Both Soren Halloway and Aurora Perish turned to look. Sure enough, outside their restaurant, Hyacinth Chua was seated alone in a high end restaurant. A beautifully plated, high quality meal sat in front of her, untouched.
On the second floor of the same restaurant, Rose Sallow and her date were seated, oblivious to Hyacinth Chua's presence. From where she sat, Hyacinth Chua was in their blind spot whether by coincidence or design, they hadn't noticed her at all. Or perhaps... they simply didn't care.
Aurora Perish pondered—weren't they supposed to have a romantic relationship in the later chapters? So why was Hyacinth Chua already acting like a stalker?
Had Aurora Perish forgotten something in the storyline? If so, what was it? She had a hunch that it was probably something cliché. When she had been reading the story, there was one chapters she couldn't bring herself to read at all—purely out of secondhand embarrassment.
Even though Aurora Perish was a naturally curious person, she still couldn't handle overly cliché plotlines.
Aurora Perish thought that Rose Sallow was the reason Hyacinth Chua turned into a playgirl—after all, her heart had been broken when she was seventeen. And considering that Soren Halloway and Sora Winslow were now talking about Hyacinth Chua's upcoming birthday, it meant she was about to turn eighteen this year.
So that was one of the reasons why Hyacinth Chua had changed by the time she entered college.
Which meant that right now, she was in the very chapter she had skipped while reading this novel.
Aurora Perish usually read stories in her free time, often downloading them in advance. But this particular story? It was probably one of the few she had forced herself to read—mainly because she had downloaded it in a rush, without much thought.
It was probably the only novel she had downloaded at that time.
Aurora Perish was likely gritting her teeth as she read.
Sora Winslow scoffed, "Those kinds of simps always do something unexpected."
Soren Halloway chuckled. "I'm not even surprised anymore."
Sora Winslow tilted her head. "Why is she acting like that?"
Soren Halloway merely shrugged.
Then, her gaze shifted. "That guy beside Rose Sallow... He's actually pretty good looking."
Sora Winslow gasped dramatically. "Wow, are you into him now?!"
Soren Halloway patted her head. "Of course not."
"Besides, every time I look at him, I feel... uneasy."
Sora Winslow beamed and declared, "That's right! You shouldn't be attracted to someone like him!"
Soren Halloway sighed. "I know."
Aurora Perish was lost in thought as she absentmindedly ate the chicken curry that was supposed to be for Hyacinth Chua.
Suddenly, the female lead's boyfriend stood up and walked away without a word.
Meanwhile, Hyacinth Chua's gaze remained fixed on the female lead, her expression unreadable. At the same time, Rose Sallow reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, her fingers moving swiftly across the screen as if she were messaging someone.
Hyacinth Chua hesitated, debating whether she should approach Rose Sallow or keep her distance.
Hyacinth Chua didn't really understand why she suddenly started doing things she never would have before meeting Rose Sallow. Her actions now felt purely impulsive, as if she had lost control of herself.
She didn't even realize she had entered the restaurant until she was already inside, walking toward a spot that had clearly been reserved. It wasn't until she sat down at the table that the weight of her actions finally hit her.
Hyacinth Chua couldn't make sense of herself at all.
There were books and studies discussing feelings like this—topics she never used to care about. But now? She was becoming the kind of person her past self would have cringed at.
She didn't fully understand how Rose Sallow had such a big impact on her. All she knew was that she had been blinded by love.
Deep down, Hyacinth Chua knew she was chasing someone she could never truly have. She had realized this weeks ago—ever since she found out that Rose Sallow already had a boyfriend, despite allowing Hyacinth Chua to pursue her.
Hyacinth Chua had been drowning in heartbreak ever since she discovered that the person she had longed for before and even now already had a boyfriend. And yet, here Rose Sallow was, sitting across from her in this kind of restaurant, saying that there was never anything between them.
If that were true, then why were they having dinner together like this?
Was Rose Sallow just playing with her?
Hyacinth Chua couldn't understand it at all. She had given everything when she pursued Rose Sallow. She had been nothing but sincere, always there, always caring. Whenever Rose Sallow needed something, Hyacinth Chua made sure she got it—even when Rose Sallow never asked.
So why?
What did that guy have that she didn't?
Hyacinth Chua clenched her fists. That guy? He looked like a rat—no, that was an insult to rats. Rats were cute. Animals were cute.
He looked like a pile of trash that refused to be disposed of.
Before Hyacinth Chua could sink further into negative thoughts, a voice suddenly interrupted her.
"Is this seat available?"
She was about to say no, purely out of habit, when she paused. The voice was familiar.
Looking up, she met a pair of downturned gray eyes.
Hyacinth Chua blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Why was Aurora Perish here?
Instead of letting her confusion spiral, she decided to ask directly.
"Why are you here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aurora Perish remained unfazed, her expression as unreadable as ever. "I saw your food still untouched, so I thought I might help you."
Hyacinth Chua stared at her for a second before letting out a small laugh. She wasn't even sure why she was laughing
At first, she had instinctively kept her distance from Aurora Perish. Something about her had made Hyacinth Chua feel like she should stay cautious. But lately, that feeling had started to shift. It was as if her gut was telling her to trust the person in front of her.
Aurora Perish, however, simply narrowed her eyes, wondering what the hell was so amusing.
"As you please, spaghetti," Hyacinth Chua said, her lips still curled in a faint smile.
And with that, Hyacinth Chua let her guard down—just a little.
Meanwhile, before all that happened, Soren Halloway and Sora Winslow were still deep in conversation about Hyacinth Chua, openly pitying her.
"I wish I could just slap her and make her face reality," Sora Winslow muttered, exasperated.
"Right? It's frustrating to watch," Soren Halloway agreed.
Aurora Perish, who had been quietly listening nearby, caught bits and pieces of their conversation.
"After she experiences all that…"
"Character development!"
"She's probably in a depressive state by now."
Experience. Character development. Emotional state…
Suddenly, there was a distinct ding!—as if an actual light bulb had switched on above their heads. The room practically lit up in realization, making even the nearby waiter momentarily squint in confusion.
But Aurora Perish, caught in the moment, didn't even notice the others' reactions. Without another thought, she stood up.
Soren Halloway and Sora Winslow blinked, snapping out of their thoughts. "Where are you going?" they both asked.
Aurora Perish glanced back, her expression unreadable.
"Going to watch the real-life drama in 3D." she said simply.
Before they could fully process her words, she was already gone.