Leo raised his brows, studying her. "So… you investigate a lot, huh?"
Aria smiled faintly. "No. She told me."
His disbelief showed instantly. "Really?"
"Yeah," Aria replied smoothly. "We're friends, man."
Leo glanced away, his jaw tightening. "It's not that I don't believe you. It's just… Sona usually doesn't share anything. Not unless she truly trusts someone. And you—" he looked back at her, half amazed, half guarded—"you gained her trust so fast."
Aria's lips curved. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Leo nodded slowly. "Just… don't break her trust, Aria." His voice softened, almost warning, almost pleading.
Aria only gave him a small, knowing smile. "I won't."
For a quiet moment, they both turned their gaze toward GHSS in the distance. To Aria, it was the school where her heart still lingered. To Leo, it was something else entirely—something darker. Their opinions clashed silently, but neither spoke it out loud.
Finally, Aria broke the silence. "Leo… did you break her?"
He turned to her sharply, eyes narrowing. "What?"
"Her trust," Aria pressed, her voice calm but piercing.
Leo didn't answer. He only looked at her, unreadable, his eyes a storm of things unsaid. Then, with a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes, he pushed himself to his feet. "I gotta go. See you, Aria."
Aria sat still, watching him leave. A strange weight lingered in her chest—something in his silence told her more than words ever could.
Moments later, Sona, Danvy, and Sreya burst through the door, breathless.
"Where the hell were you? We searched the whole school for you!" Sona exclaimed, her short hair—dyed in streaks of blue, pink, and violet—dancing wildly in the wind.
Aria blinked at them, her mind still tangled in Leo's words. She didn't answer. She just stared at Sona, her lips moving before she even realized it.
"You trust me…" she whispered.
"What?" Sona frowned, confused.
Danvy and Sreya exchanged a quick glance, concern flickering in their eyes. Sreya stepped forward gently. "Aria… are you okay?"
Without warning, Aria threw herself into Sona's arms, hugging her tightly. The tension on their faces melted instantly into soft smiles. Even Danvy—whose smile was rare and fleeting—let one slip. In another heartbeat, all three of them wrapped their arms around Aria, holding her close.
They stayed like that until the sun dipped lower, then sat together on the rooftop bench, watching the sky blaze orange.
"What happened?" Sona finally asked softly.
Aria took a shaky breath. "I've only been here for a week… but from the very first moment you saw me…" She looked at Sona, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "…you trusted me. You all accepted me. Even knowing I… I loved your enemy." Her voice cracked, but she pressed on. "Thank you—for believing in me. For loving me. Honestly… in my whole life, I've never had this much."
A single tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it quickly, embarrassed.
The three of them sat quietly, their expressions shifting as her words sank in. Then Sreya broke the silence with a dramatic pout. "Ugh, stop it, Aria. You're going to make me cry—and my expensive foundation is not waterproof."
The tension cracked, and laughter spilled out. The four of them laughed until their sides hurt, the bond between them shining brighter than the sunset itself.
________.
Sona casually glanced at her watch—and then her eyes widened.
"Nooo! The bet match is about to start!"
Sreya jumped to her feet instantly. "What? Already? We're late!"
Danvy groaned but stood too, brushing the dust from her skirt. "Come on, let's go before we miss the first round."
They turned to Aria expectantly. Sona grabbed her hand. "You coming?"
Aria hesitated, then shook her head. "No… I'll stay here. You guys go ahead. Fighting and betting—none of that's really my thing."
"Aria…" Sona looked torn for a moment, but the pounding music from below reminded her of the time. She sighed. "Fine. Stay here. We'll be back soon."
"Don't get bored!" Sreya teased, flashing a grin as she dragged Danvy toward the door.
In a flurry of footsteps, the three girls disappeared, leaving Aria alone on the rooftop once more.
Silence returned, broken only by the faint echo of cheers rising from deep below. Aria leaned back on the bench, staring up at the sky.
Just then, movement below caught Aria's eye.
A man was walking through the gates of KHSS. His steps were steady, confident—like he belonged here. And yet… Aria frowned. She had never seen him before.
Something about his face tugged at her memory. Where had she seen him?
Pulling out her phone, she opened the browser and typed quickly: KHSS history. The page loaded with old articles and scattered photos. She scrolled absentmindedly, until—
Her breath hitched.
There.
A photo. The same man, standing beside a government official. The caption read:
"Mr. Rahan Das, owner and chairman of KHSS."
Aria's pulse quickened. The owner?
She looked back down at the gates, watching his figure disappear into the building. A storm of thoughts rushed her mind.
If he's really the owner… then maybe he's the one who can stop what's happening in Room Zero.
For the first time that evening, Aria felt a spark of hope.
Aria hurried down the stairs, determined to find the chairman. By the time she reached the second floor, she spotted him through a dusty window on the opposite block.
He was in one of the old locked staff rooms, rummaging through computers and files that looked like they hadn't been touched in years.
Aria froze, watching.
Up close, he didn't look like a chairman at all. His hair was thin, his scalp nearly bald, with heavy dark circles carved under his eyes. His clothes were plain—worn-out pants and a dirty shirt that looked as if they hadn't seen water in two days. He reeked of exhaustion… and alcohol.
Still, there was something in him—a strange fire—that made her hesitate.
Quietly, she pushed the door open and cleared her throat, trying to get his attention.
He turned. For a long moment, he just stared at her, unblinking.
"Do you study here?" he finally asked. His voice was rough, broken. When he spoke, the sharp stench of alcohol rolled out, making Aria instinctively cover her nose.
"Yes… good morning, sir," she said quickly, bowing slightly.
His eyes, red-rimmed and glassy, studied her with irritation. "If you're here for transfer talk, look, girl, I'm not in the mood. Come back after 7 p.m.—and don't forget to bring a bottle."
Aria's chest tightened. The little spark of hope she had felt began to collapse. But she forced herself to speak.
"Sir… I don't know what happened to you, or to KHSS. I'm new here, and maybe you don't know what's going on—but Room Zero… the things happening there… that's not my business." Her voice shook, but she pressed on. "But the drug dealing, the students using it—that is my problem. And I thought it should be yours too."
The word drug seemed to ignite something in him. Rahan Das stiffened. His eyes, once dull and drowned in alcohol, flared with sudden fury.
"What?" he growled. "Drugs? In my school? Minors?"
Before Aria could react, he dropped the computer parts he had been holding with a loud crash and stormed out of the room, heading toward the building where Room Zero was hidden.
Aria's heart pounded. She had stirred something inside him—something dangerous. Maybe she had done the right thing. Maybe she had made it worse.
Either way, there was no turning back now.