As they settled into their seats, a waiter hahem a menu.

  Sora Winslow suddenly remembered something and turo Hyath Chua. "Oh yeah, you haven't introduced your panio."

  At that moment, all eyes shifted to Aurora Perish, who was pletely engrossed in the menu. A variety of beautifully presented dishes filled the pages, and she ractically drooling at the thought of them. Realizing the attention on her, she blinked and looked up.

  "I'm Aurora," she said casually. "You call me whatever you prefer."

  Sora Winslow grinned. "Ohh, o meet you Aura!"

  Aurora bliilting her head slightly. Seriously? Why that niame? Do you just hear 'Aurora' and immediately shorten it to 'Aura'? she thought.

  Aurora Perish offered them a polite smile.

  Soren Halloway simply smiled and gave a small nod iurn. To an outsider, it might have seemed like she was teasing them with that subtle expression.

  Meanwhile, Hyath Chua, who had been gazing out through the rge gss windows, was quietly the female lead, her thoughts unreadable.

  Sora Winslow noticed that Hyath Chua was no longer paying attention to them. Curious, she subtly gestured toward her.

  Aurora Perish and Soren Halloway caught the signal, their eyes following the movement before shifting toward Hyath Chua.

  Silently, the three of them turo follow her gaze, their attention now drawn to whatever had captured her i outside.

  They exged gnces before releasing a collective sigh. This naive kid still won't give up.

  Why insist on suffering when fate keeps spelling it out, time and time again, that they aren't one for you?

  Why keep f yourself toward something that was never meant to be?

  As the three of them remained focused on the se outside, the waiter—who had been ignored from the very beginning—finally spoke up.

  "What will you all be ?"

  Surprisingly, there was no hint of irritation in her voice. Perhaps it was the sheer luxury of the brands these three rich kids were wearing that made her hesitant to interrupt. Offending them was simply not an option.

  The group, momentarily lost in their own thoughts, suddenly remembered why they were there in the first pce. Soren Halloway let out an awkward smile before finally asking what everyone wao eat, while Hyath Chua remained fixated on whatever held her attention outside the window.

  Sora Winslow was the first to order. "Two Chi Katsu Curries. For drinks, a Matcha Latte and a Green Tea."

  Aurora Perish, who had been craving sushi for a while, made her choiext. "California Roll and sa—" She caught herself mid-sentence, quickly correg, "Greeoo, please." For a moment, she had fotten she wasn't an adult anymore.

  Soren Halloway simply nodded in agreement.

  With their choices settled, she reyed their orders to the waiter, who gave a polite nod before leaving to prepare their meals.

  Suddenly, Hyath Chua stood up, catg the other three off guard. They had been too focused on the se outside to expect her sudden movement.

  "I o use the fort room," she said casually before walking away.

  Soren Halloway and Sora Winslow exged gnces and made an "okay" gesture in response, but Hyath Chua was already gone and didn't see it.

  Aurora Perish finally had the ce to see what Hyath Chua had been so fixated on. Earlier, her view had been pletely blocked, leaving her uo make out what had caught Hyath Chua's attention. Now, with an unobstructed line of sight, she turned her gaze toward the elegaaurant in the distance—LumièreVerde.

  It was a high-eaurant exuding a romantic atmosphere, where each table was meant for only two. From the sed-floor window, due to the generous spag between tables, it was easy to make out the people seated inside.

  Aurora Perish's eyes nded on a particur pair engaged in quiet versation. The young man had short red hair, ly styled as if he had put great effort into perfeg it. Dressed in a sharp suit, it was clear he had spent siderable time preparing for this date. His features were handsome, his presence refined, and his smile radiated a mature charm as he looked at the girl sitting across from him.

  The girl, with striking white hair, was even more captivating. She wore a sleek bck dress that left her shoulders bare. Despite its simplicity, the outfit only enhanced her elegance. She didn't smile ofte her presence was undeniable—poised, alluring, and effortlessly beautiful. Even with minimal makeup, she exuded a quiet fidehat made her all the more mesmerizing.

  Aurora Perish was shocked when she saw that the white haired girl wasn't the person she had seen before.

  So that's the female lead... No wonder Hyath Chua had been so captivated by her beauty.

  Perhaps the person had noticed someog her because she suddenly looked up and locked eyes with Aurora Perish. She barely spared her a gnce before looking away, ued.

  Aurora Perish, however, froze on the spot when she felt the stares of Soren Halloway and Sora Winslow now directed at her.

  Then, Soren Hallooke. Despite her usual quiet demeanor, she was, at heart, a gossip. "You should stop whatever you're thinking about her. Hyath Chua has her eyes on her, you know?"

  Sora Winslow nodded in agreement. "That's right. She's been pursuing her ever since she started high school."

  Aurora Perish looked at them, puzzled. Ied ihat thought hadn't even crossed her mind.

  To her, Rose Sallow and Hyath Chua were beautiful—not because of personal attra, but because they were the main characters of this world. Of course, they would stand out. They were supposed to.

  And that's when it finally clicked.

  Oh.

  They thought she had feelings for the female lead.

  Because in this cliovel, Aurora Perish wasn't just any side character—she was the seale (female) lead. And in stories like these, the sed lead always had lingering feelings for the heroine. No wohey had jumped to clusions.

  Now that she uood their assumptions, Aurora Perish gave them a bnk stare before finally speaking.

  "I know. I was just looking at the person who caught Hyath Chua's attention. I thought it was iing, that's all."

  Sora Winslow and Soren Halloway felt relieved and exged approving looks.

  Soren Halloway sighed, crossing her arms. "I knht? That woman clearly already has a partner, yet Hyath Chua still insists on pursuing her. No matter what I say, she just won't listen."

  At that moment, Soren Halloway's true nature became apparent—she loved gossip. The moment she realized Aurora Perish was friends with Hyath Chua, she immediately assumed Aurora Perish must share her opinions. That's why she felt fortable gossiping about Hyath Chua with only the three of them present.

  Sora Winslow nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! It's so weird to think you have a ce with someone who's already in a retionship!"

  She paused for a moment before adding, "But holy, this is the first time we've ever seen Hyath Chua this obsessed with an omega. She used to avoid them at all costs."

  Aurora Perish, who didn't know much about retionships, chose to stay quiet.

  She simply nodded along whenever Sora Winslow and Soren Halloway started gossiping, not really tributing to the versation.

  Through their discussion, Aurora Perish came to a realization—Sora Winslow was older than them, which expined why she was already differentiated as ahis year. Meanwhile, Soren Halloway was still undifferentiated

  As they chatted, their food was finally served, yet Hyath Chua was still in the fort room—or so they thought. fusion lingered among them.

  Sora Winsloas seated closer to the window, suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Guys... isn't that Hyath over there?"

  —

  Author note:

  Just letting you all know, this novel is Alpha x Alpha. Aurora Perish's love i isn't involved with the main characters of that cliovel at all.

  You will get to know her in ter chapters!