Neil picked up the syringe and pushed the needle into his vein, frowning.

Our classmates began to praise him for his kindness and selflessness, while Cherry's gaze was filled with worry.

I was the only one who noticed the scabbed needle marks on Neil's pale skin. They were marks left by long-term, improper injections. That was also an unmistakable proof that he was carrying the virus.

Neil started to feel dizzy, barely standing straight after having half a blood bag drawn.

Cherry hurriedly pulled the needle from his arms and hugged him, fussing over him with obvious concern.

Still, Neil insisted on standing up. With a righteous determination, he said, "No one stops me. I have to finish donating."

The moment he said that, he staggered a little.

As I watched Neil's clumsy performance, I figured out what he was up to.

As expected, one of the guys spoke up, "We can't let Neil donate that much blood alone! Cherry needs more, so let's all donate! It'll add up if everyone donates a little."

The others started chiming in at that.

"Yeah, let's just continue using the same syringe. We're not selfish, unlike someone here. We'll all take turns, so hurry up!"

"Exactly! If Neil isn't afraid, why should we be? This little bit of blood is nothing compared to our unity and friendship."

I almost laughed at their impassioned speeches.

They were such good classmates, to the point of being willing to share a syringe used by an HIV-positive patient. They were even willing to share the virus, too.

They could finally stick together for life and death in this lifetime.

The team doctor walked in and saw one of my classmates picking up a used syringe, about to stick it into his own veins. She immediately stopped him, barking, "Are you out of your mind? Stop this right now! If this many people used the same needle, who knows if cross-contamination might actually happen?"

Instead of being frightened, they frowned in irritation.

"What kind of a doctor are you? Are you trying to scare us all? We're all clean, so how could anyone get infected?"

"Mind your own business! If Cherry doesn't get her transfusion in time and it costs her the competition, can you take responsibility for that?"

"You're probably working with Samuel in trying to sabotage Cherry and make her miss the competition!"

The team doctor turned pale at my classmates' mocking words. She stomped her foot and ran out of the lounge, her eyes red.

After she left, the blood donation continued. One classmate after another started donating their blood.

I stood further from the crowd, watching that deadly syringe pierce different arms again and again, accompanied by their so-called friendship cheers.

Every draw was another fatal act of cross-contamination.

Before long, the blood bag was full.

Just then, Neil suddenly held the syringe out in front of me. "Your turn, Sam."

A wave of nausea rose in my chest as I stared at the syringe smeared with different people's blood.

I coldly rejected, "I'm not doing it."

Neil said, "I know you don't like me, Sam, but Cherry is still your girlfriend. At a time like this, wouldn't it look bad on you if you don't donate some blood?"

His words instantly stoked the others' anger.

"That's right! We've all donated, so why do you get a pass? A selfish man like you doesn't deserve to be Cherry's boyfriend!"

"Samuel, are you going to do this willingly, or do you want us to make you?"

My classmates started closing in on me, the syringe in one of their hands.

When Cherry looked at me, her gaze was full of warning. "You've already disappointed me enough today, Samuel. If you donate your blood, I'll give you one more chance, and we won't break up. But if you keep being this selfish, then you're not worthy of my love!"

At her domineering speech, I nearly laughed out of sheer anger.

Cherry must have forgotten that she was nothing more than an underprivileged student my family had been sponsoring.

If I hadn't paid for her education, she'd still be stuck herding cattle in some remote mountain village.

Cherry had been so moved that she promised she'd protect me forever.

But after Neil showed up, she grew colder toward me, turning to shower him with attention instead.

Time and again, she humiliated me for his sake, forcing me to swallow my pride. For him, she even strangled me to death with her own hands.

I didn't know what made me fall for a woman who was beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside.

I figured we could just break up if that was what Cherry wanted.

I looked at her coldly. "We're done, Cherry."

The color drained from Cherry's face when she heard my words. She never imagined that someone who loved her so much would be the one initiating the breakup.

At that, I turned to open the hospital ward door. Just as I was about to leave, she grabbed my wrist tightly.

Cherry glared at me and spat, "Don't think I don't know you're just playing hard to get. Everyone else has already done it, so you have to do it too!"

At that, my classmates all swarmed me and pinned me down. They started pushing the overly used syringe closer and closer to my vein.

Cherry stood off the side, looking indifferent. "If you keep disobeying me like this, don't expect me to ever forgive you."

Watching the needle draw nearer, I thrashed around and resisted with everything I had.

I was drenched in cold sweat, wondering if I'd end up dying a horrible death again even after being reborn.

I kicked hard at the emergency alarm in desperation.

Finally, security rushed in just as the needle was about to pierce my vein.

My classmates no longer dared to force it any further with so many people watching. They could only glare at me, their eyes full of disgust.

Only then did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I had gotten so close to getting killed by this bunch of idiots.

A flash of unwilling resentment crossed Neil's eyes before he picked up the blood bag and handed it to Cherry.

Her gaze expressed how moved she was by his action. The affectionate way they gazed at each other was sickening.

Once that virus-tainted plasma was infused into Cherry's body, she excitedly pulled Neil into her arms and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

The classmates around them started cheering and egging them on.

"Cherry and Neil are totally made for each other!"

"That's right! Neil is way better than that selfish guy, Samuel. Just look at the difference in character."

"It's a good thing you dumped that scumbag, Cherry. You really hit the jackpot now that you've got Neil."

Neil smiled sweetly while surrounded by the crowd.

Cherry raised her brows and said smugly, "It's a good thing I got rid of that ungrateful idiot Samuel. Otherwise, how would I ever have a boyfriend as good as Neil? I'm going to win today's championship and dedicate it to him!"

Watching their picture-perfect scene, I curled my lips into a cold smile before looking away.

Cherry should go ahead and laugh while she still could. This high wouldn't last, and the crash would be ugly.

Our class was given a week-long break after the national competition ended.

When I returned to campus after vacation, I realized my classmates seemed deliberately to be avoiding me. There was a trace of disdain when they looked at me.

Whispers followed me around.

"That's him—Samuel Newberry from Senior Class A. Not only did he refuse to donate blood when his own girlfriend was anemic, but he even tried to stop others from donating. Fortunately, Cherry dumped him in time!"

"That's right. Everyone in his class donated blood except for him. How can someone be that selfish?"

"I could tell that he wasn't a good person just by looking at his face. He's the pretty-boy type. Who knows how wild he is outside of campus?"

"Cherry was right to dump a coward like him!"

Their mocking comments reached my ears clearly. I forced myself to swallow my anger and tried to ignore them.

However, several men walked straight up to me and shoved my shoulder. "So you're Samuel Newberry? Look at his pretty little face. And you actually dared to spread rumors that Neil is HIV-positive? I think you're the one who's positive here. Who knows, maybe you're being kept by someone on the side."

The crowd immediately started pointing fingers at me.

When everyone had gotten their insults out, Neil finally stepped out from behind them.

Putting on a troubled expression, he said, "They're just upset on my behalf, Sam. They didn't mean to insult you, so don't take it to heart. It's just that what you did that day was really… inappropriate."

Neil deliberately dragged out the last words, stirring even more murmurs from the crowd.

I didn't want to stir up trouble, but trouble insisted on coming after me.

I looked up and met Neil's provocative gaze. I said with a slow and clear voice, "First, I'm the one who broke up with Cherry. She didn't dump me. Second, it's illegal to spread rumors. If any of you want to take this to court, I'm more than happy to oblige."

At that, the mocking gazes vanished from everyone's eyes. The entire place fell silent.

Neil panicked, seeing that no one was speaking up for him anymore. He rushed forward to grab my arm. "We're all classmates, Sam. Do you really have to take it this far—"

A sharp slap cut him off mid-sentence. I pulled my arm free and coldly questioned, "Who are you calling 'Sam' here? Do we even know each other?"

With that, I turned and walked away.

Neil stood frozen, shaking with anger and frustration. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stomped his feet, his gaze filled with hatred when he stared at me.

The passing students hurled insults behind my back, each one more vicious than the last.

My lips curled into a cold smile as I kept walking without turning back.

They still had the luxury of worrying about others.

It would be their turn soon.