Infinite Rebate: I Get Richer Every Time I Spend

After Lucas and Maya found their seats, the bonfire party officially began. The atmosphere quickly came alive. The Student Union turned out to be far more entertaining than Lucas had expected.

One after another, students stepped into the open space around the bonfire to perform.

Some sang surprisingly well, others performed choreographed dances, while a few showed off magic tricks, stand-up comedy, and guitar performances.

Laughter echoed across the beach as the sound of crashing waves blended with cheerful music beneath the star-filled sky.

For a while, everyone simply relaxed and enjoyed themselves. It genuinely felt like a carefree college vacation.

Watching the atmosphere reach its peak, Bryce knew his moment had arrived.

Slowly rising to his feet with a mysterious smile, he announced, "I’ve prepared one final surprise for everyone tonight.

So... I need you all to do me one favor.

Close your eyes and silently count to thirty.

When you open them again... I promise you’ll see something unforgettable." The students immediately became excited.

"What surprise?"

"Come on, don’t spoil it!"

"Hurry up! Everyone close your eyes!"

Curiosity spread through the crowd almost instantly. Maya closed her eyes without hesitation.

She wasn’t interested in Bryce in the slightest; she simply wanted this little "surprise" to end so the evening could move on.

Lucas also closed his eyes~or at least pretended to.

Just then, his phone vibrated softly inside his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw a message from Lilith.

Chairman Lucas.

Everything has been prepared.

The fireworks team is standing by.

We’re ready whenever you give the order.

Lucas smiled faintly. Looking up, he noticed Bryce sneaking away with several of his close friends toward the decorations hidden farther down the beach.

He immediately understood what Bryce was planning.

"So that’s your little surprise..."

Lucas chuckled inwardly.

"You’ve spent all this time planning it."

"It’d be rude if I ruined your moment before it even started."

He quickly replied:

Hold for now. Wait for my signal.

Putting his phone away, Lucas leaned back comfortably. The corners of his mouth lifted into a subtle smile.

Go ahead, Bryce...

Finish your performance.

After all...

The bigger the stage you build...

The harder you’re about to fall.

Thirty seconds passed in the blink of an eye.

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

"Open your eyes!"

Everyone looked forward almost simultaneously. In front of the bonfire, a neat row of elegant purple fountain fireworks had somehow appeared on the beach.

Bryce confidently clapped his hands, and several members of the event planning team immediately rushed forward to light the fuses.

Fssssss~!

Brilliant silver sparks erupted into the night sky.

The fountains sprayed shimmering streams nearly six feet high, lighting up the entire beachfront.

Their reflections danced across the ocean waves, making the already breathtaking scenery look almost dreamlike.

"Wow..."

"So pretty!"

"I didn’t even see them setting those up!"

"That’s amazing!"

Many of the girls instinctively covered their mouths in surprise.

The entire scene looked like something straight out of a romantic movie. Even several of the boys had to admit that Bryce had gone all out.

Among the crowd, Kristine’s heartbeat gradually sped up. She stared at the dazzling fireworks with sparkling eyes.

Could it be...

Is Bryce finally going to confess to me tonight?

She had secretly imagined this moment countless times. Her breathing became quicker as excitement filled her chest.

But in the very next second...

Her hopeful smile froze.

Because beneath the glowing fireworks, Bryce appeared carrying an enormous bouquet of roses...

And walked straight past her.

He didn’t even glance in her direction.

His eyes...

Never left Maya.

Bryce’s intentions couldn’t have been any clearer. Tonight, everything he had prepared was for one person.

Maya.

The realization struck Kristine like a punch to the heart. Her smile disappeared. Her eyes slowly reddened.

"So..."

"Penny was telling the truth..."

"This whole trip..."

"...was for Maya."

She stood there in complete disbelief.

If Bryce had always liked Maya...

Then why had he approached her?

Why had he flirted with her?

Why had he gone out of his way to make her believe she actually had a chance?

Countless memories flooded back. Bryce had been the one who approached her first. He complimented her smile, told her she’d been the most unique girl he’d ever met, and said he couldn’t go a day without seeing her around campus.

Every compliment... every smile... every little act of kindness slowly made Kristine fall for him.

Eventually, she gathered every ounce of courage she had and confessed.

Bryce hadn’t rejected her.

Instead, he smiled awkwardly and said,

"I’m very serious about relationships."

"If I date someone... I date them with marriage in mind."

"So... give me some time."

"I want to think about it carefully."

Those words had kept Kristine hoping for months. She genuinely believed Bryce respected relationships.

She believed...

He respected her.

Now she finally understood.

He hadn’t been thinking carefully.

He had simply been keeping her around.

A backup.

Someone to feed his ego whenever he needed attention.

The humiliation burned through her chest. Her body trembled. Finally, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

"Bryce!"

Her voice echoed across the beach.

Everyone turned toward her.

Tears were already streaming down her face as she pointed directly at him.

"You jerk!"

"If you never liked me..."

"Why didn’t you just tell me?"

"Why keep giving me hope?"

"Why lead me on all this time?"

The lively beach instantly fell silent.

Even Bryce froze.

He hadn’t expected Kristine to explode at the worst possible moment.

Tonight, everything had to be perfect. Nothing could interfere with his confession~least of all Kristine.

In Bryce’s eyes, she had never been more than a backup plan.

Actually... he hadn’t even gotten around to dating her yet.

A small regret.

But hardly important.

Not compared to Maya.

He quickly adjusted his expression, putting on the image of a calm, considerate gentleman.

"Kristine..."

He sighed softly.

"I’m sorry if anything I said made you misunderstand. But I’ve never had romantic feelings for you.

The person I’ve always liked... is Maya.

If my kindness caused you to think otherwise, then I sincerely apologize. I hope you don’t take it too hard.

I’m sure someday... you’ll find someone who’s meant for you."

His voice was gentle.

His expression looked completely sincere.

To everyone watching, it sounded as though Kristine had imagined everything herself. As though she had mistaken ordinary kindness for love.

"So that’s what happened..."

"I knew Bryce wasn’t that kind of guy."

"Poor Kristine..."

"She misunderstood."

Only Kristine knew the truth. Every promise Bryce had made... every lingering look... every hopeful word... none of it had been in her imagination.

He had deliberately pulled her closer, then discarded her the moment she became inconvenient. Now, to protect his own image, he was throwing every bit of blame onto her.

Kristine stared at the boy she had admired for so long.

Only now did she realize she had never truly known him.

The dazzling idiot she once worshipped...

Was nothing more than a selfish liar.

She wanted to argue.

She wanted to expose everything.

But when she looked around, all she saw were doubtful eyes, whispered conversations, and awkward expressions. Almost nobody believed her.

Only Penny looked genuinely worried.

Kristine suddenly felt exhausted.

"...Forget it."

A bitter smile appeared on her lips.

"I was stupid."

"I believed someone I never should’ve trusted."

She wiped away the tears running down her cheeks before turning and running into the darkness beyond the bonfire.

"Penny!"

Penny instinctively stood up to chase after her, but another student grabbed her arm.

"Give her some space."

"She just needs time to calm down."

Penny hesitated before reluctantly sitting back down.

Seeing Kristine leave, Bryce secretly let out a breath of relief.

Crisis avoided.

He straightened his expensive jacket, adjusted his hair, picked up the bouquet once more, and confidently walked toward Maya.

This time...

Nothing would stop his confession.

Or so he thought.

Just as Bryce opened his mouth...

Lucas’s lazy voice suddenly cut through the silence.

"Hold on."

Everyone immediately turned toward him.

Lucas casually pointed at the rows of sparkling fireworks still shooting silver streams into the air. Tilting his head slightly, he smiled.

"Bryce..."

"I thought you said you had some incredible surprise for us."

He glanced at the fireworks before looking back at Bryce.

A playful smirk slowly spread across his face.

"Don’t tell me..."

"These tiny little fireworks are the surprise?"

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