Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

Joanna Kennedy lowered her gaze, staring at the 99+ notifications on her phone. The few seconds of silence in the air felt strangely suffocating.

didn’t say anything else. It knew Joanna Kennedy understood.

A knock on the door brought Joanna Kennedy back to her senses. She opened it to find the two girls who lived downstairs.

"Hey there," one of them, a cute girl with a round face, said. "Want to stay up with us for the New Year’s countdown tonight?"

Her name was Audrey Reilly, and beside her was her childhood friend, Mina. Both were orphans who had grown up together in an orphanage. Every year during the New Year’s holiday—a time for family reunions—the two would travel somewhere together.

Mina was shy and just smiled at Joanna Kennedy.

They didn’t know why this beautiful girl, who looked so young, was at this guesthouse all alone and away from her family on such a special holiday. Nor did they plan to ask.

Everyone has their secrets.

In any case, on a special holiday like this, it would be more festive for people with nowhere else to go to stay up for the countdown together.

Joanna Kennedy didn’t refuse and followed the two of them downstairs.

’I’d almost forgotten,’ she thought. ’This is already the third year.’

The two boys hadn’t gone home either. The group went to a small supermarket nearby and bought a lot of snacks and drinks, as well as all sorts of fireworks.

When it was time to pay, the pain Joanna Kennedy felt in her wallet was written all over her face.

’I mean, seriously, are fireworks this expensive now? A few sparklers cost twenty bucks!’

’Twenty bucks! Even a landlord wouldn’t dare charge that much!’

Fortunately, upon learning that Joanna Kennedy had just turned eighteen and was still a senior in high school, the four twenty-somethings were incredibly sweet to her. They all said that the "kid" should just have fun and insisted she not pay for anything.

Joanna Kennedy wasn’t shy. She immediately started thanking her "big brothers" and "big sisters," her words sweet as honey. The sudden change left the four of them stunned.

The husband and wife who owned the shop made dumplings. The group sat together, ate the dumplings, had a few drinks, and the sky slowly darkened.

Completely satisfied, Joanna Kennedy carried a bag full of fireworks out into the courtyard.

She had specifically changed into a long, black down jacket and put on its hood, bundling herself up so that only her small, pale face was visible.

Lanterns lit up the courtyard.

A sparkler lit up in her hand, its brilliant colors reflecting in her eyes. At that inopportune moment, she thought of Simon Lockwood.

’How is he spending tonight, all alone?’

’He probably won’t be eating dumplings. I guess he’ll just have a simple meal like any other day, then sit at his old desk doing practice tests.’

’He can’t still be working his part-time job, right? Hahaha, that would be too heartless.’

Audrey Reilly called out to her, telling her to light one of the big fireworks—the kind that shoot up into the sky and explode. Joanna Kennedy eagerly went to light it.

The first was a dud. The second shot into the sky, and with a muffled BANG, the firework burst apart, scattering CRACKLING clusters of light that illuminated a patch of the sky and everyone’s faces on the ground.

Everyone was smiling—everyone except the tall, slender figure standing silently in the distance.

The man’s features were handsome and cool, but a storm of emotions churned in his eyes. His lips, neither thick nor thin, were pressed into a tight line. He walked very slowly, like a weary traveler who had finally found his way home.

The sounds of laughter from all around faded away. One after another, fireworks bloomed into showers of golden floral rain in the sky, dissipating behind the man.

The smile on Joanna Kennedy’s face froze completely. A flood of emotions washed over her, but they were ultimately suppressed by an even stronger sense of confusion.

’Heavens, is this the power of a novel’s male lead? Can someone please tell me how the hell Simon Lockwood found this place!’

She frantically screamed for 166 in her mind. 166 was also lost in shock and completely unable to answer her question, only repeating numbly: [Something must have gone wrong. Something must have gone wrong...]

’How could the male lead possibly be so fixated on a mere villainess that he’d chase her all the way here?!’

But Joanna Kennedy couldn’t worry about all that. Her heart was pounding. As Simon Lockwood drew closer, she was gradually overcome with guilt and panic.

She wanted to run, but her feet felt rooted to the spot, completely unable to move.

’What do I do? What do I do? As the male lead, isn’t Simon Lockwood supposed to be cold and heartless?! Why did he actually come looking for me?!’

’The plot has gone so off the rails, even its own author wouldn’t recognize it! I’m just a villainess meant to follow the script! How am I supposed to correct the plot now?’

’Help! Can someone please teach me what to do?!’

Joanna Kennedy really had to admire herself. Even at a time like this, she was still thinking about completing her mission. You could call it true dedication. Too bad her system was so useless.

It listlessly offered a piece of useless nonsense: [You... you should calm him down first.]

[And after he’s calm?!]

went silent again.

Joanna Kennedy fought back the urge to curse. The smile was still frozen on her lips, but her eyes were full of guilt, creating a comical sight.

As he got closer, she finally saw the bloodshot veins in Simon Lockwood’s eyes—the kind that only appeared after a long time without rest.

Simon Lockwood stopped. His Adam’s apple bobbed twice. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then swallowed the words back down.

His lowered hand trembled slightly, but he still reached out, cautiously and tentatively, to touch the girl’s pale cheek. The touch was cool, but it was a real, solid feeling.

Under the light of the fireworks, Simon Lockwood pulled her tightly into his arms. He lowered his head, burying his chin in the crook of her neck.

Joanna Kennedy could feel his ragged breathing, so hot it made her flinch instinctively, only to be held even tighter. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Why didn’t you answer your phone?" he asked a few seconds later, his voice hoarse. It wasn’t an accusation, but sounded more like simple, genuine confusion.

"I... I didn’t see it," Joanna Kennedy said dryly.

"I called you many times. And sent you a lot of messages," Simon Lockwood said. "You didn’t reply to any of them."

Joanna Kennedy was about to make another excuse when Simon Lockwood spoke again, his voice bitter. "Joanna Kennedy, were you... lying to me all this time?"

Joanna Kennedy’s eyes widened slightly, her eyelashes trembling.

Simon Lockwood continued, "You don’t... actually like me that much, do you?"

That’s why she could keep the trouble at home a secret, run off to this place all by herself, and watch him search for her like a headless chicken, completely ignoring him.

In her mind, 166 was frantically spitting out gibberish. Joanna Kennedy started to panic too, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. "No, that’s not it! I do like you! I just... I just..."

’Just what...’

Joanna Kennedy’s eyes lit up. She forced a sob into her voice. "I was just... afraid of losing you..."

Simon Lockwood froze.

Joanna Kennedy’s voice was thick with tears. "Simon Lockwood, my family went bankrupt. I have no money now. I was afraid you’d use this as a chance to leave me. I know you don’t really like me, that you’re only with me because I threatened you..."

’No, that hasn’t been true for a long time...’ Simon Lockwood wanted to argue, but the words caught in his throat.

"I know I’m terrible, and now I don’t even have a home." Joanna Kennedy was still crying, her voice trembling as she stammered, "Simon Lockwood, please don’t leave me, okay...?"

She was crying pitifully, but in her heart, she was chanting: ’Reject me! Reject me!’

Until Simon Lockwood’s deep, emotion-filled voice sounded by her ear with a single word: "Okay."

The last sliver of hope in her heart finally died.

"Huh...? Huh?" Joanna Kennedy forgot to even keep crying. "What did you say?"

But Simon Lockwood only thought she was feeling insecure. A wave of bitterness washed over his heart, and he gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Joanna Kennedy, don’t worry. I won’t leave you."