Chapter 1

My childhood friend, Flynn Carter, is the college's undisputed ice hockey star and campus heartthrob.

Too bad he has a secret no one knows about.

Because he's "allergic" to women and hates physical intimacy, he's stayed single well into adulthood. Over time, rumors have spread around campus that there's something wrong with him in that department.

But no one will ever guess what this cold, unapproachable god is like once he comes home.

One night, I return to the apartment we share after my evening class. I walk in just in time to see Flynn holding my freshly washed bra in his hand, a faint crease between his brows as he asks, "Why do you even have pink ones?"

Chapter 1

One quiet afternoon, I was sprawled on the couch, mindlessly channel surfing, when a ridiculously handsome face suddenly filled the screen.

The guy on TV had just won the national ice hockey championship. Under the spotlight, buried in flowers and applause, his smile was especially dazzling, like the warm sun in midsummer.

A reporter held a mic up to him and asked about the game. He smiled and said, "Winning this championship was completely within my expectations. I believe in my talent and my strength, and I hope I can achieve even better results on the ice in the future."

The camera panned over the stands. A sea of fangirls held banners and signs showing support, screaming at the top of their lungs. A few crazed fans even shouted that they wanted to marry him.

Sitting in front of the TV, I let out a cold snort and shifted my gaze to the balcony. My childhood friend, Flynn Carter, was doing laundry shirtless, his muscles sharply defined.

No one could've imagined that the aloof, unattainable prince in everyone else's eyes was, at that very moment, acting like my personal housekeeper, helping me wash my clothes.

Sweat streamed down his broad chest, tracing a line along the ridges of his eight-pack abs. My eyes followed the trail of glistening sweat all the way down until they landed on his shorts.

I didn't know if Flynn sensed my stare, but he deliberately straightened up and looked right at me.

The instant our eyes met, I felt like I'd been shocked. I jerked my gaze away in a panic.

Even when he knew I was home, Flynn never bothered to cover up. He would just wander around the apartment in nothing but a pair of shorts. Because we had grown up together and were way too used to each other, he treated me with an overfamiliar intimacy that had absolutely no boundaries.

We could share the same hoodie and drink from the same cup of bubble tea. He finished my leftovers, too. He would even help me wash my underwear.

These were things only couples in a serious relationship would normally do, but I knew he only saw me as his female best friend.

It wasn't that he was incapable in that department, or that he swung the other way. It was just that, when he was little, he'd caught his mother in bed with another man. The trauma had carved a deep, permanent scar in him, so he despised any woman who wanted to fall into bed with him.

Whenever any woman confessed to Flynn, his face would contort with pure disgust.

"Those women who confess to me are all the same. All they want is my body and to sleep with me. I'm not going to have anything to do with women like that."

Hearing how resolute he sounded, I unconsciously hid the love letter I'd spent all night writing behind my back.

Yes, I liked Flynn. I'd liked him for a long time.

But I knew he regarded me only as a good friend. The second I tried to take things further, he would realize I was no different from all those women who wanted him.

I couldn't bear the thought of him looking at me with that same disgust and then cutting me out of his life. So, I forced my feelings down and stayed by his side as his good friend, like always.

The problem was that Flynn was flirty without even realizing it. Every day, he strolled around half-naked right in front of me, like a lamb that had already been seasoned and plated. He was something I could only look at but never take a bite of. It was pure torture.

Thinking about that, I started regretting the day I'd agreed to move in and share an apartment with him.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?"

The snapping of fingers derailed my train of thought. When I came back to my senses, a massive chest filled my field of vision. Flynn had one hand braced on the back of the couch, leaning over me, looking down from above.

I tilted my head up. That annoyingly handsome face was inches from mine, sweat beading densely on his forehead and dripping from the tips of his hair.

I instinctively swallowed hard. Honestly, who wouldn't be tempted by a body like that? But I still managed to hold it together.

I raised my hand and pushed him aside, putting on a solemn expression as I asked, "Can you at least put a shirt on when you're at home?"

He glanced down at his chest, looking confused. "Why? Am I not ripped enough?"

Was that the point here?

"Don't you think this is inappropriate?"

"How is it inappropriate? If I don't walk around half-naked at home, am I supposed to do it out on the street?"

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. Annoyingly, I had to admit he kind of had a point.

"Besides, we grew up together. We're thick as thieves. There's nothing about me you haven't already seen," he went on, sounding completely justified.

Chapter 2

Flynn had a point. But the problem was, when someone acted that familiar with another person and had no sense of boundaries around them, that made it way too easy for others to get the wrong idea.

Back when we started college, Flynn would show up outside the lecture hall from time to time to wait for me after class. We always ate together, and he would walk me back to my dorm at night.

In other people's eyes, we looked just like a couple in the honeymoon phase.

But whenever anyone asked if we were dating, Flynn's face would immediately darken. He would answer with open disgust, "Juliette and I are just friends. We're not in the kind of relationship with lust and desire mixed in."

We had done almost everything a couple could do, but because of his emotional hang-ups, I never dared confess my feelings to him.

Thinking of that, I let out a helpless sigh. Was I really going to stay stuck with him in this "more than friends but not quite lovers" limbo for the rest of my life?

"What are you thinking about? You've been spacing out all day."

Flynn reached out and pressed a finger between my tightly knitted brows. Then, like a magician, he pulled a ticket out from behind his back with his other hand. "This weekend, the campus stadium. I'll see you there."

With that, he went back to his room, leaving me alone in the living room. I turned the slightly crumpled ticket over and over in my hand.

…

On the weekend, the stadium was packed. Holding the VIP ticket Flynn had given me, I walked straight through the VIP entrance and easily made my way into the inner section.

As I turned my head this way and that, looking for my seat, a clear female voice rang out from behind me. "Juliette."

I turned around. A very pretty young woman stood in front of me.

I knew her. She was in Flynn's major and his upperclassman, and she was also one of his many admirers. Her name was Savannah White.

She had really dressed to impress. As she walked over, many of the nearby guys couldn't help but sneak looks at her.

By all accounts, she and I were basically rivals in love, so I didn't want to have too much to do with her.

"What a coincidence. I didn't expect to run into you here." I made small talk while I located my seat number, only to realize—I should've known—I was sitting right next to Savannah.

The atmosphere instantly grew tense.

She glanced at the VIP ticket in my hand, her tone laced with contempt. "I come to every one of Flynn's games, and I'm always in the front-row VIP seats. I honestly didn't expect to end up sitting next to a hick like you."

It was a typical love-rival showdown, and of course, I wasn't about to back down.

"Oh yeah? You probably had to work pretty hard to get your ticket. Flynn gave me mine himself. I didn't even know it was a front-row VIP seat, and I definitely didn't expect to end up sitting next to you."

"You!" Savannah's face turned red with anger, but she quickly pulled herself together.

When she spoke again, her voice carried a hint of sarcasm. "I didn't know you were this shameless, Juliette. Flynn has always seen you as a friend, yet you're out here enjoying the girlfriend treatment."

My expression darkened. "What are you getting at?"

"I like Flynn, too, but I'm not as pathetic as you. I like him openly and honestly, while you're just a coward who hides behind the label of 'friend.' You tail him like a shadow, yet you don't even dare to say how you really feel.

"I'm pretty, and I'm capable. I'm not worse than you in any way. As long as I keep pursuing him and don't give up, he'll eventually be moved by my sincerity. In the end, he'll definitely fall for me."

I listened without interrupting, then replied flatly, "Good luck with that."

My lack of reaction only made her angrier. The hostility in her face grew stronger. She hissed, "What do you think would happen if Flynn found out his best friend was harboring such disgusting feelings for him?"

That made my heart sink. The momentary crack in my composure gave away my guilt, and Savannah's expression turned triumphant. She was about to keep going when a familiar voice cut in.

"Juliette."

Flynn was in his uniform as he walked out from the players' tunnel and into the stands. The instant he spotted me, the icy look on his face melted into pure sunshine.

"Wanna go catch a movie with me after the game?" he asked.

I parted my lips to answer, but Savannah beat me to it. She asked, "Flynn, could we go somewhere private for a bit after the game? I have something I want to tell you."

Her face flushed bright red as she reached for the hem of Flynn's jersey. She didn't need to spell it out—anyone could tell what she wanted to say.

But Flynn didn't give her the time of day. He merely shot her a cold glance, then said, "Sorry. I don't really know you. And from now on, don't talk to me again."

Savannah froze on the spot, all the color draining from her face. This was her first time gathering up the courage to confess to anyone, and it had ended in complete failure.

She'd already heard the rumors—anyone who confessed to Flynn would end up being blocked, deleted, and cut off for good. She'd been unwilling to accept that, though. She'd been willing to gamble on the off-chance that it worked.

Flynn ignored her and instead reached out to ruffle my hair, smiling. "Wait for me in the locker room after the game."

With that, he started to turn away.

"What about Juliette?" Savannah suddenly spoke again, her voice low.

Flynn stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at her, a faint crease between his brows. For the first time, he actually looked her straight in the eye.

"What about Juliette?" he repeated.

Chapter 3

Savannah lifted her head, her expression twisted with malice. "Juliette Gadberry likes you, too. So why are you still so close to her?"

Her voice shot up several octaves, making it sharp and shrill. The people in the stands around us all turned to stare, their eyes homing in on us like spotlights.

But Savannah didn't feel embarrassed in the slightest. She wanted everyone, especially Flynn, to know that the friend he trusted most had the same disgusting thoughts about him that every other woman had.

I didn't try to argue because everything she said was true. I lowered my head, too scared to look at Flynn. I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to handle it if I saw disgust on his face.

Flynn was taken aback for only a few seconds, but that silence felt excruciatingly long to me. I felt like a criminal quietly waiting for the final verdict.

"Well, it's not one-sided. I like her, too."

My eyes flew wide open. I jerked my head up and stared at Flynn in disbelief. The dark, stormy look on his face vanished in an instant, and his gaze was soft and tender as he met my eyes.

I wasn't the only one stunned. Even Savannah, who had been so aggressive just a moment ago, stood there frozen. Her face turned pale, then flushed. Her expression shifted wildly.

In the end, she managed to force out a few shaky words. "But you said…"

Flynn had heard accusations like this more times than he could count, and he didn't even bother explaining this time.

"Things between Juliette and me aren't what you people think. It's not just some shallow, physical thing. If there's nothing else, I need to get ready for the game."

With that, he walked away. After a few steps, he glanced back at me over his shoulder. He mouthed the words, "Wait for me."

Once Flynn disappeared into the crowd, Savannah collapsed into her seat like a punctured balloon. She'd always acted like she was so much better than everyone else, yet now she'd thrown away all her dignity for a man.

The game started, and the crowd's attention was quickly swallowed up by the action on the ice rink. Only Savannah stayed silent, not saying a word.

After a long time, she finally lowered her head and let out a bitter laugh. "Juliette, I almost feel sorry for you. I used to see you as my rival, you know. I'd ask myself why you got to be so close to Flynn, why you got all that special treatment no one else had, why you got to be his only one.

"But looking at you now, you're just as pitiful as I am. Flynn's feelings for you will always stop at friendship. They're never going to go any further than that. Sure, I got rejected, but I don't regret it. At least I tried and put myself out there. I'm not like you—a coward who will never take the first step."

With that, she grabbed her bag and strutted out of the stands in her sky-high stilettos without waiting for the game to end.

Flynn played his heart out in this game, giving it everything he had. The score gap just kept widening until the win was basically guaranteed. I was distracted the whole time, though.

If even Savannah could see through my feelings for Flynn, there was no way he himself would remain oblivious for long. He wasn't an idiot; he would figure it out one day.

Savannah wasn't wrong. I really had been enjoying the girlfriend treatment while hiding behind the safety of being "just friends". I knew I couldn't keep lying to myself like this. It was time to put an end to it.

Flynn didn't disappoint—he took the championship, just like everyone expected. On the way to the movie theater afterward, I walked beside him in silence, mulling things over.

After a long moment of thought, I finally asked tentatively, "When people question what we are to each other, why don't you ever clear it up?"

Flynn, who'd been chattering nonstop beside me about his favorite plays from the game, suddenly went quiet, like someone had hit pause. He turned and looked at me, puzzled.

To make sure he understood what I meant, I explained, "You said you don't want to date anyone to make those women give up and move on. So then why…"

I took a second to organize my words, then continued, "Don't you think we're a little too close? You even tell people we like each other. Of course, everyone's going to assume I'm your girlfriend.

"Then when they remember you said you didn't want to date, they'll just think you were lying. And you're a public figure. If the media misunderstand and spin this into some big scandal to stir up drama, what then?"

Flynn's gaze sharpened, growing firm and unwavering. "I don't care what they think, and you don't have to worry about the media, either. People like me because I earned it. If a few fake rumors are enough to make someone stop supporting me, then I don't need fans like that."

He paused. "Besides… if they already know you're my girlfriend and still think they've got a shot with me, then cutting ties with them is definitely the right choice."

The words "you're my girlfriend" made my heart skip a beat and then race ahead, faster than it should have. His tone was so serious and resolute that it felt like we'd actually made things official right then and there.

I forced myself to quell those thoughts because I definitely wasn't supposed to be having them. I didn't dare meet Flynn's eyes as I said, "It makes sense when you put it that way. But still… if you keep this up, how am I ever supposed to get a boyfriend?"

He'd been walking in step with me, but he suddenly faltered. "What? You want to get a boyfriend?"