After My College Bully Became My Lover

To celebrate reaching the finals, I decided to treat my roommates to a buffet. Juliana Webb piled her plates high with various meats, pastries, and some fried chicken tenders and fries.

"Singing really drains your energy. These should help you recover. Kate, you should have some more," she urged, sliding the plates in my direction.

I've never been a fan of pastries, but in my past life, I gave in to her persistent encouragement and indulged in a lot of sweets, leading to weight gain and even diabetes. This time, I nudged the plate back towards her.

"Let's agree on this: whoever takes it, eats it. If you waste food at a buffet, there's a penalty."

Juliana seemed embarrassed. "But there's no way I can finish all these pastries by myself..."

I smiled at her. "I assumed city folks like you were aware of the fines for not finishing your food. Go on!"

I chose some shrimp and beef prepared in a light broth, focusing on a high-protein meal along with broccoli and other vegetables, aiming for a balanced diet without putting on weight.

Juliana's curiosity was piqued. "Kate, are you on a diet or something?"

"No, I just love broccoli. You don't see much of it in the countryside, so I picked a buffet to indulge."

Juliana’s expression became more sour at my words.

"Alright, but you really shouldn't be dieting. Don't end up like me, feeling like a gust of wind could knock you over."

"I'm quite envious of your figure. My parents always say that being well-rounded is a sign of good fortune."

She playfully pinched my cheek. "Look at you, just like a good luck charm. So full of prosperity!"

I internally scoffed at the mention of 'good fortune.' After all the trouble she'd caused me before, what luck was there to speak of?

Disregarding her continued protests, Juliana started to look a bit desperate.

"Kate, come on, help me out and have a little. There are just too many pastries for me alone."

I waved her off, and one of our roommates, seeing what was happening, offered to help. "I'll give you a hand with some of these, but next time, only take what you can finish. Don't load up on pastries you won't eat."

Since then, I kept up a routine of daily exercise.

Unexpectedly, Micah Jones, who in my previous life had teamed up with me, also enjoyed working out. We often saw each other at the track, and over time, he started noticing me more.

"Hey, need a break? Let me buy you something to drink," he offered, extending a friendly gesture.

"I've seen you getting fitter over the months," he noted. "You've got real commitment."

I laughed. "Well, you're pretty committed yourself."

Micah rubbed the back of his head, a bit bashful. "Hey, can I add you on WhatsApp?"

And so, Micah and I became friends, coordinating our workouts together.

Despite Juliana's comments about envying my weight, she quietly began skipping meals, only drinking small amounts of water to avoid feeling bloated. When she saw Micah picking me up for our workouts at the track, she insisted on joining us.

"Micah, Kate's a bit slow because she's not as thin, but I can definitely keep up," she asserted.

Micah ignored her, yet she shamelessly tagged along.

Once we started running, she barely managed a few steps before dramatically fainting and collapsing awkwardly on the ground.

Having embarrassed herself in front of Micah, she tried to regain her composure.

"Micah, I only passed out because I'm too skinny. If I were as sturdy as Kate, keeping up would be no problem."

Micah, quiet until that moment, suddenly responded.

"Enough with the chubby comments. Kate's not overweight at all."

"Take care of your own health first. You're like a skeleton, and those people who call you a once-in-a-millennium beauty must be mistaken. More like a once-in-a-millennium mummy."

I hadn’t expected Micah to defend me like that.