Both Soren and Aurora turned to look. Sure enough, outside their restaurant, Hyacinth was seated alone in a high end restaurant. A beautifully plated, high quality meal sat in front of her, untouched.
On the second floor of the same restaurant, Rose and her date were seated, oblivious to Hyacinth's presence.
From where she sat, Hyacinth was in their blind spot whether by coincidence or design, they hadn't noticed her at all. Or perhaps... they simply didn't care.
Aurora pondered—weren't they supposed to have a romantic relationship in the later chapters? So why was Hyacinth already acting like a stalker?
Had Aurora forgotten something in the storyline? If so, what was it? She had a hunch that it was probably something cliché.
When she had been reading the story, there was one chapters she couldn't bring herself to read at all—purely out of secondhand embarrassment.
Even though Aurora was a naturally curious person, she still couldn't handle overly cliché plotlines.
Aurora thought that Rose was the reason Hyacinth turned into a playgirl—after all, her heart had been broken when she was seventeen.
And considering that Soren and Sora were now talking about Hyacinth's upcoming birthday, it meant she was about to turn eighteen this year.
So that was one of the reasons why Hyacinth Chua had changed by the time she entered college.
Which meant that right now, she was in the very chapter she had skipped while reading this novel.
Aurora usually read stories in her free time, often downloading them in advance. But this particular story? It was probably one of the few she had forced herself to read—mainly because she had downloaded it in a rush, without much thought.
It was probably the only novel she had downloaded at that time.
She was likely gritting her teeth as she read.
Sora scoffed, "Those kinds of simps always do something unexpected."
Soren chuckled. "I'm not even surprised anymore."
Sora tilted her head. "Why is she acting like that?"
Soren merely shrugged.
Then, her gaze shifted. "That guy beside Rose Sallow... He's actually pretty good looking."
Sora gasped dramatically. "Wow, are you into him now?!"
Soren patted her head. "Of course not."
"Besides, every time I look at him, I feel... uneasy."
Sora beamed and declared, "That's right! You shouldn't be attracted to someone like him!"
Soren sighed. "I know."
Aurora was lost in thought as she absentmindedly ate the chicken curry that was supposed to be for Hyacinth.
Suddenly, the female lead's boyfriend stood up and walked away without a word.
Meanwhile, Hyacinth's gaze remained fixed on the female lead, her expression unreadable. At the same time, Rose reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, her fingers moving swiftly across the screen as if she were messaging someone.
Hyacinth hesitated, debating whether she should approach Rose Sallow or keep her distance.
Hyacinth didn't really understand why she suddenly started doing things she never would have before meeting Rose. Her actions now felt purely impulsive, as if she had lost control of herself.
She didn't even realize she had entered the restaurant until she was already inside, walking toward a spot that had clearly been reserved. It wasn't until she sat down at the table that the weight of her actions finally hit her.
Hyacinth couldn't make sense of herself at all.
There were books and studies discussing feelings like this—topics she never used to care about. But now? She was becoming the kind of person her past self would have cringed at.
She didn't fully understand how Rose had such a big impact on her. All she knew was that she had been blinded by love.
Deep down, Hyacinth knew she was chasing someone she could never truly have. She had realized this weeks ago—ever since she found out that Rose already had a boyfriend, despite allowing Hyacinth to pursue her.
Hyacinth had been drowning in heartbreak ever since she discovered that the person she had longed for before and even now already had a boyfriend. And yet, here Rose was, sitting across from her in this kind of restaurant, saying that there was never anything between them.
If that were true, then why were they having dinner together like this?
Was Rose just playing with her?
Hyacinth couldn't understand it at all. She had given everything when she pursued Rose. She had been nothing but sincere, always there, always caring.
Whenever Rose needed something, Hyacinth made sure she got it—even when Rose never asked.
So why?
What did that guy have that she didn't?
Hyacinth clenched her fists. That guy? He looked like a rat—no, that was an insult to rats. Rats were cute. Animals were cute.
He looked like a pile of trash that refused to be disposed of.
Before Hyacinth could sink further into negative thoughts, a voice suddenly interrupted her.
"Is this seat available?"
She was about to say no, purely out of habit, when she paused. The voice was familiar.
Looking up, she met a pair of downturned gray eyes.
Hyacinth blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Why was Aurora here?
Instead of letting her confusion spiral, she decided to ask directly.
"Why are you here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aurora remained unfazed, her expression as unreadable as ever. "I saw your food still untouched, so I thought I might help you."
Hyacinth stared at her for a second before letting out a small laugh. She wasn't even sure why she was laughing
At first, she had instinctively kept her distance from Aurora. Something about her had made Hyacinth feel like she should stay cautious.
But lately, that feeling had started to shift. It was as if her gut was telling her to trust the person in front of her.
Aurora, however, simply narrowed her eyes, wondering what the hell was so amusing.
"As you please, spaghetti," Hyacinth said, her lips still curled in a faint smile.
And with that, Hyacinth let her guard down—just a little.
Meanwhile, before all that happened, Soren and Sora were still deep in conversation about Hyacinth, openly pitying her.
"I wish I could just slap her and make her face reality," Sora muttered, exasperated.
"Right? It's frustrating to watch," Soren agreed.
Aurora, who had been quietly listening nearby, caught bits and pieces of their conversation.
"After she experiences all that..."
"Character development!"
"She's probably in a depressive state by now."
Experience. Character development. Emotional state...
Suddenly, there was a distinct ding!—as if an actual light bulb had switched on above their heads. The room practically lit up in realization, making even the nearby waiter momentarily squint in confusion.
But Aurora, caught in the moment, didn't even notice the others' reactions. Without another thought, she stood up.
Soren and Sora blinked, snapping out of their thoughts. "Where are you going?" they both asked.
Aurora glanced back, her expression unreadable.
"Going to watch the real life drama in 3D." she said simply.
Before they could fully process her words, she was already gone.