"You know what, all the girls talk behind your back about you?" Erna stated this while in the school cafeteria with Karin.
"Do I really care?" shrugged Karin.
"But Rin, you can't just take this for granted," Erna said, looking left and right to ensure no one was listening in on their chat.
"When you didn't show up and Tanya still claimed to be Katon's future bride, the girls banded together to get rid of her. But before they could gang up on Tanya, you showed up,"
Karin widened her eyes, "What do you mean?"
"Perhaps because I'm now your friend, they didn't tell me their plan," Erna murmured warily.
"Who came up with such a horrific plan?" Karin inquired.
"Stefani?" she asked, bringing her face close to Erna's ear.
"I don't know," Erna shook her head.
"Karin..." The voice appeared beside Karin and Erna, who were still talking seriously.
They were taken aback when they discovered Katon had appeared out of nowhere. In shock, Karin stroked her chest.
"Katon?! Since when..."
Katon gave Erna a sidelong glance, as if signaling her to leave. So, without being asked twice, Erna rose from her chair and left Karin alone with Katon.
"Are you home yet?"
Katon gave a nod.
"How are you?" Katon asked, his face brighter than when he first met Karin. His eyes were emerald green, indicating that he was in a cheerful mood.
"What have you been doing all this time?" Karin inquired.
"A little business,"
Karin rolled her eyes, a show of annoyance with Katon's never-ending answers. She stood up and was about to say goodbye when Katon grabbed her hand.
"I came to see you, and you just walked away?"
"You don't want to answer my question," Karin muttered angrily.
Katon stroked the back of Karin's hand with his thumb, causing Karin's heart to skip a beat.
"I'll tell you everything later, in the dormitory," Katon said as he led Karin back to his seat.
But Karin just obeyed, even though she still harbored a grudge against Katon for causing her father's death.
"Does the food here taste good?" Katon inquired cheerfully.
"You... don't eat rice?"
"I only ate what James offered," Katon said quietly.
"What?"
Katon pressed his face against Karin's. Karin could see Katon's emerald green eyes as their gazes met. "Would you mind making one for me?"
Karin gulped, unable to move her body as if hypnotized. Being around Katon made it difficult for him to use his common sense normally.
"Tonight I'll be waiting at my house. Allow James to pick you up."
"Why not in the dorm?" Katon looked around.
"There are too many people watching,"
"Katon..." Karin said after a brief silence.
"When I was in Alfansa, my life was always in risk. Will I be safe once I'm near you?"
"Did Stef threaten you?" Katon asked.
Karin shook her head, "But Erna said they were all planning to kill me..."
Even though she appeared unconcerned in front of Erna, Karin's heart was filled with anxiety, reminding her of her dark life at Alfansa.
* * *
Erna kicked the wall in front of her several times. Erna had been looking for a place to hide ever since she arrived and was dumped. That location is a rooftop; the topmost building in the school is open to the public, but no one dares to enter because it is too tall. Erna always vented her frustrations by kicking the wall of the nearby water reservoir while swearing.
"Isn't it wonderful to witness two people in love?" exclaimed someone from behind Erna.
Erna abruptly turned around. And finding Hendery's figure standing with a mocking smirk heated Erna's heart even more.
"What exactly do you want?"
"If I were you, I wouldn't want to be friends with Karin," Hendery laughed as he began to eat his apple.
Erna snorted angrily and kicked the wall in front of her once more.
"No one wants to be friends with you because you're Karin Nevada's friend," says Hendery.
"Before Karin, they didn't want to be friends with me either,"
Hendery laughed even harder. "It turns out you were outcast from the beginning,"
Erna snatched the apple from Hendery's grasp and tossed it into the air. The man couldn't help but notice the apple thrown somewhere far away.
"Are you upset?" Hendery inquired.
"If all you want to do is make fun of me, then just leave."
"Go? I came first,"
"I was the one in this place from the beginning!"
Hendery approached Erna with a smile "I've been here for 300 years. This is my hiding place, and your presence creates a noise."
Erna stepped back and regained consciousness. She was in the world of the demon nobles, not Alfansa.
"W... what do you want?" stammered Erna.
Recognizing Erna's fear, Hendery took a step back and laughed.
"Katon will be destroyed by me. And I'll take Karin Nevada..."