As the doctor had instructed, Naomi was stuck with an arm sling for at least two weeks.
Which meant that when she finally returned to the academy—only two days later—she had no choice but to wear it in full view of everyone.
It was almost funny, really… how the entire world could shift in just forty-eight hours.
Before this, when Emily Rhodes dragged her around like a fish caught on a hook, she had always been careful. Always choosing deserted hallways and quiet corners.
No matter how much she detested Naomi, she still had to consider the family's reputation.
Her parents might overlook petty scuffles between classmates, but they would never tolerate anything that could stain their name.
So Naomi's incident had been carefully covered up from prying eyes.
Yet somehow, after a mere two days of absence, the entire academy already knew that 'Miss Vale had fallen out with the Rhodes twins.'
Naomi ignored the constant stares directed at her throughout the lectures.
When it was time for lunch, she went to the cafeteria as usual. The chefs arranged by the academy were five-star chefs—very professional.
So, the food they cooked was quite pleasant.
She had woken up late and even missed her first class due to the two-hour ride from Winter Hill to St. Michael Academy.
Without breakfast, it felt like her stomach was touching her back.
Those stares still stuck to her like glue, as if they were trying to pry open her skin and look deep inside.
Some were curious, some envious of her receiving Damien's attention in any form, while most simply gloated over her misfortune.
Despite the lingering gazes, she straightened her spine and walked toward the tray section.
As she picked up a bowl of chicken soup, her fingers halted mid-air.
Perhaps it was due to her dampened mood, or the restriction of using only one hand, that she lost her appetite.
Forget it, she mused. The soup was fine.
The silver designs on her cuff links and collar glinted under the cafeteria lights.
This was a specially assigned uniform. Although all were wearing blue blazers, only a handful of them had silver designs adorning their clothes.
It showed their prestige and their academic value.
As for the students with golden motifs, there were only three. Damien Rhodes, Emily Rhodes, and Emmett D'Arden.
All were the main characters, and Naomi wished for nothing more than to stay away from them.
Just as she turned around, a student with a plain blue blazer collided with her. He raised his hand and knocked the food tray out of her hand with a loud crash.
The entire cafeteria fell silent.
The warm soup spilled on her clothes, soaking into the fabric and sticking to her skin.
It left a greasy mark on her clean shirt, difficult to cleanse. It made her feel dirty all over.
If it was hot... Naomi didn't dare to think about the consequences.
"My bad," the male student said, smiling insincerely. "My hand is a bit slippery today."
Since morning, this was the second time someone conveniently had 'slippery' hands around her.
The sudden laughter around her pierced her ears, stabbing deep inside her chest.
Those giggles and hushed whispers inflated the boy's ego. He puffed up his chest, and his eyes darted secretly toward the upper floor.
A performance for the particular spectator. This was what it was.
What else was there not to understand?
This boy, too, was like a puppet, dancing on someone's strings, eager to please his master for benefits.
"Step aside," Naomi said, without a shred of frown or flush of embarrassment.
It sure irked the boy. How could his performance be completed if the lead refused to play her role?
Before he could touch Naomi again, a plate slammed onto him.
A bowl of soup, salad, fried rice, stir-fried pork... all of it landed directly on his body. Bits of food slid down his face and onto his already dripping chest.
Perhaps the shock was too great; he forgot to fight back.
The entire cafeteria experienced another silent moment, their gazes travelling to the person who caused the mess.
Anya sneered, dusting her hands as if she had touched something dirty. Her usually cheerful face, which showed her emotions like a mirror, was scrunched up.
"My bad. My hand is a bit slippery today."
Her words taunted the boy as she draped her arm around Naomi's shoulders.
"You fine?" she asked. Her bright eyes filled with obvious concern without any calculation.
Naomi blinked, then calmly shrugged the arm off her shoulder.
She disliked it when others touched her. Even if Anya was the heroine of the novel, Naomi couldn't bring herself to like or dislike her.
A stranger. That was all she was.
"You!" the boy finally snapped out of his shock. "Are you out of your mind?"
Who in their right mind would defend someone against Rhodes?
That was the collective thought of everyone present, except the person involved.
Anya let out an incredulous laugh. "Why not ask yourself? Fucking pathetic piece of shit."
Her cursing gave Naomi a headache.
She stared at the upper floor of the cafeteria where Damien was sitting.
Something invisible seemed to wrap around the two without them knowing. Perhaps a delicate thread of fate, Naomi had been trying to untangle herself from.
Damien's narrowed blue gaze was filled with overbearing authority, while Naomi's dark eyes remained silent—calm like the depths of the ocean that hid millions of mysteries.
In that second, a sudden spark ignited, burning young master Rhodes' arrogance.
After all, he never thought there would be someone who would protect his enemy. It was so absurd and unbelievably annoying.
I wanted to avoid the plot, Naomi thought helplessly, looking at the angry Anya.
Yet here they were, with male lead and female lead in the same space, with her being the connecting link.
Placing the empty tray back, she grabbed Anya's arm. "Let's go."
"You wait for me. This grandmother will teach them how to be a human," Anya rolled up her sleeves, about to bypass Naomi. Her cheeks puffed up like an angry chipmunk.
Naomi winced when her arm touched Anya's.
And that was enough for the angry chipmunk's anger to vanish like a deflated balloon.
"Shit," Anya cursed without any image of an educated lady, yet her eyes looked pure. "Did I hurt you? Let's go back."
It was this contrast that made Naomi hesitate to yank her hand away.
"Hmm," she mumbled.
As they left the cafeteria, she didn't give Damien another glance.
This whole situation had spiraled out of her control... Again.