No Love In This Life, No Foolishness In The Next Life

That evening after school, I left early by myself for the first time, not bothering to wait for Harvey at the basketball court.

Riding my bike behind a group of classmates, I realized there was a whole world of sights I hadn’t noticed before when my life revolved around him.

As I neared home, I heard a familiar voice calling out, a touch of panic in its tone. It was the younger version of Harvey. “Why didn’t you wait for me after school? I stood by the gate for 20 minutes.

His voice held a hint of frustration. I turned to face him. “I saw you chatting with your friends, so I figured I’d head home. I’m not obligated to stick around just because you’re busy.” My tone was indifferent, something he wasn’t used to.

He paused for a second before explaining, “That’s not what I meant. We’ve always left together. If we suddenly stop, people will think something’s wrong.”

“Who would think that? Everyone’s too busy with their own lives, especially in our final year,” I replied, knowing exactly how to push his buttons after living through 20 years of him.

“I’m home now. I’ll see you later.” Without waiting for a response, I turned and left.

Harvey called after me, but I didn’t bother turning back.

My mom was standing at the door when I arrived. “What’s going on? Did you and Harvey have a fight?”

“Nope. I just don’t see the point in following him around like a lost puppy anymore,” I said casually.

She didn’t believe me, and why would she? For years, everyone knew that Harvey was the center of my world. The idea of distancing myself from him would seem absurd to anyone who knew us. It required a level of resolve that even I hadn’t known I possessed until now.

But truthfully, it wasn’t difficult. After all, in the previous timeline, he’d often neglected me for that young college girl.

I’d spent many nights waiting for him with dinner that grew cold, only for him to come home late with the excuse of working overtime.

He’d tell me to stop overthinking, to be content with what he provided, and to not make a fuss.

As I sat down to study, my mom glanced over, shocked. “Well, look who’s finally getting serious about school. Good idea! Harvey’s great at studying – why don’t you ask him for help if you need it? You still have time before the exams.”

She was always pretty laid-back when it came to me, saying as long as I was happy, that’s all that mattered. Over the years, she had spoiled me endlessly.

I simply nodded in response and focused on my books, determined to make the most of this second chance. I was lost in thought when a voice interrupted me. “If you add an auxiliary line here, the solution becomes clearer.”

A hand with well-defined fingers reached over. Of course, I immediately recognized who it belonged to.

I looked up at Harvey, who, surprisingly, seemed gentle. “What are you staring at? Is there a question on my face? I’m just trying to help since I saw you drawing circles. Your mom’s made dinner, by the way. She sent me to get you.”

“Okay,” I replied nonchalantly.

He didn’t seem pleased with my distant attitude. “You’re acting strange. You used to tell me everything.”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just think we should focus on studying since the exams are coming up,” I said matter-of-factly.

Harvey seemed to accept this explanation. “Alright then. I’ll start tutoring you tomorrow.”

I hesitated before nodding. “Thanks for the help.”

“Molly, there’s no need to be so formal with me.”

“If you’re helping me, it’s only polite to thank you,” I replied.

He huffed, clearly frustrated, and headed downstairs for dinner.