was willing to do anything for Ham Dan-I.

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

That meant Aera simply trusted Dan-I with her life, the same way she hoped Dan-I would trust hers with her.

Therefore, when Dan-I mentioned something so out of this world, the silver head didn't even hesitate to agree.

Dan-I and her go way back anyway; she couldn't imagine a world without Dan-I, and she would never imagine that Dan-I would do something that could potentially hurt her.

Therefore, in honor of Dan-I's words, they went with the silver-haired boy with his brown-haired companion to the school they were 'supposed' to go to:

She had learned their names at their countless attempts to converse with her (and the fact that they introduced themselves in front of the brunette), despite her hiding behind Dan-I all the way to their classroom.

She had known the silver-haired boy to be Eun Ji-ho, his companion to be Woo Ju-in, and had an encounter with another person who claims to know her—the red-haired president of class four named Kwon Eunhyung.

Aera tried to sit with Dan-I, but because there were no two empty desks beside each other, Dan-I let the girl sit beside a window in a single desk. Aera was so grateful that she hugged her there and then—which obviously surprised her supposed friends and a certain purple-haired beauty.

Currently, Aera was looking at the view outside their classroom towards the grassy fields, trying very hard to appease her anxiety as she felt stares bore through her skull. She had gotten better at masking her anxiety due to the fact that this is a daily occurrence, but masking and getting used to the feeling itself were still drastically different. She muted everything around her and focused on the grassy green down below in an attempt to calm herself down. She imagined herself alone, laying down while feeling the breeze sway across her face, and the sun warming up her stiff body.

She was so out of it that she didn't notice a certain blue-haired boy standing in front of her desk with a bothersome look displayed on his gorgeous face. She didn't even hear the poorly masked whispers as people murmured about the exotic beauties that were about to interact.

She wouldn't even have noticed if it weren't for his shy little cough that finally broke her out of her peaceful trance.

She looked at him with wonder.

The blue-haired boy took her expression as a cue to finally start talking.

"Aera." He called out.

She was almost about to ask the same question she's been asking people around her all morning— But then, she remembered Dan-I's theory and her explicit warning that both of them should go along with the flow, otherwise people would think that they were crazy, and Aera did not like that.

So, despite the bubbling anxiety in her system as she got increasingly aware of the stares, she settled with a nod and a simple: "Yes?"

The boy in front of her fidgeted as if hesitating to say the next words.

"Are you mad at me?" He refused to look her in the eye.

Aera was confused.

"W-What am I supposed to be mad about?" She asked carefully, not wanting to expose that she didn't exactly know the guy in front of her, nor the reason why he thought she was upset.

The boy looked at Aera blankly.

"Because..." He hesitated, seemingly scared to bring up whatever happened that strained "their" relationship; but he wanted to get this over with.

"...because you were forced to fill in as a model before, remember? And you don't like being photographed." He said those words in a voice so soft that Aera wouldn't have heard it if he wasn't the only thing she was focused on.

Now that she thought about it, it was true that Aera, while loving photography and film hated being photographed, but she never even remembered modeling before; nor did she remember anything to do with the boy in front of her.

Her hobby was supposed to be a secret; as far as she knew, it was only Dan-I that knew of her love for the arts.

So for someone to know...? Just who was he...?

With the thoughts swirling in her mind; she still opted to let her gaze fall on the boy as if felt like he had more to say. Her earlier nervousness dwindling as her head racked up any memories of telling someone other than Dan-I about her love of photography.

"And..." The boy looked up, finally meeting her eyes.

She tilted her head curiously, urging him to continue.

He sighed. "And you never talked to me since."

Aera widened her eyes, as that did sound like something she would do when people upset her.

But looking at how the boy had a nervous look on his face, and the fact that it was the Aera from this world that was forced to model anyway, she decided to "forgive" him, although technically, he never did anything wrong to .

"O-okay. I forgive you." Aera gave a simple nod, and replied with almost the same soft tone the boy used; trying her best to be gentle as possible, since even though the boy had almost the same nonchalant and blank faces as hers and the boy from earlier named Ji-ho, Aera could see some specks of sadness within his eyes; and she hated it when people were sad, especially if it was because of her.

Aera saw how those dimmed blue eyes regained their shimmer as he looked at her with both relief and fondness.

No matter who he was, no matter what their relationship was before, he was no longer sad; and it made Aera glad.

In a subtle move, his hand was now patting her head; caressing her silver locks with a small smile, which was an obvious clue that he missed being around her.

"She finally forgave you, Chunyoung?" The red-haired president asked as he approached the two.

"Yeah." He nodded simply, still not taking his eyes off Aera, even though the girl went back to viewing the grassy field, once again letting herself be distracted from the murmurs surrounding her.

"That's nice. Chunyoung here couldn't sleep properly for a week after you walked out on the photoshoot." Eunhyung smiled warmly as he also shifted his gaze to the nonchalant girl, obviously happy that his friends made up, because he, too, missed the silver-haired beauty.

They first met Aera back in Chunyoung's first modeling job. Aera was part of the photography team that collaborated with Chunyoung's uncle—who was also a photographer.

They recognized the girl in the many parties that they were forced to attend by their families; the ever-so nonchalant Shin Aera, the daughter of the well-known Shin Companies.

After asking around, they found out that she was actually recruited in a professional team of photographers, and was working part-time whenever she was free. Even Chunyoung's uncle seemed to praise the girl's talents, claiming to have worked with her in previous collaborations.

This surprised the two boys for two reasons: first, how was it likely that an only heir to a multi-million company was permitted to work part-time—was it being kept a secret from her parents, or were her parents that supportive (which they thought was unlikely); second, out of all the hobbies out there, why has she chosen photography?

Regardless, she was everything they expected her to be for an heir: serious, nonchalant, and gets the job done.

They weren't actually supposed to be friends, maintaining a strictly work-related relationship, regardless of how they admired her work ethic. She was hard to approach as she gave off a cold aura, and they really didn't want to make the effort, given that one of them was also a timid and icy type of person.

But everything changed on the day that Eunhyung brought some homemade lunches for him and Chunyoung on the set. The girl they never even properly interacted with, had the biggest and most mesmerizing eyes, curiously looking over the black plastic bag that Eunhyung was carrying.

She looked like a kid.

With a softened heart, the red-haired boy had no choice but to invite her for lunch together with Chunyoung.

And that was where their friendship started.

—Until recently, when Chunyoung recommended her for a modeling position when the original female model backed out last minute.

Aera, being put under the spot had no choice but to say yes. However, after the shoot, she left without as much as a word to the two.

He was worried, and Chunyoung was feeling guilty.

Thank god, however, that she forgave him after that agonizing week. Now, Eunhyung thought, they can eat lunch together once more.

He was already preparing a mental list of food they had to try out together or new cuisines he had to make as he liked seeing the silver-haired beauty go ecstatic every time she ate his food.

It made him feel all kinds of things.

With the three of them being distracted with their own thoughts, they didn't notice two footsteps approaching their little area in the corner of the classroom.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing?" Ji-ho seethed as he saw how the blue-haired boy interacted freely with his childhood friend.

"Oh! You're the model boy Aera told us about! Weren't you the one that forced her into something she didn't like? I never thought you would be attending the same school as us! That's great!" Ju-in came from behind Jiho, with an innocent smile that seemed to have underlying threats. Still suspicious of the boy that made his Aera anxious for a week.

"Hello. I'm Eunhyung, we met this morning, this is Chunyoung, and you guys are Aera's...?" Eunhyung paused, displaying the same smile as Ju-in, letting the two other boys continue his sentence and finally tell them what their business was with Aera. He saw how the boys interacted with the silver-haired girl this morning. The poor girl had a speck of fear in her eyes as she hid behind her brown-haired friend. Eunhyung didn't want to say anything, but they were a little suspicious.

"We're her childhood friends." Jiho continued with the same menacing glare.

With that statement, something clicked in Eunhyung's mind.

"Oh right, she did talk about you guys sometimes." He murmured, mostly to himself.

Finally realizing who they were, and understanding their hostile attitude; Eunhyung tried to appease the tension, but it wouldn't go away—not with his friend's hand still on the head of the oblivious girl.

Chunyoung simply stared and got the signal that Eunhyung subtly sent him and finally released his hand.

"Aera." someone called out from outside the circle.

All eyes were on that person, with different thoughts inside their heads.

"Oh, Dan-I, you're here, with Ban Yeoryeong..." Aera, recognizing the sweet voice of her beloved friend had torn her eyes from the view outside to Dan-I in front of her, and let out a soft smile.

The four boys shared a look of bewilderment.

It was painfully worrisome that their silver-haired friend, whom they knew to be blank and nonchalant most of the time, had easily shown much adoration for this run-of-a-mill girl.

As the six most beautiful people on campus gather, and as Aera no longer had that peaceful distraction to cover her anxiety; she finally noticed the whispers get louder, and the stares get bolder.

It felt like the world was closing in on her as eyes pierced through her soul.

This wasn't good. Aera thought.

She was having a hard time breathing; she had to get out of here quickly.

With that thought in mind, Aera stood abruptly.

"Dan-I, I'll be stepping outside for a moment." Aera, not once taking her gaze off the floor exited the classroom.

Dan-I panicked. She knew what Aera was going through, and how she absolutely detest attention, that's why she called out her name in the first place in an attempt to get her out of the stares and whispers that initially surrounded the group; but that might've not been a good idea because it only made Aera notice faster.

She was about to leave and chase after Aera, but Yeoryeong surprisingly held her wrist with a stern look on her face as if telling her not to go.

"I'll get Aera back, just—just stay here Dan-ah." Yeoryeong quietly exited the classroom to chase after the silver-haired girl.

Dan-I was surprised with how Yeoryeong was reacting; did something perhaps happened between the two of them in this world that made the purple-haired beauty act like that?

Too caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice the still bewildered stares of the four boys behind her and an especially menacing one from the boy who looked like a puppy.

"Dan-I, right?" She was snapped out of her trance as she faced the brown-haired boy she and Aera met earlier today. He had an innocent smile, but Dan-I felt a little off.

She nervously nodded, now fully aware of their stares.

"Let's be friends!"

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

was shocked.

Shin Aera and Ham Dan-I were entering the classroom—the classroom that she belongs in, together hand-in-hand.

She didn't expect Aera to be here in this school, especially side by side with Dan-I.

She was confused, didn't Aera move to another city after the incident?

Did she move back here? And what was Dan-I doing with her? Did they keep in touch without her knowing?

Yeoryeong felt so many emotions all at once, with questions flooding her mind left and right; but the clearest emotion she felt the moment she saw Aera, was guilt.

"—?" Yeoryeong was furious, although it wasn't clear as to who she was mad at, Aera or herself.

Once more, countless rumors had started to surround her and being a girl of only 10-years old, she couldn't help but burst, she wanted to let her frustrations out, and unfortunately, she made her childhood friend her outlet.

She saw her supposed best friend, talking with who was seemingly the girl who started all the rumors about her being egotistical, and a flirt.

"Yeoryeong please calm down." The usually stoic girl had a look of worry and concern for the girl in front of her. In their years of being friends, she never saw Yeoryeong act this angry and frustrated; she never saw her this broken before and it broke her heart too.

"Please don't believe them, I was trying to get her to stop." She continued, with a soft voice that tried to plead with her friend.

She knew Yeoryeong was only acting out of anger, sadness, and frustration; there was no way she could've meant all the harsh things she was saying right now. Aera tried to be positive and continued to explain her side.

"You're my best friend—I—I would never hate you—"

"" Yeoryeong sobbed. She couldn't take it anymore. It was too much, she just wanted to let everything out, she wanted someone to blame.

She didn't want to trust anybody anymore except for Dan-I; nobody, not even Aera.

"I saw you smiling and laughing, so just stop lying and go away! I never want to see you anymore!" She shouted.

Aera was appalled. Surely she didn't mean that; they were friends!

"Yeoryeong, please—" She pleaded once more, but her eyes widened and felt her hope shattered as Yeoryeong replied.

"" The Yeoryeong that Aera once knew was no more as the person standing in front of her was nothing but an empty shell—so hurt, so broken, and so cold.

Without realizing it, tears began dripping down Aera's eyes.

"Okay."

Yeoryeong never thought too much of their interaction that night, as she instead wallowed in her own despairs and cried on Dan-I's shoulder.

She never thought she would regret her words.

—But she did. The next day came and the teacher suddenly announced that Aera changed schools. Apparently, her family was already planning to move months before, but couldn't because Aera badly wanted to stay. No one knew what caused the sudden shift in the silver-haired girl's decision.

But Yeoryeong knew, it was her fault. She felt guilty all these years and always thought about her silly silver-haired friend that she always relied on. She missed her.

So when the opportunity came to apologize to Aera, and possibly renew their friendship, she took it and ran with all her might to the rooftop—the place she knew Aera would go to every time she wanted to have some "fresh air", to which Yeoryeong knew was just a code for wanting to be alone.

The girl she was looking for was leaning on the railing, absentmindedly staring at the blank sky while resting her chin on her palm.

"" Yeoryeong was breathless from running around but stared at Aera with a very determined face.

"Hm?" Aera faced the intruder and tilted her head in utter confusion.

The purple-haired beauty was staring at her so strongly even when she was panting as if she ran a marathon.

And what did she say, "sorry"? Did this person do something wrong to the Aera of this world again?

Yeoryeong, who was still taking deep breaths, continued. "I know you might not want to be friends with me again, but I just wanted to try. So—"

"Okay." Aera immediately cut her off, not wanting to hear a very long explanation of why "she" was wronged; that and the fact that she also could not stand the speck of guilt in the purple-haired beauty's eyes, she was too pretty for that.

Yeoryeong finally looked up.

"What?" She was surprised; she was prepared for Aera to say no, or to shout, or to blame her.

She never thought it would be this easy.

"I said okay." Aera's voice sounded soft. Using the same logic she used on that Chunyoung boy this morning, she thought it wouldn't hurt to give her a second chance.

Aera then offered Yeoryeong a gentle smile.

"Let's be friends again."

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧