Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

Her glare, however, only seemed to excite him.

Ethan Crowe’s heart hammered in his chest as her shimmering, alluring eyes fixed on him, and his gaze darted away. "Y-you, don’t look at me like that."

’What? He interrupts my precious mealtime, and I’m not even allowed to glare at him to show my displeasure?’

Annoyed, Joanna Kennedy asked bluntly, "Who are you? Do I know you?"

Only then did Ethan Crowe remember to introduce himself. "I’m from Class 8 of the second year. We were in the same gym class last time." He had a sunny disposition and extended his hand in a friendly, gentle manner. "Even if you don’t know me, I know who you are. Hello, my name is Ethan Crowe."

’What does his name have to do with me?’

Joanna Kennedy let out a barely audible "mm," showing no intention of shaking his hand. Ethan Crowe awkwardly retracted his hand and searched for a new topic. "Jojo, it’s supposed to be class time right now. Why are you out here?"

After he said it, he met Joanna Kennedy’s indescribable expression and belatedly, and rather sheepishly, asked, "Is it okay if I call you that?"

"You may not," Joanna Kennedy stated flatly.

Ethan Crowe didn’t get angry. In fact, he found the deadpan way Joanna Kennedy rejected him to be incredibly lively and beautiful.

He asked with concern once more why she wasn’t in class. Joanna Kennedy, annoyed, shot back, "You’re not in class either."

"I’m excused," Ethan Crowe said truthfully.

The truth was, he had seen an angry Joanna Kennedy storm out of the school from his classroom window.

Joanna Kennedy had no interest in how he came to be here. "Oh."

Ethan Crowe: "..."

Joanna Kennedy’s coldness left him at a bit of a loss, but he hadn’t had all those girlfriends for nothing. He quickly found a new topic.

He was somewhat of a minor celebrity at First High; he knew a lot of people and, consequently, a lot of gossip.

Joanna Kennedy hadn’t intended to chat much with him, but now he had piqued her interest. "Lover’s Knoll? First High has a place like that? Hasn’t the dean shut it down yet?"

"Of course he’s tried. To stop students from dating, he even has the disciplinary committee go on patrol after the evening self-study session, waving their flashlights around to catch couples."

Seeing her interest, Ethan Crowe grew more animated, even sharing specific details. Joanna Kennedy teased, "Sounds like you’re speaking from experience..."

"Of course not!" Ethan Crowe quickly retorted. "I just heard it from other people. How could I possibly have experience with a place like that?"

Joanna Kennedy: "Oh."

Ethan Crowe: "..."

Seeing that Joanna Kennedy didn’t believe him, Ethan Crowe panicked, afraid that the gentle, older-student image he was trying to cultivate would be ruined.

His eyes shifted as a thought struck him. "My friend said they saw Simon Lockwood from your class at Lover’s Knoll yesterday."

"Simon Lockwood?" Joanna Kennedy’s chopsticks paused.

"Yeah, him," Ethan Crowe said with a strange inflection. "I heard there was a girl with him, a really pretty one. Probably his girlfriend."

It was too dark to tell if she was pretty or not; Ethan Crowe had just added that part to make Joanna Kennedy angry and disappointed in Simon Lockwood.

But it was a fact that Simon Lockwood had gone to Lover’s Knoll with someone, so he wasn’t completely lying.

Sure enough, Joanna Kennedy’s expression changed instantly. She stopped eating her malatang and asked furiously, "Was the girl Serena Sutton?!"

Who was Serena Sutton? Ethan Crowe had never heard the name, but seeing how furious Joanna was, he knew it was significant. He answered ambiguously, "From what my friend said... I think so, yeah."

BANG! Joanna Kennedy slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet, seething. By the time Ethan Crowe processed what was happening, she was already gone.

He hurried after her, only to be stopped by the manager at the entrance. "Hey, you two haven’t paid yet."

"What money?" Ethan Crowe asked, completely baffled.

The manager said impatiently, "For your meal. The total is 43."

Ethan Crowe: "..."

Under the manager’s suspicious gaze, his face flushed with embarrassment as he quickly pulled out his phone, scanned the code, and paid.

After that brief delay, the girl who occupied his thoughts was long gone.

Seeing a disappointed Ethan Crowe leave, Joanna Kennedy, who had been hiding around the corner, swaggered out.

It was his own fault for interrupting her meal; paying for it could be considered his apology. Joanna Kennedy felt not a shred of guilt, even as 166 called her shameless.

[You think he deliberately fabricated that juicy rumor about Simon Lockwood in front of me?] Joanna Kennedy felt she had uncovered the truth. [Tsk, tsk... men and their petty schemes...]

Unable to bear Joanna Kennedy’s smug expression any longer, 166 shattered her illusion: [He was telling the truth.]

Joanna Kennedy’s eyes widened.

166: [Detected that the male lead did indeed spend time at Lover’s Knoll last night.]

[With Serena Sutton?]

[No.]

[?]

’If it wasn’t Serena Sutton, then was there really some other girl? So that whole cold, icy act of his is just a front.’

A storm of emotions crossed Joanna Kennedy’s face, and 166 knew at once that she’d gotten the wrong idea. [A girl from the class next door made up an excuse to ask the male lead there and confess to him. The male lead didn’t know what Lover’s Knoll was.]

[This story adheres to a one-on-one relationship principle. All supporting male and female characters are merely insignificant stumbling blocks on the path of the main couple’s love,] it said deliberately.

Joanna Kennedy applauded.

166: [...]

Joanna Kennedy pulled out her phone, tapped the screen a few times, and found Simon Lockwood’s number. 166 asked warily, [What are you doing?]

[Someone went out of their way to come tattle on Simon Lockwood. I have to put on a proper show.]

Logically, now that she "knew" Simon Lockwood had gone to Lover’s Knoll late at night with Serena Sutton, she had to do something to stay in character.

So, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Joanna Kennedy made a call.

It rang a few times on the other end, but no one picked up.

’She glanced at the time—it was nearly 12:00, not during class. Simon Lockwood must be ignoring my call on purpose.’

[Simon Lockwood is a top student, you know,] 166 reminded her smugly.

’Why would a top student bring a phone to school?’

Joanna Kennedy pursed her lips. ’A top student who moonlights at a bar and has a rich nightlife,’ she thought.

Since he wasn’t picking up, she kept calling relentlessly. On the fifth try, the call was finally answered, but there was only silence on the other end.

Joanna Kennedy glanced at her phone, confirmed the call was connected, and immediately demanded, "Simon Lockwood, where were you last night!"

"What’s it to you?"

Joanna Kennedy pretended not to hear the coldness in his voice. "I know even if you don’t tell me!"

"Hah."

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

Her lips twitched, but her strong professional ethics compelled her to stay in character. "It was Serena Sutton, wasn’t it? Simon Lockwood, you have terrible taste!"

’To reject a rich heiress like me for a country bumpkin.’

Hearing this, Simon Lockwood understood what this young lady had misunderstood.

The whole affair was so meaningless and absurd that he had no desire to even explain himself.

Joanna Kennedy took his silence as a tacit admission, gritting her teeth as she spat out a threat: "I won’t let her get away with this!"

The line went dead. Joanna Kennedy’s final, furious words seemed to linger in the air. Simon Lockwood’s face darkened. After a long moment of silence, he stood up.

*

On a quaint street lined with antique shops, Joanna Kennedy finished her squid and clapped her hands clean. [We’re not there yet?]

was still processing why Joanna Kennedy had suddenly decided to go to the female lead’s house. It asked, [What are you planning to do?]

[To play my role as the villainess, of course.] Joanna Kennedy thought her little system was so naive. She explained magnanimously, [Right now, I consider Simon Lockwood to be my prize to win. Serena Sutton is blatantly trying to steal him from me, so naturally, I have to do what a good villainess is supposed to do~]