After Being the Third Wheel, I Left

Chapter 3

The moment I walked into the private room, I saw them sitting together playing games—heads touching, cursing each other's skills.

For all their bickering, once they loaded into a match, they were a perfect duo—one ADC, one support. They coordinated like they shared one brain.

And me? When I died in-game, no one came to help.

One time, I got bullied by a teammate into tears. Ethan's face went cold on the spot.

"Who the hell do you think you are talking to her like that? One-on-one. Right now!"

Then he put his hand on my head, saw my red-rimmed eyes, and couldn't help laughing.

"Isla, how are you bad at everything? Bad at studying—fine. But bad at gaming too? Look at Lila—good at both."

I said nothing.

Lila immediately smacked him. "How dare you talk about our Isla like that?"

"She's cute when she's clumsy—what do you know!"

Back then, I was so naive.

I actually believed I was useless. That I was always dragging them down.

After that, I stayed up reading guides and found people to teach me how to play. When I finally got good and went to find them again, Lila had already switched to the same role.

Before I could say anything, Ethan patted my head.

"Sweetie, Lila's got this round covered. Just watch and learn."

From beginning to end, no one ever let me finish a sentence.

I never opened that game again.

I didn't remember how I felt that day. All I could recall was them playing heatedly all afternoon while I sat off to the side, zoning out.

At least now, I wouldn't force myself to do things I didn't love just to keep chasing someone.

Maybe admitting that I wasn't as good as Lila would actually make things easier.

I walked in, ready to take a seat far from them. Lila looked up and saw me.

"Isla, you're here!" She put down her phone and waved at me. "Sit next to me!"

At the same time, Ethan reached out. "Over here. I saved you a seat."

When I didn't move, they both stood up and pulled me from opposite sides.

I used to think being fought over like this made me lucky. Now I just felt my arms ache.

I gently pulled free and sat across from them.

Lila blinked. Ethan looked at me for an extra second, then let out a light laugh.

"Hm? Who made our little dummy upset?"

"Not even talking to your boyfriend?"

I'd already decided to let go. But hearing him coax me like that—the sour ache in my chest still crept up.

I looked up at him.

His eyes were the same as ever—bright, like they were filled with stars.

I couldn't help asking myself: why had a boy this handsome, this good at everything, ever chosen to be with me? Especially when the number of girls who'd chased him was impossible to count.

And then it hit me—the time Lila had asked: "Seriously, how did you land a guy like Ethan?"

And the time I scored higher than Lila on an exam, and Ethan looked at me in surprise: "Wow, our Isla's not completely useless after all."

So that's how it was. All along, neither of them had ever seen me as an equal.

And neither had ever noticed how hard I'd worked just to keep up with them.