What Aurora Perish said was true she wanted the drama to unfold right in front of her. In her past life, Aurora Perish had been a workaholic, but in this life, she wanted to have fun.
That's why Aurora Perish came here. She also had another reason after observing Hyacinth Chua, she realized that this was the timeline where Hyacinth Chua became overwhelmed by negative thoughts. This was the turning point that led her from being the top high school girl to becoming a playgirl and a typical second generation rich kid.
Aurora Perish felt bad for Hyacinth Chua. She had (kind of) read the whole novel and knew what would happen. When Hyacinth Chua realized she still couldn't let go of her first love despite hooking up with others and when she first met the heroine—she changed her playgirl ways, though she still ended up somewhat clueless.
Aurora Perish understood. After all, Hyacinth Chua was still in college and hadn't fully matured yet.
To Aurora Perish, their romance felt like an elementary school crush.
But this story was still somewhat dark.
That's why, even though Aurora Perish seemed carefree on the outside, she remained cautious.
After all, this story was unpredictable.
What if the choices she made didn't align with what she had learned from the novel and the original owner's memories?
She would…
Hyacinth Chua tapped her shoulder. Aurora Perish raised an eyebrow at her, then followed Hyacinth Chua's gaze.
The slick red haired man was back.
Up close, he looked like a perfect gentleman tall, well built, and charming. Any woman who saw him would be drawn to him. His presence alone made him popular.
But Hyacinth Chua thought otherwise. His smile was fake, his demeanor felt like an act. He would make a better actor than a businessman.
Hyacinth Chua glanced at Aurora Perish, her eyes filled with unspoken words.
Aurora Perish agreed.
It was obvious that the guy was skilled at acting. However, unless someone had studied psychology or was naturally cautious, they wouldn't notice it.
The slick red-haired man was the first to speak to Rose Sallow, while she merely responded with a nod.
Throughout their date, he did most of the talking, while Rose Sallow simply ate elegantly, barely acknowledging him. She seemed as if she wasn't paying attention at all.
From a distance, Rose Sallow and the red-haired man looked sweet together.
Hyacinth Chua, watching them, felt a slight sting in her heart. But it wasn't as painful as before—because this time, she had someone to share the moment with.
She was glad she hadn't distanced herself from Aurora Perish. Having her around made her sadness fade, even if just a little.
At that moment, Hyacinth Chua made up her mind—she would distance herself from Rose Sallow. She had already been hurt enough, enduring everything in silence while the one who shattered her heart didn't even bother to pick up the pieces.
"Am I just a joke to her?" she thought, forcing a bitter smile as if mocking herself.
Hyacinth Chua, Aurora Perish, and the other two were now in Hyacinth Chua's apartment, drinking and eating BBQ.
At first, Hyacinth Chua wanted to go to a bar, but Aurora Perish disapproved. Her reasoning was simple—they were too young to be there, and if they got drunk, they would end up spilling everything.
"If we're all going to get drunk, we might as well do it safely in your apartment," Aurora Perish had said.
Hyacinth Chua and the others agreed. It was the better option.
What Aurora Perish didn't mention, however, was that in this novel's world, danger always seemed to happen in bars.
That's why she had developed a lingering trauma about them. Even though she had been to bars a couple of times, she remained cautious. After all, she was living in a novel—and this world was not something to underestimate.
Hyacinth Chua was downing alcohol like water, leaving the three of them stunned.
"Didn't she say this was her first time drinking?" Soren Halloway and Sora Winslow thought in disbelief.
Aurora Perish, however, wasn't as shocked as they were. In the novel, Hyacinth Chua was a heavy drinker with an impressively high alcohol tolerance.
That's why Aurora Perish focused on eating BBQ instead, completely unbothered.
Soren Halloway, watching her, noticed something—Aurora Perish was secretly eating the BBQ she had just finished cooking.
Since none of them knew how to cook, it was understandable for Hyacinth Chua and Sora Winslow. But Aurora Perish? She didn't know how to cook either.
"Aura! You've already eaten a lot!" Soren Halloway exclaimed, shocked.
How could this girl eat so much? She wasn't… Differentiated yet, was she?
Why was she eating like there was no tomorrow?
Soren Halloway, who had been slandering Aurora Perish in her mind, was actually right.
After losing everything, Aurora Perish realized just how important food was. That's why, whenever she achieved something, she would reward herself—with barbecue, her favorite food.
Whether she was celebrating alone or with friends, Aurora Perish would always eat barbecue.
A year after she lost everything, on her birthday, she ate two pieces of barbecue.
It tasted sour as she chewed, yet she still enjoyed it.
Because no matter what, it was still her favorite food.
Then suddenly, they heard glass shattering.
Sora Winslow shouted, and Aurora Perish was the first to react.
The three of them turned toward the source of the noise and saw Hyacinth Chua standing there.
"What's going on?" Sora Winslow hesitated, afraid to approach. Drunk people were unpredictable—who knew if she had been hit by something?
Soren Halloway squinted her eyes. "A picture frame?"
Sora Winslow frowned.
They suddenly remembered—the only picture frame in the apartment was the one of Rose Sallow and Hyacinth Chua's parents.
Just as they guessed, a photo came flying toward them. It was a picture of Rose Sallow and Hyacinth Chua at the beach. Both girls were smiling. Even though Hyacinth Chua had already developed a crush on Rose Sallow at the time, she had still kept her distance. Even in the photo, there was a noticeable gap between them.
She looked shy. It was obvious that she had been the one to ask for the picture.
Sora Winslow picked up the photo, staring at it carefully before speaking. "I took this picture."
The other two looked at her in surprise as she continued.
"Hyacinth wanted to take a picture with Rose that day, but she was too hesitant to ask. So I told her I'd take one for them. When I called Rose over and told her Hyacinth wanted a picture, she looked surprised for a moment. Then she smiled and said she was okay with it. Even though Hyacinth glared at me at the time, it was obvious she was happy."
Sora Winslow sighed.
Both of them looked so genuinely happy in that moment.
But in the end, they never ended up together.
Was it because of the age difference?
Sora Winslow didn't know.
Soren Halloway said, "Being first in everything doesn't mean it will last forever."
The room fell silent, except for the crunching sounds of whatever Aurora Perish was eating.
Aurora Perish thought to herself—They're the main characters of this universe. Do you really think the story would let things end this way?
Of course not.
After all, they were the main couple. Even if the fans loved the side couple more.
And that side couple—the one Aurora Perish was referring to—was right in front of her.
She watched with interest, but to outsiders, her expression remained completely blank.