Crush Me Not (English)

1: The Encounter

MAZE could only shake her head while watching her friend, Reena. If they weren’t stalking Reena’s crushes, she was daydreaming like a fool… just like now. She had been smiling to herself while staring off into the distance, then suddenly giggling or laughing out of nowhere.

“Will you stop doing that?” Maze said irritably. Not only did Reena look like she had completely lost her mind, but people around them had also been giving her strange looks for a while now.

It was their vacant period, and they were in the school cafeteria to grab a snack and pass the time. But Reena didn’t seem to hear anything, so Maze discreetly pulled a few strands of her friend’s hair.

“Ouch, Maze! What’s your problem?” Reena complained. “My hair… now it’s messed up,” she added with a hint of irritation, running her fingers through her chestnut-colored hair, which curled slightly at the ends.

If Maze’s vanity issue was her skin, Reena’s was her hair. She believed that a woman’s crowning glory was her hair. After all, if your hair looked good, you looked better. It made you more attractive, so to speak.

Reena quickly grabbed her phone and checked her reflection using the front camera. She took a few minutes examining herself, paying extra attention to her hair. Once she was satisfied that she still looked fine, she put her phone back in her bag and glared at her friend.

“You know… you are so over the top,” Maze said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

“Excuse me? Maze, I am not over the top, okay? What if one of my crushes sees me looking terrible? They’d be totally turned off! And of course, I won’t let that happen,” Reena said matter-of-factly.

Maze burst into laughter at her friend’s words, making Reena frown.

“You i***t! Do you know what’s actually more of a turn-off? The way you were acting earlier! You looked like a crazy person laughing and grinning by yourself. Don’t be so PDA, bestie!” Maze teased, still shaking her head with amusement. In all honesty, she was torn between being annoyed and entertained by her friend.

“PDA? Huh? What’s that?” Reena asked cluelessly, scratching her head as she waited for an answer.

Maze sighed. “Duh? PDA as in Public Display of Abnormality! Seriously, Reena, you’re too much! You know I accept you for who you are, but you really need to tone it down sometimes, okay?” She shook her head again.

Reena laughed after realizing what her friend meant. “Okay, okay, fine. You have a point. But… just let me have this moment! I mean, I hit the jackpot today with my crushes. I got to talk to Jack, and then I saw Red, Harry, and Peter earlier! And wait! They even smiled at me! Oh my gosh, isn’t that amazing?” Reena gushed, practically ready to squeal in excitement. Those guys were her top crushes on campus, so it was only natural that she couldn’t get over what had happened. Well, what else was new? If she weren’t one of the top students, people might think the only reason she attended school was because of her crushes.

Maze nearly panicked at her friend’s hysteria. She pinched Reena’s arm and pulled her slightly to bring her back to reality. “Lower your voice, Reena. Gosh!” she scolded, quickly glancing around. She was right—people were staring at them again.

Maze rubbed her forehead in frustration. She felt like she was about to get high blood pressure because of her friend. Reena always got her into trouble. The other day, she had to stand under the scorching sun because of Reena’s antics. And now, she was being dragged into yet another embarrassing moment. Well, like that was something new. She let out a deep sigh.

“I don’t know what to do with you anymore,” Maze muttered in surrender. Reena seemed like a hopeless case. She suddenly felt drained, and it wasn’t even halfway through the day yet.

Reena took a sip of her blueberry cheesecake shake through a large straw. It was her favorite drink. Honestly, she could probably drink it five times a day and not get tired of it. She usually paired it with a banana choco-flavored waffle, which was also her favorite.

“Mazey, you should be used to me by now. You know, that’s why I’m really thankful for you. You actually put up with my craziness,” Reena said sincerely. After a moment, she set her shake down and held Maze’s hand. “Thank you.”

Maze’s expression softened at her friend’s gesture. She smiled at Reena. She really couldn’t stay mad at her. “You’re always welcome, Reena. You know I accept your craziness, right? You are my best friend, after all! Just… don’t overdo it because it’s really embarrassing. Have some mercy on my image, okay? I was actually planning to become a celebrity,” Maze joked. “I haven’t even started yet, and my reputation is already at risk. So chill out, okay? Take it easy.” She smiled and patted Reena’s shoulder.

“Thank you so much,” Reena said with a grin before suddenly pausing. Her forehead creased as she stared at Maze. “Wait, are you serious? You want to be an actress?”

“Yes. Why? Is there a problem?”

“I mean… are you really serious about that? You’re going to audition to get into Bahay ni Kuya?” Reena asked, referring to a reality show.

“Yes! I’m even working on enhancing my entertainment skills because they said you need to be versatile to get more projects. Not just drizzles of projects, but full-on rains of blessings.” Maze beamed, now seeming like the one lost in a dream.

Reena chuckled. Even though Maze was usually serious, she never lost her sense of humor. “You’re crazy. I thought you were just joking about becoming an actress. But okay, fine. I’ll support you,” she said, still laughing.

Maze gave her a sharp look. “Wait, why are you laughing? Do you doubt that your best friend can actually become a celebrity?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“H-huh? W-what… I didn’t say—”

Maze cut her off. “What? What are you trying to say? Look, I’m prettier than Billie, the one the Jeya boys are fighting over in that drama,” she said proudly, referring to a popular TV actress. “My skin is smoother, and I’m way taller than her.” She emphasized every word as if making sure Reena absorbed it.

Reena laughed awkwardly. “Y-yeah! That’s exactly what I meant, Maze. You’re absolutely perfect for showbiz. No complaints from me!” She grinned sweetly.

“Oh? Why do you sound forced?” Maze asked suspiciously.

Reena quickly shook her head. “Huh? Me? Forced? No way! That’s just your imagination, bestie!” she said with a smile, knowing better than to upset Maze, who could be quite brutal at times. “You really are gorgeous! No one will dare disagree. And if anyone does, they’ll have to deal with me.”

Maze smiled and flipped her hair. “Very good. That’s what I like to hear.”

The hours passed quickly, and in a few minutes, their next class would start. Reena and Maze had already arrived early since their professor was strict about tardiness—if she entered the classroom before them, they’d be marked absent.

The two were now in their second year of Business Administration. They had been best friends for almost two years since they met on the first day of college. They discovered they had so much in common and became inseparable, even sharing the achievement of being on the Dean’s List together. Friendship goals, as people would say.

Despite their beauty, Reena and Maze were more than just pretty faces. They had the brains to match, which was why they were well-known in school. Naturally, that also meant they had their fair share of admirers—and haters.

While waiting for their professor, they reviewed their notes. Just then, Reena bumped into someone.

“Ouch!” she winced, feeling slightly dizzy.

A strong pair of arms caught her before she could fall.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay, miss?” a deep, husky voice asked.

Reena blinked up, about to snap at him—only to freeze at the sight before her.

‘What if you were the one who hit your head on the wall? Would you still be okay?’ Reena wanted to ask, but she couldn’t voice it out because of the dizziness overwhelming her. She kept her eyes shut, unable to catch a glimpse of the man she had collided with.

However, she didn’t fail to notice the husky voice of the man, which sent an unexplainable shiver through her system. She found it incredibly sexy. And since he was still holding her, she could also catch the scent of his intoxicating masculine fragrance. She couldn’t stop herself from imagining a very handsome man—just like the models she often saw on fashion channels, or the actors she watched in action movies and K-dramas.

“Hey, miss…” the man spoke again, still staring intently at her. The concern in his voice seemed to deepen.

“Bessy, what’s happening to you?” Maze asked, worry evident in her tone.

Reena snapped back to reality upon hearing her best friend’s voice. Maze was now beside her, supporting her. Reena took a step back and clung to Maze, slowly regaining her composure. She braced herself to confront the man, annoyed at how he had suddenly bumped into her.

She prepared to give him her fiercest glare… only to end up completely stunned upon seeing his face.

“Y-you?!” Reena stammered, her eyes widening in shock. She instinctively covered her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing.

“Excuse me, miss? Do we know each other?” the man asked in confusion. His brows furrowed as he studied her face, seemingly trying to recall where they might have met before.

“Reena, who is he?” Maze asked, equally puzzled. She looked back and forth between her friend and the man. “Reena…” she called again, noticing that her friend seemed lost in thought, just staring at the stranger.

Several moments passed before Reena finally spoke again. A mix of emotions flashed in her eyes—confusion, joy, and excitement—all of which only made everyone even more bewildered.

“Y-you’re here… You’re really real,” Reena murmured with a smile before losing consciousness. She even reached out, intending to touch the man's face, but she never got the chance to do so.