I....was not expecting that answer.

My mind blanked, not knowing what to say.

After debating for a few moments, I finally asked, "Why....?"

Raashid had a sad smile on his lips as he stared at his feet, "Well, it wasn't a great life...at all. I don't remember much but I was an orphan and my adoptive parents died a few years after taking me in due to natural causes. My stepbrother hated me and spread rumours about me throughout the school.....about how I murdered his parents and got out of it and other nonsense. People obviously believed those rumours and I used to get bullied and beaten on daily basis. Some even sent me messages telling me to kill myself..... that I don't deserve to live. And.... at some point of time, I think I was sixteen, when...... I just couldn't take it anymore." He said.

I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how to take his sadness away.

Talk about something that can make him feel better. Try changing the topic before it becomes more depressing for him.

My conscience told me, so I did, "So...what was your name in your previous life?"

You stupid fuck! Get away from all these reincarnation topics! It's fucking depressing for him.

Raashid chuckled, a sad one, "Well, I don't remember that either. Anybody rarely called me by my name... I was pathetic. Weak an-", "Stop!" I cut him off, taking his cheeks in my hands and squishing it as I stared at his indigo eyes with an intense look in mine "I only asked you your name so you could ask mine. So please don't get depressed. I don't like to see you this sad." I whispered, though he wasn't the only one getting depressed.

Raashid looked at me and his eyes turned a normal shade as he asked, "Ah, Okay, what's your name?"

I smiled, letting go of his cheeks, "Choi Haeun."

He looked at me with a growing smile but his eyebrows drew closer, making a face that said, 'Its a weird name but let's not judge'.

"Okay. Do you want me to call you by your name?" He asked and I happily nodded.

"So, Choi, which country were you from?" He asked me.

"Korea and my first name is Haeun. Choi is my last name." I corrected him.

He frowned, "Then why would you say your name like that?"

I frowned too, "Well, that's ho-", before I could finish my sentence Ajhussi popped up out of thin air.

"So I hope you guys have drained in the info cause I can't be any more pati- wait....did you guys kiss?"

"No." I replied and at the same time Raashid asked, "How do you know?!"

I smacked him hard on his back with my good hand and glared at him, while Ajhussi had a shit-eating grin on his face.

"My ship is sailing! Yay!" He cheered, snapping his fingers and two party poppers burst upon the two of us sprinkling confetti and glitter all over our hair.

"Fuck! I'll have to wash my hair now!" I grumbled as I tried getting all the decorations of my hair with Raashid's help as he asked, "Why are we talking about ships now?"

"Ship.....as in a human ship. Like when you want two people to end up in a relationship....You ship them....." I tried explaining but he looked even more confused now.

So I just left him at that and looked at Ajhussi with a questioning gaze as he announced, "Raashid X Adailia is my ship! Obviously." He said rolling his eyes.

"Wait..you were shipping us?" I asked pointing at Raashid (who looked five times more confused) then me.

"Ya." Ajhussi said happily.

"Why? He's the Protagonist and I'm the antagonist." I stated and Ajhussi nodded, "The best kind of ship." He said gleefully, "I always ship the antagonist with the protagonist, though it's the first time my ship has sailed."

I looked at him incredulously as he continued, "And to make my ship sail, I tried hard, not like your lousy acting, I actually tried, so that you could take Seanna's spot while she ended up with the other antagonist." He said proudly.

"How did I end up in Seanna's sp....", Then it clicked me, "I took Seanna's spot by meeting with Raashid secretly!" I exclaimed as everything he said drained into me.

Ajhussi smirked, "Exactly. Your drinking habit proved to be useful."

"And you made sure I met Raashid by taking me to the same damn bar he went!" I hissed at him grabbing my hair to stop me from hitting him.

"Don't be mad at me for your shortcomings, I just did what was necessary to make my ship sail. You failed as a matchmaker because of your shitty shipping skills, just like your acting skills, and stupid assumptions." Ajhussi pointed out and I pouted, "Shut up, my acting skills are legendary."

Ajhussi rolled his eyes while Raashid questioned, "So...you're the reason why I met Rose- I mean Adai- ah no, Hay-e- ugh- Choi?"

Ajhussi beamed as he proudly said, "Yes! It was-","RAASHID YOU IDIOT!" Someone's cursing cut him off.

I turned just in time to see Caiden whacking Raashid on his head while Mari also came running to do the same.

"You can't ditch a traditional ceremony like that just to spend time with your loveeeeeeeeeely friend!" Mari scolded him, casually extending 'lovely' a bit too much.

"Your father almost killed us when he came and you weren't there." Caiden said, huffing, "He's gonna give you a good scolding and you're taking Adailia down with you too. She'll probably be hearing a few words from him."

"Bye." I took that as a sign to leave (I don't want to deal with his father) and dashed off before anyone could say anything. Though I stopped after a few strides, looking back to shout, "Oh and by the way, Happy birthday!"

Raashid looked surprised before a small smile took its place on his lips making me smile back before I turned around to leave the auditorium.

After that, I called Ajhussi again (who had disappeared as soon as Mari and Caiden appeared) and asked him to drop me off at home.

When I appeared in my room, Seanna was already sitting on my bed.

Her eyes widened when she saw me appearing out of nowhere, "How?! How did-","-I asked Mari to teleport me here." I quickly lied.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, as she opened her mouth to ask me another question, silencing her effectively.

Her eyes lowered as she said, "Umm... I wanted to say that..I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? If someone has to apologize, it's that douchebag." I said irritatedly.

"Yeah....I'm apologizing on his behalf, knowing his ego won't let him do that. He shouldn't have said all those mean things to you." Seanna said, her voice dripping with the sadness she felt.

"Its fine, besides I said mean things to him too." I told her, before I asked her what I wanted to, "Do you actually like him?"

Her face turned a shade of red and that gave me the answer to my question.

"Wow, unbelievable....but seriously, why do you even like an asshole like him?" I asked her.

She didn't reply for a minute before slowly whispering, "I don't really know. It was just that....he was sort of there when I was feeling a bit lonely and lifted my mood up most of the time. And I found myself feeling flustered at his flirty comments which were reducing day by day and turning more genuine. Then suddenly he just confessed to me and I realise that I liked him back."

Oof, the author of this book really didn't put much brain in while describing Seanna's type. Honestly, she can literally fall for any random dude.

"Seanna," I warned her seriously, "that man was smothering my hand a few minutes before he insulted me. He changed pretty quickly and I'm not in a position to judge him by the rumours but I've seen it with my own eyes that...he's quite the playboy type."

And also a bipolar, hypocritical and psychotic type.

Seanna nodded in understanding as her eyes lowered, "I know, that's why I didn't want to get in any sort of relationship with him....but I just...." She trailed off.

"Look, I just don't want him to hurt you. Be mindful of him." I told her giving her a sad smile which she returned.

"So, I'll get going then." She said but I stopped her.

"So..ummm...I just wanted to ask you if...you ever liked Raashid?" I asked. I wanted to confirm that the plot was completely messed up from the start. I can't rely on the Ajhussi's words anymore (I never really riled on his words anyway).

"No. He's just a friend." She said, looking at me quizzically.

"No secret meetings or something?" I confirmed again and she frowned, "No. Why would you think that?"

Ya. It's confirmed now. I messed up the plot and sank my own ship.

"Hahahahaha....I just thought....but wait...why did you come home crying that day?" I asked.

She looked taken aback at my sudden question as her eyes lowered again and I notice tears welling up.

Panic mode: ON

"Hey hey hey, calm down." I said trying to soothe her, "that was just a question. Don't answer if you want."

"That day....." She breaths, closing her eyes to stop her tears, "I...met my parents at the market."

Uh......

"And....they d-didn't even recognise me."

Oh.

That's why she's sad.

Her parents were douchebags who sold their daughter to father because they were indebted by him.

"I know it's been more than ten years since I last saw them ....but they're still my parents...and I kind of wanted to know that they still cared for me." She sobbed, "Just a 'how are you doing' would've done the job...but they didn't even know that it was their own daughter.... It's like they forgot about my existence."

"Seanna," I said, my voice gentle, "I know that you are sad and I can't really relate or understand how you are feeling right now....but you have me...mother, father and brother, you have us." I tried soothing her, "And...even though your parents don't see you as a part of their family...you are a part of our family."

She looked at me, tears escaping her eyes as she wrapped her arms around me and I hugged her back.

I rubbed her back in a soothing manner as she sobbed.

After a few minutes, she calmed down completely.

"So...you okay now?" I asked her gently.

She nodded and I sighed in relief.

"You know, there's this awesome book I found yesterday in the library. You'll love it.... I'll let you borrow it so don't be so upset all the time because of some selfish people." I tried to cheer up the mood but it seemed to have an opposite effect.

He eyes dulled again but tears didn't well up this time, "I.....they weren't the only reason why I was sad these days."

"There's another reason!? Damn Seanna, your life sucks." I tried to lighten up the mood and she chuckled a bit before her eyes dulled a shade.

"Well...... I'm losing my mana."