They Forgot Me 99 Times, I Won’t Give Them a 100th Chance Chapter 03

They Forgot Me 99 Times, I Won’t Give Them a 100th Chance Chapter 03

On the day we took our graduation photos, the sun baked the university lawn.

I’d just put on my graduation gown when I saw Kael walking over with four bouquets.

Adrian’s was sunflowers.

Julian’s was white roses.

Sienna’s was pink tulips.

His own was baby’s breath.

The flowers were blessings, and also props for the photos later.

I looked down at my hands.

Empty again.

I murmured, “Ninety-one.”

Kael noticed my disappointment. His smile paused for a moment.

“The shop had a promotion. Four bouquets got a discount.”

“I meant to buy you one separately, but I got busy and forgot.”

After he said that, he turned and saw a cluster of white lilacs blooming by the road.

He casually broke off a branch and held it out to me.

The stem was snapped hastily, the leaves still drooping.

“Here. You like white lilacs, don’t you?”

Nearby classmates looked over. Everyone had flowers from friends or family.

Forget it.

Having something was better than nothing.

I took the branch.

“Thank you.”

Kael immediately let out a breath of relief.

“See? That’s better. Our Freya is the most understanding one.”

When it was time for the group photo of the five of us, Sienna stood in the center.

Adrian straightened her graduation cap.

Julian tucked the hair falling beside her face behind her ear.

Kael crouched down and carefully fixed her windblown skirt.

I stood to the side like a stranger who’d joined at the last minute.

The photographer waved and called out,

“Squeeze in closer.”

I’d just shifted half a step toward Kael when someone bumped into Sienna from behind.

Kael caught her on reflex.

The shutter clicked right then.

In the instant the photo froze, the four of them were pressed tightly together.

Only I was half a step away.

Ninety-two.

The last graduation group photo. I’d thought it would be a keepsake I could take with me.

After the photos, Adrian suddenly took out four graduation bears.

Each doll wore a graduation gown for its corresponding major.

Sienna’s eyes lit up with joy.

“Adrian, when did you prepare these?”

“A month ago.”

Adrian smiled and handed her the doll.

“Didn’t you say you wanted what other people had?”

I looked at the empty bag in his hand.

“Where’s mine?”

The second I asked, I felt pathetic for even asking.

Adrian frowned.

“When I placed the order, you hadn’t told me your major in the chat.”

“Do you really need me to remind you in a group chat what my major is? You’re my own brother!”

He was stumped.

Julian stepped in to smooth things over.

“The shop already closed custom orders.”

“Freya, you don’t like dolls. If I bought you one, it would just collect dust.”

It was always like this.

If they didn’t prepare one for me, it was because I didn’t like it.

If they forgot to ask me, it was because I hadn’t said something in advance.

They could always find a reason to prove being left out was my own fault.

It was fine. Ninety-three.

That afternoon, the college opened the graduation memorial display wall.

A friend looked at the photo Sienna had submitted.

The title was “Four People’s Four Years of College.”

My friend asked, confused,

“Freya, aren’t you the closest to them?”

“You’re with them every day. Why aren’t you in the photos on the memorial wall? And since when did your little group become four people?”

Sienna nervously gripped the hem of her shirt.

Julian explained for her first.

“Freya doesn’t like having her picture taken.”

Adrian casually added,

“She often skips group events.”

I stared at them.

Was it that I didn’t like having my picture taken?

For four years of college, I was their photographer, so I was always missing from the photos.

Because they always said I took the best pictures.

The albums held every year of them growing from awkward to mature.

Only I was absent.

It wasn’t that I didn’t join.

It was that I, the person standing behind the camera, had never been remembered by them.

Ninety-four.

That night, back at the dorm, I took off the couple bracelet from my wrist.

A second later, Kael’s message came through.

[I felt you take off the bracelet. Are you still mad about the flowers?]

[I even plucked white lilacs for you. Don’t throw a fit over a bouquet.]

I replied calmly.

[I’m not.]

People who truly want to leave are calm.