The morning sun filtered through the curtains of Ye Jin's room, casting a warm glow over her face. Ye Jin opened her eyes and stretched her body. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good night's rest like she did. Currently, she did not have to sleep with one eye open in case she was being attacked. A part of her wished that this kind of life would go on forever, but with the way things were going, it seemed that it would all be but a fleeting dream.
"[Good morning, Host]," GMS 005's cold voice rang through her mind.
"Good morning," Ye Jin replied as she made her way into the neatly arranged kitchen. She scoured through the fridge and drawers, scanning if there was anything she could make for breakfast. She finally settled on dumplings.
Dumplings were her favorite food, probably because they reminded her of the fact that it was because of a dumpling that she had a chance at a new life. Her eyes became melancholic for a brief second.
Ye Jin's hands moved with practical ease, folding the delicate dough around the savory fillings methodically, as if she had done it a thousand times. Of course, she had, because not only did she have to make her own meals due to fear of poisoning, but the ritual of cooking always gave her a sense of peace in the midst of her rather dangerous and turbulent life.
When she was done cooking, she served herself and went to the sitting room, sat down, and turned on the huge TV to watch the morning news.
"Good morning, everyone! This is EEA morning news, I am Wu FengYue."
"Breaking News: A male corpse was found in a KTV room. The identity of the deceased has been confirmed, however, his parents and relatives do not wish for his identity to be revealed. His autopsy results show that there was a high level of arsenic…"
Ye Jin revealed a mocking smile. At least she was able to kill two birds with one stone yesterday night. She saved a nuisance, but she also killed one.
After having breakfast, Ye Jin packed some dumplings. She also made bacon and eggs, which she packed as well, gathered her books, and left for school.
As she walked, her thoughts drifted to the past night's events. After what she had done, GMS 005 angrily confronted her.
"[Host, why didn't you save him publicly? He would have been indebted to you!]"
"Are you done?" she asked calmly. "You have to understand that the human mind is more complicated than you think. Besides, do you think it would be wise for a girl who has little or nothing to do with the underworld to save the initiator of a gang battle in the midst of that gang battle? I'd be lucky if I didn't get shot due to suspicion, because it would be too good to be true. How did I know the man was going to attack? How was I able to react that quickly?"
"[But Gu Yan still suspects you?]" GMS 005 asked, confused.
"Yes, but it's more of curiosity than suspicion," Ye Jin sighed. "Don't worry, you'll understand better when you see the results."
She exposed herself to him in a covert and subtle way. He would, of course, still be suspicious, but she really hoped that from what she understood of his character, his curiosity would precede his suspicion.
At school, the hallway buzzed with the usual chatter of students. Ye Jin moved through the crowd, her presence barely noticeable. But she didn't like it. She wanted to make friends, but she realized she really didn't know how to. All the friends she had in her previous lives were her comrades, so their bond had been built after years of relying on each other, especially in life-and-death situations. In high school, she was the princess of the Ye Empire, so she automatically had friends, as she had a lot of people who wanted to fawn over her. But she herself knew that she felt nothing for them; they were like wooden puppets to her, empty and soulless. Thus, she had never thoroughly connected with any of them.
In the streets, she had no friends because who would have time to make friends when they had more pressing matters, like looking for food to eat?
Ye Jin sighed. Well, it seems that she would have to spend another lifetime being a loner.
...
"Sui Sui!!! Why are you doing this to me? You are a bad, bad friend!" Gu Yan shouted at the figure before him.
The figure, Ning Yin, walked faster. He couldn't afford to be associated with this weirdo. He had a reputation as the student council president to uphold.
"Aiii, why are you walking so fast?" Gu Yan darted over to Ning Yin, blocking his path.
"Ning Yin! Why are you ignoring me? Don't you love me anymore?" Gu Yan said as he wiped a fake tear from his eyes.
Ning Yin sighed, adjusting his glasses with a defeated expression. "What do you want, Gu Yan? I am quite busy."
Gu Yan pouted dramatically. "Ohh come on, Sui Sui, don't be so cold. I need your help."
Ning Yin raised an eyebrow. "With what?"
"I need to find a girl," Gu Yan said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity and mischief.
Ning Yin was skeptical. "Don't tell me that you want to scare off another person with your crazy antics?"
Gu Yan gasped dramatically, clutching his heart with a hurt expression. "How could you say that, Sui Sui?"
Ning Yin rolled his eyes. He really didn't have the time to deal with Gu Yan now.
"Alright, Gu Yan," Ning Yin said, pinching the bridge of his nose and wondering how he became friends with this idiot. "Why do you even need my help?"
"Because you are my best friend, and you can't do without me," Gu Yan winked at Ning Yin.
Ning Yin's face scrunched up in disgust. "That was disgusting. Don't wink at me ever in your life again."
Gu Yan laughed, his laughter unrestrained and childlike, as he clutched his belly. "You look funny, Ning Yin."
Ning Yin once again thought about his life choices.
Ning Yin glanced around to make sure no one was watching. "Fine, I'll follow you. But only because I don't want you causing a scene anymore."
Gu Yan's face lit up with delight. "I knew you'd agree. Let's go!!" he said as he grabbed Ning Yin's hand.
"Why are you looking for her, anyway?" Ning Yin asked, a bit curious.
Gu Yan grinned. "Because I think I've found a new toy."
Ning Yin looked at Gu Yan. From when he knew Gu Yan, he had always been very strange. He had this eccentric personality and weird sense of humor. He saw people as toys for his amusement. Ning Yin often felt he was like a toy to Gu Yan, though Gu Yan had once told him that he was more than a toy to him after he had noticed Ning Yin's skepticism of the true nature of their friendship.
He remembered when he wanted to run for the position of student council president, Gu Yan had told him that if he needed his opponents gone, he just needed to tell him.
For the first time, Ning Yin felt genuinely scared of Gu Yan, but he also felt a sense of appreciation and joy knowing that Gu Yan was willing to do such a thing for him.
After about 10 minutes of walking around, both of them made their way to the rooftop. Gu Yan bounced with excitement, while Ning Yin followed with a cold expression, trying to maintain some sense of dignity. As they reached the rooftop, Gu Yan pushed open the door, and there she was, Ye Jin, sitting quietly with a dumpling halfway into her mouth.
Ye Jin looked up as they entered, her eyes filled with annoyance.
Gu Yan's eyes lit up, and he bounced over, ignoring Ning Yin's embarrassed sigh.
"Found you!" Gu Yan declared triumphantly.
Ye Jin raised an eyebrow with a questioning look. "Excuse me?"
Gu Yan plopped down beside her, a playful smile on his lips. "I saw you at the bar last night."
Ye Jin was surprised; she didn't expect him to be so... straightforward.
"I was about to eat a delicious dumpling, and you just disrupted it." Ye Jin put the dumpling in her mouth and chewed it, savoring its taste. When she swallowed the dumpling, she continued, "Also, I don't know what you are talking about."
Gu Yan's eyes became cold; he hated liars.
"Don't look at me with those eyes," Ye Jin said softly as she plopped another dumpling into her mouth.
Gu Yan's eyes flashed with surprise, curiosity, and then interest. "Hehe," he grinned widely. "Alright, let's say I was wrong, but I really like you, so let's be friends."
"Friends?" Ye Jin was quite surprised. She hadn't expected this turn, but in a way, it was favorable to her.
Ye Jin packed her lunch box and stood up. Looking down at Gu Yan, who was still seated, her eyes chillingly cold, she said, "Sorry, but I don't want to be friends with someone who looks at me like he wants to kill me."
She walked away, sparing no glance at Ning Yin, who was watching the interaction with interest.
Ning Yin looked at Gu Yan, whose muffled laughter echoed through the air. Ning Yin stared at his crazy friend with a mix of amusement and concern.
"I told you Ning Yin, I've found a new toy"