Comments That Changed My Life

I'm a voice-over enthusiast, and I recently started an online relationship.

The day we were finally supposed to meet in person was fast approaching when my roommate suddenly approached me.

With a serious expression, she tried to talk me out of it, saying men with good voices usually weren't much to look at. She even worried about me going alone and offered to go meet him in my place.

Just then, some strange text appeared before my eyes, like comments on a movie scene.

The text said things like, "The female lead is so smart, she just snatched the perfect male lead," and scoffed, "The supporting female character was too scared to go herself, so the female lead got her chance." It even mentioned later how "the clownish supporting character regretted it when she saw the handsome guy, but the male lead completely ignored her."

Seeing my roommate's determined look, an idea sparked in my mind.

I quietly messaged my online boyfriend: "Change of plans, could you come tomorrow instead?"

1.

"Sweetheart, I've already booked my ticket."

My online boyfriend suddenly sent me a message,

along with a picture of his flight arriving near A University this afternoon.

"Sweetheart, remember to pick me up."

I tapped the voice message, and the man's deep, captivating voice instantly flowed into my left ear, a tingling sensation that shot straight to my brain.

So good to hear.

Lisas voice was just too perfect.

My face involuntarily flushed.

I hurried to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face.

As I looked up, I saw my plain face in the mirror.

Not ugly, exactly.

Just not pretty, very ordinary-looking.

A knot of anxiety tightened in my chest.

Would Lisa look down on me?

Find me unattractive?

My gut told me he wasn't that kind of person.

But thinking of his incredible voice, I felt a pang of inadequacy.

For a moment, I wavered.

I didn't reply to Lisa's message immediately.

Normally, we'd reply to each other in an instant.

Nothing was ever left for later.

So, Lisa quickly sensed something was off.

He tentatively asked,

"Sweetheart, are you not ready yet?"

"It's okay."

"Just being yourself is perfect, don't be scared."

Afraid I'd feel guilty, Lisa quickly added that last bit.

Just then, my roommate, Ashley Hayes, walked into the dorm, laden with gifts.

Our eyes met, and sparks flew.

I knew she'd heard.

"Summer Brooks, have I ever told you that online relationships are unreliable and you should break up with him already?"

Ashley frowned, her beautiful brows furrowed, staring at me with displeasure.

She really lived up to her reputation as the campus queen.

Even when she was angry, she looked stunning.

But I wasn't like her; I didn't have a string of admirers.

My social anxiety was severe, making me afraid to even step outside.

Remembering how good Lisa was, I instinctively tried to defend him, "Lisa, he"

"Don't you know how many female students get kidnapped because of online dating? Besides, a guy with a nice voice doesn't necessarily mean he's handsome, why are you so obsessed?"

She impatiently cut me off, then, as if an idea struck her, she blinked her pretty eyes,

"How about this, I'll go meet him in your place today and see if he's a demon or an angel!"

In truth, no matter what Lisa looked like,

I wouldn't break up with him.

But I wasn't sure if he'd accept me.

After all, not everyone was a voice-over enthusiast.

As I was pondering the credibility of her words, text suddenly flashed before my eyes:

"Tsk, this supporting character is so dramatic, online dating but too scared to meet up, isn't she just messing with him?"

"Hehehe, no worries, no worries, our female lead is super smart, after she goes to meet him, she'll fall in love at first sight with the male lead and easily reel him in~"

"Well, our female lead is a magnet for men~ Even the school's top jock fell for her, let alone some small-time streamer."

"LOL, the supporting character will regret it once she knows how handsome the male lead is, she'll beg the female lead to give her boyfriend back, but the male lead won't even bat an eye at her, what a clown!"

Seeing those negative comments pop up,

I couldn't help but freeze.

My mind was a jumble.

2.

Six months ago.

I met Lisa in a game.

That day, I had a seven-game losing streak and my lane was even stolen.

I was simultaneously crying hysterically and cursing up a storm.

I hadn't noticed, though, that my voice chat was open to the entire team.

Everyone listened to me rage for a whole game.

"Waaah, waaaah, can't you see I pre-picked? What are you stealing for, you jerk?"

"So eager to die, do you want me to help you?"

There were many more unpleasant things I said.

But when the mid-lane fell into danger, my hands moved faster than my brain.

Even as teammates spammed the 'retreat' signal,

I instinctively rushed to save him.

The mid-laner immediately got a penta-kill against the enemy.

I suddenly fell silent, no longer cursing.

But he opened his mic and chuckled softly,

"Support, your voice is quite nice."

"Can I add you as a friend?"

At that moment, all I wanted to do was post on Reddit asking,

"What do you do when you fall in love with your arch-nemesis?"

Lisa's voice was inexplicably captivating.

I, as if possessed, accepted his friend request and added him on Messenger.

From then on, he would flirt with me constantly.

"Can I invite you to a game?"

"I just sang a song, want to hear it?"

"Don't misunderstand, it's just a song exclusively for you."

"The weather's great today. I mean, how are you? Or rather, can I be your boyfriend?"

Later, I learned he was a faceless voice-over streamer on TikTok.

He had tens of thousands of followers.

Many people adored him.

I was practically invisible at school, with only Ashley as a close friend.

How could I resist such blatant pursuit?

I instantly fell in love.

I had thought about meeting him in person, but in Lisa's social media, his university was a top-tier institution.

He participated in academic competitions every month.

He was too exceptional.

It always made him feel unreal to me.

Until today, I finally understood everything.

This was a cheesy romance novel with a 'magnet for men' as the protagonist.

The female lead was my roommate, Ashley Hayes, who could captivate hearts with every move.

My existence was merely a bridge for her to meet Lisa.

Because of my insecurity and timidity,

Ashley would go meet him in my place this afternoon,

then fall in love at first sight with the pure-hearted male lead, Lisa, and use all her charm to win the handsome man over.

And I, out of jealousy, would cyberbully the female lead, demanding she give Lisa back to me.

Constantly making a fool of myself and digging my own grave.

Ultimately, I would meet a tragic end, despised by all.

"Why is this supporting character still pretending to be noble? Didn't the female lead say she'd go first to scout out the male lead for her?"

"Relax~ Our female lead is so beautiful, she's naturally afraid her boyfriend will be charmed away~"

"Serves her right, not going to the meetup herself and letting someone else snag a great catch."

"The moment the supporting character gave up on meeting, the male lead was already in our female lead's pocket~"

I lowered my gaze, staring at the text.

My hands clenched into tight fists.

The next second, I forced a smile, my voice natural,

"Okay, then you can go in my place!"

"Have fun~"

3.

I hadn't given up on Lisa.

I was the one who had spent hundreds of days and nights with him.

I was still the one who had helped him win thousands of game matches.

Such a long-standing relationship,

it couldn't just crumble overnight.

Similarly, I wouldn't abandon my love because of a few baseless comments.

Watching Lisa send me the rescheduled flight ticket, a warmth slowly spread through my body.

No matter how unreasonable or irritable I was, he always managed to calm me down immediately.

Patiently waiting for my explanation.

He was so good,

I really shouldn't have hesitated.

After some thought, I turned to look at Ashley, who was changing dresses in front of the mirror.

She hummed softly, trying on one dress after another.

Finally, she settled on a pure white gown that perfectly matched her makeup.

No embellishments.

Making Ashley appear even more elegant and pristine.

A silver necklace just barely concealed a faint red mark on her collarbone.

The comments were all praising her:

"Our female lead is so beautiful~ drool.jpg, no wonder she can even win over the aloof male lead!"

"This magnet-for-men female lead is awesome! All the excellent men should be hers!"

"Handsome guys should be with beautiful girls, right? How dare the supporting character, looking like that, even dream of our male lead?"

"LOL, the supporting character was scared the male lead would be ugly and didn't dare go, but turns out she's the ugliest one."

Hearing these familiar comments, my heart no longer stirred.

Normally, I had no friends.

Only Ashley was willing to approach me, exuding kindness.

But I knew she was merely trying to highlight her own goodness and beauty.

Walking with her, everyone would instinctively look at the more beautiful Ashley.

My secret crush would also be drawn to her, becoming one of her many admirers.

I could let her have anything.

Except Lisa.

Before leaving, Ashley's gaze lingered on me, subtly mixed with a hint of disdain.

Yet her voice was soft and gentle,

"Summer, don't say I didn't give you a chance. I'll ask you one last time, do you want me to go in your place?"

I sat up, pressing my glowing phone screen,

"Of course not, you're so pretty, Lisa will be amazed when he sees you!"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, I never told Lisa my real name. When you pick him up, you need to shout out my online alias, okay?"

"Tsk."

A flicker of annoyance crossed Ashley's beautiful eyes, and she rolled them,

"You online daters are such a pain, not even daring to say your real name, afraid he'll secretly look up your photos?"

"I hate you online dating types the most. You wave the banner of pure love and say you're looking for a soulmate, but as soon as you send a photo, you're nowhere to be found."

I was about to open my mouth to explain something when she abruptly cut me off,

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving. Don't waste my time."

4.

Only after watching Ashley leave did I continue to open Messenger. On the white chat background,

the man's skin was pale, his features delicate, and his attractive almond-shaped eyes had a faint redness at the corners.

This was the only photo Lisa had ever actively sent me.

This picture was also my phone's wallpaper.

So, I was very sure,

that the 'love at first sight' the comments spoke of between Ashley and Lisa was a lie.

Because she had already seen Lisa.

Today's charade was merely a performance for me.

To shift all the blame onto me, and then brazenly start a new relationship with my online boyfriend.

But I didn't want to let her have her way.

"Sweetheart, remember to pick me up tomorrow."

Lisa sent another voice message, making my heart flutter.

My face turned red involuntarily, and I stammered,

"I... I know."

Afterward, we both opened the game.

About five matches later,

the sunset outside the window disappeared, giving way to hints of black.

My roommate, Ashley, finally pushed open the door with an explosive temper, her exquisite hairstyle disheveled and quite a mess.

She was like a madwoman,

"Summer Brooks! How dare you trick me?!"

"I waited all afternoon, there was no online boyfriend of yours!"

Saying this, she extended her newly manicured hand, poised to grab me.

I retreated in fear, quickly squeezing out a few tears from my eyes,

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it would be like this."

"Lisa's flight was delayed, I just found out too. See, I called you."

I forcefully placed my phone in front of her.

It accidentally brushed against Ashley's expensive earring, and she irritably pushed it away,

"Alright, alright, so when is he actually arriving?!"

I thought for a moment and replied,

"Tomorrow."

"Lisa said tomorrow noon."

"Fine." Ashley went back to her bed, about to rest for a bit, when something suddenly occurred to her, and she stared at me with a dark expression.

"This time, you won't stand me up again, will you?"

"No, no, never."

The comments reappeared:

"Is the supporting character an idiot? She said she'd let the female lead go for her, but didn't tell her the flight was cancelled? Is she doing this on purpose to mess with the female lead?"

"How could she? The supporting character is so dumb, only our female lead can play her, she'll get her prize tomorrow, just be patient~"

"The supporting character is truly speechless, making the female lead wait all afternoon for nothing, and delaying the male and female leads' meeting again. She can't sacrifice our female lead's happiness for her own love, can she?"

"Seriously biased, when will this annoying supporting character log off?!"

Ignoring these sour comments, I lay down listening to the love song Lisa had specially recorded for me.

And drifted off to sleep beautifully.

5.

The next day.

Ashley woke up early to do her makeup, and unlike yesterday,

she wore a captivating smoky eye, a black fitted top, and a mini skirt.

As she was about to leave, I slowly got out of bed and called out to her, my voice laced with hesitation,

"Ashley, I think, I think you're right. Meeting someone from online dating, of course, I should go myself. It's the least respect I can show them."

"It was really out of line for me to ask you to go in my place!"

After saying that,

I quickly washed up and changed into clothes suitable for moving around.

"You?"

Ashley's face turned green.

Her fists clenched, knuckles cracking.

To meet the legendary male lead, she gritted her teeth and started to manipulate me again,

"Well then, why don't I go with you? That way, we'll have each other's backs."

After a moment of hesitation, I accepted her suggestion.

Lisa was punctual.

He got off the plane at 11:45 AM.

At 11:47 AM, I saw him walking towards me, pulling a suitcase, with his long, straight legs.

Judging by his height, he must have been around six feet one.

Suddenly seeing him in person, I felt shy and resisted the urge to rush forward.

But Ashley, standing beside me, smiled brightly at Lisa and said in a natural tone,

"You must be Lisa, right? I'm 'Little Pig Who Eats Thirty Pounds of Feed and Never Gets Fat'~ your online girlfriend!"

"Little Pig Who Eats Thirty Pounds of Feed and Never Gets Fat" was my alternate account's online name.

It seemed she remembered what I said yesterday very clearly.

Lisa, having never seen her before, instinctively glanced in my direction.

His eyes showed confusion.

He seemed unable to recognize either of us.

The comments quickly chimed in:

"Tsk tsk tsk, the male lead is stunned, isn't he! The elegant and alluring beauty is right in front of you, his eyes are glued~"

"The male lead must be thinking, why is one so beautiful, and the other looks like an elementary schooler, flat-chested."

"Even a blind person would know which one to choose, right?"

"Hehehe, soon we'll get to see the juicy bits~"

"Countdown to the clownish supporting character logging off!"

But the next second, Lisa merely gave her a distant nod and continued walking towards me.

"Summer, have you been waiting long?"

His voice was just as pleasant as it was over the phone.

He casually took my cheap handbag and slung it over his shoulder.

The corners of his mouth curved into a slight smile.

He was about to lead me away.

Ashley's outstretched hand and her smile froze on her face.

Perhaps she didn't understand why.

So, I kindly reminded her, my tone sincere.

"Ashley, thank you. You're right, I should not only come to pick up Lisa myself, but also tell him what I look like earlier. I thought about it a lot last night and finally decided to send him my selfie."

"Thank you, really."

Instantly, countless "Btch, you f*ing btch!" comments flashed before my eyes.

Unfortunately, they were blocked by something.

She turned around, a fake smile on her face,

"It's nothing, lovers always find a way~ I guess I did a good deed~ But you, next time, don't play around like this, okay? Lisa came all this way, and you made me pick him up, how rude of you~"

As she spoke,

she kept glancing at Lisa opposite her.

I nodded seriously,

"Ashley, you're absolutely right."

"If you hadn't suggested going in my place, I wouldn't have realized how much I truly like Lisa."

This time, the comments were fuming again, spewing profanity.