INSPIRED BY "Tears On a Withered Flower" manhua.
Similar premise, but not the same story/plot!
If you want to read the original, Webtoon has now uploaded it with weekly chapters being added. There's also a multitude of platforms and webpages that can provide it for free, with English translations as needed :)
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Hana's life has become a never-ending series of bad luck.
She lives with a person who, once her boyfriend and best friend, has now become a complete stranger to her. On top of that, she's stuck paying off the debts he helped cause, and she's willing to endure through the part-time jobs she's trudging through just to help clear off as much as she can.
Her days are more or less the same, until "Americano guy", as he's notoriously known for in the coffee shop, makes his way into her life. His easy going nature and smoldering looks are enough to make her nervous, but when he starts showing interest in her, things get out of hand - for better, or worse.
Joon-ho, mysterious and addictive, averts relationships and girls left and right. But when the smart, pretty barista catches his eye, it becomes almost sport for him to figure out everything about her. And even more than that, it becomes his mission to somehow, someway, have her by his side.
And the more his interest piques, the more he strategizes - seamlessly showing up at her workplaces, giving her gifts, and finding out everything about her, including the ex-boyfriend that he's plotting to get rid of for her...for good. Forever.
He only wants her, and he's willing to pay any price, and go any length, to make that happen.
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At a prestigious university, two academic rivals are locked in a fierce, all-consuming battle. Their rivalry isn't just about grades or success-it's a war of egos, pushing each other to extremes. What begins as a bitter competition quickly turns into something much darker when mysterious attacks begin targeting one of them. As the body count rises and secrets buried deep within the university come to light, the rivalry shifts from academic to life-or-death. With danger closing in, they are forced to confront their personal feelings and decide whether they can work together to uncover the truth, or if their unrelenting feud will tear them apart before the mystery is solved.
[ ENEMIES TO LOVERS • ACADMIC RIVALS TO LOVERS • SLOW BURN • SOFT BOY × BAD GIRL • RICH BOY × POOR GIRL • MURDER MYSTERY • THRILLER, ACTION, SUSPENSE, MYSTERY ]
**[ Just so you know, this isn't your typical enemies-to-lovers story. It's not all fun banter and light teasing. Their rivalry is intense-think more like a full-on battle. It gets pretty heated. They actually do things to each other which can cause physical harm. ]**
Story by : Anya x chatgpt 🤭 ( it has helped me to get some ideas to fill the loopholes and make my written draft more professional )
Cover picture credit : pinterest ( edited )