Chapter 8

Harensys was still there, thankfully. She handed him the towel and clothes.  

“I brought clothes and a towel. Hurry and change.”  

Harensys took them with a reluctant look, veins standing out on his hand as if he might explode.  

“Thanks, but whose are these?”  

<Are these someone else’s clothes? Whose are they?>  

Did it matter whose clothes they were? What mattered was that he could wear them.  

“They’re a friend’s. A boy’s, so they should fit.”  

“A boy?”  

Just two syllables, but a chill ran through the words. Was he really sincere about caring?  

She sighed and blew at her bangs.  

“Hurry up and change.”  

Harensys dried off with the towel and put on the gym uniform, clearly unwilling.  

He was confusing.  

She brushed her bangs back in frustration. She wanted to confide in someone, but worried no one would understand.  

She had many precious friends, but she was afraid of losing them, so she couldn’t speak up. How many friends could really understand this situation?  

She sighed and looked at Harensys, who had finished dressing and was straightening his collar. The sleeves looked a bit short, but overall, it fit.  

“It’s time to go in. I’ll wash the clothes and return them.”  

“Okay.”  

She entered the Main Building through the door Harensys opened. At that moment, she caught a whiff of Loren’s floral scent from him. It suited Loren, but not Harensys. The cool soap scent fit him much better.  

All day, Harensys smelled oddly of flowers.

***

The next morning, she was chatting with Lea in the classroom when Loren called her. He probably wanted his gym uniform back or something else he’d lent her. She got up and went to him, and he put his hand on her shoulder.  

“Prezia, you need to give me my gym uniform back.”  

“Fine, now get your hand off.”  

“You’re always so cold.”  

Loren kept smiling foolishly and dropped his hand. She peeked her face into the classroom and, for some reason, asked Harensys, who was looking back at her.  

“Harensys, did you bring the gym uniform?”  

“Yeah, here.”  

Harensys took the gym uniform out of his bag and showed it to her, then stood up and handed it over. But his expression soured, as if something bothered him. She didn’t know why he looked like that when he was the borrower and Loren was right there.  

She glared at Harensys and handed the gym uniform to Loren. Come to think of it, why did Harensys give it to her to hand over, instead of giving it directly to Loren?  

“Loren, here.”  

Loren took the gym uniform, looking disappointed, and stared at her. His round eyes made her feel guilty.  

“So it was Harensys who borrowed it. I’m disappointed.”  

“What’s disappointing?”  

She wanted to know why her precious old friend Loren felt that way. Loren sighed and continued.  

“You kept it a secret that you’re dating, and now you won’t hang out with me anymore.”  

“This has nothing to do with lending the uniform to Harensys.”  

“Still, I’m disappointed.”  

Saying he was disappointed, Loren hugged her tightly. It was his puppy-like habit whenever he felt let down. A grown man hugging her made her uncomfortable, so she pushed his chest with both hands.  

“Geez, don’t hug me.”  

He was strong, so it didn’t work. She considered saying something harsh, but Loren let go on his own.  

“Get off.”  

Harensys grabbed Loren’s collar and pulled him away. He looked annoyed, and it was strange to see him like that. Loren also frowned and glared at Harensys.  

“I’ve been friends with Prezia for a long time. If you make her cry, I won’t let it go.”  

“I won’t.”  

Loren still seemed unconvinced and eyed Harensys suspiciously. He had reason to doubt—when she liked Harensys, she’d cried over unrequited love, and Loren had comforted her, saying she should give up on any guy who made her cry and that there were better men out there.  

So she understood why Loren worried. It was strange not to worry when your old friend cried over a guy.  

She wasn’t sure if she should say anything, but decided to try.  

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”  

“Sure.”  

Loren followed her without complaint, ignoring Harensys’s cold aura.  

She took Loren to a little-used stairwell, carefully sitting on the steps to keep her skirt down. Her skirt rode up, exposing her legs, and Loren frowned, then sighed and tossed his jacket over her legs.  

“Be careful. You’re just as careless now as you were before.”  

He fussed like a parent, rubbing the back of his head. Other friends only told her to wear short skirts, but Loren was a reliable, parent-like presence.  

“I thought you were my parent! Anyway, I brought you here because I have something to say—it’s something people shouldn’t hear, so I chose a quiet spot.”  

“So, what is it?”  

She took a deep breath to prepare herself, then looked straight into Loren’s wavering eyes and spoke.  

“I’m not dating Harensys.”  

“Didn’t you like Harensys?”  

Loren’s eyes widened like a rabbit, and he asked in a truly curious tone. She shook her head.  

“Not anymore. The rumors about us dating started because he’s been approaching me a lot lately.”  

“Then why don’t you clear things up? Do you want me to do it? I can explain everything.”  

Loren didn’t seem to understand, but she appreciated his offer. Friends really are the best. But…  

“No. It’s better for me not to explain.”  

That wasn’t the best way for her.  

But Loren, not understanding her feelings, half-closed his eyes.  

“You still have feelings for him, don’t you?”  

“No. Think about it—I chased after Harensys for so long, and suddenly stopped liking him, but now he’s chasing after me. How do you think people see that?”  

“They’d think you’re a fox.”  

“Exactly.”  

Everyone would see her that way. Even she thought it looked weird, so how must others see it?  

“So, does Harensys think you’re dating?”  

Loren’s voice rose as he spoke. He must have been really surprised; he rarely raised his voice like this.  

Before Loren could get more worked up, she quickly shook her head.  

“No. I’ve made it very clear that I don’t like him, so he shouldn’t misunderstand. Maybe he isn’t explaining things out of respect for my wishes—or maybe he’s planning to bother me.”  

“Are you okay?”

Loren’s gaze held a worried warmth. She liked this gentle look directed at her; it put her at ease and made her want to lean on him. She rarely leaned on Lea, either. She disliked relying on others.

She bowed her head slightly and fidgeted with her fingers.

“Do you want me to be honest?”

“Yeah. Please tell me honestly. I’m your oldest friend, after all.”

That was true. He was her longest friend. Most of her friends, like Lea, she’d met for the first time at the Academy. Until she came to the Academy, she only played with Loren. She had so much fun with Loren that she never thought to make other friends.

So, she felt she owed Loren honesty for sticking by her side for so long. She wondered if she could share feelings she didn’t even understand herself, but it felt wrong not to tell Loren, so she carefully opened her mouth.

“It’s complicated. I thought he was mean to me, but now he treats me well. He saves me when I’m in danger. When I see that, I wonder if I misunderstood him. It’s confusing.”

Even knowing his true feelings, she was confused. No, knowing his true feelings made her even more confused. It was hard to judge whether what she thought was a misunderstanding or not. She kept holding back with Harensys, just in case, but the thought that it might be a misunderstanding made her uneasy.

Loren’s large hand rested over her anxious one. She felt warmth and concern for her in his touch. Loren’s face looked down at her, crouched for her sake.

“At times like that, just believe what you see. There’s nothing more certain than what’s visible. Things can be different now than before. Just like your feelings changed, his might have changed too. Maybe he was mean for a reason, maybe he grew up.”

“Yeah. What you’re saying makes sense.”

“Talking to me helped you find answers and feel better, right?”

“Yeah. In the end, only old friends remain.”

She smiled faintly. Loren’s brown hair happened to flutter at that moment.

“Right. So whenever you want to lean on someone, do it. If you can’t talk to me, then rely on another trustworthy friend.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

After talking to Loren, she did feel lighter. She greeted him and returned to the classroom. As she sat at her desk, she sensed a strange, dark aura from Harensys. It wasn’t the same as before, not murderous or terrifying.

“What did you talk about?”

“There’s no need to tell you that.”

“Tell me. I’m holding back right now, so you’d better say it quickly.”

<I’m holding back my jealousy! What on earth did you talk about with Loren? I’m dying of curiosity! If he weren’t so handsome, I wouldn’t be anxious, but he’s better-looking, has a better personality, studies well, and has good relationships, so I’m insanely uneasy.>

What was she hearing now? Did she mishear? Was the ring malfunctioning?

How could he be jealous? Was he really jealous? Was it true that he liked her? She hadn’t fully believed he didn’t like her, but she didn’t believe it half the time!

Why was he acting so differently now? Her own changes shouldn’t have made Harensys change. She’d always been herself.

What was real and what was fake? She was so confused she thought she’d lose her mind. What should she believe?

She couldn’t keep worrying and doubting. Instead of getting lost in confusion, she decided to get a clear answer.