3

I clicked on the Trending topics. The number one spot was still #TheCrushDiary.

Next to it was a dark red "Viral" tag!

The public outcry was getting more and more intense.

A large portion of netizens were ready to ship the sweet CP and find out the truth behind the romantic story.

Meanwhile, another group of netizens started to attack me, accusing me of shamelessly chasing clout and saying I wasn't worthy of Leo Lyons.

Reading the netizens' comments, I was filled with a sense of helplessness.

'The netizens have it all wrong. The guy from The Crush Diary did go to the same school as me back then, but it really wasn't Leo Lyons…'

This whole situation seemed to be spiraling further and further out of control. I didn't know how to handle it; my mind was a complete mess.

'It's one thing for The Crush Diary to be dug up and publicly shamed, but for it to drag a top-tier celebrity into the mix…'

Even though I was a nobody, I knew how damaging the fallout from this could be.

I felt genuinely sorry for the trouble I was causing Leo Lyons.

Netizens had even started a poll about it.

Who is the male lead in the crush story?

And in the poll, Leo Lyons was officially in first place by a long shot.

'He has nothing to do with me, yet he's being forcibly linked to me. Leo Lyons must be absolutely fuming right now.'

It seemed like I had no better way to solve this, so my only option was to post a clarification on Pulse first.

"The crush story was just something I wrote for fun. It has nothing to do with anyone else and is purely fictional. I hope everyone can approach this rationally and not cause trouble for others. Thank you all."

I thought my clarification would at least have some effect, but after I posted it on Pulse, it disappeared without a trace.

Some netizens even commented directly under my post.

"This is such a classic case of protesting too much. Do you really think we'd believe you?"

"Just who is the male lead in your story? We're so curious."

"Can't you give us a little hint?"

"You were so specific about the location. Everything seems so real, how could it possibly be fictional?"

...

4

As a C-list nobody, I was lucky enough to be invited by a producer to join a reality show.

I was pretty happy when I got the offer. 'Guess this whole mess isn't a total disaster after all,' I thought.

On the day of the shoot, I never imagined that the show would secretly invite Leo Lyons as well.

The moment I opened the door and saw him, I was too ashamed to even look up.

Leo Lyons obviously noticed me too. He shot me a casual glance, his eyes ice-cold.

Thinking about all the trouble the recent scandal had caused him, I felt incredibly guilty and quietly began to apologize.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I never thought the diary I wrote on a whim would affect you like this. I'm truly, deeply sorry..."

As I finished my apology, I must have felt truly wronged, because my eyes started to well up.

Usually, when someone apologizes, even if you don't forgive them, you're not supposed to humiliate them in public.

But after hearing my apology, Leo Lyons suddenly let out a cold scoff.

"Back then, you were just some Crazy Fan spying on me from the shadows, which was bad enough. But then you started manufacturing so-called 'chance encounters' just so you could write your fantasy diary. And after all that, you followed me into the entertainment industry. The very thought of it is disgusting."

I froze. Just as I was about to explain, the production team cut my mic.

I tried several times, but no sound came out. Even when I spoke, the on-set audio wasn't picking anything up.

'Of course. They only invited me on this show to stir up drama.'

Even though my mic was dead, I sat in my seat and still tried to explain to Leo Lyons.

"I'm really sorry about the diary. I haven't used that app in ages. I never expected something like this to happen."

I was completely sincere. "In any case, it's my fault. Whatever you want me to do to make up for it, I'll cooperate fully."

Suddenly, Leo Lyons laughed.

"It's already happened. Is there any point in playing innocent now?"

My head was buzzing. I knew I'd caused a huge disaster, but his reaction left me feeling completely helpless.

I sighed. From an angle hidden from the cameras, Leo Lyons's messy hair fell across his forehead, revealing a pair of glimmering eyes.

Those eyes, filled with cruel amusement, were fixed on me.

His voice was so pleasant, yet the words he spoke were demonic.

"Since you did it, you should pay the price for your actions."

At first, I didn't quite understand what he meant by that.

It wasn't until after the recording ended and I opened Pulse that I realized things had spiraled out of control.

This time, the sheer volume of hate I was getting from netizens pushed me straight onto the Trending list. Hordes of Leo Lyons's fans flooded the comments section of my Pulse account.

"Shameless Stalker Fan!"

"I hate disgusting Crazy Fans like her. She's a total pervert."

"Can't believe she'd stoop to spying. Our Leo Lyons is just too gracious. If it were me, I'd have beaten her up for sure."

"She has that innocent-looking face, but her actions are so disgusting. No wonder she's a nobody."

...

Under the relentless barrage from netizens, I felt like if I even walked down the street, I'd be drowned in the spit of passersby.

Now, even a simple trip to the convenience store in my building has my heart pounding in fear.

My best friend came over to my apartment, and I started peeling off the heavy clothes I had wrapped myself in.

When my face was finally revealed, I let out a long breath. "I was about to suffocate in that."

My best friend looked exasperated. "Dressed like that on the street, didn't anyone suspect you were robbing a bank?"

I shook my head innocently.

She was furious about the whole situation. "You should just post on Pulse and reveal who you really have a crush on! That'll slap them right in the face!"

I answered quietly, "If I drag him into this, it will definitely cause trouble for him."

She sighed. "Things have already gotten this bad, and you're still worried about that."

"If you just silently take all this, it's only going to weigh on his conscience."

But I was still adamant about not dragging him into it.

My best friend couldn't stand it anymore. Under her watchful gaze, I opened Pulse.

But I wasn't about to clarify who the man in question really was. Instead, I doubled down on my original story.

"Please, everyone, be rational. I was just making things up in The Crush Diary. Although we were schoolmates, we had no contact during our time at school, so it's impossible for me to have had a crush on him."

I thought that statement was clear enough, but I never expected to get flamed even more intensely after posting it.

"So disgusting. Now that the whole internet is after her, she wants to get away scot-free."

"Is she just going to get away with spying on our idol?"

"She does the deed but won't take the blame. It's even more nauseating."

"You'd better stay far away from our idol. Stop trying to ride his coattails!"

...

My best friend stayed by my side, watching the situation unfold with a worried look on her face.

"With how badly you're being attacked right now, I'm worried you'll get taken out by some of those terrifying Crazy Fans if you walk down the street."

"What if they start doxxing you next, and sending you razor blades, or dead rats... AHHH! This is terrifying, we should call the police!"

I looked at her exaggerated panic, a little exasperated. "It hasn't gotten to that point yet, has it?"

She looked at me seriously. "Are you going to wait until your life is actually in danger before you take this seriously?"

I pressed my lips together and fell silent.

My friend continued earnestly, "This could blow over, or it could get much worse. The destructive power of Crazy Fans is terrifying."

I took a deep breath, having made up my mind.

"Maybe I should try talking to Leo Lyons again."