Olympic Villa | Ran takahashi

Chapter 14

Flashback: How Ran Met Cynthia

Ran had recently deleted his Tinder account, right after matching with Aurelia and chatting with her. Aurelia was the only person he had swiped right on, and after that, he felt no need for the app. He was focused on getting to know her, feeling a connection even in their brief exchanges.

Unbeknownst to Ran, Cynthia had also come across his Tinder profile. She had swiped right on him, hoping for a match, but when she didn't get one, she felt a pang of disappointment. Cynthia wasn't one to give up easily. She was determined and resourceful, so she decided to try a different approach.

After finding Ran's Instagram, she sent him a message, introducing herself as a fellow athlete at the Olympics. She kept the tone light and friendly, and Ran, being the kind person he was, responded. He didn't think much of it—he believed it was just a friendly interaction between two athletes.

Cynthia, however, had other intentions. When she saw Ran with Aurelia during the match against Germany, she felt a surge of jealousy. She watched the way they interacted, the subtle glances and the way Ran smiled at Aurelia. Cynthia's heart sank, but it quickly turned into determination. She wanted to be the one by Ran's side, and she was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.

After Aurelia left the room, where Ran pulled her in, and Cynthia saw her opportunity. She approached Ran with a bright smile, introducing herself in person for the first time. Ran, surprised but polite, greeted her back.

"Hey, I'm Cynthia. I think we chatted on Instagram the other day," she said, her voice warm and friendly.

Ran nodded, smiling back. "Oh, yeah, I remember! Nice to meet you in person."

Cynthia noticed the pins on Ran's lanyard, the ones he had traded with other athletes. Seizing the moment, she asked, "Would you mind trading a pin with me? I'm trying to collect as many as I can."

Ran hesitated, patting his pockets. "I'm sorry, I don't have any with me right now. I wasn't expecting to trade today."

Cynthia's smile didn't falter. "No worries! Maybe next time? I'd love to get one from you."

Ran nodded, thinking it was just a simple request. "Sure, I'll bring one next time we meet."

Cynthia's plan was set in motion. She had successfully introduced herself to Ran, planted the seed for future interactions, and now she had an excuse to see him again. What Ran didn't know was that Cynthia was far from done. In her mind, this was just the beginning of her efforts to wedge herself between Ran and Aurelia, determined to make herself the person Ran would notice most.


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Timeskip
As the day dawned, Ran was gearing up for his visit to Aurelia. He had been looking forward to it. He had planned to bring a little something to cheer Aurelia up, and his excitement was palpable.

Ran, remembering that he owed Cynthia a pin, decided to reach out to her and fulfill his promise. He didn't think much of it; to him, it was just a friendly gesture. He sent Cynthia a quick message to meet up before meeting aurelia.

Cynthia, who had been eagerly waiting for this moment, responded almost immediately. She agreed to meet Ran, but before heading out, she quickly texted one of her friends, asking them to secretly take a photo when they traded pins.

Cynthia had a plan:
she wanted to start a rumor, something that would create speculation and, she hoped, drive a wedge between Ran and Aurelia.

She saw Ran arriving in a golf car and Cynthia put on her most charming smile, taking the pin from his hand.

When they met up, Ran greeted Cynthia with a polite smile, pulling out the pin he had brought for her. "Hey, Cynthia! Here's the pin I promised."