From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 46: A Smile Too Bright

Chapter 46: A Smile Too Bright

After an intense hour of gaming, Darcy logged off, the screen dimming as his avatar disappeared, leaving Micah alone with his cousin.

"Damn! That was the best hour of my life!" Cora exclaimed, a wide grin on her face.

Micah took a deep breath and yanked the headset off, tossing it onto the desk. His limbs stretched out in every direction, his back arching slightly as he groaned in satisfaction.

"Yeah...see, that’s how you help a teammate level up! Take notes. Not like your style! Always running off to do your own thing and getting me killed."

He rolled his shoulder, his eyes flickered toward her with a smirk on his lips.

Cora’s jaw dropped dramatically as she turned toward him.

"Excuse me?! Are you seriously comparing me to DarkVyne?! The legendary DarkVyne? Come on, I am not even in the same league! I admit that."

Micah narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Wait a minute. Why aren’t you bickering with me right now?!"

She sighed, hugging a pillow, her eyes dreamy.

"Isn’t obvious? He is so perfect, mysterious, sharp, confident, dreamy! I mean, Who could top that kind of presence?!"

Micah grumbled. "Ugh... This is officially the last time I have teamed up with you! Where is the tough, sharp-tongued cousin I know? You have turned into a puddle of cheese!"

Cora snorted, throwing the pillow at him.

"Oh, shut up."

Micah dodged the pillow and stood up.

"Where are you off to now?" Cora asked.

"Shopping."

"Really? Have fun."

"You’re coming with me," he said, walking toward the door.

She blinked.

"What? Why?"

"I need to buy a gift. For a girl around your age. I need your opinion."

Cora’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Uhhh.... You are so frustrating! Ordering me left and right like I am your lackey. But wait, tell me who is this girl?! She better be an adult! If She is underage! I swear Micah, don’t get yourself thrown in jail!"

Micah turned back, making a face.

"No way! What are you thinking? She is my friend’s little sister. Her birthday is coming up."

Cora relaxed slightly. "Okay, let’s go. I have streaming tonight. This better be quick."

The shopping trip was anything but quick.

By the time they were done, the backseat and trunk of Micah’s car were overflowing with bags from at least six different stores.

Cora dropped into the passenger’s seat, sipping a bubble tea Micah had bribed her with.

"Just you know, you owe me. Big time."

Micah chuckled but didn’t reply. He glanced at the dress bag tucked subtly beneath the pile. It wasn’t for the girl they discussed. That had been partially a lie.

Of course, he had picked something nice for Nora. But most of the shopping had been for himself. Specifically, for the upcoming Friday fan meeting. Micah had rummaged through his special wardrobe earlier and realised to his horror, that all his girl clothes were tight and short, mostly cosplay. He needed something subtle, cute but ordinary. Casual enough to blend in. The idea of going alone to shop for dresses and accessories had made his skin crawl. What if someone recognised him?

It would be embarrassing.

Rumours would explode. Having Cora around was a safe cover.

And don’t talk about shopping online. It would take ages to arrive. He was in a rush.

Once Micah dropped her off, he drove across the city, heading to the address Darcy had sent earlier.

It was a wholesale building, quiet and tucked away behind a set of delivery trucks. Micah parked at a distance, the sleek shine of his car already drawing attention in the work-worn neighbourhood. He didn’t want to stir gossip or cause trouble for Darcy, who stood with two other men, talking.

He stayed inside, pulling out his phone and sending quick messages.

After a few minutes, Darcy found the car and slipped in.

"You must be tired, here"

Micah said, handing a chilled bottle of orange juice to him.

Darcy unscrewed the cap and drank deeply, the coolness instantly refreshing him. He exhaled.

"Thanks, so what is this about?!"

Micah hesitated, fingers tightening slightly on the steering wheel.

"Well, my appearance that night...it was not exactly a coincidence..."

Darcy’s expression hardened as he stared at Micah.

"I went there looking for you..." Micah said softly.

"Why? Did you know me before?" Darcy asked dryly.

Micah let out a frustrated noise.

"No, well, yes. Ah! How to say it... I went there because of my mother. She is a professor at CQ uni. She is big on scouting talented people. There was a meeting with you... but because of me, she missed it. I had never seen her this excited before... so, I tried to figure out who are you... wanting to see you... Maybe convince you to meet her..."

"Wait, are you talking about Professor Palmer?" Darcy interrupted, his expression shifted slowly, the tension melting away.

"Yeah..." Micah nodded.

Darcy frowned, clearly mulling something over.

"couldn’t you just wait until the semester started? I would have seen her then..."

"Well, there is this rivalry going on between my mum and another professor. I was afraid you would get recruited by him first."

Micah admitted sheepishly.

"Anyway, my mum asked me to see if you are free tomorrow. She wanted to meet you personally."

Darcy felt silent. Of course, he found Micah’s sudden appearance in his neighbourhood suspicious. But at that time, Micah’s help mattered more than the questions he had. Now learning it was all because of his mother, his perspective shifted. His regard for Micah rose a notch higher.

"Okay."

Micah flashed a warm smile at him and started the car.

"Great. Uh, you wanna grab something to eat?"

Darcy shook his head.

"Next time. My mum and sister are waiting for me."

"Sure. Home it is." Micah said and drove off.

*****

The next day, Micah was on pins and needles, anticipating the moment Darcy and Elina met each other. He barely slept, constantly on edge.

"Is he there already?" Elina asked as they pulled into the special parking lot reserved for faculty.

Micah checked his phone. "Yeah, he is at the entrance."

Elina gave him a sideways glance.

"Why are you so nervous?"

"No, I am not."

"Don’t lie to me. Since waking up, you have been pacing around the house, fidgeting with the sleeves of your shirt, biting your nails, or tapping your fingers against your leg. Right now, you are shaking your leg like a rattle."

Micah let out a nervous laugh.

"Maybe I am a bit scared for your reputation, your son is an art student and fashion major, wouldn’t that be humiliating?"

"Please! Don’t think I am stupid. You don’t care about that. If you did, you would have picked finance or law, anything other than art."

Elina rolled her eyes.

"Come on. Spill it." she leaned in.

Micah turned his head toward the window, not answering.

"Oh, is related to him?!"

Elina hummed knowingly.

Then she gasped dramatically.

"No way, do you have a crush on him or something?!"

"Mum! Stop teasing me!"

Micah snapped and got out of the car.

Elina burst out laughing behind him.

Micah walked toward the main gate of uni, scanning the surroundings. He spotted Darcy standing under a tree. He jogged toward him.

Before he could call Darcy, the young man lifted his head and looked his way. The detached expression on his face turned to warmth. He smiled.

Micah faltered. That smile was like sunlight cutting through the fog. For a moment, the world blurred around him. His mind flashed to a paragraph in the novel, the one that described Darcy’s smile as disarming, radiant, a rare warmth in a cold world.

Micah came to an abrupt stop, dazed, and accidentally bumped his shoulder with a passerby.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his attention solely on Darcy. That smile... Micah’s chest tightened.

He shouldn’t let him smile like that at those unhinged, possessive Gongs. It was too dangerous.

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