Chapter 7: Redo

And so, Valentine's Day finally came.

While Lian Hua had plans of her own, for me, this particular Valentine's Day held special significance.

It was my greatest chance to redo. This time, there's no one to confess to.

At least, that was the plan, but I found myself pulled into a weird group that Tong Xue was a part of. An alliance of disaffected and disgruntled guys, all armed with all manners of chocolates and flowers, and determined to bestow them upon whichever girl unfortunate enough to earn their affections.

"We'll do our best together!" Tong Xue roared. The other guys all chorused in agreement, except me, who sat at one corner, trying to minimize my profile and pretend that I didn't have anything to do with them. I cringed when I remembered how they had named themselves the Singles Solidarity Society – probably just so they could have the SSS abbreviation. Because it sounded cool, apparently.

These "friends" were partially the cause of my downfall in my previous life.

Oh, I should probably recap. In case you guys had forgotten, this whole mess started when I tried to confess to Shen Ai Qing, also known as the Green Carnation and one of the campus flowers, during Valentine's Day. Also equipped with a bouquet of flowers, I had presented them to her, only to be mercilessly shot down.

These "friends" were the same ones who cruelly mocked me for my failure, never mind they failed in their own endeavors. To be fair, even among them, I was the worst of the worst, a creepy stalker who had earned the ire of everybody, not just the girls. Quite honestly, I deserved what happened to me back then. But I was determined to change now. Anyway, back to my flashback before I get off track. Unable to withstand the humiliation, I ran out of school and onto the road. The rest, as they said, was history.

If only truck-kun sent me to a fantasy isekai instead of the underworld…

Right now, they were all offering false encouragement and support to each other with comradely grins, but I could see past their friendly facades and the wickedness underneath. Inwardly, they were all praying that their brothers-in-arms would fail, so that we could all bear the shame of unrequited love together. They reveled in each other's suffering, having adopted the mentality that, "If I can't have the girl I like, then no one else should too!"

Of course, ikemen like Gao Fu Shuai were an exception. He was too handsome and popular for us to attack. Not to mention, we would earn the enmity of the girls if we targeted him.

So we – the unpopular, the nerdy, the awkward, and the not-so-good-looking – were left to suffer together.

"Let's do it, brothers!"

"YEAH!"

I said nothing and simply nodded vaguely, going through with the motions to avoid suspicion. As everyone dispersed, Tong Xue swaggered over, doing his best to ensure his bouquet of roses didn't spill out of his hands.

"Where's your gifts?"

"My…gifts?" I repeated incredulously. "What gifts?"

"I thought you were going to try confessing to Shen Ai Qing."

"No way, I changed my mind." I recalled that, in my past life, I had boldly announced my plan to everyone in the Singles Solidarity Society, asking them to pray for my success. On hindsight, I realized they actually prayed that I failed, just so they could mock me. I couldn't believe that I had spent an entire month telling everyone who would listen that I had the perfect plan to confess. Whenever I remembered my embarrassing actions, I wanted to die again. "All this while, I was blind."

Tong Xue gave me a strange look. "You've been behaving…weirdly this past week, Ming Cong. It's as if you're a different person."

"How did you figure? I'm the same, I'm sure."

"Seriously, dude, stop the rhymes. You're freaking me out." He took a deep breath and glanced at Wang Mei Nu. She was a fairly pretty girl, part of Shen Ai Qing's entourage. Tong Xue had settled for confessing to her because he believed Shen Ai Qing herself to be too high of a hurdle. He figured that if he set his sights lower, he would have a higher chance of success. I wondered if I should inform him that he failed in my previous time around, but decided against it. He wouldn't believe me anyway, and I didn't want to discourage him. Let him learn the truth the hard way. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck."

I glanced over to check on Lian Hua, and she was making her preparations with Yun Shan by her side. They were doing girls' things, so it wasn't appropriate for me to intervene. I mentally willed her good luck, though I felt sorry for Yun Shan.

She really deserved better. However, it wasn't as if I could blame Lian Hua. No one could force her to change her alignment any more than moronic people shunning Yun Shan for being queer. I personally believed that love transcended all things, even gender. People were free to love whoever they wanted, regardless of race, ethnicity, identity, status or gender.

Sitting back, I munched on imaginary popcorn as I watched my classmates attempt their various Valentine's Day confessions. As I expected, Wang Mei Nu rejected Tong Xue's confession and he trudged back to his seat in front of me.

At least she took his flowers…though if my memory served me well, I would see that bouquet of roses in a trashcan later. Obviously, I had no intention of telling Tong Xue that.

"You all right?"

"Yeah." Tong Xue slumped on his seat, deflated. I reached out and patted him encouragingly.

"You did your best, buddy. Don't let your mood muddy."

"Dude…" Tong Xue gave me a look, then he barked out in laughter and shook his head. "Thanks for trying to distract me away from my misery."

"Don't mention it."

Sitting back, I glanced around the classroom. The other guys were making valiant efforts to convey their love, but they were all shot down without exception. For some reason, Shen Ai Qing were glancing in my direction and giggling, as if expecting me to do something. But I didn't.

After all my bluster over the past month, they were prepared to welcome my attempts to confess, only to crush me with a humiliating rejection. They found my behavior creepy, and they thought that was the most effective way to shut down any future attempts to pursue her. Not that I blame them.

In retrospect, I was being quite the…creepy stalker. Admittedly, a ruthless approach was the best measure to take against an oblivious guy like me.

Correction: A formerly oblivious guy like me. Now that I had experienced death, I was seeing my school life through a new pair of eyes.

Thank the heavens (or hell) that I had a chance to redo my school life. If I had any regrets, it was this very Valentine's Day. Now I wanted to avoid making the same mistakes that I did in my previous life.

Instead, I focused on my friends. With Tong Xue being shot down, the only other person of concern was Lian Hua. I spotted her timidly approaching Gao Fu Shuai, but the latter was currently surrounded by other girls.

Seeing the crowd of girls around Gao Fu Shuai increasing, Shen Ai Qing and her entourage made their move. Not wanting to lose to the others, they forced their way to the front. Shen Ai Qing's followers barked and pushed, knocking several of the girls aside. The shy Lian Hua was the foremost victim, almost sent flying when one of the girls deliberately shouldered her.

"Lian Hua!"

Yun Shan was the first to reach her side, catching hold of her before she could hit a desk. She glared at Shen Ai Qing's flunkies.

"Watch it! What do you think you're doing, pushing other people like that?"

"It's her fault for getting in the way," the girl replied snidely. As I said, I couldn't remember over half of my classmates' names, so I didn't know who she was. Given her attitude, I was glad I didn't bother. I didn't want her name to taint my memory.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Do you really need me to spell it out for you?" Another of Shen Ai Qing's followers sneered, looking down on the fallen Lian Hua, who was relying on Yun Shan. "Do you really think a mousy, plain bitch like you has the right to approach Gao Fu Shuai? Know your place."

"What?!" Yun Shan stormed.

"Now, now…" Gao Fu Shuai chose to intervene. "Please don't fight, girls."

"Did you see what happened?" Yun Shan snapped. "Are you not going to say anything?"

"I…" Gao Fu Shuai glanced at Shen Ai Qing, who was standing shoulder to shoulder with her larger group of friends. "…I don't think I should be taking sides."

"What sides? They're clearly in the wrong!"

"Yeah! What gives them the right?" Another one of the girls that Shen Ai Qing's gang had shoved aside complained, only to quail when the Green Carnation shot her a glare.

"We're more beautiful than you," one of Shen Ai Qing's followers said. Their leader puffed out her chest, looking down on the others arrogantly while Gao Fu Shuai wasn't looking in her direction.

Typical green tea bitch. Why was this sounding more and more like a typical Chinese web novel…oh, wait. Never mind.

"Not in my opinion," I said as I rose from my desk, standing by Yun Shan's side and defending Lian Hua. Everyone in class stared at me in shock. "You're just a small minion."

"Excuse me?"

"Inner beauty's more important. You focus too much on good looks. Those will be gone in an instant. Your nature's a fail in my books."

"Are you seriously rapping right now? In these circumstances?" Yun Shan hissed to me. I shrugged.

"If not now, then when? After the foes bend?"

Personally, I wondered if this was a good idea. My hopes of making more friends were dwindling away by the second, especially when I found myself scrutinized intensely by everyone in class. Even so, I refused to abandon the friends who I had already made for supposedly possible ones in the future.

"That's enough," Gao Fu Shuai said. He glared hard at me. "You've gone too far. Apologize to Shen Ai Qing and the others."

"Don't worry, I will. But only after they apologize to Lian Hua and the others first."

"You must be kidding! Why do we have to apologize?"

"Are you serious? You knocked them down. They are furious. Your sins come round."

"Can you stop talking in rhymes and start being serious?!" Another of Shen Ai Qing's followers, Wang Mei Nu, snapped impatiently. "We can hardly understand a thing you say!"

"All right. Let me put it plainly." I sighed and shook my head. "You push people around and almost hurt them, but you're behaving like the victims now? So you can push your classmates and knock them over, but not have to apologize to them, but I've to apologize to you because my bluntness wounded your pride? What sort of logic is that?"

"That was just an accident," Gao Fu Shuai interrupted. "But you deliberately insulted others, Ming Cong. Don't you think you've gone too far?"

"Do you not apologize to people when you accidentally hit them?" I rolled my eyes in disbelief. "If you brush it off like nothing happened, is that not something they would condemn?"

"No, that's…" Gao Fu Shuai hesitated, glancing at Shen Ai Qing. She seized the chance to latch onto his arm, bursting into tears.

"Gao Fu Shuai…I'm sorry, we didn't mean to…it was just an accident. We got careless…"

"See?" Gao Fu Shuai turned back to me. "They didn't mean it. Shen Ai Qing is feeling so guilty over it."

Was he really this thick, or was he simply pretending and going along with Shen Ai Qing?

"If she's really feeling guilty, why is she apologizing to you and not the other girls?" I asked in exasperation. Gao Fu Shuai scowled.

"Aren't you splitting hairs now?"

Shen Ai Qing continued to sob loudly, perfectly fulfilling her green tea bitch role. The other girls watched her in dismay, even as her followers formed a wall between them and their leader. Gao Fu Shuai paid no attention to the others, focusing solely on the crying girl clinging to him.

Guy was probably enjoying having a girl embrace him intimately, so he didn't care

"Don't worry, Ai Qing. Come, I'll bring you to the infirmary."

"Classmate Gao Fu Shuai, wait! We have…" One of the other girls not in Shen Ai Qing's group began, but he silenced her with a glare.

"Can't you see Shen Ai Qing is distraught? Now's not the time."

The other girls fell silent and watched Gao Fu Shuai escort Shen Ai Qing away. They were trailed by the latter's entourage, a group of pseudo bodyguards who helped their leader keep her love rivals at bay.

Poor Lian Hua could only watch in dismay.

"I…"

She was on the verge of tears, clutching her box of chocolates tightly. Turning to Yun Shan, who was trying to help her, she shook her head.

"I guess that's it, then. I was stupid. Sorry for dragging you into this, Yun Shan. I even had you help me make these chocolates…but looks like everything's going to waste."

She crushed the prettily decorated package and rose shakily to her feet, heading for the trash bin. However, I barred her path.

"It'll be a waste to throw those magnificent chocolates away. Perhaps you should give them to someone who didn't lead you astray."

Lian Hua blinked, her eyes still moist, and smiled weakly. She held them up for me.

"Do you want the chocolates then, Ming Cong?"

"As much as I do, I'm just a loser. Perhaps you should look at someone closer."

"Huh?"

I subtly inclined my head toward the worried looking Yun Shan, who was busily checking her bespectacled buddy for injuries. Lian Hua's eyes widened when she received the hint. Smiling, she turned to her best friend and offered the chocolates to her.

"Do you want them, Yun Shan? I know this isn't much of a surprise, and you already tried some of them when you helped me make them, but…"

"Are you kidding? I would love them!" This time, it was Yun Shan's turn to tear up, her eyes brimming with moisture. She grinned and eagerly accepted the crumpled box of chocolates from Lian Hua, clutching her hands affectionately. "I know how much effort you put into making them. And they were delicious! I'll be happy to eat them in that bastard's place!"

"Thank you." Lian Hua lowered her head slightly. She turned to me. "And thank you too, Ming Cong. I really appreciate you standing up for us."

"I didn't do anything. In fact, I did nothing."

"That's not true." Yun Shan also turned to stare at me. She jerked her head toward the rest of the class. "You're the only other person who spoke up for us."

"I couldn't stand the injustice. So I thought it was good practice."

"You really should stop that."

"Sorry." I chuckled and stepped back, allowing Yun Shan some time alone with Lian Hua. Before I could return to my seat, however, someone cleared her throat at the door to our classroom.

Everyone immediately fell silent. When I whirled around to see our visitor, I understood why such a hushed atmosphere had fallen over the classroom.

Shu Hong Qiu was standing in the doorway, a small package of chocolates in her hand.