"I've always imagined living a fairytale… the kind where a prince rides in on a white horse and saves me whenever I'm in danger. And for a moment, I truly believed he was that prince.
There was this one day.
I had forgotten my laptop for a class that absolutely required one. I panicked, thinking I'd fail, and then…
he appeared.
Quiet, calm, almost unreal.
And in his hands? An extra laptop.
We had never even spoken before, yet he offered it to me without hesitation.
Tell me… how could I not think he was meant for me?
And then there was the time I slipped on the stairs. I felt myself falling, the world tilting until he caught me, pulling me back into his arms.
Our eyes met, locked, as if destiny itself had pressed pause.
My heart didn't just flutter. It soared. It felt like the whole world vanished, leaving just the two of us suspended in that perfect moment.
It was the most magical thing that had ever happened to me.
There were so many little moments like that… enough to make me believe, foolishly or not, that our story was leading somewhere.
That spark between us? it wasn't just in my head.
It couldn't be.
His smile, his laugh, the gentle way he looked at me. None of it felt normal. It felt special. Like I was special to him.
So why?
Why did everything change the moment she appeared?
Why did he turn cold, distant? Like I was suddenly a stranger?"
Catherine let out a frustrated groan, her lips pushed into a pout as she glared at the pair standing in the center of the cafeteria, acting as if the entire place existed just for them, as if they were the protagonists of this world, and she was nothing more than an extra in her own story.
"Could it be that you're the villain and not her?" Patrick fires back, not even looking up as he listens to Catherine's never-ending monologue while playing a MOBA game on his phone, his thumbs tapping away like he's fighting for his life. Juggling two battles at once: one against enemy heroes, and one against Catherine's delusion.
He's already done with it. Completely over it. Yet Catherine trails behind him like a dramatic ghost, narrating her fairytale heartbreak as if he's the therapist she never pays.
She keeps going on and on about her "prince charming", Gabby, the mystical hero who supposedly saved her, caught her, gazed into her soul, blah-blah romantic spark, the whole K-drama package deal.
But Patrick?
Patrick knows the real version.
Because he saw it. With his own two eyes.
Gabby didn't save her from the stairs.
He didn't catch her.
He didn't even try.
He literally watched Catherine trip, flail like a confused penguin, and fall spectacularly while Gabby stood there, unfazed, scrolling through his phone like he was checking stock prices.
Patrick inhales, taps his phone aggressively, and mutters, "Yeah… prince charming my ass."
FLASHBACK
"Gabby! Why didn't you come?" Catherine's voice boomed through the hallway, echoing off the walls like a tragic heroine chasing after a man who absolutely did not sign up for this scene. She hurried down the stairs after him, arms full of a thick thesis book, the one she slaved over for a week, fueled by caffeine, tears, and delusion.
She made it for him.
All for him.
Because when she found out Gabby's parents were in a car accident, she panicked. He was their only child, the one who had to take care of everything. He started missing classes, ignoring his responsibilities both as a student and as the student council president.
So Catherine stepped in. Sleep-deprived, starry-eyed, and hopelessly in love. Believing she could lighten his burden.
If that isn't devotion, she didn't know what was.
"When will you ever stop?" Gabby muttered, barely sparing her a glance as he continued his descent down the stairs. His eyes never left his phone, thumb tapping rapidly, totally absorbed and clearly texting someone far more important than the girl chasing after him.
But Catherine didn't stop.
She never stops.
She kept pestering him for days, begging him to attend her birthday party as her partner, her guest of honor, her prince.
She imagined a dramatic entrance, the two of them walking in together, eyes turning, whispers spreading.
Except the day came…
and Gabby never showed up.
Yes, an emergency happened.
But also, let's be honest, Gabby simply did not want to go and be paraded around like Catherine's high-class handbag for society to drool over.
Catherine stood there that night, waiting under twinkling lights and expensive decorations, holding onto the fragile hope that maybe… just maybe… he'd walk in.
But he didn't.
He never planned to.
And yet here she was, still chasing him, even when everything, absolutely everything, pointed to one truth Patrick had been screaming the whole time.
'The fairytale Catherine imagined?
Yeah… it only existed in her head.'
Catherine was already on edge, her annoyance simmering as Gabby kept ignoring her like she was a background character who wandered into the wrong scene.
After everything she did for him, he couldn't spare her a single glance.
Unbelievable.
Well… he never actually asked for it but she chose to ignore that part.
She leaned forward, peeking over his shoulder to see what he was so busy with…
And of course.
There he was, chatting with another girl. Smiling. Laughing. Acting like his life wasn't drowning in all the chaos she tried to help him with.
And then… a light bulb suddenly lit up in her brain.
A plan so dramatic Shakespeare would've applauded,
She took a deep breath, positioned herself on the edge of the step, and with the commitment of a theatre major, she intentionally tripped.
She rolled down exactly four steps.
Not enough to break a bone, she wasn't that insane, just enough to bruise her knees and hopefully bruise Gabby's conscience too.
Enough to make him finally look at her.
Worry for her.
Save her.
But Gabby?
He didn't even pause.
He simply walked past her, stepping on the scattered papers she spent sleepless nights crafting—crumpling them under his shoe like they were nothing but trash cluttering his path.
And the worse part?
It's Patrick
Patrick, who had witnessed the entire scene from the top of the stairs, watched Catherine take her four-step tumble with the dedication of a soap opera star.
He burst into laughter.
A loud, shameless, echoing laugh that bounced around the hallways.
He clutched his stomach, wheezing, nearly choking on his own amusement as he watched Catherine's grand performance crumble into one of the most humiliating moments of her life.
END OF FLASHBACK
"So, what exactly makes him a charming prince?" Patrick finally asked, pausing his game with a dramatic sigh and fixing his eyes on Catherine like he was about to solve a mystery no detective wanted.
"Well, first of all… he's handsome," Catherine said, chin lifted proudly.
Patrick nodded slowly, like he was grading an answer on an exam he already hated.
"And he's smart, smells good, neat…" Catherine continued, her voice drifting into dreamy territory as if she were reciting poetry dedicated to Gabby's existence.
Patrick blinked twice. "Uh-huh."
"And overall," she declared, placing a hand on her chest like a lovesick noblewoman, "I love him because he passed all the requirements to become a prince."
"He also has glasses!" She added.
Patrick's face twisted. "So I also passed the requirements?"
Catherine burst into laughter. "Well, no."
Patrick scoffed, leaning forward with arms crossed, confidence radiating off him like stage lights. "Why not? I'm hot, talented, rich, and would do anything for you."
He raised his eyebrows smugly.
Catherine squinted at him like he'd just claimed the Earth was flat. "You can't become a prince because you are extremely annoying, and every time I look at you, my blood boils."
Patrick opened his mouth to argue—
"But—"
RIIIIIING!
The bell exploded through the room like a salvation alarm.
Catherine instantly shot to her feet. "Oh look at the time! Class is about to start! Goodbye!"
"Hey—"
"See you later, Ricky!" she called out, giggling as she darted away like a gremlin set free.
Patrick sat there, abandoned, staring at her disappearing figure. He let out a long, defeated sigh, shoulders slumping.
He shook his head, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he shrugged.
Inside the classroom, Catherine's gaze clung to Gabby as if the moment she blinked, he would vanish like smoke. Every second felt cinematic, at least to her.
"Class dismissed," the professor announced before walking out.
Chairs scraped. People chatted. Everyone stood. Catherine included. She was quietly gathering her things, still stealing glances at Gabby, when suddenly he stepped right beside her.
"Do you have time after school?" Gabby asked.
Catherine froze. Her hands stilled. Her brain short-circuited. Gabby. Talking to her first. Voluntarily.
She slowly looked up, staring at his face as if checking for hallucinations.
"Silence means no?" he asked, tilting his head when she didn't reply.
"Ah—no! I mean yes! I mean—I'm free!" Catherine blurted, letting out a nervous, robotic laugh.
"Come to the rooftop when you're ready to talk," Gabby said simply, then walked away.
Catherine stood rooted to the floor, heart pounding hard enough to power a small city. Her face warmed like she was slowly turning into a tomato.
It all happened too fast.
Her thoughts spiraled
'Why does he want to talk? Is this it? Is he finally going to confess? Say he loved me all along? Is this the fairytale moment she has been waiting for all this time?'
Hope exploded inside her chest like fireworks. Without hesitation, she grabbed her bag and sprinted toward the rooftop.
By the time she reached it, she was panting. There bathed in sunlight, Gabby sat with a guitar, strumming a soft, melancholic melody that made Catherine's heart puddle into melted sugar.
She stayed at the doorway, breath quiet, not daring to interrupt the moment.
When Gabby finally turned, he almost jumped. "How long have you been there?"
"I'm sorry… I didn't want to disturb you." Catherine tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, eyes glued to the floor like they were suddenly fascinating.
"Actually," Gabby began, standing and walking toward her, "there's something I wanted to tell you."
Catherine's heart shot into her throat.
"I like you, Catherine," Gabby said, gently taking her hand and lifting it to kiss the back of her palm.
Her breath caught.
Her world stilled.
Gabby watched her, waiting, because Catherine wasn't saying anything.
"Really?" she finally whispered.
Gabby blinked, confused.
'Wasn't this… everything she had ever wanted?'
"Yes," he said, forcing a smile. "I love you. I've loved you all along."
Catherine let out a slow exhale and slipped her hand out of his grip.
"This is… so anticlimactic," she mumbled.
Gabby's entire expression shifted. "Anticlimactic?"
"I'm sorry, Gabby," she said gently, looking right at him. "But this isn't how it's supposed to feel. I thought I'd feel the spark… the fairytale moment. But I don't."
She smiled softly, but there was sadness behind it.
"And I don't think you're being honest."
Gabby's breath hitched. His eyes darted away.
"I know you love her, not me," Catherine continued.
Gabby's mouth fell open. His silence said everything.
"I'm sorry, Catherine," he admitted at last, voice small. "I never wanted to play with your feelings."
"I know," Catherine chuckled, shaking her head. "You're too awkward to toy with anyone's heart. Someone must've forced you into this."
Gabby winced. She was right.
"How'd you figure it out?" he asked, genuinely baffled.
Catherine smiled, it was warm and wistful. "I've loved you for years, Gabby. Did you think I wouldn't notice when something feels… wrong?"
Gabby looked down, ashamed.
"Don't worry," Catherine said softly, her voice calm and soothing in a way that eased the tightness in his chest. "Let me handle this."
Her confidence and gentleness, it made Gabby feel even guiltier for going along with the plan and trying to fool her.
And somewhere inside Catherine, the fairytale she built cracked, not painfully, but like glass finally letting in the truth.
"Ah, fuck!" Patrick exploded after losing his MOBA match, his voice echoing across the balcony of the eSports Club. He clutched a cola bottle, drinking it like a man downing cheap beer after a heartbreak.
"This is pathetic," he muttered, staring out over the fourth-floor railing. For a second, he wondered, morbidly and stupidly, how painful it would be to fall.
Before the thought settled, soft arms wrapped around him from behind. A pale, elegant hand slid across his chest.
"You look ugly with that," a gentle voice teased.
Patrick turned, and there she was. Catherine. Grinning like she'd just caught him doing something adorable and idiotic at the same time.
He couldn't help it. A bittersweet smile tugged at his lips. She was too beautiful for his own sanity.
"Careful," he chuckled, barely hiding the ache beneath. "Your boyfriend might get jealous seeing you hug me like this."
"Boyfriend? Who?" Catherine blinked innocently and slipped his glasses off his face, examining him like a jeweler studying a flawed gem.
Patrick stared at her. "Uh… you didn't get any confession today? Gabby pulling a dramatic rooftop stunt or something?"
"It's none of your business, Ugly." Catherine stuck her tongue out, and the sting of her words softened with how playful she looked.
"Why am I ugly?" Patrick laughed, stepping back a little, putting space, putting walls, putting whatever he could between himself and the impending emotional chaos.
"Because glasses don't suit you at all, Ricky." She placed his glasses on a side table with a little clink.
"And how did you even know Gabby would confess?" Catherine asked, walking back inside like she owned the whole club room.
Patrick followed, cursing his own feet for moving.
"Wild guess," he shrugged, watching her take a seat on the sofa.
"Aren't you my no. 1 hater when it comes to Gabby?" Catherine narrowed her eyes at him like she was conducting a job interview and he was wildly underqualified.
"I just… hope you won't bother me about him anymore," Patrick sighed, sinking into the sofa opposite her. "You talk about Gabby so much that even hearing his name gives me a migraine."
"So why are you here?" he threw back, letting her carry the burden of answering for once.
Catherine crossed her arms. "I heard Gabby was blackmailed. His scholarship was threatened."
Her eyes pierced through him.
Patrick's eyes darted away.
"Fine, I did it. Happy?" he muttered, jaw tightening. He knows better that there's no use lying to her since his family holds Gabby's scholarship and only their family would threatened it.
"I did it. Because you two are a perfect match." It was such a flimsy excuse Catherine didn't even bother rolling her eyes. She simply rose from the sofa.
Patrick braced himself for her to storm out. But she didn't leave. She walked toward him, slowly, deliberately, then knelt in front of him on the carpet.
"Patrick Collins. Look me in the eyes and tell me that."
He panicked instantly. "Don't kneel, Catherine, just sit here." He gently pulled her onto the seat beside him, heart pounding too loudly.
"Before that…" he cleared his throat, desperate to redirect, "how did it go? With Gabby?"
Catherine smiled, soft and glowing. "I don't like him anymore. I like someone new now."
Patrick nearly choked on air. "Wh—who is it?"
"You know him all too well," she teased.
"Jason? Liam?" Patrick blurted, naming his friends like an idiot listing suspects in a crime.
"Nope." Catherine shook her head, amused.
"Who then?" Patrick frowned, genuinely confused, hopelessly and adorably confused.
Catherine didn't answer.
Instead, she leaned in slowly, giving him every chance to pull away, run away, ruin it. But he didn't.
Her lips brushed him. Soft. Warm. Certain.
Patrick's heart stopped.
Then restarted in a rhythm he'd never felt before.
And Catherine, still holding the collar of his uniform, whispered against his lips.
"I like you, you idiot."
—END—
FLASHBACK
The story didn't end the moment Catherine flopped down the stairs like a discount telenovela actress. No, there was more. Much more than that.
"Did you know you can't swim on land?" Patrick mocked, arms crossed, as he stared down at Catherine sprawled on the steps, writhing from the failed soap-drama-fall-for-love stunt.
"It hurts…" Catherine whined, fat tears rolling down her cheeks, some from pain, mostly from humiliation.
Patrick's laughter abruptly died.
He rushed down the stairs, worry replacing every trace of amusement.
"Hey, hey—can you stand?" he asked gently, massaging her ankle with surprising care.
Catherine shook her head, sobbing.
Patrick sighed, his teasing gone as if it never existed.
"Don't cry now. Come on… I'll bring you to the clinic." His voice softened into something warm, something Catherine never noticed before.
Then he slipped one arm under her legs, the other around her back and lifted her in a perfect bridal carry.
"Bear with me," he murmured as he ran, holding her tightly against his chest.
Catherine hid her face in his shoulder, wanting to disappear but Patrick held her more closer.
—
"I'm really grateful to you, young master Patrick, for giving me this opportunity," Gabby said politely as he and Patrick walked down the hallway. Gabby was one of the students sponsored by Patrick's family.
Patrick groaned and blushed.
"How many times do I have to tell you—stop calling me 'Young master.' It's embarrassing."
"Alright. Patrick, then." Gabby smiled.
They were discussing scholarship requirements when Gabby suddenly stopped mid-sentence, eyes narrowing toward the hallway ahead.
"She didn't bring her laptop today." His voice lowered.
Patrick blinked. "Catherine?"
He followed Gabby's gaze and saw her walking through the crowd, completely unaware of them.
"You know her?" Gabby asked, surprised.
"She's my childhood friend," Patrick replied, trying to sound casual.
"Oh? That explains why you looked at her that way," Gabby teased lightly.
Patrick ignored him.
"What about her laptop?"
"I always notice her case. It's blue… covered in Cinnamoroll stickers. Hard to miss." Gabby chuckled. "Our subject requires a laptop this morning, and well she's empty-handed."
Patrick sighed.
"She probably forgot to bring it."
Gabby nodded, but before he could say anything more, Patrick spoke.
"Here. Bring my laptop and give it to her."
He handed Gabby the key to his locker.
Gabby blinked in shock. "You're… really lending her yours?"
Patrick shrugged, pretending not to care.
"Just do it."
They descended to the first floor to grab the laptop.
Neither of them knew Catherine would later twist that simple act into a fairytale fantasy.
And neither of them realized…
Patrick had been saving Catherine long before she ever thought Gabby was her prince.
END OF FLASHBACK
ADDITIONAL SCENES FROM GABBY'S POINT OF VIEW
A loud rock song blasted through Gabby's AirPods as he walked down the stairs, chatting with Elaine and paying no attention to the world around him.
He didn't even notice Catherine behind him, yelling and calling his name.
The music was at full volume, and his focus was glued to Elaine's messages, her chat filled with complaints about group mates who refused to help, leaving her to finish their entire project alone.
"When will you ever stop?" Gabby muttered under his breath. He sighed, clicked his tongue, and typed out a reply to Elaine.
At that moment, Catherine slipped and fell down the stairs. Gabby neither saw nor heard it happen, he had already turned away from her long before her fall.
—
Gabby was studying in his room when his roommate called out, telling him that Patrick was in the living room waiting for him. He paused everything he was doing and stepped out of his bedroom.
"What's… that?" Gabby asked, staring at the pile of papers in Patrick's hands. Confused, he sat beside him on the sofa.
"Catherine made it," Patrick said, pushing the stack toward Gabby. The papers were crumpled, and one page had a clear shoe print on it.
"Why is there a shoe print here?" Gabby laughed, finding the mess unexpectedly adorable.
"It's yours."
Gabby froze at Patrick's reply.
"Huh? Mine? How?" He blinked, genuinely confused. He didn't remember ever stepping on anything like that.
"You probably didn't notice, but you did. Catherine made these because she's worried you're falling behind after your parents' accident," Patrick said, a hint of jealousy slipping into his voice. He stood up, ready to leave.
"Oh… thank you," Gabby whispered as he accepted the papers, guilt tightening in his chest for ruining them without realizing it.
After that day, Catherine fell sick, and Gabby repaid every bit of her effort. He helped her with the assignments and lessons she had fallen behind on.
—
Gabby was on his way to the Supreme Student Council room when he saw Catherine on the stairs. He was about to approach her and say thank you when she suddenly slipped.
Gabby's reflexes kicked in. He grabbed her by the collar, stopping her fall—but the sudden pull made Catherine cough as the fabric tightened around her neck.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—I was trying to save you," Gabby blurted out, panicking as he helped her regain her balance.
"It's alright… as long as I don't fall," Catherine said, wincing, a faint shadow of her past accident flickering in her eyes.
Catherine was telling the truth when she said Gabby helped her avoid falling down the stairs. But Patrick didn't witness it, and he assumed she was talking about the time she pretended to fall on purpose. It wasn't a mere delusion after all.
—END—