Perfect System: Rise of the Bullied King

Damian Carter stared at the small letter in his trembling hands. His palms were sweaty. His heartbeat thundered inside his chest. For three years, he had hidden his feelings. Three years of secretly watching her smile. Three years of helping her whenever he could. Three years of dreaming. Today, he was finally going to confess. The object of his affection was none other than Samantha Lewis. One of the most beautiful girls at Westbridge University. Long silky brown hair. Delicate facial features. A graceful figure that attracted attention wherever she went. She was the dream girl of countless male students. And Damian? He was just a poor student. The son of a construction worker. A young man who worked part-time every day just to pay tuition and survive. Compared to Samantha, he was like dirt beneath her shoes. Yet his feelings had remained unchanged. "Maybe she'll at least give me a chance." Damian muttered. He knew the odds were slim. But if he never tried, he would regret it forever. Taking a deep breath, he walked into his classroom. The room was already bustling with students chatting and laughing. As soon as Damian entered, several people glanced at him before looking away dismissively. He was used to it. Being ignored was better than being mocked. He walked to his seat near the back. Beside him sat a girl whose beauty could make an entire room fall silent. Isabella Hart. The true campus beauty. Unlike Samantha, whose popularity came from her social status and charm, Isabella was naturally stunning. Her skin was flawless. Her long black hair flowed like silk. Her cold yet elegant aura made her seem untouchable. Many students believed she was the most beautiful girl in the entire university. Yet nobody dared approach her. She was simply too far out of reach. Damian and Isabella had been seatmates for almost a year. Despite that, they barely spoke. Today, however, Isabella noticed the envelope in his hand. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. "What's that?" Damian froze. She was talking to him. Actually talking to him. "A confession letter." Isabella frowned. "To Samantha?" Damian nodded. A hint of disappointment flashed through Isabella's eyes before disappearing. "You shouldn't." Damian blinked. "Huh?" "You shouldn't confess." "Why?" "Because it won't end well." Her voice was calm. Almost as if she already knew something. Damian forced a smile. "I know my chances aren't great." "That's not what I mean." She hesitated. Then she looked away. "Just don't do it." Damian was confused. This was probably the longest conversation they had ever shared. Unfortunately, he misunderstood her concern. He thought she was simply trying to save him from embarrassment. "I appreciate it." He smiled. "But I need to do this." Isabella stared at him for several seconds. Finally, she sighed. For some reason, her expression looked unusually complicated. Damian didn't understand why. The bell rang. Classes began. But Damian couldn't focus. His mind was occupied entirely by Samantha. Finally, lunchtime arrived. Students flooded toward the cafeteria and central plaza. At the center of the plaza stood a large fountain where many students gathered during breaks. Samantha was there. Exactly as Damian had planned. His legs felt weak. Every step felt heavier than the last. Yet he continued forward. Soon, students began noticing. "Hey, isn't that Damian?" "The poor guy?" "What's he doing?" "Looks like he's carrying flowers." Whispers spread rapidly. Damian ignored them. His eyes remained fixed on Samantha. When he finally arrived before her, the crowd had already formed a circle around them. Samantha looked surprised. "Damian?" Taking a deep breath, he handed her the flowers. "Samantha..." "I've liked you for a long time." The crowd instantly became excited. Some students even pulled out their phones. "Here we go." "This should be good." Damian's heart pounded violently. His entire future seemed to depend on the next few seconds. "I know I'm not rich." "I know I'm not popular." "But my feelings are genuine." "Samantha... will you be my girlfriend?" Silence. Complete silence. Everyone stared. Waiting. Watching. Samantha looked at him. Then at the flowers. Then back at him. Suddenly— She laughed. A soft laugh at first. Then a louder one. Then she covered her mouth as if trying to hold back even more laughter. The crowd joined in. Damian's smile froze. "Samantha?" She shook her head. "Oh my God." "What exactly made you think I'd date you?" The laughter intensified. Damian felt his chest tighten. "I..." Samantha crossed her arms. "Do you know who I am?" "Do you know who you are?" The words struck like a knife. The students erupted with laughter. "Reality check." "Someone had to tell him." "Poor guy actually thought he had a chance." Damian's face turned pale. Still, he forced himself to remain standing. "Samantha..." Unfortunately, she wasn't finished. "You work at a milk tea shop after school." "You wear the same shoes every week." "Your phone is practically ancient." She looked him up and down. Disgust filled her eyes. "What part of that made you think we're in the same league?" The crowd roared. Some students even began recording. Others posted online immediately. Damian felt his dignity being ripped apart piece by piece. Then Samantha grabbed the flowers. For one brief second, hope appeared in Damian's heart. Perhaps she was accepting them. Instead— She dropped them into a nearby trash can. The crowd exploded. Laughter echoed throughout the plaza. Damian stood frozen. His mind blank. His heart shattered. At that moment, he noticed someone pushing through the crowd. Isabella. She looked furious. Absolutely furious. Her icy eyes swept across everyone. The noisy crowd immediately quieted. Even Samantha looked uncomfortable. Isabella stopped beside Damian. "Let's go." Damian lowered his head. "No." "Damian." "I'm fine." It was obvious he wasn't. But Isabella understood. Some wounds couldn't be healed immediately. Without another word, she left. Before leaving, however, she glanced at Samantha. The coldness in her eyes made Samantha shiver. Classes continued afterward. But Damian couldn't hear anything. The humiliation replayed repeatedly in his mind. The laughter. The insults. The rejection. Everything. By the time school ended, he felt emotionally exhausted. Still, life didn't stop because he was heartbroken. He needed money. He needed to survive. So he headed toward his part-time job. The milk tea café sat several blocks away from campus. The small shop wasn't luxurious. But the owner was kind. Without this job, Damian wouldn't even be able to afford meals. As he walked through the city streets, the afternoon sunlight cast long shadows across the pavement. His expression remained gloomy. Students passing by occasionally recognized him. Some laughed. Others whispered. News of his rejection had already spread across campus. It was humiliating. Yet there was nothing he could do. Eventually, he arrived at the café. The familiar scent of milk tea and pastries greeted him. Normally, it would improve his mood. Today, however, it did nothing. As soon as he entered, one of his coworkers rushed over. "Damian!" "Huh?" "Someone's been waiting for you." Damian frowned. "Waiting for me?" "Yeah." "Who?" The coworker grinned mysteriously. "A beautiful girl." Damian blinked. A beautiful girl? For him? Impossible. Then the coworker leaned closer. His grin widened. "She said her name is Samantha." Damian's eyes widened. "What?" The coworker pointed toward a private booth in the corner. "She's been waiting for almost thirty minutes." Damian slowly turned his head. Toward the booth. Toward the silhouette sitting inside. His heartbeat accelerated. Confusion filled his mind. Just hours ago, she had humiliated him before the entire university. So why was she here? Waiting for him? As if sensing his gaze, the girl inside the booth slowly looked up. A beautiful smile appeared on her face. The same smile that had captured Damian's heart years ago. Then she waved. "Damian." "Come sit with me." At that moment, Damian had no idea that his life was about to take a turn toward darkness. And that this meeting would become the beginning of his nightmare.