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Game Over for My Heart
My cousin asked me to be his fake girlfriend at an esports tournament.
After his team won, I rushed onstage and threw my arms around him, whispering:
"You got so hot. Like... dangerously handsome."
Then I looked up.
A round-faced guy was staring at me in horror.
"Sis! Let go of our captain!"
1
My distant cousin Jake's romantic delusions were acting up again.
With a tournament coming up, he begged me to play his fake girlfriend—rush onstage when he won, hand him flowers, and shout "You're amazing, babe!"
"Jake... maybe we should keep our feet on the ground here," I said.
"Sis, don't say no yet. Three hundred bucks for the day. Deal?"
I typed back instantly: "Time and place. Natural makeup or glam? Long dress or short? Should I be excited or soft and sweet? Venmo or Zelle?"
"...Whatever you think looks good, sis. Gotta prep for the match. See you there—I'll save you a seat."
Three hundred dollars hit my account.
I rushed to buy flowers, did my makeup, threw together a cool outfit, and arrived at the venue right on time.
Everything was set. But the moment I sat down in the audience, I realized something with creeping horror: in all the chaos, I'd forgotten to ask Jake for a photo.
The last time I'd seen him, he was still in diapers, his chubby little face round as a cherub's...
After all these years, who knew what he looked like now!
I'd even forgotten his full name!
I couldn't exactly scan the stage for the most baby-faced player...
I frantically texted him. No response.
Called him. Phone off.
Finally, I leaned over to a genuine fan nearby. "Hey, who's the best player on this team? Like, the star?"
I remembered Jake mentioning in his texts that he was their ace, the best of the best.
The guy pointed, and I followed his gaze—nearly crushing the flowers in excitement.
Under the stage lights, a guy lounged back in his chair, hands folded behind his head.
Sharp brows cast shadows over his eyes, making his expression unreadable.
A blue earring in his left ear added a touch of wild arrogance and an unsettling allure.
He looked like a panther coiled to strike—dangerous, magnetic, radiating dominance.
As if one second he'd be basking lazily in the sun, and the next he'd lunge for your throat.
Even from this distance, his presence was overpowering. I couldn't look away.
Okay, I admit it—I'd been talking too loud earlier.
This was nothing like the snotty little kid in diapers who used to cry for chocolate milk!
He'd seriously hit the genetic lottery.
With a face like that, forget three hundred bucks—I'd pay him three hundred just to be here!
The guy next to me tapped my shoulder. "New fan?"
I stared at the stage, grinning. "Nah. I'm his girlfriend."
He laughed. "Got it. Girlfriend-mode fan."
"..."
Whatever. Eye candy was more important.
Once the match started, my cousin's face stayed blank, eyes locked on the screen, looking cool and untouchable.
His hands were longer than most people's—pale, elegant, fingers moving with precision. Each keystroke felt deliberate, like he already knew he'd won.
His gameplay was flawless, practically crushing the enemy team. Even I, a total gaming noob, couldn't help cheering along with the crowd.
During a break, he took a sip of water and lazily glanced toward the audience.
Our eyes met.
I waved frantically and yelled, "Go babe!"—fully committed to the act, like we were a couple madly in love.
He raised an eyebrow, smirked, and gave me a look I couldn't quite read.
My heart skipped.
But then he turned back to his screen, face blank again.
Hmm. Way less warm in person than over text.
2
My cousin won. No surprise there.
His teammates rushed over, hugging and hoisting the trophy together.
The crowd roared. He stood under the lights, head tilted back, arms spread wide, like he was embracing the applause.
Pure teenage arrogance and swagger.
It should've looked ridiculous, but somehow on him, it just... worked.
Someone yelled "Ethan!" and the audience immediately followed with "THE GOAT!"
"ETHAN'S THE GOAT!" echoed through the entire venue.
The guy next to me shouted until his voice cracked.
I clutched my bouquet and squeezed through the crowd, running up onto the stage and heading straight for my cousin.
I handed him the flowers and launched into the performance as planned.
"You're amazing, babe!"
I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him tight.
He looked startled but caught the flowers with one hand and steadied me with the other, arm around my waist.
I pinched his cheek lightly and whispered:
"You got even hotter. You're like... dangerously handsome now."
At the words "dangerously handsome," he laughed—a low, rich sound that sent shivers down my spine.
Like ants crawling across my heart, leaving me buzzing all over.
Then I looked up.
A round-faced guy was staring at me in horror, hand over his mouth.
"Sis! Let go of our captain!"
Sis?
Cap...captain?
Baby face... Jake!
Oh no.
I froze, then shoved the guy in front of me away like I'd been electrocuted.
Baby-faced Jake looked like he'd swallowed a fly.
I probably looked the same.
Hands shaking, I took the flowers back from the guy and tried to straighten his collar, which I'd messed up.
Then I accidentally brushed his Adam's apple.
I yanked my hand back like I'd been burned, swallowed hard, and plastered on a smile, pretending nothing happened.
"Hey, uh, sorry. I'm not a creep. I just... mistook you for my boyfriend."
The guy looked down at me, his smirk deepening.
But I could tell he wasn't exactly thrilled.
"Little... boy?" he repeated, each word deliberate.
He took a step toward me.
I panicked. "No no no—not little. You're big. Really big—"
Ugh. That made it worse.
He raised his hand. I flinched, covering my head.
But he just plucked the roses from my grip, brought them to his nose, and said lazily, "Stealing my flowers?"
My brain short-circuited. "Sorry."
Wait. I bought those flowers...
"Wait for me in the lounge," he said.
I nodded automatically, then blinked in confusion.
He chuckled. "What, you think you can feel me up and just walk away, babe?"
The way he dragged out that last word—teasing, but laced with something dangerously intimate.
I caved immediately, face heating. "No no no—I'll wait. I'll wait."
While waiting in the lounge, I pulled up his info online.
Ethan Shi. Nineteen. Captain and ace player of FGE.
Famous since his debut. Legendary track record. Known for arrogance and brutal gameplay. Fans called him "Ethan" or "Captain."
And thanks to that face blessed by the heavens, he was famous outside the gaming world too.
Gossip sites claimed he had severe OCD, hated physical contact, had a temper, possibly even anger issues...
I locked my phone and told myself tabloids were full of lies.
But still... he really didn't look like someone with a calm disposition.
3
Ethan walked in, and the air pressure dropped.
I shot to my feet like a high schooler caught with her phone by the teacher, nervously gripping the hem of my jeans.
First time in my life I'd been this scared of someone three years younger than me.
Seeing my reaction, Ethan smirked. "You had a lot of nerve calling me 'babe' and throwing yourself at me. What was it you said again? 'Dangerously handsome'?"
I mumbled, "I got the wrong person."
He leaned down until we were eye level. "Besides me, who else were you planning to hug? Him?"
What did he even want? Was he mad I hugged him, or did he want me to hug him again?
Jake took the glare meant for him and quickly explained, "Captain, I'll come clean. She's my cousin. Before the match, Mason was bragging about his girlfriend showing up, so I got jealous and asked my cousin to fake it."
"I didn't think... she'd mistake you for me."
Me: That's because you lied and said you were the ace!
Jake looked like he was facing a firing squad. "Captain, if you're mad, take it out on me. Don't blame her. She's still a student. Broke as hell."
Me: ...Thanks a lot.
Ethan raised his hand. I flinched into a defensive stance.
He sighed. "I don't hit women."
I thought: Well, who really knows.
Jake blinked between us, confused.
"Jake Xu," Ethan said.
"Yeah, Captain?"
"Go grab a few bottles from my liquor cabinet. Bring them to tonight's party."
So his name was Jake Xu...
Damn it. How did I forget such a simple name?!
Jake looked baffled. "Captain, you're not punishing me? Then why isn't my sister leaving yet?"
Ethan shot him a look.
Jake pouted, mouthed "good luck" at me, and scurried out.
Now it was just me and Ethan.
I felt like prey being circled by a predator.
Ethan leaned against the wall, the blue earring catching the light, making him look almost unreal.
Just looking at him made my heart race out of control.
Yeah. "Dangerously handsome" was the right call.
From a distance, he was already stunning. Up close? Lethal.
"Anna Chen," he said. "Do I look good?"
I nodded before I could stop myself, then quickly looked down, mortified.
Had I just been staring at him this whole time?
Pathetic.
Wait—how did he know my name?!
Ethan suddenly stepped closer. I backed up until I hit the wall.
The space between us shrank. I could smell the faint mint of his body wash.
"Shaking this much—are you scared of me?"
He leaned down. I closed my eyes.
When I opened them again, he was sitting on the couch, casually flipping a small knife in his hand.
What had I just been expecting...?
4
"Anna Chen. Harvard grad student."
"How do you know that?"
"I visited your campus once. Saw you on the Dean's List wall. First name up there."
I waved it off. "It's nothing. Just topped my year a few times. Pretty easy, honestly."
If he could show off, so could I.
The knife spun faster in his hand. I watched nervously, half-expecting it to fly at my head.
I swallowed. "So... what are you going to do about today?"
"My team needs a PR manager. Interested?"
I asked cautiously, "Does it pay?"
"Yes."
"Free meals?"
"...Yes."
"Do I need to interview?"
"You're doing it right now."
He pulled up his phone. Photos of me hugging him filled the screen—some at angles that made it look like I was kissing him. My face burned.
"So, genius, how would you handle this situation?"
I bit my lip. "I think... we should just admit the relationship."
I watched his expression carefully before continuing. "You don't like rumors anyway, right? So why not find a fake girlfriend to go public with? End it all at once."
Ethan didn't respond. Just stared at me, face unreadable.
I forced myself to hold his gaze, even though my palms were sweating.
After a few seconds, he stood and took my hand.&