The day I won the championship in the pro gaming league, my girlfriend, Nina Vale, said she was coming to bring me flowers.

Standing on the awards stage, I pulled the ring from my pocket, thrilled and ready to propose to her in front of everyone.

However, instead of handing the bouquet to me, she turned and placed the flowers into the hands of her childhood friend, Rowan Cross, who was standing beside me.

The pairing of a handsome man and a beautiful woman sent countless fans across the internet into a frenzy, enthusiastically shipping them together and congratulating them.

Rowan’s fans tagged me and mocked, "Classic simp. Seven years of licking boots, and you still end up with nothing. Did you congratulate Rowan and Nina yet?"

I replied calmly, "Respect and blessings. Enjoy being locked in forever."

Under the dazzling lights, my teammates and I stood together on the championship podium that belonged to us.

My girlfriend, Nina Vale, walked toward me carrying a bouquet of flowers.

She had said that once I won the championship, we would go public with our relationship. Today, she had come especially to bring me flowers—roses, no less, the kind that symbolized love.

This was the first time she had ever given me flowers. It was also the first time she had ever looked at me with such gentleness.

I suppressed the happiness, nerves, and anticipation rising in my chest, my face flushing as I watched her step closer and closer.

I thought that the moment she handed the flowers to me, I would immediately drop to one knee and propose as a surprise.

Even though we had argued just yesterday because of someone else, what couple never fights?

My fingers trembled slightly as I grazed the ring in my pocket.

"Congratulations on winning the match and taking the championship," Nina said, extending the bouquet.

As my eyes lit up, I reached out to take it.

However, the flowers brushed past my hand and were placed directly into the arms of the teammate standing beside me.

Rowan Cross.

Nina’s childhood friend.

The smile on my face froze instantly. I stared at Nina, who was smiling at Rowan with unmistakable tenderness. After a long moment of shock, I suddenly let out a self-mocking laugh.

Of course, Rowan again. I should have known.

The childhood friend who, in Nina’s heart, would always matter more than me, her own boyfriend.

Yesterday’s argument had been because of him, too. Still, I never imagined that today, in front of everyone, she would give roses to Rowan instead.

Rowan was an esports star with hundreds of thousands of fans.

Did she really not understand what this meant?

I slipped the ring back into my pocket and stared numbly as the arena erupted because of her gesture.

Cameras flashed nonstop.

Before the awards ceremony had even ended, the internet was already flooded with videos of the two of them showing affection.

The pairing of a handsome man and a beautiful woman sent countless fans into a frenzy, enthusiastically shipping them together.

Rowan’s fans were already calling Nina his girl in the comments, and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement.

Since none of it had anything to do with me, I stepped off the stage with a bitter smile and returned alone to the lounge.

Watching the overwhelming flood of congratulations for the two of them on the trending page, I suddenly felt that it was all meaningless.

I was tired and did not want to play this game anymore.

I sent Nina a message.

"We should break up. I won't hold you back anymore."

The message had barely gone through when she called me, but I did not answer. I hung up, hailed a cab, and returned to the apartment to pack my things.

Nina and I had rented the place together. Now that we were breaking up, I did not want to keep living with her. I would leave it to her.

On the way, Nina sent several messages.

"What do you mean by breaking up?"

"I don't know what kind of tantrum you are throwing! You are a grown man. How are you more petty than a woman? Enough already. Everyone wants to celebrate. Hurry over. Rowan and the others are waiting for you!"

Eight out of ten of her sentences mentioned Rowan. She gave roses to another man, yet blamed me for being narrow-minded.

Without replying, I grabbed my belongings and left.

There was not enough time to rent a new place, so I returned to the dorm provided by the studio for professional players. They had all gone out for the celebration, so I was the only one in the dorm.

Out of habit, I turned on my computer and immersed myself in the game.

Late at night, Nina called me. I glanced at the screen and hung up.

She immediately sent several messages in a row.

"Aren't you coming home tonight?"

"Where are you?"

"I bought you flowers and still could not find you! Didn't you say you wanted me to bring you flowers?"

So the roses really were not meant for me.

I turned off my phone and let out a mocking laugh. She was always like this: standing me up, then tossing me a piece of candy to placate me afterward.

Back when I loved her, even when she brushed me off this way, I would brainwash myself into believing she loved me.

Now, I did not want her anymore.

No one dies just because someone leaves. That was true for both Nina and me.

I stayed up gaming all night and slept straight through until three in the afternoon.

When I woke up, I saw Nina sitting in my chair. I was not surprised that she knew I was here. After all, aside from the dorm, I had nowhere else to go.

Hearing movement, she turned to look at me.

"What was wrong with you yesterday? You didn't answer your phone or reply to messages. You scared me. I thought something had happened to you!"

My throat felt dry. My expression was calm as I said, "I went to sleep early."

Nina choked on her words, her brows knitting tightly. She looked at me strangely. "What is wrong with you? Why are you so quiet today?"

True.

In the past, if she had come to see me on her own initiative, I would have been over the moon. I'd have dragged her along, eager to tell her everything that had happened over the past few days.

Now, all I had was silence.

She seemed to have forgotten what I said yesterday and conveniently forgotten the way she humiliated me in public.

Before I could speak, she continued, "Today is Rowan’s third anniversary since joining the team. He is treating everyone to dinner. Come on, let’s go together."

I had originally planned to make an excuse not to go, but we were teammates. If I did not show up, outsiders would start speculating. Besides, I wanted a chance to make it clear in front of everyone that Nina and I had broken up.

I nodded, got up to wash up, changed clothes, and went with her to the hotel.

When we arrived, I realized it was not just a small gathering of friends. There was a large group of Rowan’s fans as well. Instead of a third anniversary dinner he organized, it looked more like a fan meet-and-greet.

Before we even went in, I could hear the noisy clamor from inside.

Instinctively, I turned to look at Nina, but the person who had been standing beside me was already gone.

"Looking for Nina? Come with me."

Nina’s best friend, Rhea Nolan, appeared out of nowhere and led me straight up to a private dining room on the second floor.

Looking down, I immediately spotted the missing Nina.

She was on the stage, pushing out a large cake and holding a string of pink-and-white balloons as a surprise for Rowan.

Below, fans screamed nonstop, shouting for the two of them to get married on the spot, calling Nina "Rowan's girl". The noise was deafening.

Rhea raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "Don't you think they look perfect together?"

Bitterness rose in my throat.

They did.

Nina had never put this much thought into anything she did for me.

Even on my birthdays, when I explicitly asked her for a cake, she would impatiently say that we were all adults and that those flashy, useless rituals were meaningless.

Yet now, in front of fans and friends, she had prepared such a grand surprise for Rowan.

So that was how it was. Only when you truly cared would you bother putting in the effort.

Rhea watched my expression closely. Clearly satisfied with my reaction, she curled her lips into a faint, amused smile.

After the fan event ended, Nina and Rowan returned to the private room together.

Rhea immediately ran over and looped her arm through Nina’s. "Nina, you prepared such a big surprise for Rowan, and Ash watched the whole thing. Careful, you might make him jealous."

Nina’s body stiffened abruptly. She looked up at me, a trace of guilt in her eyes. "Next time, when it is your birthday or an anniversary, I will prepare the exact same kind of surprise for you too."

"No need," I replied flatly.

If it was exactly the same, could it even be called a surprise? I was not that cheap. I did not want something that had already been given to someone else.

Nina pressed her lips together, as if she wanted to say something.

Before she could, Rowan spoke up, "Ash, you aren't actually angry, are you? Nina was just cooperating with me for publicity. Don't be so petty.

"As her boyfriend, you should be more considerate. Don't always make Nina guess what you are thinking and coax you along. That's exhausting for her."

Look at how thoughtful this childhood friend was, always considering things from Nina’s perspective.

I let out a soft laugh. "With you looking out for her, why would she need anyone else?"

The gunpowder-laced remark instantly quieted the room.

Rowan sighed and smiled helplessly. "Alright, you really are angry. Then I will apologize. Don't blame Nina."

The atmosphere turned awkward. Someone quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"We are all on the same team. Why say things that create distance? Come on, drink up."

Rhea squeezed in and said with a smile, "It is not just about today. Yesterday, Nina even gave Rowan flowers."

After saying that, she looked at me cheerfully. "Right?"

Hearing this, the tightness in Nina’s brows finally eased. "So you are sulking with me over something this small?"

She said indifferently, "I bought flowers for you yesterday, too. You were the one who left, so I didn't get to give them to you. But I brought them."

She walked toward a corner of the private room and pulled out a small bouquet of lisianthus from a cardboard box that had been holding beer.

The moment she took it out, someone snorted with laughter. There was no other reason than the lisianthus bouquet appearing wilted, scrawny, and cheap-looking. It was clearly a bargain bundle. It could not even begin to compare to the large, vibrant bouquet of red roses she had given Rowan the day before.

To make matters worse, Rowan had brought that bouquet of roses with him. Placed side by side, the two bouquets were like heaven and earth.

Teasing looks were cast in my direction, as if mocking how I dared to compare myself to Rowan at all.

Rowan lifted his brows smugly, his expression pleased. He glanced disdainfully at the lisianthus and said in a mock-scolding tone, "Nina, you should give Ash roses. Why'd you give him this kind of flower?"

That tone of disdain was one step away from saying it was something fit only to brush off a beggar.

Nina responded coolly, "It was late when we went to buy flowers after dinner yesterday. There were no roses left. This will do. He doesn't know anything about flowers anyway. He won't mind."

The best for Rowan, and something passable for me. So love and the lack of it were really that obvious.

But why did she think I would not mind?

She handed the flowers to me, but I did not take them.

The brows she had just relaxed furrowed again. "You don't want the flowers? I bought these especially for you."

"No need. Give them to someone else."

"What are you making a fuss about now?"

"I'm not making a fuss. I'm serious. I have something else to do, so I won't disturb you any longer. I'm leaving."

I pulled open the door of the private room and walked out. I had not gone far when I heard them talking behind me.

"Ash is really making a big deal out of nothing."

"The videos of Rowan and Nina blew up, and our studio has gotten a lot of sponsor interest. That is a good thing. Why be so petty?"

"Exactly."

Having lost her patience as well, Nina tossed the flowers aside. "Let him do whatever he wants. Just ignore him."

Those harsh words reached my ears, and my steps faltered. A wave of desolation surged up in my chest.

So this was how unimportant I was to her.