The Kiss that Sparked it All

Maybe Balfour was just trying to be nice with his reminder. He was always so aloof, and Victoria used to not mind it. Why did it suddenly get under her skin now?

There used to be a friendly vibe between them, but after the way she had spoken to him, she probably shattered the last bit of any fantasy she had about them.

Victoria smacked her forehead in dismay. “Why on earth did I snap at him like that? He was just trying to help. Besides, the whole thing with Mara was her own doing. What’s that got to do with him? He just turned down someone he didn’t like. What’s wrong with that?”

During the following rehearsal, Victoria didn’t dare let her mind wander, managing to get through it smoothly.

As soon as it ended, she timed it perfectly to catch Balfour on his way out.

Balfour looked down at her from where his wrist was caught in her grasp, raising an eyebrow. “Weren’t you Miss High-and-Mighty a moment ago? What’s up with following me now?”

Victoria managed an awkward smile. “I’m sorry. I owe you an apology. Can we go somewhere else to talk?”

They were both quite the talk of their class, and standing around on stage had already drawn a few curious glances.

Balfour, not keen on attracting more attention, eventually nodded in agreement.

“Spill it then. What is it you want to say?” Balfour leaned back casually against a table.

Fidgeting with her fingers, Victoria finally took a deep breath and apologized, “I’m sorry, I was too irritable this morning. I really appreciate your concern. I won’t let my mind drift during rehearsals again, and I hope we can all pull together and make this project a success.”

Balfour looked surprised. He hadn’t expected Victoria to be able to show such humility, and it certainly improved his impression of her from the spoilt average girl he thought she was. Rumors and reality didn’t always line up, it seemed.

“Apologies aren’t necessary. I just don’t want my time wasted by others,” Balfour responded coolly, but Victoria noted a slight softening in his tone.

“So, you accept my apology, then? Thanks.”

Looking back up at him, Victoria wore a relieved smile, a rare sight these past few days.

“Let’s go, aren’t you in a rush to get home? I need to head out too.”

From that moment on, their conversations grew more frequent.

Mara couldn’t help but notice the change in Victoria’s mood.

Watching Victoria return home with such ease made her want to confront her. What was making her so happy? She was dying to ask, but after having given Victoria the cold shoulder for days, she was at a loss for where to start.

One day after school, Victoria was glued to her phone, seemingly messaging someone. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Mara brushed past her, trying to sneak a peek at the screen, but not only did she see nothing, Victoria immediately clutched her phone to her chest, eyeing her with wary caution.

Mara, suppressing her irritation, gave a provocative smirk. “What, you think you’ve got the crown jewels in there? As if anyone wants to snoop.”

Unruffled, Victoria just smiled back and said, “There’s no crown jewels in my phone. It’s just not for your eyes.”

“Hmph, as if I care,” Mara retorted, hiding her curiosity behind a veil of disinterest.