Aurora chose to stay silent while Hyacinth nagged at her.
Soren gave Hyacinth a sideways glance, while Sora looked confused. "?"
"Weren't you at the bar last night, Hyacinth?"
Hyacinth suddenly stopped and looked at Aurora, who remained silent.
She glanced at Soren, who simply shrugged, and then at Sora, who quickly looked away.
They had all forgotten—they weren't supposed to go to the bar!
The three of them had gone out last night, curious to see what the bar looked like. They were all of legal age anyway, so what was the harm?
Since it was their first time, none of them drank too heavily—except for Hyacinth. Soren and Sora hadn't done anything wild; they simply waited for Hyacinth to return after she said she was going to the bathroom.
But she took so long that they eventually went to look for her—only to walk in on her making out with someone in a dark corner of the bar.
They couldn't see who it was because the lighting was so dim. Soren looked at Sora, and Sora looked back, silently asking the same question Should we interrupt, or just leave?
They chose the latter.
Without a word, they hurried out of the bar and waited for the car.
While sitting in the car, an old memory suddenly surfaced—Aurora's wise words.
"You shouldn't try to replace the one you love, even if they hurt you. Letting go is better than settling...."
Then—ding—a notification sounded, and both of them froze.
Well... it's not like they were the ones who were heartbroken, right?
It should be fine.
Without saying a word, the two silently came to an agreement.
Hyacinth was sweating in her seat. She had lost her composure back when she was unconscious, and with it, her sense of direction.
When she was drunk, she had a brief encounter with someone—just a glimpse and she couldn't even remember how it led to a kiss, or why it happened at all. The memory was hazy, almost completely gone.
She was still heartbroken over Rose Sallow. People might say they're no longer in love with someone, but that doesn't mean they've truly moved on. The pain lingers, even after the love fades.
Aurora was probably disappointed in her, wasn't she? Hyacinth couldn't help but wonder. Her mind hadn't been clear these past few weeks—not since Rose vanished from her life.
She was slowly losing herself. But thanks to her friends, she still managed to hold onto the broken pieces, barely keeping it together.
She wasn't desperate enough to chase after Rose Sallow. Aurora had been trying to distract her, to pull her attention away from Rose. But no matter how hard Hyacinth tried, her eyes always wandered, searching every place, every face—hoping to find her.
And if someone asked Hyacinth whether she regretted kissing a stranger? She didn't.
She glanced nervously at Aurora, hoping there was no disappointment on her face. Aurora sighed. Why does my opinion matter when it comes to your love life, anyway? she thought.
It's not like Hyacinth had hurt anyone by doing it. After all, there are countless ways people choose to move on. Even if she ended up becoming a "playgirl" in the story, it wasn't something Aurora felt the need to change.
The only thing Aurora truly wanted was for the three of them to find happiness—even if the novel's ending still felt incomplete. Rushed, even. A fast paced happy ending that left more questions than answers.
Aurora looked at Hyacinth, who seemed unusually nervous. Seriously? This is the same kid who's always playing around?
She placed a paw on Hyacinth's shoulder and said gently, "It's fine. It's not like I'm your partner or anything." Then her tone shifted slightly, half teasing, half hurt.
"I'll forgive you… but why didn't you guys invite me?"
Hyacinth grinned. "You're still a minor," she said, putting her arm around Aurora's shoulder.
Sora and Soren nodded. Sora added, "Besides… bars are way too boring." She pouted.
Aurora thought, "Ick… I'm older than you guys!"
Of course, Aurora didn't say that out loud.
She missed going to lesbian bars. In her previous life, whenever her friend asked her to come along, she would say yes—as long as she wasn't too busy.
Even though she never picked anyone up back then, her mind had always been filled with work.
She couldn't really blame them for not inviting her—after all, she was still a minor.
While she was silently sulking, a group of teachers suddenly entered the cafeteria and took their seats nearby.
One of them was Freya, who sat farther in the back. From that spot, Hyacinth couldn't see her, as it was near another table closer to where Aurora was sitting.
Because of that, the four of them could hear the teachers' conversation. They were just about to leave when one of the teachers an ordinary looking man, a beta male—spoke up.
"Did you guys see who Miss Rose got engaged to?"
A female teacher wearing glasses and with brown hair responded, "I saw them once. The guy she's dating looks great. He seems rich, too."