"Please, leave me alone..."

Sarah stood at the base of the stairway, wishing that her heart would stop beating so fast. He was a stupid, reckless newbie with no sense of class. Why should she get so worked up over this idiot?

Gulping, the girl's face remained an indifferent mask. However, the latent feelings she had been concealing so long were threatening to explode like a powder keg set on fire.

Sarah had tried to fight with h earlier. During the recording session she had pestered Sam far more than usual when it came to his acting. As long as she didn't let her emotions show, she felt safe. Her mask of indifferent austerity was all she had to keep her from slipping under the spell that his glaring naivety had cast on everyone.

Sam continued to inch his lips closer.

Unfortunately for him, she had her trusty boxcutter to defend her.

When he heard the subtle clicking of the blade slowly being released, Sam jerked himself backwards.

It was just in time, too. The area where he had been standing was now occupied by a glinting silver blade peeking out of a dark red boxcutter.

Sarah's trembling arm stood suspended in the air before her. "I..."

The delusional otaku thought he had heard her sniffle.

A tear rolled off her cheek and dropped onto her dark brown loafer below. "It's not funny, anymore, Sam." Her voice was shaking as badly as her arm. Sarah's entire body looked unsteady, as if she were going to collapse any minute.

"Please, just leave me alone!"

Sam watched as she ran away in tears. His heart fell to the ground and shattered. Recalling the confused, frightened look she has held moments ago...he didn't bother to pick up the splintered pieces.