Chapter 16

On the big screen and in movies, men have always been described as being more aggressive. Whenever there is a case of bullying, it would usually be a big bulky guy from the sport team or someone with a better physique being the bully. They always tend to be violent in nature, punching and dealing physical damage to the bullied. The victims would then have scratches and bruises due to the harassment.

However, according to researches, females are as aggressive, just in a different way. While male bullies can have totally different backgrounds, their female counterparts are usually those with high power in society. Female bullies would spread lies, misconceptions and psychological manipulation to their surroundings in order to keep the bullied out from certain social circles, causing them to suffer from emotional drawbacks, loneliness, and isolation.

One particularly interesting about female bullies is that instead of lashing out at others because they have no empathy towards their victims like male bullies, they know exactly how it feels like, thus making it easier for them to inflict more pain as possible to their targets.

In short, they are the queens, and intend to stay forever as queens.

In the Magic Academy, there exists one queen, who triumphs above all female students, Bianca.

That dangerous person is now purposely targeting Sam.

As Lily is walking with Sam down the hospital hallway, her fingers are linked with his right hand. Linking it on the other side is kind of hard for him to look at her. She wants him to be able to see her by his side always. Although Sam does not want to have such intimacy, especially when they are about to exit the hospital, Lily's teary eyes shut him off very easily.

"Hey hey Sam!" She calls his name.

"Hm?" He turns his head towards her.

Lily then shows him their fingers being intertwined with each other. Her azure eyes sparkle with twinkling stars.

"I wish this moment would last forever, you know. Just us two being together. Without any one to interupt us."

"I don't."

"What do you mean you don't!" She pouts. But with half of Lily's face still under the mask, he can not see her pouting at all.

"Hahaha. Just a joke! Don't worry about it." He laughs. His right eye remains unchanged.

Seeing that, Lily feels like as if her heart is being torn open. She would feel less painful if he was to decline everything she said. Just like back in those 7 years.

If Sam stayed true to his old personality, it would mean that he was still the same person. But Sam said that it was a joke. He never made any jokes related to the emotions of anyone. The topic of affection has always been sensitive to Sam.

He has changed. Whether the change is good or bad, it is very debatable.

She should be feeling good about it, since Sam is now at least thinking of what she feels like. But she knows that he is forcing it through his eye.

Knowing him for such a long time, she understands his facial expression like her own home.

"Do you love me Sammy?" Lily already knows the answer when she asks. But she wants to see the way Sam answers.

A little suprised, the young man stands in his place. After thinking for a few seconds, he replies with no hesitation.

"No."

Then why do you care what I think. She says so in her own head.

If she did, he would have said anything along the line of "Because you are a friend."

Though it is good to some extent, Lily does not want that one bit. To her, hearing him talking about giving her the slightest bit of attention because she has known him for years is no different from giving a beggar a few coins after seeing them so many times.

Lily sighs in relief after Sam's rejection once again.

"One day, I will get you to say yes."

"Hahaha."

"Don't to laugh it off. I mean it!"

"Hahaha."

"Seriously though, don't joke about something like that anymore. Just say what you think."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. No matter what you feel, I'll always accept it. Be it love, or hate. I just want you to be clear about what your heart wants. Please?"

At this point, Lily's voice is already breaking up. Her hand struggles to hold on tightly. But she does not let it go. As if he would disappear if she were to do that.

Looking at Lily, Sam nods.

"Thank you. Truly. Thank you."

The worst thing anyone can give to someone that has steeled their nerves to confess is none other than kindness.

Kindness is free.

Love is not. It needs sacrifices.

People can spread kindness anytime and anywhere like it is a plague.

Love can not. It needs time to develop, no difference than a sapling. Love is two extremes at a same time. One is selflessness, the other side is filled with selfishness. Both exist simultaneously like faces of a coin.

As for kindness, it is simply just glorified charity. It creates false hope between a relationship. And false hope destroys a person both mentally and physically. Sam is a prime example of that.

Lily clearly does not want to experience such hope. Which is why she begs him to say what he really feels like.

If he is rejecting her, she wants it to be quick to the chase.

If he is not, well then everything is nice and dandy.

Still, Lily understands her crush to a certain level.

It has only been 2 days since he was officially rejected, how could he behave like nothing has happened. How could anyone in their right mind would?

An unreciprocated love for 12 years and it was just shattered in to a billion pieces without any hope of melding it back together.

Lily has been with Sam for 7 years. Her number of confessions would be at least ten times. Everytime she did so, he would say a stern no.

He did not give her false hope. Sam did not give her any hope at all.

But that was why she was mostly attracted to him. His tattered body, his will to work it out just to be able to stand next to his ex-crush. He left no place for others inside his heart, but he showed that straight to them.

If he really did take in her confession, or even say anything along the line of "I would be with you if I were not in love." Lily would still have feelings for him, just not as strong as she would be right now. Actually her affection towards him would be reduced drastically.

As for Sam circumstances, it was actually much more cruel. Before the rejection got to him, Marie was already showing him her deep passionate kiss with the Hero. If Lily had a promise to marry Sam in the future but saw Sam kissing someone else before rejecting her thoroughly, she would have just killed that girl on the spot then Sam and then herself. It takes a person extreme self control and an incredible amount of will to not go mad at that instance.

Nonetheless, Sam's current state is not something to be taken lightly.

Lily is here for his comfort.

She wants to help him get rid of that burden, even if it is just for a little bit.