Class Villainess

Mason ordered an Ice coffee, he was about to order a snack for us, but I stopped him, "Hold on, you shouldn't order a snack. Because I bring my own."

"You did?"

"Yes," I said while taking out a box of bunny cookies from the tote bag. "This is my treat for you. I made it myself."

Mason was stunned when I put the box of bunny cookies on the table, and he was even more surprised when I opened the box, and the fragrant smell of cookies hit his nose. 

I made the cookies in bunny head shape, of course, complete with a colorful bead as eyes and cute bunny face. 

"You… made this for me?" Mason asked as if he didn't believe it. 

"I mean, it's more believable than me buying it from the store, right? I didn't have money to buy cookies from the store anyway, so I made it myself. I'm sorry if it's not up to your standard," I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms defensively. I knew that he was popular. Thus, he got a lot of cookies from his fangirls.

"No, that's not what I meant," Mason carefully picked one bunny cookie from the box and observed it, "You… you really did this much for me?"

"W—Well, this is the least I could do. I don't know how to repay your help."

"This is more than enough, Em," Mason said. "I'm willing to do anything if you keep giving me this as my reward."

"Eh?!" I was surprised by his statement. I observed his eyes, and he was still fascinated by the cookies. 

I knew it was surprising for a girl like me to actually make cute stuff, but was it THAT strange?

"It's so beautiful…" Mason said as if these cookies were more valuable than jewels. "And it's so cute…."

"Hah, I—I might not look like it, but I also like baking, you know," I laughed dry. "I bet you didn't expect someone like me to be able to make something so cute. But I'm actually a great cook, and I've been baking stuff in my free time. Even though I don't look cute—"

"You're cute," Mason suddenly interrupted me. 

I was stunned, "W—What did you say?"

Mason smiled and rested his chin at the table. He looked up to me at such a bad angle because, at that angle, he should be able to see my double chin. 

Yet his words were contradictory to my expectation, "You're cute, Em. No matter which angle I see it, you still look very cute."

"…"

I could feel my face getting hotter, and I hid my face behind the menu, "C—Can we just stop with this cookies stuff and order something instead?" 

"Ahaha! Okay, sorry for making you embarrassed," Mason said. "Can I have all these cookies for myself? I want to eat it in my room too…."

"S—Sure, now stop mentioning this. I just want to do something for you as my gratitude."

"Okay, haha!" Mason laughed heartily, and we continued our date in the cat cafe by playing with cats and eating snacks. Mason said that he didn't want to eat all the cookies right now, though, because he also wanted to eat them at his apartment instead.

So he just ate three cookies slowly and then closed the box. I gave him the tote bag, so he could carry it home. It was the first time for me to see how a man like Mason could look so happy. He even got a bit sentimental and shed a little tear like a dramatic lead in a romantic-drama movie…

"Seriously though, it's just a cookie…." I said before parting my way with him. "I can make you more later if you really like it."

"Really? You'll make more only for me?" 

"Sure," I nodded lightly. It wasn't too much trouble anyway.

Mason hugged the box of cookies tightly in his chest, like a dragon guarding a treasure, "You might not know how important this is for me, Em."

Yeah, I didn't know and didn't understand. It was literally just a box of cookies.

"Thank you so much for making this for me. We never have the chance before, right?" Mason said. 

Now he completely lost me. Sometimes I wondered what was in Mason's head.

"W—Well, we're not that close before. You seem to be busy with your activities and getting surrounded by those fangirls. I just saw you once or twice—"

Lies, I actually watched you a lot of times from afar because I was afraid that your fangirls would bully me even worse than before. 

"We're not that close before, huh…." Mason's smile dimmed, and he forced a bitter smile on me. "Yeah, we're not that close before. I'm glad that we're close now, Em."

Well, we weren't exactly close right now as well. But you do you, champ.

We went separate ways as he took a different bus than me. I returned to the bus stop at school and picked my bicycle. 

Today's date was…

"It's quite nice, I guess," my cheeks reddened again as I pedaled my bike faster, and I arrived home in the evening. I wouldn't lie that Mason was the type of gentle and dreamy man, a perfect boyfriend type.

My maiden heart was still too weak when seeing that certain type and Mason happened to be all I wanted. 

I put my palm on my chest, and the warmth still lingered inside. 

Mom was busy with her job as she greeted me with a big smile on her face, "Oh ho, how's the date, Miss Jones?"

"It's okay, Mom," I replied. 

"Just okay? Your red cheeks said it's more than okay, haha!"

"Okay, it's… more than okay…." I admitted, then I rushed to my room because I couldn't handle my own embarrassment.

I threw my weight on the bed and stared at the ceiling. My mind was still hazy from today's date. I even forgot about the problem with my mission, that someone was watching me. 

Mason truly had a hypnotizing aura around him. Even in this second life, I was still not immune to it. 

His words still lingered in my head as well…

'You're cute, Em. No matter which angle I see it, you still look very cute.'

Ah, Mason Hall, you truly didn't know the pain I experienced in the past life, so you could say that easily. 

You were the one who indirectly caused me to suffer. You should just let me rot when I fainted during that P.E class, so I could maintain my status as a nobody.

Now you got even closer to me, and I didn't know how to avoid you. 

I closed my eyes and fell asleep until I heard my phone ring loudly.

I rubbed my eyes and checked the caller, and it was Logan Walker. 

  I looked up, it was only 9 P.M.

__Phone call__

"Hello?"

"You idiot! Why are you sleeping at this point?! You just got discovered by someone when you planted those evidence!" Logan yelled, and I regretted putting my phone too close to my ear. 

"I don't know. I rushed to the window and saw nobody, there's not even a footprint, and it's a wet, grassy patch. Maybe it's a ghost or something," I replied half-assedly. 

"What?! Dang it, how could you just give up like that?!" Logan yelled again. "Who came with you to the school today?"

"Uh…" I was wondering whether I should just say it. I didn't want anyone to know that I went with Mason. But Logan and I were partners in crime. We shouldn't hide stuff, especially when it was important for our mission. 

"It's Mason, Mason Hall."

"The new quarterback of the American Football team?! You spent your weekend with him?!" 

"Yeah…"

…

…

"That's the man. He is the one who's peeking on you from the window. I'm positive of it," Logan suddenly deduced without any discussion. 

"W—Wait, how could you just accuse him that easily? That's so not you!" I didn't know what made Logan suddenly become so hostile. He was usually cold-blooded and logical with his plan. "Besides, he has a solid alibi. He's been dozing off outside of the club building, and his shoes didn't even get wet!"

"Why are you taking his side now? I'm positive that he's the culprit!" Logan insisted. "Just listen to me and don't get too close to him, okay?"

"Oh, come on, he's a lot less threatening than you, honestly," I rolled my eyes as I commented.

But Logan didn't seem to take that kindly. He became silent, and the situation became way too awkward between us. I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just meant that Mason looked so docile compared to Logan, who looked and acted like a wild dog most of the time. 

"A—Anyway, how about your progress? I've planted my evidence, but there don't seem to be any activity on your part."

"Ah, don't worry, I'll do it tomorrow morning."