Fading Slowly but Surely

As the two protagonists—Emmett and Isla—showed up, the crowd's laughter grew louder when they saw Isla get publicly humiliated.

Some of the onlookers were eager to stir things up. They deliberately asked her in a sarcastic tone, "You've confessed 99 times yet he's not fond of you at all, Isla. Aren't you supposed to work harder on it then?

"When's the next confession? We can all come watch and give you some pointers. How about it?"

Isla tightened her grip on the tattered love letters. Her knuckles turned white from the effort. She was about to speak up when she saw the mocking gazes from around her. She decided to hold her tongue.

She scoffed and raised the love letter high in her hand. She then declared loudly, "Fine, the 100th confession will be at the central square of the university, at 9:00 am on December 3rd. Everyone is welcome to come and watch!"

After that, Isla ignored everyone's reactions. With reddening eyes and gritted teeth, she left the scene with her head held high.

That day, she skipped her morning classes and headed home.

Water poured steadily from the faucet, filling the basin to the brim. Isla dunked her head into the water without a second thought.

She only got up when her lungs started to burn. She gripped the counter as she gasped for breath. The haze of anger clouding her mind finally started to lift.

Isla stared at her calm reflection. She then started ripping apart the entire stack of love letters. Then, she started burning them. Finally, she flushed them down the drain.

…

The club, which had been dormant for some time, suddenly announced a meetup over the weekend.

Isla decided to attend as she needed to submit her club withdrawal application.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Emmett, who never attended such activities, unexpectedly there. She pretended not to notice him and kept her gaze straight. She sat in a corner alone.

Sadie's best friends immediately slipped into their usual routine when they saw Isla.

One said, "How did you manage to get Emmett to come, Sades?"

Another replied, "It's definitely because Sades loves a lively crowd! After all, everyone knows that the campus heartthrob only listens to Sades."

Isla couldn't be bothered with their little tricks. She casually reached out for an orange and started peeling it.

Once everyone had arrived, the club president, Candice Draketon, announced the start of the game.

Isla was not interested at all, but she was dragged into it anyway. She could only force herself to play along with the dull truth-or-dare game.

Emmett finally lost after seven or eight rounds. The group erupted in excited cheers.

"Oh my!" someone exclaimed.

Another announced, "Emmett drew the card that requires him to kiss anyone of the opposite sex in the room for three minutes!"

Someone asked, "Hurry and tell us who you'll pick to take the punishment with you, Emmett!"

Isla knew Emmett would never pick her, and she was uninterested in who his choice was. She looked down and toyed with the dice in her hand.

As expected, he picked Sadie, but he requested for the lights to be turned off.

The room was pitch black, with only the sounds of heavy breathing and the occasional whispers from the members.

The lights went on after three minutes, and Emmett returned to his seat. Sadie stood stunned in place, looking pale. Her lipstick was still vibrant on her.

Emmett had not kissed her.

lsla briefly glanced at Sadie. When Candice announced the start of the next round, Isla tossed the three dice in her hand casually. Unfortunately, all three dice landed at one—the lowest possible score in the game.

She accepted her loss without a word and pulled out a card from the stack. It was the same card as before, with the exact same punishment.

Everyone present started getting excited at once. Their gazes flickered between Isla, Emmett, and Sadie.

Isla pretended not to notice it. She casually spun the game wheel, and the pointer landed on Adrian Greyson, a junior who was sitting across from her.

For a moment, everyone held their breaths, thinking that she was about to back out.

However, Isla got up without further ado and made her way to Adrian. She said nonchalantly, "Sorry in advance, Adrian."

Adrian was dumbstruck. Just as he was about to stand up, Emmett got up abruptly and kicked the coffee table away.

When everyone was confused, he coldly interrupted, "We've been playing for so long, I'm a little tired now. Don't you think it's time for a break?"

Emmett's roommates immediately agreed with him. Candice had no choice but to announce the halt of the punishment.