Aria's POV____
What just happened?
Oh god... why is my heart still beating this fast?
Zorvath... is he mad? Am I mad?
Did I actually enjoy it?
No, no, no. I was forced.
Well... not that much, but still... I was...
Ahhhhh, Zorvath, you've made me so embarrassed!
Why did they have to show up at that moment?
Ughhh.
I walked back to class. Sona, Sreya, and Danvy were already there.
"Where were you?" Sona asked.
"Oh... I just went to the washroom," I replied quickly.
Why did I lie?
Authors pov __
Sreya said, "I thought you ran to GHSS when you were nowhere to be seen."
Aria lowered her head. She looked at Sona, but this time Sona didn't open her mouth to defend her. That's when Danvy added, "I wish she did."
This time, Sona finally spoke. "Guys, please…"
Sreya replied, "Why? Should we?"
Danvy turned to Aria. "You know we're not the type of girls who love to attack a newbie in the group," she said.
Aria didn't say anything.
Danvy continued, "But if you wish to stay there…" she pointed towards the GHSS side, "and with him, then please do—without creating a war here."
With that, both Sreya and Danvy walked out of the class.
Aria stayed there, silent.
Sona stood up. She didn't know what to say or how to say it. She hesitated there.
Aria looked at Sona, then suddenly grabbed her bag and said, "I'm tired… bye."
With that, Aria left.
Sona watched her go.
As Aria was walking through the road, she thought, That stupid Zorvath should have said something to them…
Just then, she heard a noise from behind—it was Sona running toward her.
She stopped near aria, panting heavily, trying to catch her breath after running so much.
Aria looked at her and asked, "Are you okay? Why are you here?"
Sona said, "Aria… um…" She hesitated for a moment. A few broken sounds escaped her lips, but no proper words came out.
Aria looked at her, she understands what's bothering sona. she said, "Um, anyway, since you're here, I have some shopping to do. Wanna join?"
Sona's face lit up with happiness. She nodded her head eagerly.
Aria smiled slightly, and the two of them held hands and started walking toward the mall.
From a distance, all of this was seen by Danvy and Sreya.
Sreya said, "This Sona… no matter how many times I tell her not to trust anyone, she just won't listen."
Danvy thought, I have to do something. Otherwise, KHSS will collapse.
NIGHT ___
After some shopping at the mall, Sona and Aria were walking along the roadside. It was a full moon night.
Aria was looking at the moon, enjoying the calmness, while Sona was looking at the cover of her shopping bag.
Sona said, "This is my first time buying so many things from that mall."
Aria asked, "So, where do you usually buy your clothes? I thought that was the nearest mall to your house."
Sona replied, "We do go there—me, Sreya, and Danvy. We just wander around, look at expensive things… and that's it. Then we leave."
She said the last word softly, with a hint of sadness.
Aria looked at her and asked gently, "Then where do you actually buy your clothes?"
Sona said, "There's a sister near my house. She's really sweet. She usually lends me her dresses."
Aria understood her situation. She simply smiled and didn't ask any more questions that might make Sona uncomfortable.
Sona acted like she didn't care, but inside, she was carrying a lot of sadness. Aria could feel it.
To change the topic, Aria said, "Sona, let me ask you something."
Sona looked at her.
Aria continued, "You know I'm not trustworthy. You know I might run back to GHSS at any moment. If I do that, I'm sure your friends will blame you… or you'll feel hurt. But still, you chose to stay with me. Why?"
Sona didn't answer immediately. She just looked up at the moon.
"I don't want you to go to GHSS, Aria," she said softly.
Aria looked at her. She couldn't tell Sona that she actually wanted to go there so badly. She stayed silent, not wanting to hurt her.
Then Sona added, "I know you have to. Your future,your love, your dreams, everything is there. But if you go there… I'm sure everything will turn upside down, Aria. I'm not saying this to be negative or something ,but a lot of people know it. KHSS is a best example for it ."
She paused before continuing, "Maybe you can survive better than us… because you're rich."
Aria frowned slightly. "Me? Rich? I'm just a middle-class girl."
Sona shook her head gently. "You're right. Compared to them, you're middle-class. But compared to us, you're rich."
She gave a faint smile and added, "To garbage, Gold feels precious… but next to a diamond, Gold looks worthless, right? "
They both stayed silent for a moment. They walked together for a long time in that silence.
Finally, Aria said, "I'm sorry… but I don't think I can leave Sinas and my dream to join GHSS. Maybe you should stop hanging out with me. That might reduce the side effects in the future. I only deserve to be treated like that… you don't."
Sona smiled gently. "No, I won't stop hanging out with you. I'll try my best to make you understand the true side of Sinas," she said softly.
"If I just get permission from king"… she murmured under her breath.
Aria frowned slightly. "Kim?"
Sona quickly shook her head. "Oh—nothing, nothing! I think your house is that way, and mine is this way," she said, pointing ahead.
There were two paths in front of them—one leading to Sona's house and the other to Aria's.
And just like that, in the middle of an unfinished conversation, they went their separate ways.
Then Aria shouted from behind, "You don't have to do that! No matter how much you try, I won't stop loving Sinas!"
Sona turned back and said, "Once I tell you one story about him, I'm sure you'll be the first one to slap him."
Both of them laughed. They waved at each other—and finally, they truly parted, walking toward their own homes.