Chapter Text
I am Eddy Chen, a junior college student who is doing great in my academics. I’ve been that way since high school and my freshman year.
He stared at himself in the mirror, fixing his hair with a simple brush. He had the perfect fit for his first day. It complements his soft, brown hair that gleamed whenever the sunshine hit it. He grabbed his school bag and stepped out of his room, ready for a fresh start.
I have a pretty good foundation in mathematics and science, which makes me an even better student. I enjoy building something new and reading books! Nevertheless, my interest lies in music, and playing the violin gives me so much joy.
Eddy smiled as he skipped down the stairs of his apartment building.
I love drinking bubble tea, but my favorite food is fried chicken. It’s my favorite ever.
My type is someone who’s good-looking. It doesn’t matter who they are as long as they’re very pleasing to look at!
“Edward!” his neighbor, Mrs. Yashiro, called. "You look handsome!"
“Good morning, Mrs. Yashiro! How are you on this fine day?” Eddy replied.
She was taking care of her blooming marigolds. “Gardening! How about you? You’re off to college?”
“Yes!”
“Well, take care and study hard!”
He exited through the gate and gently closed it behind him. “I will!”
Scratch that. Well, all of that is true. Except for something. Something that nobody really knows except me.
As he locked the gate, he stepped outside confidently.
SPLATTTTTTT!!!!
“Mom, that mister stepped on poo!” A kid near him shouted, grabbing the hem of his mother’s blouse.
"Don't say that!" His mother shushed.
Eddy cursed to himself, “Well, fuck!”
The truth is… I am the unluckiest person in the whole world!
Thankfully, he wasn’t that far and could change his shoes in his apartment. Eddy walked through the streets, smoke coming out of his head. At this point of his life, he knew he should be used to it. Since before, he had always had the worst luck.
“I told you to include Eddy when you’re playing!” The teacher scolded the two boys playing basketball.
“We can’t! He always gets hurt! Or the ball always gets thrown away,” the boys argued.
Eddy sat on the bench, sighing.
He had been keeping it cool since he noticed his constant misfortune. He kept himself secluded and away from close friendships and relationships, worrying he would scare them away or get them involved in his unluckiness. He ate by himself, went to school by himself, and walked home by himself.
“Why don’t you come walk with us, Eddy?” One of his regular school friends, Shaun, said. “Your apartment is not too far.”
“No thanks! I have to run an errand; you guys go ahead! I'll see you again tomorrow,” Eddy said, with a smile. He really wanted to spend more time with them, but he knew he couldn’t, or they’d see the real him. So, he convinced himself to smile through the pain and anguish of being unlucky. The more he reacts to it, the more it would constantly annoy him.
Before coming to school, he needs to prepare himself. Today was no different.
What other plans does this universe have for me?! He finally reached the campus while almost walking into traffic multiple times. As he was worrying about the next unlucky event that would happen, he came across a janitor attempting to lift a huge bucket.
“Hey! Boy! Watch out!” the old man warned.
But before Eddy could move, a huge splash of water had already hit his whole body.
“Holy–!” he shouted. “What is that…”
“Oh! I am sorry, boy! I tried to warn you.” You were too late!
He didn’t have the time to worry, as his first class of the day was about to start. He had only 30 minutes left to dry himself. He left the janitor and ran to the nearest bathroom to clean up. Eddy tried his best to dry himself off, but it was no use. Even if his hair had dried, his whole body was still covered with the stench of the dirty water.
He accepted his fate and stepped outside the bathroom only to find his two closest friends on the campus.
“Eddy! So nice to see you again after the break!” Shaun greeted.
“Dude, why are you drenched?” Ibo said, chuckling. "What smell is that?"
Eddy did not hesitate to put another fake smile on his face despite feeling like a loser in front of his friends. “Nothing, I just… got into a little… you know. It’s nice to see you guys again, too.”
“Next time, you should come with us. Camping was so fun. It'd be more fun if we were complete,” Shaun said.
Eddy nodded. “Sure, if I am going to be free next time, I’ll be happy to come.”
“Well, we’re heading to class. Do you want to walk with us?”
He almost said yes but refused. He didn’t know what would happen during that 5-minute walk.
He hadn’t even reached the building when another unlucky encounter happened.
“Fu-!” he almost cursed out loud as he felt someone hit him.
The girl shrieked, “I am sorry! I am sorry; I didn’t see you!”
He sighed as he felt the girl’s spilled strawberry milk run down his right arm. The girl bowed multiple times to apologize, and Eddy felt bad since she was genuinely upset with what happened. It wasn’t her fault that he was unlucky.
“It’s okay, really. Don’t worry about it! I’ll clean myself up right away,” Eddy smiled kindly.
“I am really sorry again. Here, have my wipes and tissues! It’s the least I could do.” She opened her bag and gave him the items. "I need to hurry back to class!"
“Thanks.” Just my luck.
He had a bit more time before class started. Thankfully, he didn’t forget the fresh set of clothes he prepared in his backpack as well as an oversized jacket. He changed his clothes and finally went to class.
Eddy sat at the back of the class, his hoodie on, as his professor talked. He scanned the whole room to familiarize himself with his blockmates. Some faces were familiar to him, and some weren’t. Most of them went to the same high school as him.
“Love is something that should come to us naturally. It should never be forced, and it is always genuine,” the professor talked, writing down information on the chalkboard. “Some people meet accidentally on trains, in libraries, in restaurants, or even in coffee shops. You never know when’s your lucky day to meet the one.”
Lucky. A word that Eddy would never hear as a characteristic of him. He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he jotted down notes on his paper. The girls at the front squealed jokingly at the professor’s remark.
“You know, I actually purchased something recently,” the girls beside him talked.
“Really? What did you get?” the other replied, excitedly.
The girl showed her wrist with a pink gem bracelet. “This is a love bracelet!”
Her friend squinted. “A love bracelet?“
“Yeah! I got it from Sensei Yoru; he’s a really good romantic matchmaker. He said that if I wear this, I’ll definitely get a boyfriend!” she whispered.
The other scoffed, “You will get a boyfriend if you ask your crush out. Not because of a random bracelet.”
“Maybe I will, then we’ll know the love bracelet worked!”
"The only thing it did was give you a little push."
Eddy chuckled quietly; he can’t get over the fact that people still believe in miracles and fate. If they were in the same curse as him, they wouldn’t even think about miracles anymore.
He shrugged to himself, ‘Maybe I should also get that bracelet to see if I’ll be lucky for once…”
“You’ll ask him out?”
The girl nodded, “Yes! Him.”
“You do know he has a lot of admirers, right? It’s the first day, and half of the girls in our class already like him,” her friend sighed.
“He’ll pick me because I have the love bracelet.”
Eddy scribbled mindlessly, ‘I wonder who they’re talking about. Must be a lucky guy.”
The professor erased the writings on the board. “That’s it for today. Don’t forget to submit your papers about the topic next week. I won’t accept late submissions! Class dismissed.”
“I didn’t notice it was you there, Eddy!” The girls beside him called on his attention as he packed his bag. “Why are you wearing your hoodie on?”
He chuckled nervously. “Well, I think I am pretty sick… and it’s quite cold here.”
“It’s true. It is quite cold here,” the girls agreed, hugging themselves.
“Uh… I wanted to ask something, and sorry for listening in, but I wanted to ask where exactly you got your bracelet from, Chiro-san?”
“See, Mira? Eddy is also interested!” Chiro bumped her friend’s shoulder. “I got it online! Do you want me to send you the link? I remember I have your contact since we were group mates last year!”
Eddy nodded. “Sure thing, Chiro. Thanks! I really appreciate it.”
Mira joined in. “Are you looking for a girlfriend, too, Eddy? You do know it’s a love bracelet, right?”
He stuttered, “Not really! I mean—sure, if it works out, then that’s great. I just want to wear something that’s been, you know… blessed. Luck is actually a huge thing for me.”
Chiro excitedly clapped, “Brilliant. Sensei Yoru has all kinds of bracelets for different problems. I know he’s specifically a romantic matchmaker, but he also makes other videos and gives life advice. You should check out his videos, too!”
“I will. Thanks again, Chiro. I’ll see you guys later.”
“See you!”
Eddy finished gathering his things, eavesdropping on his other classmates. The people in front were loud, talking to one another.
“You should come with us! The welcoming dinner will be tonight; let’s hang out before that!” one of the girls said.
“Right! We can go to a coffee shop in the meantime.”
A calm, manly voice responded, “Sorry, I need to do something, but I will come to the welcoming party. I’ll just see all of you there.”
"Aww, shucks! Fine though, see you there!" the girls giggled.
Eddy sighed, packing his stuff and leaving before anybody.
“Eddy!” His friends shouted behind him.
“Oh, hi guys!” He waved awkwardly, immediately taking off his hood. “What’s going on?”
“You coming to the welcoming party later?” Shaun asked.
Eddy had already decided to come, misfortune be damned.
“Sure, but I have to go home to take a shower. I’ll just meet you guys there.”
“Oh finally, he’s going! We’ll see you there, then.”
Truthfully, he wanted to go but was scared he would ruin the party, so he had to think deeply just to decide. He figured that his curse usually just affects himself. It did sometimes affect the people around him, but the harm would be on him. It didn’t hurt to come at least once, right?
As he arrived back in his apartment, he instantly hopped in the shower and changed into nicer clothes for the dinner party. It’s a tradition for Professor Takeshi to invite his new junior students to a welcoming party, as he’d be their professor in their major subjects for psychology.
He sighed, drying his hair off with a towel. Before he left, he made sure to clean his whole apartment, as he knew he’d be coming home late tonight. He was sure his classmates would get a lot of food and a lot of drinks to share. He knocked on the door of his next-door neighbor, who also happened to be the landlady, Mrs. Yashiro.
“Oh, Edward! You’re off to somewhere?” Mrs. Yashiro commented with a smile as she saw his attire. “You rarely go out these days.”
“It’s just a welcoming party for my class. I’ll be home late, so I’ll just close the gate when I come home,” he informed.
“No problem! Have fun at your party!” Mrs. Yashiro said.
He stepped outside and began walking to the location of the restaurant. Shaun and Ibo already texted him that they’ve arrived and saved a seat for him. Eddy knew something would happen on his way there. It’s for that exact reason that he stopped going and appearing in hangouts. Just as Mrs. Yashiro said, he rarely even goes out. He only goes out when he absolutely needs to.
His mother and sister scolded him for it, telling him that he’s not getting enough sunlight and it would make him weak. He just brushed it off. Of course, no one would understand his dilemma. Not when they’re not experiencing the dread themselves.
As he mindlessly walked through the streets, somebody behind him shouted.
“Watch out!” All of a sudden, he was strongly grabbed from behind.
The bus beeped loudly at him. He gasped, a little too late; he couldn’t process what just happened. He almost got hit.
The man let go of him and asked, “Are you alright?”
Eddy saw a scratch on the other man’s hand. “You got wounded because of me! I am terribly sorry. It’s my fault.”
The man hid it underneath the sleeve of his shirt jacket. “Don’t worry about it. Just a scratch. It wasn’t your fault; the bus driver was driving too fast.”
Eddy finally looked up. It was the guy from his class. He felt the world around him stop for a moment.
‘Good-looking!’ he thought to himself. No wonder a lot of girls fawn over him.
“It happens. Do you need something for your scratch?” Eddy asked, genuinely worried. He had once again spread his curse on other people. “I am really sorry.”
“It’s okay, I am fine, really.” The guy’s phone suddenly went off. “Excuse me, I need to take this.”
He stepped aside as the guy answered the phone. “Hmm, yeah. I am on my way there. Blue Crescent, right? Yeah, I’ll be there soon. See you later. Bye”
Eddy’s ears perked up at the mention of Blue Crescent. It was where he was also going. Of course, this man would also go to the welcoming party."
“Hey, I am going to the Blue Crescent, too… for the welcoming party,” he said.
“Oh, that’s great. I am also heading there. Let’s walk together?”
As they walked, Eddy felt much lighter. It was the first time in years that he walked with someone. Usually, he walked everywhere alone. He couldn’t explain why he suddenly had this feeling.
“By the way, I am Brett,” he introduced himself. “Did you come to class earlier this day? I didn’t see you anywhere.”
“Yeah, I did. I usually sit in the back, though. I am Eddy; it’s nice to meet you.”
“Maybe you should come sit with my friends and I next lecture,” Brett suggested.
“It’s fine; I am usually late, so I just sit in the back.”
Brett nodded. “Do you live far, then?”
No. I don’t. I am late because of my curse of unluckiness.
“Not exactly. I do some chores in the morning, so that’s why I am a bit late. I live alone, so I have to do laundry every morning.”
Brett nodded, turning his face to the other side. “I see. It's nice to live alone sometimes. I also have an apartment of my own.”
"I bet your apartment is way better than mine," Eddy joked. "You look like the rich type."
"Hmm. Not sure about that."
As soon as they arrived, a swarm of classmates had already appeared beside Brett. Eddy got to sit beside him at the table, as it was his reserved seat.
“Let’s have a great school year ahead, everyone!” Professor Takeshi toasted. “Everything is on me!”
The class cheered as they ate and passed around drinks. Eddy was eating his ramen noodles when he noticed Chiro looking at him longingly. He glanced at Mira, and she silently communicated, ‘She would give up anything to sit beside Brett.’ Eddy nodded and resumed eating.
So, it was Brett that she liked. It was no wonder.
“Alright, as your class president, I think we should do the Introduce Yourself in 1 minute! I’ll set a timer, and the person who introduces and stops at exactly 1 minute gets free food from me!” Haruto said, standing in front of everyone. "Sounds great, right?!"
One by one, his classmates started introducing themselves. None of them has gotten exactly 1 minute.
“It’s your turn, Chiro-san!” Haruto called. “Timer starts now!”
“Hello, everyone. I am Chiro. A lot of you probably already know me since I am in a lot of organizations on campus. I like strawberry crepes, rice balls, and strawberry cakes.” She paused for a while. “Oh, my best friend is Mira, and we’ve been friends since high school! It’s nice to meet all of you!”
Haruto pressed the button. “Oh shucks! Only 30 seconds!”
Chiro laughed. "Maybe next time."
“Mira, you’re up!”
“I am Mira. I chose this program since I am interested in studying the human mind and its behaviors! My favorite food is anything with matcha or any ice cream dessert. I also like joining clubs and organizations. I am part of the student council in our university and also the photography club. I encourage everyone to join for credentials and experience! Lastly, I am a good friend of Chiro!”
“50 seconds, not bad!”
Haruto looked over everyone. “Ooh! Our Campus Casanova, come on here, Brett!”
“Not true, Haruto,” he sighed, getting in front.
“You know it’s true.”
Brett stood as Haruto pressed the timer to start.
“I am Brett Yang. 19 years old. I have a pet dog named Yuki. He's a white-spitz dog and he loves sleeping. Right now, he’s at my parents’ house. I wanted to bring him to my new apartment but my parents refused. My hobbies are working out, playing the violin, and watching TV shows,” he started. “I am a part of the Mathematics Club and the Robotics Club in the technical committee. I love eating rice balls, taiyaki, and ramen. Aside from dogs, my favorite animal is also a shark. I love going to aquariums and amusement parks."
Eddy listened carefully. He grew even more frustrated as he knew more information about him. He’s really the guy that every girl would like. He’s smart, talented, calm, and even handsome!
“I think that’s about it,” he ended his introduction speech.
“Woah!” Haruto exclaimed, showing the timer to everyone. “Exactly 1 minute! Amazing!”
Everyone clapped loudly. “What else did we expect from this lucky boy? Can you believe it? Exactly 1 minute! I’ll get you a taiyaki, then!”
Lucky boy?! So, a complete opposite of me?!
“That was awesome, Brett,” he praised as Brett went back to sit beside him. “I can’t believe you really did 1 minute.”
“Thanks. It’s really nothing.” Eddy’s eye almost twitched at that comment. What did he mean it was nothing?!
Haruto shushed everyone. “I guess that leaves us with… Eddy!”
He was startled when he heard his name.
“Me?” he spoke out.
“Yes, you! Come here, Eddy! Introduce yourself!”
Eddy awkwardly stood up and showed a thin smile. “Uh—let’s see. I am Eddy. Eddy Chen, also 19 years old. I am good, especially with academics. I have enjoyed learning about both mathematics and science ever since high school, which drove me to choose this program. When I am not studying, I usually read and build something, but aside from math and science, I also love music, and I play the violin as well. My favorite composer is probably Debussy.”
His breath got caught in his throat as he noticed Brett’s intense stare as he listened.
“Well—uh—my favorite foods are… fried chicken and bubble tea… and..”
“Whoops! 1 minute and 1 second! You were almost there!” Haruto sighed. “I am sure you’ll get it next time, Eddy!”
He’s sure that he won’t. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach and joined the others once again.
Brett whispered beside him, “I play the violin, too.”
“Yeah, I heard from your introduction. Are you classically trained, too?”
“Sure am. There was one point in my life I wanted to become a professional musician,” Brett added. “Don’t know why I ended up here. Nevertheless, I am still having fun.”
“Me too!”
“We should play together sometime.”
“We really should,” Eddy agreed.
One of Brett’s friends called them and interrupted their conversation. “I guess you guys are friends now! Eddy, did you know that he’s a very lucky boy?”
“Lucky boy?” he asked.
“Super lucky. He always wins the lottery whenever he tries. He always gets the first place prize in every arcade game. Not to mention, whenever he gets something from the vending machine, he gets another extra drink!” the friend shared. “Indeed, he’s a lucky boy.”
The other friend winked at Brett, “Always gets the girls, too!”
“I think you’ve had too much to drink, Hyung,” Brett replied. “You need to stop drinking, or you’ll be in too much pain tomorrow.”
He responded, “Not when I am with Mr. Lucky Guy right here!”
Eddy sighed dreamily. Must be nice being extremely lucky like him????!!!!
“This boy’s luck is no joke.”
“The weirdest thing is, it would rain when we go out and he forgets his umbrella, but as soon as Brett steps outside, it stops completely!” he exclaimed. “It’s like a superpower or something.”
Eddy stared at Brett as if daggers were coming out of his eyes.
“Here’s the 1-minute taiyaki for Brett!” Haruto appeared, dropping a plate of fresh fish-shaped cakes on Brett’s table area.
Brett offered, “Do you want one, Eddy? I don’t think I can finish all of this.”
“Oh, sure. Thanks,” he accepted it. Eddy closed his one eye, bracing for something. Whenever he eats outside, bad things start to happen. The waiter could dump a whole tray of food on him, or his food would suddenly go flying everywhere.
Brett chuckled quietly. “What are you doing? Decided you’re too full, after all?”
When nothing bad came, he sighed in relief and finally bit into the warm fish cake.
“Nothing! Just a little ritual I do before I eat.”
That made Brett chuckle again. "Ritual?"
"Yeah—uh, ritual. My food ritual."
As he ate, he thought of all the moments he had with Brett. He arrived with him at Blue Crescent without anything bad happening. He even managed to eat outside and have fun with everyone without his unluckiness disturbing him.
He glanced at Brett.
Perhaps this guy… is the solution to my unluckiness. His luck is so strong, it counteracts my unluckiness!
He skipped around as he walked home, his head in the clouds. “I had so much fun!”
Maybe my unluckiness is finally cured?
A jumpy woman in front of him stopped in her tracks and turned around.
“You’re a creep, aren’t you? You’re a stalker! Stop following me!” With full force, the woman slapped his face and ran away.
Or not.
Eddy sighed, rubbing his cheek, “Fucking hell.”
Well then, it’s not cured. It’s just Brett.
“I’ll definitely find out tomorrow if it’s his luck that’s causing my curse to disappear!”
When he got home, the gate was completely shut even though he had informed Mrs. Yashiro prior to this. He sighed, preparing himself to climb. Another misfortune?
Eddy dropped down with a thud. As soon as he got inside his apartment, he fell down on his bed and fell asleep from exhaustion. He’d just have to find out tomorrow if his predicament will finally be solved.