn't worth damaging my reputation just to make a point, so I reluctantly lowered my head and began filling out my information.

Once I finished, I handed the form to the person across the table-a very pretty girl in a black dress. She took the form, glanced at it, and smiled warmly as she extended her hand to me.

"Hello, Luna. I'm Jesse Jackson, we share the same major. Welcome to Westwood University."

"Thank you, Jesse."

After collecting our things, we were about to leave when Jesse suddenly turned to Toby and asked, "Aren't you here to register?"

I quickly explained, "He's not from this department, so he doesn't register here."

She nodded thoughtfully, glancing at me before addressing Toby again. "Oh, I see. Which major are you in? I might know where you need to go. It'll save you some time."

Before I could answer, Toby cut in smoothly, "No need, I've already found it. Thanks, though."

I blinked, caught off guard by his abruptness. Without another word, he grabbed my luggage and started walking off in a random direction.

I shot Jesse an apologetic look, and she just smiled, her gaze lingering on Toby for a moment.

I didn't have time to dwell on it and hurried after him.

"What's your problem?" I hissed, catching up to him. "She was just trying to help."

He didn't even glance at me, his tone flat. "I don't need help. I can handle it myself."

Frustrated, I decided to drop it. Arguing with him was like talking to a brick wall.

After he finished his registration, we headed to the dormitory. The staff gave us the address and floor number, and a guide led us there. It didn't take long to reach the building.

Since boys weren't allowed in the girls' dorm, I was left to haul my suitcase, bag, and other belongings upstairs by myself.

By the time I reached my room, I was completely drained. I shoved my things inside and looked up to find two roommates already there.

We exchanged quick greetings before diving into unpacking. When the fourth roommate arrived, we all agreed to grab dinner together to break the ice.

After a satisfying meal, we stopped by the campus supermarket to pick up some essentials before heading back to the dorm.

As we approached the building, I spotted Toby standing outside, holding a few bags and typing on his phone.

3

I was about to walk over when my roommate yanked me back, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Hey, isn't that the guy from the Computer Science department? The really handsome one?"

I frowned. "How do you even know that?"

She grinned. "I'm the gossip queen. There's nothing I can't find out. Apparently, he's already taken-came to campus with his girlfriend today. Ah, outstanding people are always taken before college even starts. And they say the girl is from our department too, but no one knows who she is."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Gossip queen, huh? Well, you're wrong this time."

"Oh, it's just because I'm new here and not familiar with the environment yet. Give me a few days, and I'll dig it all out for you."

"Listen, he doesn't have a girlfriend."

Her eyes widened. "How do you know?"

Before I could answer, the others chimed in, their voices overlapping. "Yeah, how do you know?"

I groaned, realizing I'd stepped into a trap. Their eyes were gleaming with curiosity, making me feel weird.

I pushed them away and quickly said, "Because I'm the one who came with him, and I'm definitely not his girlfriend."

Their collective gasp was almost comical. "What?" they screeched, loud enough to draw Toby's attention.

He looked up from his phone and started walking toward us.

As he approached, my roommates suddenly straightened up, forming a neat line like soldiers at attention.

Toby raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, simply handing me the bags he was carrying.

"What's this?" I asked, peeking inside.

"Just some medicine, painkillers, and disinfectant," he said casually.

I took a step back, feigning suspicion. "Why are you giving me these? Are you plotting something?"

He sighed, clearly exasperated. "Luna, you have the worst immune system, remember? You catch a cold with the slightest change in weather. And with your knack for getting into trouble, you'll probably need these sooner or later. Consider it a precaution. I shouldn't have worried about you; you'll regret it when you're suffering."

Feeling a bit sheepish, I touched my nose and snatched the items from him as he was about to take them back, laughing, "Alright, alright. Thanks, I guess."

He shot me a look. "Don't mention it. Just try not to end up in the medical room again." With that, he turned and walked away.

I waved, still grinning, until my roommates descended on me like vultures, bombarding me with questions. It was like high school all over again, and I quickly found myself overwhelmed.

I could only dodge their inquiries while heading back to the dorm.

A few days later, Toby's "precaution" turned out to be prophetic. I came down with a nasty cold that escalated into a fever, landing me in the medical room in the middle of the night.

While everyone else was sweating through freshman activities, I was lying in bed with an IV drip.

In a daze, I thought I saw Toby standing by my bedside, watching me silently.

It might have been a fever-induced hallucination, but I could've sworn I felt a drop of water in my mouth.

After drinking the water, I squinted at him, murmuring, "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be joining the activities?"

Perhaps due to my fever, his voice drifted to my ears like a whisper in the wind, "Why couldn't you take better care of yourself?"

I groaned in discomfort, my mind foggy, and grumbled softly, "Can't you just comfort me?"

In my hazy state, I felt the blanket being pulled up to my neck, tightly covering me, as footsteps gradually faded away.

I drifted back to sleep.

4

After spending a day in the medical room, my fever had subsided, and I was cleared to return to the dorm.

As I stepped out of the medical room, I saw Toby waiting for me.

He must have rushed here as soon as his lessons were over, as sweat still glistened on his face.

He took the bag of medication from my hand and offered me his arm. "Let's go," he said simply.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not an invalid, you know."

He shot me a look. "You could've fooled me."

Despite feeling a bit dizzy, I defiantly retorted, "Can you lower your voice? I'm still a patient. Why are you so worked up? What if you scare me away?"

He rolled his eyes at me, wanting to say something but holding back, and then started guiding me outside.

After that illness, I still managed to get through the first exam.

And I finally got the chance to enjoy my campus life.

One weekend, we decided to celebrate a roommate's birthday with a dinner.

As we left campus, I spotted a familiar figure standing alone near the gates. It was Toby, dressed in black casual wear.

I snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder.

He turned, frowning, but his expression softened when he saw it was me. He reached out to pinch my cheek, but I dodged, sticking out my tongue.

"How old are you?" he muttered, shaking his head.

I grinned. "What are you doing here? Waiting for someone?"

He nodded vaguely.

Curious, I asked, "Who? You've been standing here for ages. Who's making you wait so long?"

Before I could press further, a voice interrupted us. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Toby."

I turned to see Jesse approaching, her smile as warm as ever.

She noticed me and greeted me with a friendly, "Oh, it's you! We meet again."

I blinked, surprised. "Jesse, right? What are you doing here?"