The break bell rang. Its sharp sound filled the entire room.
Garin immediately stretched while extending both arms upward, her face looking like someone just freed from prison. "Fiuuhhhh… finallyyy."
She turned toward Sia, Lira, and Arven who were still sitting at their respective desks.
"Wanna go to the cafeteria? I'm starving," Garin said while rubbing her stomach.
Lira nodded casually. "Let's go. I also want to buy banana bread that just came out of the oven."
Arven stood up while taking his wallet from his pocket. "I'm in."
Sia was slightly surprised and immediately shook her head slowly. "Ah… I brought lunch. So I'll probably just eat in the classroom."
Her voice was soft, sounding awkward.
Garin didn't accept that. She immediately leaned forward and stared at Sia with an expression as if that decision made no sense.
"What? It's way better to eat together! You brought lunch? That's great. Bring it to the cafeteria," she said while holding Sia's hand.
Sia fell silent, unprepared for the touch but not wanting to offend her. "But… I'm not used to crowds…" Sia murmured softly.
Garin leaned her face a little closer and smiled. Not forcing, but clearly trying to convince her. "Listen… if you eat alone, you'll just feel even more awkward at this school."
She took a short breath. "If you eat with us, you'll have your first people you know here."
Arven chimed in while putting one earphone into his ear. "She's not wrong."
Lira nodded slowly. "If it gets uncomfortable, we can move to a quieter place."
Sia blinked softly. Her chest warmed slightly. Simple words, but they felt calming.
"…Alright. I'll come," Sia finally said.
Garin immediately lit up as if she had just won a lottery.
"YES! Okay okay, let's go before the cafeteria seats are full."
Sia took her lunch from her bag and Garin immediately grabbed her hand. She was startled for a moment but didn't resist.
The four of them walked down the hallway. The footsteps of students echoed lightly, mixed with laughter and conversations everywhere. Garin walked at the very front with Lira, busy talking while waving her hands.
"I swear, Lira. That group's comeback yesterday was insanely good! The visuals were on point, the song slapped, and the choreography especially-"
Lira sighed while shaking her head. "You seem to memorize idol schedules better than exam schedules."
"Oh my God… that's a secret!" Garin dramatically patted her own shoulder.
Meanwhile, Arven walked slightly behind them, right beside Sia. His steps were calm, not saying much, but it was clear that he noticed Sia still looked stiff, as if trying to adjust to the overly crowded school rhythm.
The hallway became somewhat narrow when they turned toward the cafeteria, and from a distance, Sia saw three people walking from the opposite direction.
Their silhouettes became clearer as they approached.
One of them… the one at the very back, Sia immediately recognized as the girl who had bumped into her earlier that morning. Her expression was still curt, as if the world around her didn't matter.
Then there was another one in the middle, her hair tied neatly, her face like someone with a tight schedule and no time for small talk.
And at the front of them-
The girl who almost made Sia forget how to breathe.
She was so beautiful. Elegant. Her gentle aura made people want to lower their voices when passing near her. Dark brown hair falling naturally, steps that were light yet confident, a face that felt… familiar.
Sia frowned slightly.
Where… have I seen that face before? Why does it feel like I know her?
As the group passed right beside them, the beautiful girl turned her head slightly. Not fully, just briefly, enough for their eyes to meet for a moment.
And at that second…
Sia stopped.
A pain pierced her chest. Not the pain of falling. Not the tightness from running.
This was deeper. Sharper.
As if something was being pulled from inside her, forced to remember something she wasn't supposed to remember.
Her hand reflexively clutched the left side of her chest. Her breath caught.
"Ah…" a small sound slipped from her lips.
Garin and Lira immediately stopped walking. Arven turned quickly, his brows tightening.
"Sia?" Garin's voice sounded lightly panicked.
But Sia didn'tcafeteri. She couldn't answer. Her mind was in chaos.
Her heart beat wildly, the pain striking all the way to her shoulder.
Why…? Why is it suddenly like this? I was fine just a moment ago… Why does my chest hurt? Who is she? Why do I feel… like I've seen her before?
Sia bit her lip, trying to endure the stabbing sensation.
Meanwhile, the three girls from earlier had already walked far away, without looking back. As if nothing had happened.
The hallway filled again with the noise of other students, but for Sia everything felt distant, echoing far behind that sudden pain.
Arven took a step closer, his voice low but firm. "What's wrong? Does your chest hurt?"
Garin held her arm, her face worried. "Hey, Sia, don't go quiet like that. You look really pale."
Sia took a deep breath, forcing herself to stand upright. Her cheeks were still pale, but she gave a faint smile.
"I-I'm fine," she said softly. "Really. It's normal. Sometimes… my chest just aches when I take a breath."
Garin immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders, as if trying to cover Sia with her own positive energy.
"Oh my gosh, you scared me! Don't suddenly stop like that," she said, her voice half worried, half whiny. "If it hurts again, tell me, okay? We're friends now."
Sia only nodded slightly.
Lira, who had been behind Garin the whole time, adjusted her glasses quietly before finally speaking.
"Those three earlier," she said flatly, "they're fairly well-known at this school. The one in front is Giselle Aurelline. Famous for her overly perfect attitude and gentle personality… though whether that's real or just a public image is questionable."
Garin nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah! The one in the middle is Kayra, from the archery club. The last one is Reina, she's kind of… yeah, you know."
Lira shrugged. "Giselle is always ranked first. A lot of people like her. Teachers praise her constantly. Basically, she's famous."
Sia watched the direction where the beautiful girl had gone. Her lips moved slightly, repeating the name that had just been mentioned.
"…Giselle?"
Her voice was low, almost like a whisper.
Lira and Arven exchanged a brief glance. No one noticed it except the two of them. A quick, fleeting look, yet it seemed to hold something only they understood.
Arven pretended to look the other way, while Lira adjusted her glasses again without commenting.
Garin patted Sia's shoulder with deliberately cheerful energy, trying to keep the mood light.
"Okay! That's enough, don't think about it. Let's go to the cafeteria before it gets full!"
Garin lightly pulled Sia's hand, as if making sure she wouldn't lag behind. Lira followed with steady steps, and Arven walked behind them, watching Sia without saying anything.
The pain in Sia's chest did begin to subside, but its effect still lingered faintly… like a trace that hadn't fully disappeared from her chest. Still, she kept walking, following her three new friends toward the cafeteria.