Nobody Yields Easily
Vita, Carlyle, and even Emily Swan—they weren't about to give in easily. The three of them formed a midterms study group, but Vita just couldn't focus on her books. With Emily and Carlyle practically glued together, it was impossible not to get distracted. She kept stealing glances without even realizing it.
"Ah, got it."
"Does that make sense now?"
"Um, kinda?"
Carlyle explained with such a gentle, diligent demeanor that Vita was reminded anew of their childhood friendship. Her lips pursed in a pout. She mindlessly doodled circles on her workbook with her pen, lost in thought.
...What is this feeling?
Some uncomfortable emotion. No, not uncomfortable exactly—something strange she couldn't quite put into words.
...It's definitely because of Emily.
Vita chalked it up to that. Her crush Emily was sticking so close to Carlyle; of course it bothered her. And so, without thinking, she blurted it out—after taking a tense sip of her coffee through the straw.
"Hey, Emily! I could explain it way better than that guy."
She meant it, too. Carlyle was smart, sure, but he didn't seem to have much talent for teaching. Vita had become convinced while listening to his explanation just now.
"It's not clicking, right? Be honest."
Emily glanced sideways at that, then nodded.
"I guess I just don't get it."
"No, it's not that. Let me explain—come over here for a sec?"
"Um... sure?"
Once Emily Swan settled beside her, that stifling feeling in Vita's chest finally eased. With Carlyle out of the picture, it felt reassuring, comfortable somehow. A rare chance like this—to get close to her crush.
But that Carlyle guy...
He was just a nuisance. That must be why her heart had prickled so uncomfortably earlier, Vita reasoned inwardly. She shot Carlyle a glare when Emily wasn't looking—a reproachful stare. But Carlyle Schultz just smirked, then watched the two girls with intrigued eyes.
"I'll teach you, Emily."
"Yeah, Bianca must be good at math...?"
"Pretty confident!"
She was almost on par with Carlyle in math, wasn't she?
"Ask me anything, Emily."
"For real...?!"
"That problem from earlier—Carlyle's method was too complicated, so I'll show you another way. It takes longer, but if you grasp the basics, you can solve it."
She explained a method based purely on fundamentals, unlike Carlyle's approach.
"Whoa, that's amazing... Way easier to understand than I thought."
Emily's admiration made Vita's shoulders puff up with pride. They chatted idly now and then, quizzed each other on problems, and before they knew it, hours had flown by. Suddenly, Emily stood.
"Hey, guys. Gotta step out for a bit."
"Where to...?"
As Vita asked, Emily leaned in close and whispered cutely.
"—Gonna hit the bathroom! And I'll grab another coffee while I'm at it. Might take a minute."
She flashed a bright smile, and Vita nodded eagerly, flustered.
"Ah, okay! See ya!"
Even going to the bathroom, a girl like Emily managed to make it seem elegant. With her gone, the cramped room held only Carlyle and Vita. But Vita had no desire to chat with him. Exams were next week, he was her clear rival, and...
Plus, earlier with Emily...
They'd been getting along so well; it rubbed her the wrong way. And in a situation like this, alone together, who knew what tricks Carlyle might pull?
Lately with all that 'we're flirting' nonsense...
So Vita struck first.
"No nonsense allowed."
She fixed her gaze on her book, as if to say she wouldn't tolerate any of it.
No matter what he says, I'll ignore him flat-out...!
That was her resolve—but it crumbled in seconds.
"Kkh..."
Carlyle suddenly chuckled and tossed out a line.
"Why are you so pretty today?"
Vita looked up.
"...Huh?! What?!"
One sentence, and her defenses were down.
Truth be told, Carlyle found the whole thing absurd from his perspective. That morning text:
"That's how it goes, huh...?"
Carlyle twitched an eyebrow briefly, but his lips curved in a smile.
"Playing hard to get again."
Bianca Shama acting like this was nothing new. Carlyle was rock-solid in his conviction: he wouldn't fail to win her over by the end of the semester. He figured he was already halfway there. He knew she saw him as special, just as he did her.
Because of that blunder back then.
One mistake—he'd made her cry. The girl he liked had ended up in tears because of him. But it had helped him realize her feelings. Bianca just hadn't acknowledged them yet, Carlyle believed.
"What could be the reason...?"
He couldn't fathom it, but his path forward was clear: keep working until she saw it too.
—Just come to this café.
His childhood friend Emily Swan had unexpectedly played into his hands. Studying as a trio seemed suspicious at first, but Bianca apparently hadn't known he'd be there either. It didn't matter. Seeing the girl he liked was what counted. That's why he'd accepted Emily's invite and shown up at the café.
......
Carlyle's words failed him at the sight of Bianca all dolled up. Why was she getting more feminine by the day? The peach-colored knit top and white pleated skirt looked great on her. Really, if his childhood friend weren't there...
She was so lovable and cute, he might've pounced. That jealous look earlier? Adorable. And now this moment.
"Why are you so pretty today?"
"...Huh?! What?!"
"I said you're pretty. Today."
Carlyle chuckled. In stark contrast, her face flushed tomato-red.
"...Nonsense again."
She tried to play it off, but Carlyle—having scored one win earlier—teased playfully.
"Jealous earlier?"
He'd seen right through her pure jealousy. Bianca looked speechless at the question. Her side-up ponytail of glossy light-golden hair, flushed cheeks, bitten lip, and slightly upturned amethyst eyes gave her the charm of a feisty kitten.
"...You're ridiculous."
Fine, whatever. She never admitted anything nicely, not once. And so, the two started bickering again.
—We're flirting, right?
—When did I ever say that?
—Just admit it already.
—I'm telling you now: no way. I'm never falling for you.
—We'll see.
The words were playful squabbles, but the vibe was subtly thrilling for any listener. And that conversation...
......
Emily leaned against the door, silently listening. Holding the coffees she'd bought, her expression conflicted.
"Guys, did I keep you waiting?"
Emily returned, and the bickering pair fell silent.
"Oh, you're back?"
Carlyle turned to his workbook; Vita cleared her throat awkwardly and sipped her coffee. From Emily's view, it was painfully obvious. Were they flirting? The way they'd been getting along so chummily...
The conversation cut short at her entrance made her pause. She felt like an intruder. But one was a friend, the other her crush. If she had to prioritize, the crush won—but Bianca Shama was a friend. She'd approached first, so pure and easy to befriend. Emily saw her as one.
Right, so...
She couldn't let on her confusion here. Forcing a smile, she said,
"You two have some fun story going? Without me?"
Playful tone, but it hit Vita off-guard.
"Huh? No?!"
Fun story? Excluding Emily on purpose? Absurd.
"He was just spouting nonsense, so..."
Vita tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but Emily's serious reaction flustered her instead.
"Ah, I know! It was a joke, Bianca."
There was a twinge of hurt, sure. But they hadn't done anything wrong. She couldn't resent them. Still, Emily needed confirmation. After hesitating, she asked,
"Bianca, do you..."
With Carlyle right there, it took guts—but for this.
"See me as a friend?"
The unexpected question shook Vita.
Suddenly?
As just a friend? No, more than that. But she couldn't say it here. So Vita answered—with utter sincerity.
"Of course you're a friend."
Because I like you, Emily!
"I'm glad we're close enough to hang out on weekends like this. Really, I mean it."
As a friend—and more. I like you, Emily. Vita poured her heart into her voice. Emily must have felt it; her tense expression softened just a bit.
"Really...? Those words...?"
"Yeah, really."
Emily decided. The Bianca she knew was genuine. Not long acquainted, but from what she'd observed, it rang true. Compared to her image of 'Bianca Shama,' the tone, expression—everything screamed sincerity. She could set her mind at ease.
"Yeah, I figured."
Thoughts raced, but she smiled as if nothing happened.
"Just checking. I think so too."
"Oh, really...?"
Emily's kind smile reassured pure-hearted Vita that they were on the same page. Carlyle sensed something behind Emily's behavior but found their quick friendship surprising enough. No need to meddle; they'd handle it themselves. And it looked resolved.
"E-Emily...?"
Now they were hugging. Unlike flustered Vita, Emily whispered meaningfully into her ear.
—Sorry, Bianca. Doubted you for a sec.
Too quiet for Carlyle to hear. Emily had briefly suspected Bianca of deceiving her.
[Do you... like Carlyle?]
She'd indirectly confessed her own feelings for him. Bianca had denied it, said they weren't dating, even claimed to like someone else. Yet she'd suggested the three of them grab lunch. So Emily had to confirm.
...Pathetic, me.
Just cowardly lurking, no claim on their situation. Feeling a pang of guilt, she confessed honestly.
—Hey, me too...
Now, at this moment, her resolve solidified. It wasn't mutual—yet. Opportunity lingered. Even if too late, even if embarrassing.
This time, she wouldn't run.
—I won't yield easily.
Relieved, recommitted. Whisper done, Emily smiled normally again.
This was after their study session ended—about three hours together.
"See you at the academy!"
Emily waved brightly goodbye; Vita waved back. Carlyle parted soon after—off to his part-time job.
—Text you later.
—No, don't.
Vita said it, but she knew the stubborn guy wouldn't listen.
What was that all about...?
Walking home, Vita puzzled over it endlessly. Emily's whisper remained cryptic.
"Um, excuse me..."
She'd nearly gotten hit on three times en route, but Vita had her prepared excuse.
"I have a boyfriend...!"
And voilà! A photo Carlyle had once texted her—from Wizni Park. They looked like a real couple; she'd almost deleted it but couldn't bring herself to.
"Oh, I see...!"
The guys always backed off in horror. Handy in a pinch, even if fake. Convenient was king, right? Back home, Vita dove into studying—headband scrawled in her own handwriting on.
DEFEAT CARLYLE!
This time, I'll win for sure!
The world of competition was ruthless. Vita pondered ways to sabotage Carlyle. Unlike before, he paid attention to her now; they had each other's numbers.
A guy who's into her...
Something came to mind.
No red-blooded guy hates something naughty...
Yes! Perfect for disrupting him! Done scheming, Vita searched her phone, struck awkward selfie poses. The first shots felt too tame. She even changed into something more feminine, smiled...
But viewing them, Vita shook her head.
No, this... gotta go bolder.
And her expression? Not great. It'd make her seem like the one crushing. Pouting, displeased, she searched more, tried poses.
L-Like this...?
Or this? Is this really right...?
Doubts lingered—was this too much? But for victory, such tactics were fair game. Who was Bianca Shama? She'd taken that weird drug to win as a girl. This was cute by comparison. Eyes glancing diagonally up, pants tugged lower, one finger lifting her top to flash cleavage. Suggestive enough to spark imagination without going overboard.
"Ugh..."
Seeing the final shots, Vita blushed and hesitated—but whatever. She sent them to Carlyle. Now ignore his replies. If it worked, great; if not, oh well. He'd study after work anyway, the guy who liked her. Disrupting his focus was victory enough.
Thus, deep in study, Vita remained oblivious.
Ding—
Carlyle's break during his shift. What resolve those photos sparked in him—or how she'd unwittingly achieved her goal in another sense.