When I was nine, I was hit by the blast of an explosion while saving Simone Scott.

From that day onward, I have to rely on hearing aids to get by.

Overwhelmed with guilt, she suggests we get engaged and swears to me with teary eyes, "Justin, I'll take care of you for the rest of my life."

But at 18 years old, to satisfy a dare from the school heartthrob, she rips off my hearing aid and humiliates me in front of him and our classmates.

Disgust fills her voice as she says, "You're nothing but a burden. I've been sick of you for a long time. I wish you'd died back then instead of being saved."

I clutch the hearing recovery report in my hand and say nothing.

After that, I quietly change my college applications, bring my parents with me, and formally call off the engagement.

Simone, this is where our paths split.

There is no reason for us to ever see each other again.

"Justin, I really wish you'd never been saved when you were nine. You should've just been left to die."

The moment Simone Scott said that, the private room exploded with noise.

"Holy shit! Sim, that's brutal!"

"Next time, when Justin's hearing is fully fixed, you should lean right into his ear and say it again. I'm dying to see if he'll cry when he hears it. Bet he'd look all meek and pitiful, like some goody-two-shoes pretending to be innocent."

"Why would it matter if he heard it? Who would want a cripple anyway? Sim's the only one charitable enough to keep him around."

I froze where I stood.

My fingers clamp tight around the hearing recovery report stuffed in my bag, my mind completely blank.

After the college entrance exams ended, my parents took me out of town to see specialists. My hearing was cured, and I no longer needed a hearing aid.

Today was my birthday.

I'd planned to surprise Simone.

I wanted to tell her my hearing was healed, that I wouldn't be her burden anymore. I never expected that the carefully planned surprise would lead me to overhear her cruel, cutting words.

Her words stabbed straight through my chest, twisting until my heart seized and I could barely breathe.

My nails press into my palm, pain shooting through me.

I bit my lower lip and looked at Simone, wanting to ask why, but she didn't even notice me.

She twirled the white hearing aid between her fingers with a mocking smile on her lips. "Alright, that's enough. At least Justin saved my life when we were kids. Watch what you say. Don't let it get back to him."

Everyone immediately got the hint.

"Got it. Our lips are sealed."

"Geez, Justin hitting it off with Simone? Being deaf his whole life would be worth it."

Another burst of laughter followed.

"Alright, alright. Justin's a good student, not like me. I can mess around with you guys, but don't take it too far."

Ralph Chesson walked over with a grin and announced, "Simone, you've passed my test. I believe you don't like Justin anymore. Let's go on a date tomorrow."

Simone's lips curved with a smile. Her eyes softened, tenderness spilling over as she whispered, "Okay."

I stood there in a daze, my mind completely blank. It felt like the world had stopped turning. The laughter and cheers melted into a sharp, piercing ringing.

"Hey, honey. What are you thinking about?"

Before I could respond, Simone had slipped my hearing aid back on, a small smile playing at her lips. "So happy you can't think straight, huh?"

It should have been a happy moment. My 18th birthday, a confession from the woman I liked, all witnessed by friends, just like something out of a teen romance show.

But now, when I opened my mouth, my throat was so dry I couldn't say a single word.

The others rushed to fill the silence.

"Justin, Sim just took off your hearing aid and whispered a bunch of sweet stuff. We all got chills listening."

"Damn, I wish I had a childhood sweetheart, too."

"Not bad," Ralph said, slinging an arm around Simone's shoulder and lightly punching her. "You've got to be the lucky one to end up with Justin."

I said nothing.

My gaze slowly swept across everyone in the room.

They smiled and congratulated me, gave me thumbs up, and even joked about waiting for the wedding.

Not a single one showed any slip of emotion. Their expressions were unnaturally calm.

I suddenly remembered all the parties this year, the little moments like this that had happened again and again.

Simone had taken off my hearing aid, her eyes soft, saying something I couldn't catch. Later, she put it back on. Everyone else said she was whispering sweet nothings, making promises that she'd never let me down.

If my hearing hadn’t already been restored, I probably would have missed the sharp edge beneath her honeyed voice, the cruel meaning she'd disguised in sweetness.

Ralph suddenly exclaimed, "Whoa!"

He dropped his arm from around Simone's shoulder and apologized in his usual carefree way. "Sorry, Justin. We usually joke around like this, don't get jealous."

Simone teased back with a laugh, "Oh, come on. You treat me like a guy all the time."

Then, as if no one else existed, the two of them started chasing each other, play-fighting across the room.

Everyone else acted completely unfazed, like it was just another ordinary scene.

I closed my eyes and turned to leave, but Ralph immediately reached out and stopped me. His expression was disapproving. "Everyone showed up at your birthday party out of respect. Are you just going to leave like that?"

Simone ruffled my hair, a helpless little smile on her face. "You haven't even opened your birthday gifts yet. Don't be mad."

I frowned and instinctively pulled away.

Ignoring the sudden flicker of change in Simone's expression, I spoke deliberately, each word cutting through the tension.

"We're done. Don't contact me again."

And without another glance, I left the private room.

On the way home, my phone kept buzzing with messages.

Simone sounded confused. "What's going on? Everyone came all this way to celebrate your birthday, brought you gifts, and you just left them hanging?

"Ralph was just being his usual easygoing, bold self, not like you. You're always so cautious. That's why he draped his arm around me. Didn't he drop it quickly and apologize to you?"

Other friends jumped into the group chat.

"Justin, aren't you overreacting a little?"

"Why walk off like that for no reason? Did we ever do anything wrong?"

"Damn, we try to be nice and this is what we get!"

I smirked coldly and replied, "Who's overreacting now?"

Then I blocked them all, leaving the group chat behind.

At home, I briefly recounted the whole thing to my parents.

I pressed my lips together. I was facing my worried parents when a sudden, sharp ache welled up in my chest. My voice caught, choking as I said, "I don't like her anymore.

"I don't want to go to college in Movaia with her. I don't want to be with her or marry her."

Mom wiped my tears gently. "Justin, this isn't a big deal. Your dad and I will help you cancel the engagement tomorrow.

"Wherever you want to apply for college, we've got your back. We're here for you."

Dad led me to the living room and placed the cake knife in my hand. "We didn't even get a chance to bring the cake over, but you're home now. Perfect timing. We'll have a simple birthday together, just the three of us.

"Back then when you were born, I laughed so hard my face wrinkled. Don't cry, birthday boy. Make a wish while cutting the cake, okay?"

I forced a laugh through the tears, letting the warmth of their blessings wash over me as I made my wish and blew out the candles. Just as I was about to cut the cake, the doorbell rang.

I straightened myself and opened the door, and there was Simone.

Rain poured steadily outside, with thunder rumbling and lightning flashing across the sky.

She was drenched, water dripping from her hair, but she didn't seem to care. She just smiled and held out a neatly wrapped jewelry box. "Look, I picked this out carefully for your birthday.

"Stop sulking. Everyone's still waiting in the private room. And don't bring up breaking up again, okay?"

I glanced at the necklace inside the box.

It looked strangely familiar.

The watch Ralph was wearing today seemed to be from the same brand.

I didn't move a muscle and refused to take it.

Simone froze in place for a long moment before finally lowering her arm. Her arm was numb, and annoyance crept into her voice as she snapped, "What the hell is wrong with you today?

"You were tearing up when you agreed to my confession. And now you're turning on me like this? Justin, do you even remember how obedient and well-behaved you used to be?"

My chest tightened, and I couldn't even bring myself to respond.

I'd been living in a dream, believing she only cared about me. I imagined us going to college together in Movaia, sharing meals and living side by side. Then, we would get engaged, married, and start a family after graduation.

But today, the truth hit me like a knife.

I finally understood that she never loved me.

To her, I was just the child she owed her life to, a nuisance she could easily ignore.

I took a deep breath and repeated calmly, "I'm not joking. The breakup is real. Don't contact me again."

Simone suddenly lost it. She threw the jewelry box onto the floor, anger flooding her eyes. "Justin, are you fucking done yet—"

Before she could finish, someone cut her off.

My dad stepped in front of me, shielding me. His brow tightened slightly as he said sternly, "Sim, watch your language.

"You've been standing in the rain. Why don't you go home, take a hot shower, and get some rest? It's late. I won't keep you here for dinner tonight."

My mom handed her a slice of cake with a polite smile. "Justin already made his wish, and there's no need for gifts. Take this cake home with you. Make sure you get home safely."

Simone stood there, stunned, for a long time.

I understood immediately.

In the past, whenever she came over, my parents had always been warm and welcoming. They'd never once shut her out.

She couldn't understand why their attitude had changed so suddenly today. She hesitated, clearly wanting to say something.

But the front door had already slammed shut in her face with a sharp bang, leaving her standing there, humiliated.

I had no appetite at all. After forcing down a couple of bites of cake, I went back to my bedroom to lie down.

Dad was worried. He sat at the edge of the bed and asked softly, "Justin, have you really thought this through?"

Around Mom, I had to hold back a bit. However, Dad understood me better than anyone, especially how I felt about Simone.

I stared down at the white hearing aid in my hand, unsure what to say. A rush of emotions hit me. How could people change so much?

When I was a kid, after moving to this neighborhood of villas, I loved trailing behind Simone, addressing her endearingly.

Our families got along well and even did some business together.

One day, our families went out to a factory in the suburbs, and an explosion suddenly tore through the place.

I remembered the survival skills my parents had taught me and managed to escape. Simone, though, was trapped in the blaze.

I watched the fire rage and saw her frozen in place as the flames crept closer. Somehow, I found the strength to charge in, grabbing her and running for the exit before anyone else could react.

We were almost out.

And then the factory exploded.

I was hit hard by the blast and fell into a long coma.

When I woke up, I couldn't hear anymore.

My parents looked grim. Simone's parents were hesitant, words stuck in their throats.

I spent days lying in bed. I was drained, silent, and unwilling to interact with anyone.

Simone eventually stopped going to school. She snuck snacks to me constantly, but I didn't touch them.

The hospital felt too depressing, so she snuck me out one day and took me to a shop where she picked out this white hearing aid for me. She had hand-painted the tiny fish designs on it herself.

She fumbled a little as she helped me put it on, even though she was just a kid herself.

Then she looked at me very seriously and said,

"Justin, you saved me.

"My tutor said your name means just and fair. If you did something good, then the world has to be fair to you, right?

"So you’ll be okay. You have to be."