From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 107: A Place To Lean

Chapter 107: A Place To Lean

Darcy stood still, his gaze cast downward as the early morning sunlight spread across the training grounds. The faint breeze moved the hem of his uniform, but he barely noticed. Words still echoed in his ears, sharp, accusing words hurled at him by strangers who knew nothing of his life. Rumours? he had heard worse. He was not bothered.

His family situation had always made him prone to gossip. People hated it when someone they deemed ’socially beneath them’ succeeded. They could never accept that someone with less money or status might receive more praise, more achievement, and more admiration. So they belittled. They gossiped. They made up reasons for his success.

Darcy had long stopped responding. What good did it do? Let them talk.

He wasn’t going to answer them, not because he couldn’t prove his innocence, but because they didn’t matter. Not really.

At that time, all that was on his mind was, of course, Micah.

He hadn’t had a close friend in years. Not since his father passed away and his world went upside down. The move to a cheaper district, the change in schools, the slow fading of old friendships, he had never truly recovered. Nora, on the other hand, had easier than he did. She was at that age where she could blend in more with her peers.

But for him, with everything else weighing on his shoulders, the bills, his mother’s health, the way his younger sister clung to him like a shadow, trusting him to hold their small family together, how could he have the luxury of thinking about friends, let alone time to make any?

And when he showed promise in mathematics, winning a scholarship to a prestigious high school, it only got worse.

The students there, wealthy, polished, and spoiled, looked down on him, like a stray dog that had wandered into their mansion. The teachers praised him. The girls giggled and fussed around him. That only fueled the resentment.

Darcy swallowed hard.

After all that, he thought he had finally made a friend, someone who wouldn’t look at his clothes or bank account before deciding who he was.

But then Micah hid his illness. That secrecy hit him like a wake-up call. He realised bitterly that he had projected more onto Micah than just friendship.

A true friend wouldn’t be offended just because someone hid an illness. He would just scold him and leave it at that. But Darcy felt he wanted to do more than just scold Micah.

He wanted to know why. Why didn’t he trust him? Why wasn’t he the first person Micah turned to? Why did he let others help him but not Darcy? Why had it felt like a betrayal? And worst of all, why had he felt so jealous of Emile?! Why did he want to be more powerful? wealthier? Why did he want so badly to be someone Micah could lean on?

Darcy exhaled slowly.

He had tried to keep his distance this morning, hoping to bury those emotions. To push them down. But then Micah stepped toward him again. Like always, defended him like it was instinct. At that time, Darcy’s eyes had filled with relief at hearing Micah’s voice. Yeah. He shouldn’t be in a hurry to agonise over these unfamiliar feelings. Micah would always find his way toward him. Darcy’s eyes darkened.

"Hey, we will be late. Let’s go." Micah said beside him, his voice light but edged with concern.

Darcy blinked, snapping out of his daze. His eyes flickered to Micah’s face, warm hazel eyes stared back at him, full of worry.

He concealed his emotions and hummed in agreement as he walked beside Micah.

Micah glanced sideways at him as they walked. "You shouldn’t care about what they said. I promise you I’ll dig into it. The whole thing sounds fishy to me. We have only been in uni for two days, and these kinds of rumours are already flying. That’s not just a coincidence."

Darcy stopped. "Why are you so sure it’s not true?"

Micah was taken aback. It was a fair question, really. For a moment, he just stared at Darcy, speechless. Objectively, they hadn’t known each other long, barely a month. Was it really logical for him to jump so quickly to Darcy’s defence?

Anyone would find it strange. But logic didn’t apply here. Micah knew. He had seen him. Not just the version standing here now, but the Darcy from the novel, wounded, noble, stubbornly kind to a fault.

Darcy, the protagonist, was the most miserable character in the novel. At least until Micah turned twenty, he had lived like a prince in Ramsy’s family. But Darcy, after learning the truth about their birth switch, rather than living like a young master, was targeted by those degenerated gongs, losing even what he himself had achieved.

Darcy had never once argued with the fake heir. Never demanded that he had to be thrown out of Ramsy’s family. Never took what was rightfully his by force.

Micah knew all the hardships Darcy went through. So how could he believe those baseless rumours, that Darcy was a backstabber, an opportunist, a suck-up?

But he couldn’t tell Darcy these reasons.

So instead, he smiled faintly and looked Darcy in the eye.

"I’m confident in my judgment. I can tell the difference between someone genuine and someone fake, who is real and who is just putting on a show. And I trust what I see more than the words of a coward hiding behind an anonymous online account."

Darcy’s fingers twitched. He clenched his fist, struggling to suppress the crashing wave of emotions threatening to drown out his logic.

"I hope you won’t regret saying that," Darcy murmured, his voice hoarse.

"Ha! You’re underestimating me!" Micah grinned.

"Well, from what I can tell, you were a loner too before you met me," Darcy said, his lips lifting into a smirk.

"Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?" Micah said, his eyes wide.

Darcy shrugged. "I speak based on facts. You didn’t have anyone to play games with except your cousin. You never once mentioned any friend before, and ever since Nora’s accident, you’ve only ever hung out with me."

Micah let out a groan, his eyes darting away. "Touché!"

"Well, at least you have me now," Darcy turned toward him, a gentle smile softening his dark eyes.

Micah punched his arms lazily. "Thanks, jerk! Way to remind me how pathetic I am!"

Darcy’s smile widened. Right now, he didn’t care about sorting those unfamiliar feelings. For now, none of it mattered. Not as long as Micah stood beside him, casually joking with him and flashing that beautiful grin.