Taming the Bad Boy Was a Mistake Chapter 04

Taming the Bad Boy Was a Mistake Chapter 04 The Darkness meter

I tried to speak, but my throat felt stuffed with cotton. “Dylan, let me explain-it’s not what you think

“Not what?”

Dylan snapped his arm up, pointing at Simon, his eyes burning red. “Black hair. Gold-rimmed glasses Collar buttoned to the top. Natalie, when you looked at me this past year-who were you really seeing!”

“You made me do homework, forced me to practice writing, told me to talk soft and nice.

“And I fucking thought you were caring about me.”

“So you were just carving him into me this whole time?”

Every word hit me like a sledgehammer, smashing my head into a dizzy blur.

The System kept spamming in panic: [Holy crap on a cracker! This misunderstanding is catastrophic! Host, according to big data analysis, this kind of stand-in love story usually ends with the guy going full yandere-locking you up, or just straight-up killing you! The meter has gone off the charts!]

I was so desperate I nearly cried. “Dylan, that’s not true! Simon is just the neighbor’s son, we-”

“Enough.”

Dylan cut me off. He took a deep breath, like he was using every ounce of strength he had to hold back the urge to throw a punch.

He stared at me, long and hard.

His eyes held too many tangled feelings.

Disappointment, self-mockery, despair, and a flicker of dying love.

“Natalie, I hate nothing more than being played like a fool.”

“Since

you like him so damn much, fine. Your man will step aside. You’re welcome.”

With that, he turned and left.

Final. Clean. Not a hint of hesitation.

Only his tall back looked cold and lonely under the streetlights.

“Dylan!”

I tried to chase him instinctively, but Simon grabbed my arm.

“Nat, he’s emotionally unstable right now. You’ll get hurt if you go after him.” Simon looked at me with concern. “Go upstairs first. Explain tomorrow when he’s calmed down.”

I watched Dylan’s figure disappear into the darkness. My heart felt like someone had grabbed it and twisted-so painful I couldn’t breathe.

The System spoke up weakly. [Host, good news. The Annoyance meter is gone.]

1 froze, before I could feel happy.

The System continued. [Bad news. The Darkness meter has activated. Current progress: 100%.]

[And even worse news: Mission status… about to fail.]

I didn’t sleep a wink that night.

All I could see was Dylan’s final look.

I showed up at school the next day with huge dark circles.

The moment I stepped into the classroom, the atmosphere was suffocating.

That corner in the back row that had been empty for a year was occupied today.

Dylan was there.

But he wasn’t himself anymore.

His edgy silver-gray hair had vanished, replaced by smooth, tame jet-black short hair.

A pair of gold-rimmed glasses sat on his nose.

His uniform was perfect, zipper all the way up, cuffs buttoned neatly.

He sat there, holding a book, reading quietly.

At first glance, he looked exactly like a copy of Simon Sullivan.

He was even more refined and repressed than Simon.

The whole class barely dared to breathe. Everyone shrunk their necks, their terrified eyes darting back and forth between Dylan and me.

I stiffly walked to my seat-right in front of Dylan.

“D-Dylan?” I called tentatively.

Behind me came the sound of a page turning. Cold. Distant.

“Yes?”

His voice was gentle, flat, every rough edge of his real tone erased.

He was imitating Simon.

Perfectly.

A chill ran through my whole body. I turned around and looked at him. “Why… why are you dressed like this?”

Dylan raised his head: Behind the lenses, his eyes were utterly calm.

He pushed up his glasses, and a standard, polite smile curved his lips.