When Hyacinth woke up, the soft rays of the sunrise were already peeking through the window.
A pounding headache spread through her skull, and a wave of nausea hit her. She felt like throwing up.
Groggily, she hurried out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. After emptying the contents of her stomach vomiting a rainbow, as some would say—she decided to take a shower.
Once she was done, she finally took a moment to gather her thoughts.
She was in her own bedroom.
Someone must have carried her here.
Hyacinth sighed in relief. She hated sleeping in unfamiliar places.
As she opened her door, a familiar scent filled the air.
Food.
Hyacinth stepped outside and saw Aurora and Sora playing Mario.
Sora shouted, "How are you so good at this?!"
Aurora nonchalantly said. "You're good too, but I'm just better."
Sora wasn't sure if Aurora was complimenting her or sarcasm.
Meanwhile, Soren noticed Hyacinth and called out to her.
She was surprised—Hyacinth looked completely put together. Soren had expected her to change her style into something darker after going through heartbreak.
"Stop whatever you're thinking," Hyacinth said, eyeing the tray of food Soren was holding. It was a simple soup, but the sight of it made her realize just how hungry she was.
Soren, unfazed, was actually relieved that Hyacinth seemed okay.
"Oh, I was about to wake you up," Soren said, setting the soup down on the table.
The apartment wasn't anything fancy not as spacious as the ones in the future—but for one person, it was big enough.
"I was about to cook for myself," Hyacinth started, but before she could finish, Soren shot her a knowing look.
They both knew—Hyacinth couldn't cook.
Hyacinth cleared her throat. "...Thank you."
Soren grinned teasingly before walking off, grabbing a snack for the two girls still engrossed in their game.
Aurora and Sora noticed Hyacinth, but they chose not to disturb her. She was eating, and after all, she had just gone through what was basically a breakup.
So, they continued playing but toned down their excitement. Now that the apartment's owner was awake, it didn't feel right to be laughing and having fun while she was dealing with everything.
Besides, they didn't want to risk getting kicked out—especially since, just last night, the three of them had decided this would be their official hangout spot.
Aurora, Soren, and Sora had quickly become close friends after that night.
Aurora knew that, in the original storyline, Soren and Sora were great friends to Hyacinth. Even though Hyacinth had changed, the two of them still remained by her side.
But they weren't always around.
That's why, for the most part, they never really knew what Hyacinth was going through.
Aurora eventually realized that both of them had assumed Hyacinth's feelings for Rose were nothing more than a one sided crush. They had no idea that, when Hyacinth turned sixteen, Rose had actually allowed her to pursue her.
That was why, in the original story, both Soren and Sora had harshly criticized the situation—though most of their judgment had been directed at Rose.
If they had known the full truth, they probably wouldn't have criticized Hyacinth at all.
Instead, 99% of their blame would have been placed on Rose.
Rose was the older one, yet she acted like a grade schooler.
Yes, she was three years older than Hyacinth.
Why three years? That age gap was popular especially in romance stories. If you looked at Wattpad, you'd see it all the time, particularly in the classic student teacher relationships. The age difference was almost always exactly three years.
Oh, did I forget to mention the title of the novel she was in?
My Secret Relationship with My Teacher.
Aurora thought the title itself was cringe, and the plot was cliché.
Suddenly, Hyacinth—who was supposed to be eating spoke.
"Rose Sallow is leaving for another country tomorrow."
The three lounging on the couch froze in shock. Then, before they could fully process it, Hyacinth dropped another bombshell.
"She's going to study abroad."
"What!?"
The three of them were stunned—even Aurora. She knew this would happen eventually, but she didn't expect it to be so soon. The novel was so cringe that it hadn't even bothered to mention the exact date Rose left the country.
That's why even she was caught off guard.
Soren and Sora were even more shocked. They had planned to talk to Rose tomorrow, thinking they might be able to help with Hyacinth's relationship.
But fate had other plans.
Hyacinth looked at Soren and Sora. "Don't even think about it."
The two girls gulped.
"I'm planning to move on. No need to worry about me." Hyacinth gave them a reassuring smile. "After all, it's just a crush."
But Sora and Soren weren't convinced. Doubt lingered in their hearts. Hyacinth had been crushing on Rose for years—how could she move on so easily?
Sora, who had once fallen for an actress she deeply admired, knew the feeling all too well. When the news broke that the actress was getting married and would soon retire from the industry, it devastated her.
For a whole year, she struggled with the heartbreak.
She eventually moved on, though memories of that time still surfaced now and then. It had hurt at first, but with time, the pain faded. Now, she could genuinely feel happy for the actress she once admired so much.
She felt sad for her friend. But then, Hyacinth suddenly spoke.
"I know what you two were up to back then. There were rumors that you two kept pestering Rose Sallow whenever something happened."
Sora and Soren were stunned. They thought they had gotten away with it, but Hyacinth had known all along.
"Don't do it again. Understood."
It wasn't a question—it was a command, firm and unwavering, like an order from a superior.
Sora and Soren nodded frantically, like pecking chicks.
Aurora has a guess about what they did back then. She wants to laugh at the moment, but before she can, Hyacinth glares at her. Quickly, Aurora looks away, pretending she didn't hear anything at all.
Hyacinth sighed.
"What happened last night?"
The two who had looked guilty earlier were now barely holding back their laughter.
Hyacinth frowned in confusion. "?"
Aurora, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke. "Do you really want to know?" she asked with a blank expression.
Hyacinth hesitated. "Do I?"
Before Aurora could respond, Sora suddenly burst out, "ROSE SALLOW!"
She dramatically struck a pose, mimicking whatever had happened the night before. Then, dropping to her knees, she clutched her chest as if in anguish.
"M-my dream woman," she whimpered, tears welling in her eyes.
Sora glanced at the snack she had been eating earlier, cradling it with an almost heartbreaking tenderness. Her voice trembled.
"Why did you—hiccup—"
Before she could finish, she passed out.