From this day onward, Aurora felt like she was stepping into hell once again.
Well, maybe not hell—more like a prison. After all, she had never experienced high school in her past life.
It wasn't until she turned twenty that she finally had a stable income and enough savings to pursue her education.
With hard work and focus, she managed to skip grades and enter college by the time she was twenty two.
However, it wasn't unusual at that time. Many older students were still attending college, so she didn't stand out much—it was fairly common.
She wondered why she kept recalling her past life. She couldn't help but sigh.
Suddenly, Sky knocked on the door, even though it was already open. Leaning in, he grinned and said, "You look so beautiful! Just like me, hehe."
Aurora and Jamie both ignored him as if he were nothing more than a passing breeze.
Jamie glanced at his daughter, who looked so much like him, and smiled. He was proud that she had inherited good features from both him and Sky.
Jamie glared at his husband, who always found a way to make silly remarks whenever he could. Rolling his eyes at him, he turned his head to the side, where Aurora's reflection was visible in the mirror.
She turned to look at the mirror. Standing before her was her reflection, dressed in her school uniform—a crisp white polo shirt, a neatly tied black tie, and a black blazer with white accents.
Her long, black pleated skirt swayed slightly as she moved. She knew that many people envied school uniforms like this in her original world—including her.
Her downturned eyes, grayish blue hair, and soft gray eyes complemented the uniform she was wearing, making her look both elegant and composed.
"The food's ready now," said Sky, who had been teasing his daughter—unsuccessfully only to end up getting a smack on the butt from his husband instead.
Sky whimpered and rubbed his buttocks, earning an eye roll from both his husband and daughter.
Aurora had just been dropped off by Sky, who reminded her—rather quickly, of what not to do before speeding off. Sky seemed to be in a hurry, likely rushing to coax his husband after their earlier spat.
Earlier that morning, Sky had managed to piss off Jamie, who then gave him the cold shoulder during breakfast and afterward.
While indoor, Sky began wondering whether Aurora should have driven herself manually instead—which earned him a sharp glare from Jamie. In the end, Sky reluctantly parted ways with his husband.
Now their daughter was left behind—at the school gates. Or as Sky jokingly called it, hell. But Aurora didn't really think the school was hellish.
In fact, it had once been her dream to study at a place like this. Unfortunately, she had only ever gone to a modest college—nothing as massive or grand as this.
In front of her stood a towering gate that looked more like the entrance to a castle. The buildings inside, unlike those in public schools, weren't connected—they stood apart from each other, giving the whole campus a more prestigious, almost intimidating feel.
She approached the guard and showed her ID. The guard gave her a quick nod, allowing her through. She began to walk—or more accurately, wander as she suddenly realized she had no idea which class she was supposed to go to. This school was huge.
"Wait, how did they even afford this?" she thought. The original's parents didn't seem like wealthy people, and the original owner of this body wasn't exactly a genius either. Academically, she was just average. So how did she end up in a prestigious school like this?
Aurora was so lost in thought, trying to piece everything together, that she didn't notice someone approaching her from behind—slowly and silently.
Suddenly, a hand touched Aurora's shoulder. She was still lost in thought and didn't react at all.
Hyacinth, who had been trying to startle her, blinked in confusion.
"?"
Five seconds later, Aurora's body jolted as the delayed realization finally hit her. Hyacinth stared in surprise, then burst out laughing.
"What was that delayed reaction? Pfft!"
Aurora rolled her eyes at Hyacinth.
She glanced behind Hyacinth, expecting to see Sora and Soren, but they were nowhere to be found.
"Where's the rest?" she asked.
Hyacinth replied casually, "Probably still sleeping."
"What? They're still sleeping?" Aurora echoed in disbelief.
Hyacinth shrugged. "They're always late to class."
With that, Hyacinth started walking, and Aurora fell into step beside her.
"This school is really huge and pretty," Aurora thought, glancing around. "As expected of fiction."
She stopped looking around, worried it might arouse Hyacinth's suspicions.
After all, the original owner of this body had been studying at this school for years.
Suddenly, Hyacinth came to a stop.
She blinked in confusion.
Hyacinth was staring off to the left, but from Aurora's angle, she couldn't see anything. Curious, she decided to use her height to her advantage and leaned slightly to get a better view of whatever Hyacinth was looking at.
Trees lined the sidewalks throughout the school, and up ahead, there was a lot of activity.
A group of students was playing soccer, and others were scattered around, chatting in small groups. Amid all the noise and movement, Hyacinth was staring at a particular spot beneath the shade of a tree.
There, standing out even in the shadows, was a girl with dark pink hair that swayed gently with the breeze. Her olive toned skin made her even more noticeable. She was in conversation with another girl standing in front of her.
Aurora couldn't clearly see the person Hyacinth was staring at, because the tree leaves and branches were blocking her view. Aurora, lost in thought, absently stared at that person for a moment before losing interest and looking away.
The girl with dark pink hair seemed to notice that someone were staring at her. She glanced around and spotted Hyacinth and the girl standing beside her, Aurora. While she barely acknowledged Hyacinth, her gaze lingered on Aurora.
Hyacinth noticed this and furrowed her brows. She quickly pulled Aurora along.
"Huh?" Aurora blinked in surprise as she was tugged.
She didn't resist. After all, Hyacinth was the main character of this novel.
Hyacinth and Aurora continued walking ahead until the girl with the dark pink hair was no longer in sight.
Once they were out of view, Hyacinth released Aurora's arm. She didn't look at her or speak, and they simply walked at a slower pace than before.
She didn't mind.
She might be unknowingly drawn into a plot filled with danger ahead, but she didn't question why Hyacinth had acted that way.
Aurora inhaled deeply, taking in the refreshing scent of the environment around her. She couldn't resist; she truly liked this place.
Hyacinth, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke up. "That person was—"