I Wish You Were Never Reborn

There was a special kind of fantastical insanity in the most ridiculous guy Shay had ever met.

She loved fantasy.

She was in love with fantasy.

She grew up on impossible love stories like Cinderella and Sailor Moon and Dragonball.

So... she had her reasons, trying so hard to chase something she once thought of as ‘magical.’

But, maybe... in the future... it would be better to focus on something a little more fantastic and a little less insane.

“So you’re breaking up with me? Is that it?”

Andrew Zhang sat across from her, seated at the tiny little cafe table he was absolutely not cute enough for.

--especially not after what he’d done.

“I’m not breaking up with you,” Shay replied. “We were never together-- I don’t know how you got it in your head that we were.”

Andy’s eyes bulged underneath his stupid blonde bowl cut, “Is it because you like someone else?”

Shay sighed, looking down at her untouched drink.

She didn’t even like coffee.

Andy was easily the most popular guy in her high school. Captain of the tennis team. Always surrounded by his people. He even won some kind of award for math despite wearing a shirt two sizes too small and never buttoning the top of his collar.

He even came from a wealthy family-- like the better half of the kids at school.

But... he was just... too gross.

“I heard about what happened in the locker room,” Shay frowned.

Andy sat up, backing away as far as he could in his chair.

“Wh... what did you hear?”

“I heard that the teachers found you and your friends jerking each other off to porn pics,” she said.

Even trying to imagine the scene... it was just... really disgusting.

“I wasn’t even there!” Andy insisted.

Heat crept into the back of Shay’s neck as she felt the stares of the other customers.

Andy didn’t notice.

Or maybe he did and actually liked the attention.

“And it wasn’t even a porn mag,” Andy said. “It was just-- underwear and stuff... and it wasn’t like we were touching each other!”

Shay veered back, horrified by the new information. That did not make it better.

“Oh, cOme On!” she groaned. “Andy? Really...”

She took a deep breath, leaning back and staring up at the lights on the ceiling.

They looked like headlights.

“Stop making it such a big deal,” Andy said. “It’s not like anyone’s getting suspended over it. So come on, just go out with me already.”

“I think I’d rather walk into oncoming traffic,” Shay said in a flat voice.

Maybe she could get hit by a truck and reincarnate somewhere where she’d get rewarded for beating up goblins instead of being forced to listen to their crap excuses.

“So that’s how it’s gonna be?” Andy crossed his arms. “Go ahead. Do it. I’ll watch.”

Shay brought her gaze back down to glare at him.

What. an. absolute. prick.

Suddenly, Andy grabbed her hand.

“Yan Xue,” he said, using her full Chinese name, “Listen to me. You’re making a mistake.”

Shay had made several mistakes. She let Andy take her to a cafe. She agreed to sit down with him and listen to him talk about himself for the past 20 minutes. She even ordered the same stupid coffee drink that everyone else got.

It was beautiful when she got it... but since then, the whipped cream had sunk down, sad and wilted.

What would happen if her life was a K-drama? Maybe she would throw her drink in Andy’s face and... and yell something melodramatic?

Then she could walk out triumphantly while everyone watching at home cheered her on. There’d be music. It’d be awesome.

Shay stared at the branded, see-through cup... at the 2/3rds ice... at all the sugary syrups added to hide the bitter coffee bean taste.

No... she couldn’t do anything like that. That would be far too embarrassing.

--and she’d feel terrible about wasting something she paid for.

“You can’t go out with anyone else,” Andy said. “I’m the smartest guy in our grade, probably in the whole state. And I come from a good family-- a good Chinese family.”

Doubt started to creep back into Shay’s heart.

That... was true.

If she were to date anyone, her aunt would flip. But if it was Andy-- Andy of the Zhang family, it wouldn’t be too bad...

Then... there was the fact that practically everyone at school had already shipped them together.

Two straight-A students. Both Chinese. The Tennis Captain and the Student Council President.

A brave knight and the clever, witty princess who instantly fell for his roguish charms.

What a power couple...

What a beautiful relationship-- a script out of a play, a happily ever after at the end of a cartoon movie.

If she told him to eat rocks, her reputation wouldn’t survive.

--not that reputation meant anything... but she definitely preferred being seen as a model student rather than whatever she’d be after Andy spread a few venomous rumors.

“And besides,” Andy said. “I do martial arts. I’ve even met your grandfather once.”

Instant revulsion blossomed in the pit of Shay’s stomach.

So that’s what Andy was really interested in.

“I’m perfect for you,” he said.

No-- that wasn’t even close.

Besides the obvious, Grandpa Wei wasn’t directly related to her. There were some complicated family circumstances-- but basically, she was set far, far apart from the wealth of the Song family.

But she couldn’t say that. What would everyone say if they found out she didn’t live in a mansion like they did? --that she didn’t have a Bri’ish driver or a gorgeous three-tier fountain in her yard?

Shay walked or took the bus everywhere she went. She bought her own groceries because she tutored spoiled rich kids and walked dogs and collected aluminum cans. She got really good at fixing holes in her clothes.

‘Oh, she has the best grades in class, but it must be so hard because-- you know.’

That’s what they’d say. That’s all they’d see. And that’s all they would know.

Nothing about the hours of self-study. Nothing about the tutoring or the coupon collecting.

People only wanted to see the most terrible tragedies... or the sweetest, most wonderful lies.

More eyes were starting to look over, faces of interest, faces of concern... gentle smiles who only saw a boy and a girl holding hands.

“I’ll protect you,” Andy said.

No-- she didn’t need his protection.

There was nothing good about being part of a traditional Chinese family. It just meant stupid ego matches at family gatherings that she had to suffer in silence.

More opportunities to embarrass herself.

More opportunities to feel as worthless as she actually was...

She had to explain-- that was the best option she had.

No... she wanted to run away. She wanted to get up and run before the swollen feeling in her chest would explode.

But she didn’t want to make a scene. She didn’t want people looking at her, questioning her... She didn’t want the rumors. She didn’t want the stares and glares at school.

“Stay with me,” Andy whispered. “I won’t let your family see you as useless anymore,”

Useless.

So he knew.

So he knew.

Shay felt the ground underneath the table begins to shake. Something was wrong-- really, really wrong.

Then the table, itself, started shaking.

“Ow!” Andy snatched his hand back, “What the hell??”

The hanging decorations on the walls started to wobble. The store’s neon ‘open’ sign zapped off and on.

Shay felt like her ears were pressed against a tube, hearing the electric pops, the gasps of the other customers, the pounding in her chest... and the heavy clanks of metal, slowly getting nearer.

She turned to watch his approach.

A literal dark knight.

Clad in thick, shadowy armor, wisping at the edges.

A fairytale villain? In the middle of a coffee shop?

A time traveler? Err... no.

Was there... some kind of Renaissance Fair nearby?

Andy stood up in his seat, “Shay, who the hell is this?”

But Shay couldn’t be bothered to answer.

When she looked back at the knight, he’d taken off his helmet.

Silver hair, fluffy and touchable.

His eyes were a beautiful mix of hazel and gold, maybe with the tiniest hint of emerald at the edges.

He was tall-- much taller than Andy or anyone on the tennis team.

“As you were,” the knight whispered.

What did that mean?

No, it didn’t matter. Shay absolutely did not care what it meant.

She was too caught up staring at the knight’s perfect, unblemished skin... his strong, clear-cut jawline... and the way his soft, gorgeous lips mouthed the words.

“Hey, lay off, man!” Andy shouted, “That’s my girlfr--”

--he didn’t finish.

The knight’s powerful, metal hand had clamped down on Andy’s outstretched wrist.

The schoolboy crumpled back into his seat with a rising yelp of pain.

That... was actually pretty satisfying-- but then Shay realized she was probably next.

--or not.

The nameless knight continued to gaze into her eyes-- his face so close... she could smell the sandalwood infused in his hair... feel his warm breath on her cheeks.

The knight had come... to save her?

He might have looked like a stereotypical black-armored villain... but maybe... he had a heart of gold?

Was she... hallucinating?

Her brain was a cloud. Her stomach was a whirl of fluttery wings.

Maybe it was a dream.

Maybe she did walk into traffic?

She silently thanked Truck-kun, god of reincarnation, in her heart.

For the first time in her life, Shay was given a chance to live in a fairytale of her choosing.

--and as an expert on all things romance fiction, she knew exactly what was supposed to happen next.

So she closed her eyes...

And she entrusted her savior with her very first kiss.