Ch. 61
Selene woke that morning with the remnants of a dream clinging stubbornly to her thoughts.
She sat up in bed, fingers brushing lightly against her temple.
A premonition? Or just my mind playing tricks on me?
Ever since she had awakened inside the world of the novel, this was the first time strange flashes had begun to haunt her sleep. They were fragmented too vague to understand, yet vivid enough to leave her unsettled.
Still, Yuna was not the type to crumble over uncertainty.
She inhaled slowly, steadying herself.
"I'll deal with it later," she murmured. Then her gaze hardened. "If this novel wants to be unpredictable... then I'll crush it."
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
"I hate it when my plans fall apart," she added coldly. "Or worse when they become useless."
Control had always been her weapon.
And she refused to let a fictional world take that away from her.
Just like that, she tucked the unease away not ignored, but not entertained either.
For now, she had an exam to finish.
The classroom was silent, save for the faint scratching of pens against paper. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, illuminating Selene's composed figure seated by the aisle.
Her expression was calm.
In her past life, Yuna Seo had faced boardrooms filled with sharks. A final exam was nothing compared to that. When the professor announced the end, Selene was the first to stand. She submitted her paper without a word and walked out of the room, ignoring the subtle stares that followed her.
Adjusting the strap of her bag, she headed toward the university entrance, planning to leave immediately. She intended to visit Liana the hospital where she was confined. The same hospital where she and Ethan had once accidentally returned a patient who had escaped.
She turned the corner...
A soccer ball came flying out of nowhere and struck the side of her head.
It wasn't strong enough to knock her down.
But it hurt.
The courtyard fell silent.
Selene stood frozen for a moment.
Her serious expression darkened into something colder. This was the first time she had ever been hit by a soccer ball.
In all her life as Yuna Seo, no one had dared treat her carelessly. And as Selene... perhaps this was what it meant to be the villainess. Someone the world found easy to hurt.
She exhaled slowly.
She was still human. Even a mere ball could hurt.
And today, exhaustion weighed heavily on her bones her mind still tangled in dreams, exams, and the constant vigilance required to survive inside a novel. A group of male soccer players rushed toward her, panic written all over their faces.
"Next time," she said coolly, "learn to aim properly. The world does not revolve around your field."
It wasn't shouted.
It wasn't dramatic.
But it carried authority.
The boys froze.
Instead of shrinking back, their ears burned red.
She... spoke to them?
Selene Valen who barely acknowledged anyone had spoken directly to them.
One of them even looked honored.
Of course. Who wouldn't be? Everyone knew who she was. Every male student in the university had, at one point, harbored a crush on the beautiful, talented heiress.
They were about to melt, when someone gasped.
"W-Wait—!" one of the players shouted, pointing at her face.
Selene felt something warm trail down her lips.
She blinked.
A red drop stained the pristine white collar of her uniform.
Confusion flickered across her face.
"Ms. Valen! Your nose!" someone cried.
More blood followed.
Princess?
Selene frowned faintly.
How troublesome.
The world tilted.
Ah.
Maybe she was more exhausted than she thought.
The dream.
The exam.
The constant effort of surviving a story she didn't write.
Her knees weakened. She barely registered the panic around her.
Then, a strong arms caught her before she hit the ground.
Gasps erupted and time slowed.
Selene felt warmth at her back. A firm hand steady at her waist. Another cradling her head carefully as if she were made of glass.
A familiar scent.
Clean.
Subtle.
Infuriatingly comforting.
A low voice tense, controlled reached her ear.
"Selene."
Not Miss Valen.
Not Princess.
Just Selene.
Her heavy eyelids fluttered. Through blurred vision, she saw him.
Eyes usually indifferent now sharpened with something dangerously close to worry.
"Adrian..." she breathed. His jaw tightened.
"You overwork yourself," he muttered, voice low enough for only her to hear.
"And you call that strength?"
Even on the verge of losing consciousness, she wanted to argue.
But her body betrayed her.
As darkness crept in, she felt him pull her closer protective, possessive, but careful.
"I've got you," he whispered.
And then...
she passed out.
When Selene woke up, the scent of antiseptic filled her senses.
White ceiling.
Soft sheets.
The university clinic. Her body felt lighter but her mind buzzed.
Fatigue, she concluded.
Yet what unsettled her wasn't the diagnosis.
It was the memory.
The arms.
The voice.
Was it really him?
And that line... I've got you.
Was that even real?
The door clicked open. Selene turned her head.
Adrian entered casually, holding a paper bag and a bottled drink. His expression was the same as ever nonchalant, almost bored. As if he hadn't just carried her like she was the most fragile thing in the world.
"You're awake," he said flatly.
So it wasn't a hallucination.
The second male lead caught me?
Is this even supposed to happen?
He placed the food on the side table.
"You fainted. Nurse said it was fatigue."
She pushed herself up slightly.
"You caught me."
Not a question but a statement.
Adrian paused for half a second.
Then shrugged. "You were falling."
"That's not what I asked."
Silence stretched between them.
His gaze met hers.
Something unreadable flickered.
"...Yes," he admitted quietly. "I caught you."
Her heart fluttered traitorous and annoying.
Why am I happy about this? What the hell, Selene... no, Yuna.
She looked away first.
"You didn't have to."
Adrian stepped closer.
"I know."
He adjusted the IV beside her hand careful not to touch her skin, yet close enough for warmth to radiate.
"But I wanted to."
Her breath hitched.
There it was again.
That dangerous softness beneath his indifference.
This novel is insane. Why is the second lead like this?
She straightened her expression.
"You're unusually attentive today."
He scoffed lightly. "Don't misunderstand. The campus would collapse if the 'princess' bled to death on the field."
A faint smirk appeared.
"But..." his voice dropped, eyes locking onto hers, "next time you're about to faint at least fall where I can see you."
Silence.
Selene frowned.
Why is everyone obsessed with falling?
She knew someone else who had said something similar.
This is bad.
This was far more dangerous than remembering she was inside a romance-mystery thriller.
Because this feeling,
This unsettling familiarity,
Felt like déjà vu.
Hi everyone ??
Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I decided to dedicate this chapter and the next one as a small gift for all of you.
Consider it my way of saying thank you for staying with the story, for loving Selene, and for quietly cheering her on as she navigates a world that keeps testing her resolve.
Whether you're here for the romance, the tension, or the slow-burn chaos, I hope these chapters make you feel something excitement, warmth, or maybe even a little kilig.
Thank you for reading, always.
Happy Valentine's Day in advance ??
— Author