CHAPTER 327: UNLUCKY FOR DARCY, UNFORGETTABLE FOR THEM

Micah turned to Darcy, his hazel eyes lifting with quiet desperation, asking for help on what to do with the girl clinging to his arm. His lips shaped the words. "It is your fault."

He had seen it... Darcy dodged the girl’s outstretched hand. Normally, Micah would not have interfered, but for Darcy’s sake, he had stepped in. He had never seen this cold side of Darcy before, the version who didn’t care if someone stumbled. It was the opposite of how the novel described him. And yet, Micah was not disappointed. If anything, he was relieved. With those four psychos around, it was better for Darcy to be guarded than gentle. So Micah had caught the girl, trying to shield Darcy’s reputation. What he hadn’t expected was for her to cling to him, too shocked to let go.

Darcy froze. He was really unlucky today. His lips twitched, his hands flexing restlessly at his sides. He never thought that by ignoring that girl, dismissing her with cold silence, the whole mess would come crashing down on Micah instead. Now, the silver-haired boy was the one caught, tangled up with this girl who wouldn’t let go.

Darcy’s instincts screamed at him. He wanted nothing more than to stride over, pry her hands off Micah’s sleeve, and drag him away from this suffocating circle of curious eyes.

But he couldn’t do it. Not in front of all these people. They were watching, whispering. If he lost control now, it would only implicate Micah’s reputation. And the soft-hearted boy would never allow him to go that far. He would still try to help the girl.

Darcy’s jaw tightened. He forced himself to stay rooted, thinking about why he could never meet Micah in peace.

Sally, meanwhile, was drowning in her own storm of emotions. She felt foolish. Superficial. Why had she thought that dark-haired, cold boy was attractive? His aloofness, his silence, had stirred something in her, made her mistake mystery and unattainable for allure. But now, standing so close to Micah, she felt her heart thudding differently.

This... this was what real attractiveness looked like. No icy detachment, but warmth. A man was at his most striking when he was gentle and attentive, when his concern wrapped around you like a shield. Faces, no matter how beautiful, could fade into ordinariness when seen every day. But kindness... kindness never dulled.

Sally’s grip on Micah’s sleeve tightened. She had heard things about him too. That he was sharp-tongued, unpredictable, and maybe even aggressive. She had thought he was a scary person. Yet here he was, steadying her with a calm voice, worry softening his gaze. He wasn’t scary at all. He was the most gentle person she had ever seen.

The predicament finally broke when another girl stepped forward through the circle of spectators.

Micah’s face lit up with recognition. His tense shoulders eased. "Melissa!" he called, relief breaking through his voice.

Melissa reached for Sally’s arm without hesitation, her hand gripping the other girl’s arm firmly. "I’ll help," she said calmly. She had been watching how careful Micah was to protect Sally’s reputation, not rejecting her, but not holding her like a lover either. Melissa couldn’t just stand back after everything he had done for them at the Sorkh fabric factory.

Micah gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks. Let’s go to the infirmary then. I think she had twisted her ankle."

Melissa supported the dazed Sally, gently prying open her grip on Micah’s sleeve and guiding her away from the gawking crowd. Micah glanced back over his shoulder, eyes meeting Darcy’s. "Why aren’t you coming?" he asked, his voice sharp. There was accusation in his tone, as if to say: This is your fault, why are you just standing there?

Darcy exhaled a long sigh, dropping his head slightly. His feet moved, slow and obedient, and he followed them.

Behind them, the whispers flared up again like fire catching dry leaves.

"Oh my god! he’s actually... sweet?" one girl whispered, leaning close to her friend.

"Right?" the other agreed, her voice trembling with excitement. "I thought he was scary after that forum post. He looked like he would kill anyone who got too close. But now..."

"Now he looks like he walked straight out of a shojo manga!"

"Wait, is he into guys though? Because, honestly, He is total boyfriend material!"

"Who knows? But I heard he had a crush on a girl back in high school."

"Seriously? Then maybe we have a chance..."

In another corner, a different group of girls leaned close, giggling behind their hands.

"Did you see when the silver-haired boy called him?" One murmured, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Yeah. The dark-haired one suddenly melted. He was so submissive it was unreal!"

They exchanged knowing glances, grin widening with unspoken assumption.

"Right?"

"You thought so too?"

"Haha!"

Their laughter burst out, evilly, creeping out the poor passersby.

By the time they reached the infirmary, romours about them had already spread across the campus.

The nurse bustled over, guiding the limping Sally into a chair and bending to examine her ankle with professional efficiency.

Micah lowered his voice, leaning closer to Melissa. "Do you know her?" he asked, nodding toward Sally.

"Yeah. She is in fine arts. Our dorm rooms are next to each other." Melissa answered.

"Is she okay? If I hadn’t caught her myself, I would have thought she had hit her head or something." Micah mumbled, eyes on the girl in the chair.

Melissa shook her head slightly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "She is fine. Just shocked. She is usually a talkative girl." Her eyes lingered for a moment before sliding toward Darcy, who leaned against the wall in silence. Melissa hesitated, then lowered her voice again. "But she has a crush on your friend. Probably that’s why she’s acting strange."

Micah raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Really?" his tone was light, almost teasing.

He turned his head, studying Darcy in profile. Then his eyes shifted toward Sally, who sat obediently on the chair.

Micah’s interest piqued. His thoughts wandered back to that embarrassing assumption he had once made over dinner in the dormitory, that Darcy was interred in Archie. Now...Micah thought maybe Darcy could be straight. Maybe he could meet a nice girl, date her someday. And be far away from those four twisted scums who would shadow his life.

Until now Darcy had shown no real interest in anyone. Micah bit inside of his cheek, thinking.

Darcy suddenly stiffened. A chill ran down his spine. His head snapped toward Micah.

But Micah wasn’t looking at him anymore. He had already leaned closer to Melissa and was whispering.

Darcy’s blood boiled. As if one girl was not enough, now another had appeared, chatting with Micah like they were close. Who was this Melissa? Why did Micah seem so at ease with her?

Seriously...Today was not his day.