Hyacinth Chua was momentarily speechless before composing herself and addressing the driver. She instructed the beta driver to head toward Vellichor Street—a popular destination among students. The vibrant street was lined with bookstores, clothing shops, and cozy cafés, offering a welcoming space where students could study, practice their craft, or simply relax with friends.
Since neither Hyacinth Chua nor Aurora Perish were particularly talkative, the car ride remained pleasantly quiet. Their conversations were brief, usually consisting of just one sentence before falling into silence again.
Not that it was awkward far from it. Hyacinth Chua felt comfortable around Aurora Perish, mainly because she never approached her with greed or ulterior motives, unlike most people. That was precisely why Hyacinth Chua befriended her, despite Aurora Perish being a little odd at times.
After about thirteen minutes, they finally arrived at their destination. The driver pulled into the designated parking lot, dropping them off before heading to find a spot.
Aurora Perish stepped out, taking in the surroundings. It was her first time experiencing this novel like world firsthand. The air was noticeably cleaner, lacking the thick pollution she was used to.
As they walked down the lively street, Aurora Perish soon realized that they were drawing a lot of attention or rather, Hyacinth Chua was. People kept staring at her, though she seemed completely unfazed, as if she had long grown used to it.
On the right side, Hyacinth Chua walked with effortless grace, her white long-sleeved polo neatly tucked into her tailored black slacks. Her long, jet-black hair framed her androgynous face, and her siren-purple eyes seemed to hold an air of quiet confidence.
On the left, Aurora Perish was a striking contrast. Her fluffy grayish-blue hair gave her a softer, almost ethereal appearance.
Her downturned gray eyes carried a naturally sleepy or melancholic look, and the unique white spot on her face instead of diminishing her beauty—made her stand out even more.
There were whispers around them, and to Aurora Perish's surprise, half of the voices belonged to girls while the other half were boys. She had momentarily forgotten that she was in a different world—most of the admirers were likely omegas, with a few appearing to be alphas or betas.
As they were about to enter the store, someone stopped them—a shy-looking girl and boy. Hyacinth Chua, who would one day become a notorious playgirl, maintained a polite but distant demeanor as she spoke to them. They were hoping to get her number, but she declined graciously.
Aurora Perish only gave them a brief glance before her attention shifted to a nearby restaurant.
A beautiful, tan-skinned girl stood there, appearing to be about the same height as her. She wore a uniform, clearly working as a waitress. Her dark pink, waist-length hair flowed gracefully, her bangs framing her face perfectly. She had the distinct features of a Filipina, and her presence stood out effortlessly.
Her olive skin and golden amber phoenix eyes stood out the most as she walked gracefully. Aurora Perish thought to herself that the waiter probably had a beautiful voice, though she hadn't heard it yet. She found herself admiring how perfectly the waiter's features complemented her striking eyes.
Still, she had no idea who the girl was.
Aurora Perish recalled that there was another male (female) third lead in the novel—one of the characters vying for the female lead's attention. That third male (female) lead didn't appear often, but whenever they did, readers would gasp. After all, they were one of the most toxic male (female) leads in the story.
Readers always seemed to love those types of characters.
Setting that thought aside, Aurora Perish noticed a new batch of people approaching Hyacinth Chua. Earlier, it had been one girl and one boy asking for her number, but now there were three girls.
Just how many people did Hyacinth Chua reject per day whenever she went out?
As she was thinking about this, more and more people began to line up. Yet, despite the overwhelming number of students and even some non students waiting for her attention, Hyacinth Chua still managed to maintain her polite and composed demeanor.
Wow, now that's a main character aura.
Meanwhile, Aurora Perish simply stood there, watching the scene unfold.
Hyacinth Chua suddenly glanced at her. "It looks like my friend needs to use the bathroom."
Aurora Perish, who had absolutely no intention of using the bathroom and was actually just enjoying the show while snacking on some food that no one knew when or where she had even gotten—blinked in confusion.
"I don't n—" Before she could even finish her sentence, Hyacinth Chua grabbed her wrist and dragged her away. "Please excuse us."
Aurora Perish, who had been thoroughly enjoying this new and amusing experience, now found herself being pulled inside a clothing store. The store wasn't too expensive but also not dirt cheap—it was the kind of place where students could shop without breaking the bank.
Piles of clothes surrounded them, and for the first time since arriving in this world, Aurora Perish realized that being associated with Hyacinth Chua came with some unexpected chaos.
Seeing the clothes around her, Aurora Perish felt a bit more relaxed. Since food and drinks weren't allowed inside the store, she and Hyacinth Chua had handed their snacks to the staff. Unlike the overly enthusiastic students outside, the store employees were polite and professional, giving them a much-needed breather.
They leisurely walked through the aisles, browsing the clothing racks. Meanwhile, Hyacinth Chua was engaged in conversation with a customer—who knows who? Did these people even realize that Hyacinth Chua was still just a student, or were they just weird in general?
Anyway, Aurora Perish decided to focus on picking out clothes.
She preferred comfort over fashion trends, so she chose a simple white t-shirt and a pair of soft, comfy looking pants. In the end, she settled on four sets of clothing, all within the same relaxed and classic style.
Now, it was time to try them on.
Just as she was about to head to the fitting room, Hyacinth Chua suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Is that all you're getting?" she asked, glancing at the clothes in Aurora Perish's hands.
Hyacinth Chua scanned the selection—normal. Completely normal.
That was odd.
It wasn't like the store was filled with strange clothing, but every time she had gone shopping with Aurora Perish before, Aurora Perish somehow always managed to pick out the weirdest-looking outfits from a sea of normal ones. Where she even found them remained a mystery.
But unexpectedly, this time, she had chosen comfortable, simple outfits with a classic style.
For a brief second, shock flickered across Hyacinth Chua's face before she quickly masked it.
Aurora Perish, who had caught the reaction, couldn't help but wonder—was the original owner's fashion sense really that bad?
After trying on the clothes and paying for them, Aurora Perish stepped outside, only to find the driver who had disappeared earlier now waiting for them. He was holding food and drinks, clearly having used the time to grab something for them.
The beta driver then offered to carry the shopping bags for her. "I can hold your things," he said, reaching out for the bags.
Aurora Perish was about to decline, but before she could, Hyacinth Chua spoke up.
"We'll be going out again after this. It'll be easier if you're not carrying anything."
Hearing that, Aurora Perish simply nodded and handed over the bags.
She had no idea where Hyacinth Chua was planning to take her, but she followed without question.
As they walked in silence, Hyacinth Chua, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly spoke.
"Do you know Rose?"
Aurora Perish, walking beside her, turned her gaze toward her.
Rose? Wait Rose Sallow!
Wasn't that the female lead?
Why would she be asking about her this early in the story?
Oh—right. They're the main couple after all. So it makes sense that they already know each other.
The original owner of this body wasn't familiar with the female lead yet. The timeline she transmigrated into was still too early in the story's progression. That's why she didn't dwell too much on the female lead's presence and instead focused on studying science—her weakest subject.
Acting clueless, Aurora Perish tilted her head slightly and blinked. "Rose who?"
"Rose Sallow."
Hyacinth Chua spoke the name slowly, her voice carrying an unmistakable warmth.
Aurora Perish glanced at her, noticing the softness in her usually composed expression.
Hyacinth Chua's eyes were gentle, filled with warmth as she spoke about Rose.
Aurora Perish nodded
Since Hyacinth Chua remained silent, Aurora Perish chose not to press further and simply continued walking.
Aurora Perish looked around, still finding it hard to believe that she had transmigrated into a cliché novel. However, to her surprise, the environment was much better than what she had known in the future.
She wouldn't deny that she missed her phone, but still...