Saving the Villain

"Bye-bye, Papa~!"

Cosette waved at Conrad as the window of the back passenger seat rolled up. Ever since Cosette hitched a ride with Conrad, it somehow became their routine now. Her father was now the person dropping her off at the bus stop, just like today.

Maxen glanced at her as she still kept waving even when the car sped away. He remained silent as he looked in the other way, checking if the next bus was coming.

"Max, you didn't eat a lot this breakfast." He nearly flinched when she came up to his side to berate him. He leaned back, seeing her narrow her eyes while bobbing her face to examine him.

"I don't usually eat breakfast," he explained while staring at her in dismay. "You're too close. Stand back a bit, will you?"

Cosette frowned but still took a step back. "You didn't eat a lot during dinner too last night. Are you saying you don't usually eat dinner too? If I don't make you lunch, you won't eat lunch too? Are you trying to give yourself a slow and painful death?"

"What?"

"Maxen, you should take care of yourself."

"Stop nagging me like a mother." He clicked his tongue and waved, looking away.

Her frown persisted because Maxen was as cold as ever. Although he was now speaking to her a bit more, she always felt he was keeping his distance. Not that she was growing impatient to get close to him, but she just kept wondering if he was seeing her as a nuisance or a friend.

'I just want to change his fate,' she complained internally, sighing as her shoulders went up and down. 'I don't want to be that girl he would remember who used to stalk him once the story starts, but someone he can call his first friend.'

While Cosette was mentally ripping her scalp in distress, she didn't notice that he was staring at her. The side of his lips hooked up momentarily before his smile disappeared.

"I eat dinner," he said, making her look up only to see him gazing in the same direction. "I am not just the type to eat a lot in one sitting. I'm not a pig like you."

"A pig?" she gasped as she gazed at him in dismay.

Maxen glanced at her as the bus finally arrived. "A glutton, then." He smirked as he walked towards the bus door.

"Max!" Cosette yelled as she stomped her feet to follow him. "How can you say I am a glutton and a pig? Do you have eye problems?! You have more weight than me!"

"Just because I have a slow metabolism, doesn't mean I have a dragon inside my stomach."

"But we're still like a ten when we walk side by side!" Cosette grumbled before she mischievously giggled. "Ten. One and zero, like a pair, you know? Hehe."

This time, Cosette walked past him like a little devil as he suddenly paused. His eyes landed on her back and caught her sitting in one of the empty seats with a smug grin on her face.

'What a girl.' Maxen sighed and shook his head before resuming in his stride. Since there was more space, Maxen took another empty seat across from her. But he jolted when Cosette changed seats and sat beside him.

"Hey!" he yelled, looking at her in dismay. "What are you doing here?"

"Sitting."

"Sit in another seat. There's a lot that's vacant."

"Max, we're not ten if we're not together!"

"I don't care about being ten."

Cosette frowned and narrowed her eyes. This was the perfect chance to chat with him and get close to him. So, if ever in the future, he could think of his precious friend whenever he would see a bus or just needed a good memory to think about.

"Fine." Maxen ruffled his hair as he looked away, eyes on the window. "Sit wherever you like. Just don't bother…"

"I will bother you," she affirmed, which sounded more like a threat even before he could finish his sentence. But just when she thought Maxen would argue with her or looked at her in disbelief, he didn't. Instead, he remained silent and kept his eyes on the window.

"Gosh… why is it so hard to get close to you?" she mumbled and clicked her tongue, moving her butt on the seat to find her comfort place. "Well, who am I to complain? I'm already happy that we're going to school together."

Cosette looked down with a sweet smile on her face. Even though taking care of her favorite character was truly a challenge, she couldn't really be mad about him. If anything, it just made sense, since this world kept going against him.

Meanwhile, Maxen stole a glance from her and caught that genuine and sweet smile. 'Don't look so happy.' He looked away to hide the faint blush on his cheek.

Since the ride would take a while, Maxen leaned back. They left her home too early so they wouldn't be late for school. Surely Cosette was diligent which was very admirable.

His eyes remained on the window, thinking that she was probably busy with her phone to kill time or something. Only a minute later did he figure out that wasn't the case.

Maxen stiffened when he felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked at her on instinct and furrowed his brows.

'So, she usually falls asleep on the way to school?' he thought, letting out a sharp breath along with a faint chuckle. 'She's really strange.'

He lowered his shoulder as he slid down a bit so her neck wouldn't feel too stiff once she woke up. In his mind, there were countless servants in the mansion. But none of them offered to help Cosette make the lunch boxes. He was certain because, just like how she refused his help, she surely refused other people's help. Cosette was a stubborn one, after all.

'Why does she work so hard if she can get everything even without trying?' he wondered while staring at her with a subtle smile. 'Well, I will probably never understand since it's you… I don't understand what you really want from me.'

Maxen slowly closed his eyes, as he felt a little sleepy as well. 'I wonder... what did you see in me?' was what crossed his head before taking a nap on this long, yet short ride to school.