A few days after the picnic, everything seemed normal—except for one thing. My friend Zen, the one I had known for so long, stopped coming to school.
I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to tell him that if whatever happened to Aris, it my fault he could blame me. He could complain, yell, say whatever he wanted—but in the end, I just wanted us to be friends again.
I searched for him in so many ways. But no matter how I tried, he never turned up at school, and whenever I went to his house, he never came to meet me. They say if a gap forms between people, time only makes it worse.
I want to stop that before it's too late. I want him to talk to me. But no matter how much I try, I feel helpless.
For a moment, I thought about asking Bell for help. But that would only create new problems—because the "price" for Aris still hasn't been completed. When I asked Aisha about it, she explained that Aris's trauma was simply the aftermath of the tragedy. It had nothing to do with her price. And if I had to pay another price on top of that, it would only put a greater burden on me.
For some days
I am noticing Shu, too, someone I worried about. She always put on a cheerful smile, but I could tell she was hiding her pain.
Maybe it had to do with her parents or something else… but since I was already worried about Zen, she probably smiled so she wouldn't become a burden for me as well.
With all these thoughts spinning in my head, I rested my face down on my school desk, trying to think of a solution.
I'd managed to help Aris a little, but Zen's absence only made things worse. I even tried asking Aris through mobile, but she said clearly—that her brother hadn't spoken to her once since the incident.
Sigh…
"What should I do? Can someone please help me in this situation?" I muttered to myself.
"Oh? If you want help, then why don't you ask me?" a voice replied.
I raised my head in surprise.
"Student President…" I said, my voice hesitant.
As I looked around, I saw the usual thing—everyone around us was frozen, trembling as if they'd seen some monster.
"Wrong," she said with a sharp smile. "This time it's the Club President who came here to take you to the club."
"Huh… But what about class?" I tried to make excuses.
But right on cue, the teacher entered. Yes! I thought. My chance to escape.
But she smiled and grabbed my hand firmly, dragging me forward. As the teacher tried to intervene, she said,
"I have something important to talk about with White here. I assume that teachers don't interfere in student matters. Unless…you want to, Mr. Charls…Se…n…se…I…?"
Her voice dripped with mockery, almost like a threat. I saw the teacher's face pale with fear. It was true—the rumors said she was like a devil. No one in the school dared to go against her.
"Ah, I almost forgot…" Luna's eyes landed on Shu, who looked worried for me.
"Yes, you come too," she said firmly.
Shu froze, looking both shocked and scared. But after a moment, she nodded and quietly followed us.
As I complained to Luna on the way, she only answered with cold confidence. Shu walked behind us silently, wanting to talk but unable to say a word against the president.
She dragged us all the way to the clubroom, made us sit, and then prepared tea as calmly as if nothing strange had happened.
"Um… White?" Shu finally asked, looking uncertain.
"You seemed almost normal while speaking with the president just now… sorry, but can you please explain what's happening?"
I shrugged. "How can I know? She never listens to anyone. At first, I was scared of her too, but after meeting her many times since Aris's accident, I've realized she's… just another Zen who only wants to trouble me."
Shu giggled softly.
"Maybe the rumors about her are a little exaggerated."
"Nope!" I interrupted quickly, with full confidence. "Every word is true."
Just then, Luna came back, serving us tea and cookies before calmly sitting in her usual place, eyes closed as she sipped.
"So… why do you want me here this time?" I asked.
She ignored me completely. Instead, she turned toward Shu with a smile that looked both bright and unsettling.
"You're Shu, right? Class representative of White's class. Always top of the rankings. One of the brightest students in school."
Her words, combined with her smile, made Shu shiver.
"Hey! Stop ignoring me—and don't scare her with that creepy smile!" I said quickly.
"Ara, am I really that scary, Miss Shu?" Luna asked sweetly.
"I… umm…" Shu stammered, clearly struggling under the pressure.
"Don't worry, I only wanted to talk to you,"
Luna replied. "But if I had spoken to you alone, maybe you'd have been too afraid. That's why I brought him along. After all, he seems like an important person to you, right?"
"Important… person?" I blinked in confusion.
"Ah, he's just a friend! Nothing more!" Shu panicked, waving her hands quickly.
"Don't worry. I was only joking," Luna said casually.
"So why bring us to the clubroom then?" I asked again.
But once more, she avoided the question, chatting instead with Shu about all kinds of topics. After some time, she finally stood and said,
"It was nice to meet you, Shu. I hope we meet again soon."
Shu smiled nervously in return. "Yes… At first I was afraid, Miss President, but after talking to you… I realize the rumors were wrong."
Just as we stood to leave, Luna caught the corner of my shirt
"She can go, but you stay. There's something I want to talk about," she said quietly.
"After ignoring me this whole time, now you want me to listen?" I muttered, annoyed. But when I looked at her, I realized she was serious. So I told Shu to go ahead without me.
Shu hesitated but soon left.
When I sat back down, Luna spoke.
"That girl—she's struggling. And she's going to collapse soon."
My eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"Just what I said," she replied calmly. "As I talked to her, I noticed her body language. She tries to hide her arms. She wears long skirts to cover her legs. To put it plainly—she's been physically abused by her parents. Every smile of hers is fake."
I froze, shocked.
"And I'm certain you already knew this too,"
Luna continued. "From the time she tried to jump off the roof until now, you knew. You told yourself you were 'supporting her from the side,' but in reality—you've abandoned her, haven't you?"
"I… I tried," I stammered. "I asked her if she needed help, I told her I—"
"Do you really think such excuses can hide the fact that you've done nothing?" Luna cut me off harshly.
Her words stabbed at me. I couldn't deny it.
Luna sighed. "Listen carefully. I'll say this only once. If nothing changes… Shu will be consumed."
"Consumed? What do you mean?"
"Did you already forget? I told you before—when emotions exceed their limits, they take physical form. They consume their hosts."
"You mean—" I gasped.
"Exactly." She looked at me with sharp eyes.
"Her emotions have already taken shape. They are feeding on her and consuming her from within. When her limit breaks, it will all collapse—and everything will be released."
I sat frozen, unable to breathe.
"And there's one more thing," Luna added calmly. "There's another person who has already become the core of an emotional creature."
Her words struck deep into me.
"That person is… Zen."