"Now that we're graduating, why do I suddenly feel sentimental?" Nina muttered, poking at the food on her plate. "Even the cafeteria food suddenly tastes delicious…"
"It's not sentimentality. It's your brain swapping anxiety for a more convenient emotion," Levi replied.
"Are you saying I have anxiety?" Nina sneered.
Levi shrugged. "Why not? College life will be different from high school. You won't be able to slack off anymore, and you can't cling to Yz like a leech."
"I'm a leech?" Nina smacked Levi. "You're the leech who always asks her to play your stupid Tartarus game. Besides, you don't even have any other friends apart from the two of us, duh~"
"I have other friends," Levi said.
"Oh, you mean your virtual friends? Yeah, right. Very impressive," Nina shot back sarcastically. Then she noticed Yeri engrossed in her phone. "Yz, are you reading news about your cousin?"
Yeri looked up and shook her head.
She had been searching about trees suddenly falling, but she hadn't found any clear answers that matched what she had recently experienced.
"Are you getting jitters about your upcoming wedding?" Nina asked excitedly. "How's it going, by the way? I think this is why I'm anxious. As your maid of honor and part of this wedding of the century, I still can't believe it."
"Don't be. You'll be fine, and you'll do great," Yeri said, sounding faintly exhausted.
All the wedding preparations had kept her so busy that she barely had time to feel anything beyond sheer fatigue.
"Who's going to be the groom's best man?" Levi asked.
"It should be Brother Tristan," Yeri replied.
"Oh my god, now I'm even more anxious!" Nina grabbed her hair dramatically. "I'll definitely embarrass myself. I'll be awkward, intimidated… maybe even shy."
Yeri laughed lightly at Nina's theatrics.
"Don't worry. He only likes women," Levi muttered.
"What did you say?" Nina glared at him. "Are you implying I'm not womanly? You're asking for a beating, aren't you?"
"Wow, the Zhi family is really determined to climb higher. One succeeded, but unfortunately, the other wasn't smart enough and didn't aim for Tristan Felan. Honestly, isn't it such a coincidence that they're both involved with the Keir men?"
The voice rang out loudly, clearly meant for Yeri to hear.
"Ignore her. She's just jealous of you," Levi said.
Yeri glanced at the girl who spoke. She looked like a junior, probably a year or two below them.
But Nina wasn't one to let things slide. She was already halfway to standing when Loki's arrival swept through the cafeteria like a sudden pressure drop before a storm, silencing the room.
Ever since it became known that he was a member of Hexion, it was as if he had been unofficially crowned the school's reigning menace.
Even the usual troublemakers kept their distance. A few rich kids had once tried cornering him after school, only to be thoroughly beaten. Loki was older, sharper, and carried the quiet edge of someone who had stared danger in the face more than once.
"Apologize," Loki said to the girl.
She flinched, swallowing nervously before forcing herself to speak, though her voice lacked its earlier bite. "Why should I? Are you bullying a girl now? I'm just exercising my freedom of speech. Besides, my dad is a well-known hotelier, and you're just a… well… anyway, I'm not at fault."
"Loki," Yeri called, shaking her head.
Loki turned toward them and sat beside Levi, his demeanor shifting as easily as a curtain falling between acts.
A casual smile replaced the earlier chill. "The boss's woman shouldn't be treated like that. It's an insult to the boss and the organization."
Yeri shrugged. "I don't know about your Hexion rules, but you're very scary when you approach people like that. Most students here don't even know your real age. Just think of it as some kid whining."
Moreover, unlike when her engagement to Shin Keir had first become public, the students were no longer as hostile or deliberately ostracizing toward her.
Perhaps this girl was simply one of the few die-hard admirers who still couldn't accept that he was now engaged.
"Age shouldn't be an excuse to be mean to others. When I was five, I was already fighting adults for a piece of bread," Loki said, sounding oddly proud.
"I agree with him. Age is not an excuse," Nina nodded, clearly itching for a confrontation. "I think she needs to be taught a lesson."
"We're graduating. This kind of argument is unnecessary," Yeri said.
Loki and Nina exchanged glances, both unconvinced.
Yeri stared at them for a moment, speechless.
…Were these two siblings separated at birth?
"If you don't mind me asking, Loki, where did you grow up?" Levi asked, curiosity piqued.
Before Loki could answer, Nina suddenly hooked her arm around Levi's neck in a headlock.
"Are you crazy?" Levi struggled to break free.
"You should learn from Loki. Don't waste your food and eat your meat, you twig," Nina said, trying to shove a chicken leg into his mouth.
Loki's eyes lit up as if he had just discovered a new hobby. He began instructing Nina on the proper technique for a more effective headlock.
Yeri laughed softly, but her amusement faltered when her gaze caught a figure near the cafeteria entrance.
Was she imagining things? He shouldn't be here… right?
Curiosity tugged at her. Yeri stood abruptly and hurried off. "You guys keep eating. I need to go to the restroom."
She walked along the corridor, scanning her surroundings. Students passed by, chatting, laughing, lingering in clusters. Nothing seemed out of place.
She paused, about to turn back, when she spotted him near the stairs. He noticed her too.
At the quiet back of the school building, where the noise thinned into a distant hum, Yeri finally faced the figure.
"Brother Book? Is it really you? How did you get in here?" she asked.
Xian lifted his hood and smiled.
Only then did she realize he was wearing their school uniform. No wonder no one had paid him any attention.
"You used the information in the USB I gave you," Xian said.
Yeri smiled guiltily.
That USB drive had ended up in Tristan's hands, and the contents were eventually exposed at the economic forum, revealing Vanessa and Bryce.
"Um… you look better than the last time I saw you. But why did you give me something so important? What if I had handed it to Brother Shin or someone else to use against your family?" Yeri asked.
Xian shrugged. "I already told you, I'm not part of their plans. I don't like their methods. I gave it to you so you could protect yourself. Be careful of Bryce Gate and the others."
Yeri's expression turned complicated. She had been close to Xian Song as a child, but she hadn't expected him to go this far, even risking putting his own family in a difficult position.
And for what? Was it really just friendship?
"You look tired," Xian said, watching her closely.
"There's just a lot going on. Wedding preparations, school…" Yeri replied.
"Shin Keir has the means to delegate everything. Does he even care about your well-being?" Xian asked, a hint of irritation slipping through.
"Of course he does. But I can't just be completely absent from the planning," Yeri said. "By the way, are you here to see someone?"
Xian glanced around, then looked back at her. "Yeah. I already did."
Something about the way he said it felt… off.
Still, Yeri only nodded and teased lightly, "They must be very important for you to sneak in here wearing a uniform."
"Do you know that, to become the head of the Keir family, one must pass the elders' test? Even if it means… ending someone's life?" Xian said.
Yeri froze, caught off guard by the sudden shift.
"I still think you're too innocent to enter the Keir household. Do you know how rare it is for them to grant a divorce? Escaping them is nearly impossible… unless you choose death," he continued.
Yeri didn't know how to respond. She already knew about the Keirs' no-divorce rule, but hearing it laid out so bluntly made it feel heavier, colder.
Before she could say anything, the bell rang, slicing through the moment.
Xian stepped closer and gently touched her cheek. "Take care of yourself. I have to go."
"Wait, Brother Book!" Yeri called, wanting to tell him to stop helping her. She didn't want to owe him anything, especially when he and Shin Keir were clearly at odds.
But Xian had already turned the corner, vanishing like a shadow slipping between walls.
----
The next day, Calin was at a filming site for another commercial.
"Why do we have to film before sunrise? This is outrageous! There are so many mosquitoes and bugs, and it reeks," she complained.
Her manager replied calmly, "It was the client's request. It's for an outdoor gear and apparel brand. Apparently, hikers prefer going out this early… something like that."
Calin shot him a sharp glare.
Ever since Manager Lyn quit and Saeki assigned her a replacement, this new guy had a talent for skipping explanations and bulldozing decisions without asking for her opinion.
"I never agreed to this in the first place!" she snapped.
"It's a high-end sports brand. Are you sure you want to cancel?" her manager asked.
Calin fell silent.
"Time check, 5 a.m.!" the director shouted. "Make sure everything is on set! Calin, get ready!"
She stepped out of the van, the air still damp and gray like the world hadn't fully woken up yet. Checking her phone, she saw a message from Bryce.
She deleted it immediately.
Ever since the economic forum incident, every conversation or meeting between them had ended in arguments. Bryce insisted he had only approached Vanessa for the sake of the plan, but did he really think she was that gullible?
She regretted ever accepting him, regretted believing his carefully crafted nonsense. But back then, the Ricci business had been collapsing, and he had been the only one willing to shoulder the burden.