RACHEL COULDN'T GET HIS WORDS OUT OF HER HEAD.

She had spent so much time convincing herself that keeping her distance was the right thing to do. That Jake was better off not having her in his life. That their past was just that—the past.

But now, all she could think about was the weight behind his voice, the way his eyes had darkened as he said it. Had she been wrong? Had she hurt him more than she realized?

She sighed, adjusting the strap of her bag as she walked through the halls, lost in thought.

"Wow, you got skinny."

Rachel froze.

Her head snapped up, immediately recognizing the voice.

A familiar unease settled in her stomach as she turned and found her old bully standing there, arms crossed, eyes scanning her like she was a puzzle she was trying to figure out.

Rachel's muscles tensed, instinctively bracing herself for something cruel.

But why did Aurora look... almost awkward?

Rachel's frown deepened. "What?"

Aurora's eyes widened slightly, and she immediately waved her hands in front of her. "Wait, not in a bad way! I just meant... you look different. Like, healthy. Or, um, well—" She let out a nervous laugh, looking away as if she regretted saying anything at all.

Rachel just stared at her.

Was this some kind of joke? A new way to mess with her? Rachel had left for years, but that didn't mean she had forgotten the way Aurora used to treat her.

The whispered comments, the taunts about how slow she was in class, the way she used to snicker with her friends while Rachel struggled.

And now, she was acting like they were... friendly?

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Why are you talking to me?"

Aurora blinked at her reaction, then rubbed the back of her neck. "I mean... why not?"

Rachel gave her a dry look. "You used to bully me."

Aurora winced. "Yeah. I know."

Rachel didn't know what to say to that. No excuses, no trying to play it off—just a simple, quiet acknowledgment.

Now that she thought about it, she hasn't seen Aurora around that friend group she had before.

Aurora shifted her weight, letting out a small sigh. "Look, I was an idiot back then. I don't even have a good excuse for it. I was just... mean."

Rachel stayed quiet.

She wasn't sure if she believed her. People didn't just change, right?

Aurora took a breath. "But I'm not like that anymore. And, uh... I think you're kinda cool now."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Now?"

Aurora groaned. "You know what I mean."

Rachel hesitated.

Every instinct told her to walk away, to cut this conversation short before she got hurt again. But at the same time... Aurora wasn't looking at her with the same smug confidence she used to have. There was no malice in her voice, no hidden jab.

And Rachel—against her better judgment—felt herself start to believe her.

She let out a small, amused huff. "You're really bad at giving compliments."

Aurora immediately perked up, relief washing over her face. "Yeah, I know. But I swear, I didn't mean it in a bad way."

Rachel still didn't know if she fully trusted her, but something about the way Aurora was standing there, trying so hard to say the right thing, made her consider giving her a chance.

"You should hang out with me sometime," Aurora said. "I swear, I'm not a bully anymore."

Rachel eyed her warily. "Hmm."

Aurora laughed. "Okay, fair."

Rachel hesitated again, then finally let out a small sigh. "I can't today. I'm volunteering after school."

Aurora made a face. "Oof. Good luck with that."

Rachel smirked slightly. "Yeah, I'll need it."

"Well, uh," Aurora cleared her throat. "I like your hair, by the way."

Rachel looked down at the black locks that were sept to one side of her neck. With a smile, she bowed, "Thank you."

Aurora gave her a small wave before walking off, and Rachel watched her go, still trying to process what had just happened.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･･

The principal sat at her desk, flipping through a stack of files, her brows furrowed in concentration. A specific document—one she needed immediately—was nowhere to be found.

She exhaled sharply, setting the files aside. I must have left it at home.

Without wasting another second, she reached for her phone and dialed a number.

The call rang twice before a familiar voice answered.

"Yeah, Mom?"

She didn't bother with pleasantries. "Heeseung, I need you to check my desk at home. There should be a blue folder on the left side."

There was a slight shuffle on the other end before he responded, "Got it. I'll look for it now." He then placed his phone down against the wall.

She nodded to herself, already moving on to her next task as she waited for him to search.

Then, suddenly, another voice entered the line.

"Yo, where's the basketball?"

She blinked in surprise.

That wasn't Heeseung.

She turned toward her phone screen and saw movement from the video call. The camera adjusted slightly, revealing none other than Jake Sim standing in Heeseung's room, looking completely unaware that his face was now in front of the principal herself.

It took her half a second to process before she spoke up, voice sharp and authoritative.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class, Mr. Sim?"

Jake visibly stiffened. His easygoing expression fell, and he turned his head toward Heeseung's phone, eyes widening in realization.

"Sh—" He caught himself before finishing the curse. "I—uh—"

The principal sighed, unimpressed. "Skipping class, I see."

Jake scratched the back of his head, clearly scrambling for an excuse.

"I, um, had to—"

"Save it," she cut him off, already making a note in her records. "Detention. Today."

Jake groaned, hanging his head. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Silence.

The principal gave a firm nod, satisfied. "See you after school, Mr. Sim."