Ten years ago, I was just your average college student and came from a regular family, working my ass off to get into a decent university. Kimmi, though, was from a totally different world. Cute as hell, only 160cm—not exactly tall, but her slim figure and gentle personality made her the kind of girl guys would line up to ask out. Back in high school, she mostly hung out with her girl friends, so she never dated. We went to the same middle school. But her family was loaded and her grades weren't stellar, so she transferred to a fancy private school. Word was, that place was more about partying than studying—my friends at nearby schools said the vibe there was super open. Still, Kimmi's family hired a college guy to tutor her in high school, and she apparently had a huge crush on him. That crush lit a fire under her, and she studied hard enough to get into his university. Talk about a comeback.
Kimmi was raised super strict, molded into this obedient, almost painfully innocent good girl. That pure, naive vibe made her a total hit in college. She told me that within her first six months, guys were already confessing their feelings left and right! But since she'd never dated, her shy side took over, and she turned them all down (note: there was more to it, but I didn't know at the time). Even when she tried focusing on her studies to dodge the attention, social events forced her to deal with these guys. Her parents were all about high standards and good character, raising her like some old-school, pure-hearted lady from a historical drama. That innocence? It was almost too much. Probably because she was so repressed at home, her true self was buried deep. But once she hit college, her parents' rule of "no dating in high school, only in college," mixed with the wild high school environment and her new college friends, had her buzzing with excitement. Still, her shy nature clashed with those new desires, leaving her caught in this emotional tug-of-war.
Then came that Christmas, at an old middle school reunion. I don't know what kind of luck I had, but somehow, I managed to win her over! Maybe because it was her first relationship, Kimmi was clueless and made the funniest, most confusing mistakes. Most couples don't spill their entire romantic history, but early on, Kimmi had this thing about "no lying." So, she laid it all out—every guy who'd ever pursued her. She thought I'd be upset, and tears started streaming down her face as she apologized. I wasn't mad, though—I just comforted her, and she ended up calling me the best boyfriend ever. Truth is, I wasn't upset. Instead, this weird mix of feelings hit me. Part of me wanted to protect her innocence, but another part—shaped by my own past—had this twisted urge to shatter that pure image of hers.
Speaking of my past, my last year of high school was rough. I took an unpaid assistant gig at a big company to pad my resume, but between work and studying, I neglected my girlfriend at the time. After exams, I found out she'd cheated. Post-breakup, I overanalyzed everything, and my mind got a bit warped. I started imagining her hooking up with other guys. So, when Kimmi told me about her suitors, my brain went straight to picturing her pinned down on a bed. It wasn't until she was crying and apologizing that I snapped out of it, feeling guilty as hell. I realized we were genuinely in love, so I poured everything into reassuring her.
But then, something happened that changed everything.