Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

77. One's Worth Isn't Its Preference or Background

I caught Ryan watching me intently, quietly enjoying the game. When our eyes met, he raised an eyebrow confidently. I responded with a playful smirk.

The next question came: "Favorite artist?"

Nitya answered, "Zach Hood."

I took a moment and said, "I don't know if you've heard of them, but based on your choices, I highly doubt it. Umm... Dreamcatcher."

As expected, they looked confused and quickly searched online. I smiled and added, "They're a K-pop group that debuted in 2017. I'm guessing you guys only know the big names like BTS and EXO, right?"

Nitya shot back, "We don't have time to scroll through our phones all day. And by the way, those are popular for a reason."

I shrugged casually. "Well, scrolling through my phone is part of my job since I'm an online gig worker. Your profession probably doesn't allow you much time to explore the undiscovered, considering you're buried in books all the time. And one more thing, for me, it's never been about popularity. I care about quality, whether it's mainstream or obscure. And I think my choices have made that pretty clear."

Another point for me.

"Favorite lipstick shade?" came the next question.

I replied, "I'm not into cosmetics, so I don't really know. Just... nude."

Nitya smirked, "Toasted nude."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised there were so many variations of nude shades.

Then they asked, "Favorite novel?"

I smiled. "You're asking an introvert about books? That's dangerous territory. What do you want me to mention -- Twisted, Blood and Ash, God of Wrath, Fallen, Bridgerton, Game of Thrones, Vampire Diaries, Hunger Games? How about something different: The Vampireville. I wrote it. It's my first series, seven parts with a special chapter."

Their reactions were exactly what I expected. One of them said, "I've only heard of Vampire Diaries and Game of Thrones."

Another asked, "Wait, you write?"

Before I could respond, Nitya jumped in. "And now we know why you wasted so much time. If you'd spent that time working harder, who knows? Maybe you'd be with us right now."

I kept my cool and said, "I didn't play this game to show off or claim I know more than anyone. I just wanted to remind you that a person's worth shouldn't be judged by their preferences or background."

Nitya looked at me with an almost pitying smile. "Yet, here you are, struggling to fit into a party that's supposed to be about you. Meanwhile, I blend in without even trying. You see, it's not just about personal tastes. People like my dad, Ryan's dad, and everyone here value confidence and experience. Sure, you've got confidence, but you struggle to use it when it really matters. It's not about what you know, it's about how you carry yourself. Next time, think twice before stepping into a circle like mine."

Her words stung, hitting deeper than I expected. I clenched my fists, swallowing the growing frustration and anger, forcing myself to keep calm despite the storm brewing inside.

Ryan approached me, his voice laced with curiosity. "What was that? I barely recognized any of the names you mentioned. But you were so cool. It reminded me of that incident at the hospital."

I forced a smile, trying to suppress the anxiety within.

"But you're really good at cooking up stories," he added, teasingly.

My smile faded. "I didn't lie."

He looked confused. "So, those favorites you told them were all true? I've never even heard of some of them. For a second, I thought you were making it all up. Where did you find these things?"

"Except for the color and food, the rest are really my favorites," I replied firmly. "I genuinely love the song Eclipse, and I'm a fan of Dreamcatcher. There wasn't a single lie in what I said."

He tilted his head, recalling something. "Remember that time in class when everyone was talking about a popular movie that had just hit theaters, and you admitted you had no idea what they were talking about? Everyone mocked you."

I nodded, memories of that day coming back. "Yeah, because at home, Shriya and I didn't have the luxury of watching whatever we wanted. We just watched whatever was on."

"And back then," he continued, "the only novels you knew were the ones from our textbooks, like Three Men in a Boat or Tom Sawyer."

I smirked at the memory.

Ryan's tone grew more reflective. "How did the girl who was once so immersed in textbooks start exploring the world? You even used to say it was a waste of time to read a 500-page novel. And now... you're writing them?"

"Yeah," I replied simply.

He looked at me, a hint of admiration in his voice. "You know, you surprise me sometimes with how much you've changed. You make me feel like I'm the only one who's stuck in time. The girl I pictured in my head, in her mid-twenties, is completely different from who you are now."

I chuckled softly. "The girl in your mind would've never confessed to you like I did."

I put on a masked smile, feeling a mix of emotions rise to the surface, then quickly excused myself, needing a moment to process it all.