CRUEL

CRUEL|FOURTY-ONE

CHAPTER FOURTY-ONE

CRUEL

[SEASON THREE]

"Gosh, he pisses me off...why did he look at my phone in the first place?! That pervert! And what?! In my next life?" Aria Lee, a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl with peach-colored hair, couldn't stand her second older brother, Hwan Yeon. He not only entered her room without her knowing but also saw her screen with a picture of the super rookie, Jay Jo—the love of her life.

As if that wasn't enough, he told her oldest brother and made fun of her, claiming she wasn't anywhere near Arezou's level.

Arezou Kang, known as Ghost Rider and Hummingbird's Instinct, had beautiful tanned skin and the most exquisite accessories Aria had ever seen. Rumors circulated that she and Jay Jo were secretly in a relationship. Aria also knew about the biggest gossip in Sunny High—the Bet of Love.

In this bet, Shelly Scott and Jay Jo wagered on who would win Arezou's heart first. If Jay didn't get together with Arezou in the next month, Shelly would try to steal her away. Aria was well-informed about this legendary love bet.

Despite friends suggesting that Jay and Arezou might already be together, Aria wasn't convinced. She understood the nature of rumors. As for the bet, if Jay truly liked Arezou, they would have been together ages ago. Hence, Jay wasn't into Arezou, leaving Aria with a chance.

"The girl from Hummingbird... Ghost Rider seemed to have feelings for him too."

"HAHAHA! Oh, her! She is damn pretty! Maybe in your next life, you'll have a chance against a girl like her! Too bad, Kiddo! HAHAHA!"

"I am pretty too," Aria said annoyed. A loud squeak drew her attention, and she looked out of the window in confusion. Her eyes widened as they landed on him—the man of her dreams.

"Jay?! Oh... Um... SIR!" She grabbed the seat in front of her and pointed at the boy a few meters away from the car. "C-Can you go into that alley?" The male followed her gaze and nodded in agreement. "I have to get there before that bike does!" Aria demanded. The male understood the situation and sighed with amusement. "How I envy your youth... Alright. You want me to chase that guy, right? Buckle up!"

"I'm already buckled up..."

TRY ONE

STARTS!

Aria stood on the street, watching Jay approaching. She replayed her brothers' words in her mind and clenched her fist determinedly. She was determined to prove to them that she could win this boy's heart. "Oh no!" she shouted dramatically, gracefully falling onto her butt and pretending to be a clumsy girl.

"Owie! I just sprained my ankle..." she exclaimed loudly, observing as Jay came within her reach. With the most innocent eyes she could muster, she looked up at him.

"J-Jay...? My ankle-"

But he just passed her, as if he hadn't seen her at all.

(Now that was really cruel...-)

"H-He probably didn't see me, right? Yeah, I'm sure that's why..." she whispered to herself. She looked up when her driver stopped next to her silly form. "What are you doing?! We need to go after him! Get in!"

"Sir..."

TRY ONE:

FAIL!