Sreya spoke up suddenly, her voice uneasy. "Wait… does that mean Aria is going to transfer from here?"
Everyone turned to look at one another.
Leo broke the silence. "Looks like it."
Just then, a voice came from behind them.
"what's happening here?"
All of them turned around at once. Zorvath stood there, watching them closely.
They looked panicked, hesitant. No one knew how he would react if he found out.
When no one answered, Zorvath's gaze shifted to Mirzand and Leo.
"What about the thing I told you to do?" he asked. "Did you find him?"
Mirzand and Leo exchanged a glance.
"We searched everywhere," Mirzand said finally. "He's not at home. His social media is completely off. No one has seen him." Leo added, "We called and texted him many times. No response."
Zorvath nodded slowly, taking it in.
Without saying another word, he walked toward his usual spot on the rooftop.
The others watched him go, unsure, nervous, not knowing how to tell him the truth.
Then Sona stood up.
"I think… I should tell him," she said quietly.
And with that, Sona followed Zorvath onto the rooftop.
Sona pushed open the rooftop door.
The wind rushed past her, lifting her colorful short hair into the air. She looked around, her heart pounding, and then spotted Zorvath sitting on a bench in the corner. One hand covered his face as he stared down, lost in his thoughts.
She walked toward him slowly—nervous, biting her lip, her fingers twisting together.
When she stopped in front of him, he sensed her presence.
Without even looking up, he spoke, "What? Came here to get advice on how to flirt with mirzand?"
Sona froze.
"Wh–what? How do you—no, no! There's nothing like that between us," she blurted out.
Zorvath stood up slowly.
"Even the bricks and concrete of KHSS know about you two," he said flatly.
Sona felt her face burn. She stood there, completely shocked… and deeply embarrassed.
Zorvath slowly looked Sona up and down.
She wore black boots, decorated with colorful stickers and tiny charms. Above them were her soft, slender legs, covered by a violet mini skirt with neat white check lines. Her uniform shirt was partially hidden beneath a casual coat thrown loosely over her shoulders.
Her hair was short and dyed in different colors—so many that it was hard for anyone to identify the exact shade. Changing her hair color every week was one of Sona's hobbies. Surprisingly, it wasn't damaged at all.
That secret stayed hers alone.
Then came the accessories.
Cute aesthetics everywhere—bunny-shaped bracelets, rings on almost every finger, and earrings covering her ears. Her makeup was soft yet dark, balancing sweetness and edge perfectly.
Overall, Sona carried a completely different vibe.
Bold, cute, chaotic—but in a charming way.
Almost like she had stepped straight out of an anime.
Zorvath finally spoke.
"I don't know how he liked you," he said bluntly.
"You're totally different from his aesthetic."
Sona blinked, shocked.
"His… aesthetic?" she asked quickly.
"You know his aesthetic? What is it like? What does he like?"
Zorvath smirked slightly.
"Didn't you say you two were nothing or something like that?" he asked.
Sona immediately shut her mouth, embarrassed.
Zorvath stood up and stretched his arms lazily.
"He likes elegant. Feminine. That kind of girl," he said.
"I never understood why he fell for you."
He glanced at her sideways.
"I thought he might be competition for me—at aria , But luckily, you showed up. I'm thankful for that."
Sona looked at him, confused.
"At least you guys didn't ruin our friendship," he added lightly.
"Like all those K-dramas."
Sona stared at him for a moment… then slowly lowered her head.
"Aren't you… sad about Aria missing?" she asked quietly.
Zorvath frowned.
"Missing?"
"I told her to take rest for a few days."
Sona hesitated.
"But… what if she doesn't return?"
Zorvath looked straight at her—really looked this time.
As if finally understanding what she meant.
Sona lowered her head again.
Zorvath's voice lowered, sharp and cold.
"Did she tell you that?"
Sona shook her head slowly.
"No… but she had been trying to contact us for days," she said, her voice trembling.
"The last time she contacted us was that day—when all of us were angry at her."
Her fingers tightened around her sleeve.
"She begged us… again and again. But we ignored her."
Her eyes dropped.
"Since then, we don't know anything about her. Now… I truly regret that day."
Zorvath took out his phone and checked Aria's social media.
Nothing.
Sona spoke again, barely above a whisper.
"Her social media is completely off. And when mirzand and Leo went her home we knew about the transfer."
Zorvath slowly looked up.
The calm on his face shattered.
His eyes burned—dark, furious, uncontrollable.
In a single step, he moved forward and grabbed Sona by the neck. His grip tightened instinctively, driven by rage rather than thought.
"Aren't you her friend?" he snapped.
"Wasn't it your responsibility to protect her?"
His jaw clenched hard, his breath heavy.
"Why did you ignore her?"
His voice trembled with fury.
"Everything that happened to her happened because of you."
Sona struggled, her breath breaking. Her hands clawed at his wrist, fear flooding her face as panic took over. Her body shook, helpless against his strength.
Zorvath didn't see it.
He didn't hear it.
He was lost in anger.
Suddenly, the roof door burst open.
Mirzand rushed in and grabbed Zorvath, pulling him back with force.
"Zorvath! Stop!"
At the same moment, Leo ran to Sona, catching her as she stumbled forward. She collapsed against him, coughing violently, her body shaking as she tried to breathe.
Zorvath stood frozen, chest rising and falling rapidly, fists clenched.
Only then did reality hit him.
And the silence that followed felt heavier than his anger.
Zorvath sat heavily on the bench, elbows resting on his knees, his head lowered.
Mirzand and Leo stayed alert.
Mirzand stood close to Sona, watching her carefully, while Leo positioned himself near Zorvath—both ready to restrain him if he lost control again.
Sona was crying.
Her sobs echoed across the rooftop, raw and uncontrollable, filling the silent space with guilt and fear.
Just then, the rooftop door opened again.
Everyone turned—except Zorvath.
Rithul stepped inside.
He looked around, immediately sensing the tension thick in the air, then fixed his gaze on Zorvath.
"What happened?" Rithul asked quietly.
Zorvath slowly lifted his head and looked at him. A crooked, bitter smile appeared on his face.
"Oh… come, come," Zorvath said mockingly.
"Who is this? Our dear Warrior."
He leaned back slightly.
"What made you come here, Warrior?" he added, his tone sharp beneath the joke.
Rithul exhaled.
"I didn't mean to make everyone tense," he said.
"I stayed away for a few days… to clear my mind."
Leo watched him closely.
"Did you?" Leo asked.
Rithul nodded.
"Yes. And now I understand."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"The mistake was on our side."
His voice was calm, steady.
"She didn't know anything. Not even a little."
He looked at the others.
"And we didn't need to tell her," he continued.
"Past is past."
Rithul straightened his shoulders.
"KHSS has to move forward. It has to shine. And for that… everything must begin from where everything ended."
For a moment, silence ruled the rooftop.
Then Zorvath let out a short, hollow laugh.
"Yeah," he said softly.
"Everything will be perfect."
He stood up.
"But she won't be there to see any of it."
Without looking back, Zorvath walked past them and left the rooftop.
The door shut behind him.
Rithul stood there, confused.
He looked at Leo.
Then at Mirzand.
Finally, his eyes fell on Sona—sitting on the floor, crying silently, her shoulders shaking.
And only then did the weight of everything truly sink in.