I WISH I HAD A HAPPY ENDING TOO

Prologue: I angrily threw my bag onto the sofa inside my room and let my body collapse onto the soft bed. "My bed is better at taking away my frustration with George," I breathed out as I turned to lie on my back, instantly feeling a sense of relief wash over me the moment I lay down. Do I need to replace the glowing star on my ceiling? Because it's patterned after George's irritating smiling face! He's always too busy whenever I ask him to accompany me somewhere! But the truth is, he's just busy flirting with his classmates in the music club! Hi, I am Megumi Ruiz, a senior high school student, and George Estregan is my childhood friend who has learned how to flirt! He probably wants to get into a relationship, which is why he's starting to forget about me! Annoyed, I got up from the bed and walked over to my study table to finally work on my novel, which has been stuck on Chapter 1 because of school research. Right now, I feel like I'm going to finish it until early morning because of the anger and frustration I'm feeling toward George, my so-called friend! He actually chose to go flirting instead of walking me home or helping me buy bond paper because I had run out of stock—all depleted because he kept having me print things for free! I took a deep breath before starting what needed to be done. I needed to begin the story of Rui Megumi Aizu, her long-term boyfriend Vin Katsu Ren, and her friend Sutehan Kuro Sute—whom she will see again after 10 years of no contact, a man who fell in love with her the very first time he laid eyes on her, yet settled for just being a friend. I smiled as I began typing the opening I had in mind. … Chapter 1: start "I'm sorry," Vin blurted out the moment I stepped into the apartment—an apartment that I actually owned. Yes, we were living together as a couple. Time flies incredibly fast. It felt like just yesterday we were mere strangers, and by next month, we would be celebrating our seventh anniversary. Yet, here we were, caught in endless misunderstandings. He forgot. Again. "It's okay," I replied dryly, turning my back on him to head straight to the bedroom. I was exhausted. "Please, let me explain—" "Vin, I'm tired. Let’s talk tomorrow," I interrupted. What was the use anyway? His explanations were always on a loop. It was exhausting. Couldn't he at least offer me something new for a change? "I just want to explain! I don't want us sleeping next to each other while you're mad at me," he insisted, wrapping his fingers around my wrist. I turned around to face him, my expression completely blank. "And what exactly are you going to explain to me this time? That your girl best friend is sick? That she’s suicidal and needs you? What? Huh? What is it now? For heaven's sake, Vin!" my voice cracking with unshed tears. His grip loosened, and he let go of my wrist. I deliberately emphasized the words girl best friend just to drive home the point and remind him of the difference between our roles in his life. "Hon, please! That's why we need to talk, so I can apologize. I genuinely forgot that we had a date tonight—" "You know what? Let's just talk tomorrow." I turned away from him, carrying the crushing weight of bitter resentment. He was always like this. Honestly, I didn't even know how we managed to last this long. I was never the type of person who was desperate for affection, especially from a man, but now I wasn't so sure anymore. I felt like I didn't even recognize myself. Months passed, and we never spoke of what happened that night again—mostly because he had completely forgotten about it. But as for me? I never did. Right now, I was inside the bedroom, dolling myself up because today was our actual seventh anniversary. I glanced over and saw Vin fixing his clothes in front of the mirror. When he caught my gaze through the reflection, I immediately looked away. He made a move to approach me, but his phone suddenly chimed. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and answered it, gesturing a silent "wait" to me before stepping out of the room. I didn't bother paying attention. I was already used to it. "Hon, go ahead and head to the restaurant I reserved for our celebration. I'll follow you. There's just an emergency with—" "With Furanshin? It's fine. Go ahead, you might keep her waiting," I interrupted, forcing a pathetic, hollow smile onto my lips. His face instantly brightened. Over the past few months, he had been desperately trying to avoid mentioning his girl best friend's name in front of me. Now, he could barely even sputter it out—as if I even had the strength left to stop him from leaving. Even when we were in the middle of intimacy, a single call from that woman was enough for him to abandon me. If Furanshin were to get clipped by a car's side mirror, he would lose his absolute mind in panic. But if I were to get hit by a whole damn car, he would probably still save her first. How pathetic. It was exactly 8:00 PM when I checked the time on my gold watch. My timing was perfect, the musicians were just setting up near our table. The entire venue was beautifully decorated, complete with a meticulously arranged table for two. The whole place looked undeniably romantic. Well, of course it did—it was expensive. I elegantly took a seat on the chair adorned with a pink ribbon design, surveying the lounge. Even now, I could hardly believe it. Did Vin really plan all of this? The signs were glaringly obvious. I absolutely despise the color pink, yet pink was the entire theme. It was clearly his best friend's favorite. ‘Tsk!’ "Thanks," I murmured to the server who poured me a glass of red wine. I lifted the glass elegantly and checked my phone to see if Vin had called. But as usual, there was nothing. 8:00 PM turned into 9:30 PM, then 11:00 PM, and still, there was no sign of Vin. I had practically drowned my sorrows in a whole bottle of red wine, repeatedly summoning the waiter. Eventually, I just bought the entire bottle outright so I wouldn't look so desperate and pitiful. Consumed by the bitter resentment building inside me, I kept downing glass after glass. The violinists looked hesitant, unsure whether they should keep playing. I simply motioned for them to continue. Honestly, they had been playing since 10:00 PM, and since the alcohol was finally kicking in, I had grown bold enough to throw orders around. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. But since I was clearly designated to play the villain in Vin and Furanshin's twisted love story, I chose to laugh. I checked the time on my phone: 12:00 AM. That was it. The date changed, but nothing else did. He wasn't coming. Stumbling slightly, I stood up and signaled one of the musicians to come over. "Yes, ma'am?" he asked, approaching with a polite smile. I fished my wallet out of my mini purse and handed him a generous tip. "Share it with your group, and I'm sorry for keeping you guys playing this long. Thank you." His face instantly lit up at the sight of the thousands of pesos I handed him. "THANK YOU, MA'AM! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" he exclaimed, bowing repeatedly in gratitude. He even insisted on opening the exit door for me. Well, their services were technically covered by the reservation fee, but I tipped them anyway because I knew how brutal it was to play instruments for three hours straight. The moment I stepped out of the restaurant, the freezing night air hit me. I wrapped my arms tightly around myself. I was wearing a red fitted tube dress and had completely forgotten to bring a jacket. I had been frantically calling Vin for a ride home, but he wasn't answering. Defeated, I slumped onto a bench in the waiting area, hoping to catch a ride back. I couldn't even begin to imagine what pathetic excuses he would conjure up after this. Suddenly, a man wearing a hoodie slid onto the bench right next to me. Before I could react, I felt the sharp press of a knife against my side. "Give me your bag and don't you dare scream!" he hissed darkly into my ear. I squeezed my eyes shut, trembling with sheer terror. When I froze in panic, he violently snatched my purse, which instantly snapped me back to reality. "Hey! That's my bag! Let go!" I shrieked, fighting back. He shoved me away with brutal force, sending me crashing down. Pain flared through my body, compounded by a badly sprained ankle. Ignoring the agony, and fueled entirely by the alcohol coursing through my veins, I threw all caution to the wind and chased after him. Because my phone was inside that mini purse! What if Vin called! I managed to corner him. He raised the blade, about to drive it into me, when a hand suddenly intercepted his wrist, twisting it violently behind his back. "Argh!" the thief bellowed in agony. The stranger pinned the man effortlessly. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl the exact moment his eyes met mine. He was on his phone, his gaze overflowing with intense worry as he spoke to whoever was on the other end of the line. The thief thrashed wildly, but against my knight in shining armor's towering physique, he didn't stand a chance. Within moments, flashing lights illuminated the area as the police arrived. Fortunately, a local precinct was located just a short distance from the waiting area. As the officers hauled the criminal away, my strength finally deserted me, and I collapsed onto the pavement. "Gosh... I get ghosted repeatedly on my anniversary date, and then I almost get murdered," I whispered blankly to myself. A tear slipped down my cheek just as the man approached me, clutching my mini purse in his hand. I forced my gaze upward, though his face was nothing more than a blur through my heavy tears. Oh my god, I couldn't stop sobbing. I felt like a child whose candy had been cruelly stolen. He gently helped me up and guided me back to the bench I had been sitting on earlier. The police departed shortly after securing the thief. "My boyfriend... he ghosted me again!" I wailed to this complete stranger, crying like a helpless child. The man knelt in front of me, bringing himself down to my eye level. "It's our seventh anniversary, but he still chose his girl best friend over me." He gently cupped my face, his thumbs softly wiping away the tears streaming down my cheeks. "My feet hurt too," I sobbed loudly. If I wasn't mistaken, a soft chuckle escaped the man's lips, though it vanished the instant I shot him a sharp glare. His expression softened back into one of pure worry as he carefully inspected my injured foot, before standing back up. Who was this guy?