After Vivi, it was Nia's turn.
Nia looked relaxed because, in her opinion, there wasn't anything particularly special about her life.
"Uhm, I think I'm probably going to be the quickest one to tell my story," Nia said with a smile as she walked to the center.
Leona tilted her head. "You're not planning to shorten it on purpose, are you? But it's fine. We're free to tell our stories however we want."
Emily agreed. "Yeah, just tell us whatever you want to share."
Nia casually began her story.
She was born into a strict and disciplined family, which made her grow into a disciplined girl as well. On top of that, her parents loved her dearly and were always worried whenever she went anywhere.
"Because I'm a girl, they're always worried and constantly tell me to be careful... but I didn't want them to keep worrying about me, so I decided to learn martial arts."
Thanks to her discipline, Nia became highly skilled in martial arts, especially styles that focused on leg techniques. She often ran into strange people, but dealing with them was never difficult.
"Well, self-defense techniques are important if you want to stay out of trouble... so if any of you want to learn, you can train with me sometime, hehe."
Then Nia explained how she met Nic, her face turning red with embarrassment because her feelings back then had been genuinely confusing, especially since Nic was already dating Vivi at the time.
"And yeah, with how crazy he is, he casually told me it was fine if I became his girlfriend too... seriously weird, but true."
Hearing that, Vivi could only scratch her cheek awkwardly because she knew exactly how Nia had felt. Funnily enough, Vivi herself had accepted it pretty casually back then.
"I even went on a date with Nic at the beach. We ate seafood and did a bunch of other things there... well, basically my life stayed pretty normal, both before and after meeting Nic. I guess the only difference is that it got a lot livelier, haha."
After that, Nia casually returned to her seat and moved closer to Leona.
"Now it's your turn, right?" Nia said with a smile.
Leona let out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah, I know..."
When Leona stepped into the center, Quinny immediately started clapping loudly.
Leona instantly became embarrassed. "Hey, save that for after I'm done telling my story..."
Everyone could only chuckle.
Leona took a deep breath and tried to smile.
"I was born into a very wealthy family. My father owns many companies, and my mother did too, even though she already had so many businesses of her own..."
Instead of talking about her childhood first, Leona began by describing just how incredible her mother was. She was a role model who was always full of energy and enthusiasm. Among her friends, she was even known as a shining light because of her kindness and her determination to never give up.
But after talking about her mother for a while, her voice gradually grew quieter.
"Until one day, when I was five years old... an accident happened, and my mother passed away..."
"That completely crushed me because it happened far too soon, and I hadn't even received all the love she had to give... In the end, because my father was always busy, I was raised by maids, including Quinny, who only appeared in my life when I was ten."
Leona explained that after losing her mother, she ended up creating an entirely new personality. She became desperate for attention and wanted to be spoiled, so she acted like a queen whose every wish had to be obeyed.
Because of that attitude, Leona constantly transferred from one school to another and found it difficult to make friends.
"But after I transferred to Solis Academy... I ended up in his class. Nic's class... Do you know what I did to him?"
Nobody knew.
Leona smiled awkwardly.
"I stole his seat and ordered my bodyguard to throw his bag out the window. I even called him a dog... pretty awful, right? But what he did afterward completely surprised me... When nobody wanted to listen to my orders and buy food for me, he quietly left food on my desk without telling me it was from him."
Vivi looked shocked hearing that.
"Then, at the shoe lockers, he suddenly told me that I was just a lonely girl who needed attention, and he said he liked girls like me... LIKE, WHAT WAS THAT EVEN SUPPOSED TO MEAN?! IT MADE ME FEEL SO WEIRD THAT I ENDED UP FALLING FOR HIM!"
Leona sounded both annoyed and embarrassed as she continued telling the story of how she somehow ended up joining Nic's relationship in the most random way possible. Vivi and Nia already knew this part.
"Then when we went on a date, he took me to a restaurant I used to visit with my family... but hadn't gone to in a very long time. That day, the two of us ate together and talked until late into the night... it was so wonderful~"
Leona smiled to herself as she remembered it.
She also explained how amazing Nic was in her eyes. He had rescued her when she was kidnapped, even if it had probably happened because of him in the first place. Then, when her father rejected her, Nic didn't run away. Instead, he accepted whatever conditions her father demanded so they wouldn't be separated.
"Huhu, he's such a gentleman... and in the end, he managed to meet all of my father's expectations. My father even said that Nic was like the light my mother once had."
When Leona finished, not only Quinny but everyone else burst into loud applause.
"THAT'S SO COOL, LEONA! I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST A SPOILED BRAT, HAHA!" Lily exclaimed.
Mika nodded. "Well, that's because the way she acts really does make her look like one."
Vivi laughed. "Isn't your relationship with Nic actually more romantic than mine? Hehe."
Nia nudged Vivi. "Well, of course. She needed attention, after all. But since Nic's gone, I guess it's up to us to keep an eye on her so she doesn't get too out of hand anymore, haha."
Quinny stood up.
"That's right. We have to keep spoiling Queen Leona until she grows old."
Leona immediately frowned. "Not like that, ugh..."
Olivia looked emotional. "But honestly... losing a parent when you're that young is hard. Even if you're surrounded by wealth, it still feels like something is missing, right, Leona?"
Leona nodded. "But thankfully, through Nic, I found all of you... my new family, one that I truly love and enjoy being with."
Everyone immediately became flustered and laughed. It was a very sweet moment as the afternoon slowly approached evening.
Emily walked over to Shoko.
"By the way, Shoko, it's already getting late. Are you going home now, or are you staying until tonight?"
Shoko shook her head.
"I'm not going home early, don't worry. I already told them that if I don't come back, it means I'm staying over, hehe. Honestly, listening to everyone's stories has been really interesting, and sometimes I even get swept up in the emotions. It's pretty fun."
Emily nodded, but she had another idea.
She clapped her hands.
"Okay, everyone, listen up for a second. We obviously can't keep telling stories all the way until late at night, and some people might get bored. So how about tonight we hold a new member event?"
Everyone looked confused.
Fanny asked, "What do you mean by a new member event?"
Emily explained that they would all try something that the new member liked.
"For example, Shoko is a gyaru girl who loves heavy makeup and flashy fashion. So we're going to hold a drawing, and whoever gets picked will become a gyaru together with Shoko!"
Shoko's eyes immediately sparkled, and she looked extremely interested.
"I would be more than happy to help all of you become just like me!"
Everyone became curious as well, and in the end, it was decided that tonight they would all become gyaru girls.
To be continued...