Chapter 1

On the day I won the national esports championship, my girlfriend of eight years told me she wanted to go on stage and personally present me with flowers.

Standing on the podium, my heart was racing. I reached into my pocket to pull out the ring I'd hidden there, ready to propose to her in front of the entire nation.

But what happened next shocked me. She giggled and, instead of handing me the bouquet, she gave it to her male best friend.

Under the bright lights, they became the center of attention.

The crowd cheered, and their congratulatory messages flooded the trending topics. Even his fans tagged me in posts, mocking, [I told you not to get in the way of our couple, now look at you.]

I simply posted on Twitter, [Respect and blessings. Please be locked together forever.]

Beneath the dazzling lights, I stood on the podium with my teammates.

Luna Doyle, my girlfriend, approached me holding a bouquet.

She had promised that when I won the national championship, she'd announce our relationship to the world.

Tonight, she seemed to be here specifically to give me the flowers, choosing roses that symbolized love.

This was the first time she'd ever given me flowers, and her expression was filled with such deep affection.

I blushed, trying to control the excitement in my heart, my eyes fixed on her as she walked toward me.

In my mind, I had already planned it: As soon as she handed me the flowers, I would drop to one knee, pull out the ring, and propose to her live on national television.

Even though we had fought over trivial things just yesterday.

But who doesn't argue in a relationship, right?

I nervously rubbed the ring in my pocket.

"Congratulations on winning the championship!" Luna said, extending the flowers.

I was eagerly preparing to accept them when, to my disbelief, the flowers passed me by and landed softly in the arms of my teammate, Hugo Newman.

Hugo was Luna's best friend, someone she had known long before me.

My smile froze on my face.

I stared at her, gazing lovingly at Hugo, my thoughts in a whirl before I laughed bitterly.

Again, it was Hugo.

I should have known. In her heart, her best friend always came before me.

Just yesterday, we had argued over him. But I never imagined she'd hand over the symbolic flowers of love to him in front of everyone.

Hugo, who was handsome and well-loved in the esports world, had far more fans than I did.

Did Luna not understand what this gesture meant?

I silently slipped the ring back into my pocket, hearing the fans' screams echo through the arena.

The noise was deafening, as if it might tear the roof off.

Flashes from cameras filled the air, and everything around me faded into the background.

Even before the award ceremony was over, their sweet interactions had already gone viral.

Their perfect pairing was drawing fans, with people shipping them as a couple.

Hugo's fans were tagging Luna in the comments, calling her "Mrs. Newman", and the scene was chaotic.

But none of it was related to me.

With a wry smile, I stepped off the stage and returned to the dressing room alone.

As I looked at the flood of congratulatory messages on the trending topics, I suddenly felt exhausted.

Maybe it was time to put an end to this relationship.

I sent Luna a message. [Let's break up. I won't stand between the two of you anymore.]

As soon as I sent it, Luna called me.

I didn't answer. Instead, I ordered a car back to my rented apartment and started to pack my things.

This place was one we had shared.

But now that we were breaking up, I couldn't stay here under the same roof with her.

She could keep the place.

As I packed, Luna sent me countless messages.

[What do you mean, break up?

[Why are you throwing a tantrum again? You're such a man-child!

[Enough of that. Everyone wants to celebrate, so come over now. Hugo and the others are waiting for you!]

Every word she typed revolved around Hugo.

She gave roses to another man, and yet she accused me of being narrow-minded.

I scoffed at my phone, turning it off and zipping up my suitcase.

It all happened so suddenly. I didn't have time to rent another place, so I had no choice but to return to the dorm the esports club had arranged for the team.

The base was quiet now. My teammates were out celebrating.

I habitually turned on my computer and logged into the game. It was only when I was immersed in the game that I could finally relax.

Chapter 2

At midnight, Luna finally called me while I was still training.

I glanced at my phone on the side and hit the mute button, not planning to answer.

Then, a flood of messages from her popped up.

[Why aren't you home yet?

[Where have you gone off to?

[The flowers I picked out for you are wilting! Where are you? Didn't you say you liked receiving flowers?]

Did she think I needed the flowers she gave me as an afterthought?

I turned off the screen, laughing bitterly.

She was always like this—giving one thing, taking another.

In the past, I loved her so much that I didn't mind her behavior. I even told myself that she had feelings for me too.

But now, I saw it clearly. She was just stringing me along.

I was ready to leave.

No one was irreplaceable. Not me, and certainly not Luna.

I spent the whole night training, then slept soundly until 3:00 PM the next day.

When I went to the training room, I saw Luna sitting in my spot, lost in thought.

I wasn't surprised she found me here. After all, besides the dorm, where else would I be?

When she heard my footsteps, she turned and saw me.

"What happened last night? You didn't answer your phone or reply to my messages. I thought something happened to you!"

I cleared my throat and said flatly, "I went to bed early."

Luna looked taken aback, furrowing her brow. She asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you? Why are you acting all distant today?"

She wasn't wrong. If it were any other time, I would've been thrilled to see her come over, eager to share everything that happened these past few days.

But now, all I had left was silence, so of course, she found it strange.

It seemed she had forgotten that I had already mentioned breaking up, and she surely didn't remember how she had embarrassed me in front of everyone the day before.

Before I could say anything, she spoke again, "Today's the anniversary of Hugo joining the team, and he's hosting a dinner. Come with me."

I considered making an excuse to decline, but as a fellow teammate, I knew skipping out might cause more trouble.

Plus, I wanted to take the chance to tell everyone that Luna and I were over.

I replied with a brief "Sure," got up to wash up and change, and followed her to the hotel.

When we arrived, I realized it wasn't just Hugo's friends who were there.

There was also a crowd of Hugo's fans.

This wasn't so much a celebration for Hugo's three-year anniversary as it was a fan meet-and-greet.

I hadn't even walked in yet when I heard the noise from the banquet hall.

I instinctively looked for Luna, but she had already disappeared.

"Looking for Luna? I'll take you to her."

Somehow, Teagan Hawkins, Luna's friend, appeared and led me upstairs to a private room.

Looking down, I spotted Luna on stage.

She was pushing a giant cake while holding a string of pink and white balloons, making a surprise appearance for Hugo.

The fans in the audience screamed, shouting for them to get married right there and calling Luna "Mrs. Newman".

Teagan raised an eyebrow at me and nodded toward the stage. "Do they look good together or what?"

A bitter taste filled my throat. They did look good together.

Chapter 3

Luna had never cared enough to do anything like this for me.

Even on my birthday, when I casually mentioned wanting a cake, she'd just grumble about how we were adults and didn't need to bother with such pointless formalities.

Yet here she was, in front of everyone, preparing such a grand surprise for Hugo.

It became clear to me: Only when someone truly cared would they put in the effort.

Teagan observed my reaction, clearly pleased with the effect it had on me.

A knowing smile played on her face, and it felt like a sharp jab to my heart.

After the meet-and-greet, Luna returned to the private room with Hugo.

Teagan quickly went up to her, looping her arm with Luna's, and teased, "Luna, you've gone all out for Hugo's surprise. Aren't you worried your boyfriend might get jealous?"

Luna stiffened at the comment, and then her eyes flicked to me, guilt flashing in her gaze.

"Next time, for your birthday or our anniversary, I'll make sure to prepare a surprise like that for you too," she said, almost apologetically.

I shook my head lightly. "No need."

If it was the exact same, could it even be considered a surprise?

I wasn't pathetic enough to want something others had already used.

Luna pouted, as if holding back something more she wanted to say.

Before she could speak, Hugo interjected, "Joseph, are you upset? Luna was just helping with the publicity stunt. Don't be so petty. As her boyfriend, you should be more understanding. Don't always make her guess what you want to please you. It'll wear her out."

Well, he was indeed her male best friend. He always put her needs first.

I couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. "With you around, always looking out for her, I don't think anyone else needs to step in."

My words hung in the air with a hint of challenge, and the atmosphere grew tense.

Hugo sighed and smiled helplessly. "Alright, seems like you're really mad. I'm sorry, okay? Don't blame Luna."

The awkward silence was broken when someone quickly tried to smooth things over. "We're all on the same team. No need for all these formalities. Come on. Let's drink."

Teagan squeezed between us, grinning mischievously. "Oh, this isn't even the first time! Yesterday, Luna even gave Hugo flowers on stage."

She said this with a teasing glance toward me.

Luna seemed to latch onto this, turning to me with a question in her eyes. "Is that really what you're upset about?"

She shrugged casually. "I bought flowers for you too yesterday, but you left early, so I didn't get a chance to give them to you. I still have them."

With that, she walked over to the corner of the room and pulled out a small bouquet of lisianthus from a box full of beer cans.

As soon as she revealed the flowers, someone couldn't help but laugh.

It was pretty obvious why—they were cheap, and when compared to the lavish bouquet of red roses she'd given Hugo the day before, it was almost laughable.

Hugo brought his roses over, and the difference between the two bouquets was glaring.

The eyes around me seemed to be filled with mockery, as if they were questioning how I even dared to think I could compete with Hugo.

Hugo raised an eyebrow, looking pleased with himself.

He glanced at the lisianthus with clear disdain. "Luna, you should've given Joseph roses, not these."

His tone suggested Luna was trying to pass off a cheap gesture.

Luna replied flatly, "After dinner last night, I went to get flowers, but it was too late, and there were no roses left. These will have to do. He doesn't know much about flowers anyway; I'm sure he won't mind."

She gave the best to Hugo, and I got what was left.

So this was what it looked like, the difference between love and indifference.

How could she just assume I wouldn't care?

She handed me the flowers, but I didn't reach for them.

Luna's brows furrowed again. "You don't like the flowers? I picked them out for you."

"No need," I replied coldly. "You can give them to someone else."

"What's with the attitude?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"I'm not making a scene. I'm being serious. I've got things to do, so I'll leave you all to it."

With that, I turned and walked out of the room, not looking back.

As soon as I took a few steps, the murmurs started behind me.

"Joseph is so dramatic."

"Hugo and Luna's video blew up, and our studio got a lot of sponsorships. That's a good thing! Why make a fuss over it?"