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Chapter 13 - ❥⁠˙⁠๑ Chapter 13

As I sat there, picking at the leftovers of my lunch, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye—Aaliyah had pulled out a book. The title on the cover caught my attention: Unyielding Heart.

Of course. That trashy romance novel.

Seira sighed loudly, rolling her eyes as she glanced at the book in Aaliyah's hands. "I can't even bring myself to read the next chapter," she muttered, pushing her tray aside. "I can't stand Irina Helgrave's behavior, and don't get me started on the typical weak female lead who always needs protecting. It's exhausting."

I couldn't help but think, considering her situation right now, she was the one who actually needed protection. She just didn't know it yet—another part of this twisted game we were all unknowingly playing. Idiot Seira. She had no idea how close danger really was, and it pissed me off that I had to be the one protecting her from the shadows.

Aaliyah nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's frustrating. I don't get why people like books where the female lead's so helpless all the time."

I decided to jump in, smirking a bit. "This book sounds boring anyway. Why waste your time on it?"

Seira shot me a glare, half agreeing and half offended. "Romance books aren't boring. It's just... this one isn't my type."

Aaliyah, never one to back down from a verbal sparring match, rolled her eyes at me. "Just because you don't have the attention span to read anything more complex than a grocery list doesn't mean you get to judge."

"Yeah, well, at least I'm not sitting around reading trashy romance novels pretending to be deep," I shot back, earning an amused laugh from Ethan.

Before Aaliyah could retort with something even sharper, Ethan quickly cut in, trying to defuse the tension. "Hey, how about after school, you two join us? We're going out to the bookstore. Might be something more interesting there."

Seira shook her head, not even thinking twice. "I'm gonna pass. I have food and a nap waiting for me after school."

Aaliyah, more practical, added, "And I've got homework."

But then Ethan brought up the one thing that could change their minds: "I've got a voucher for free books. Unlimited access for two days."

I remembered that from the original timeline—Ethan and I had gone to the bookstore after school just the two of us, never inviting the others. That voucher had been like gold to him. I was fully expecting the girls to reject the offer, but to my surprise, Seira and Aaliyah's eyes lit up, and they agreed without hesitation.

That caught me off guard. Seira never used to show this side of her. Sure, she laughed and joked in class, but this… this was different. She seemed more open, more animated—though, if I were being honest, also more annoying.

But maybe this was a good thing. Thanks to Ethan's spontaneous invitation, I could keep an eye on Seira more closely. I glanced at her as she stood up with Aaliyah, heading out to class. In the past, police say that the killer had stalked her for 40 days before she died. If I counted correctly, today was Day 38—right before graduation.

If the killer was watching her now, then I had to be there too. I needed to pick up on anything suspicious. Maybe, just maybe, I could find some clue before it was too late.