hapter 34
You should have done this a long time ago,” Talia commented, sticking her tongue out.
To be honest, others think you’re making a huge mistake leaving Professor Hanley’s team, it I think it’s for the best.
hink about it. What were the past few years like for you? When was the last time you had a oper meal? We were already asleep, and you were still working on data!
‘ve never seen a student work this hard just to study. You weren’t studying for yourself; you ere practically helping those seniors study.
don’t know how you could have put up with it for so long. I would have given up and run vay by now!”
ilia was a straightforward person. She had often spoken her mind before, but Luna was too ught up in everything to listen back then.
le even thought Talia was meddling.
ter a few incidents, Talia stopped trying to talk to her, and gradually, Luna was isolated.
ow that Luna thought about it, the first time she had spoken to them again was after her birth–when she had asked them to pass a message to the seniors before going to the ›spital and, later, the text she had sent to Nicole.
ter leaving Wilson’s team, Nicole had been the first to show concern.
>oking back, though they had isolated her, they never really ignored her. They were still the :st people to care about her when something happened.
ina’s eyes reddened slightly. “I’m sorry. I was wrong before. I thought joining Professor anley’s team was a stroke of luck, and I didn’t want to disappoint the seniors and teachers. I orked myself to the bone to please them.
Now that I think about it, I didn’t have any freedom these past few years. I was like a tool, ing ordered around by Professor Hanley and the seniors. They told me what to do, and I just d it!
lost myself, my friends, and my original ideals and pursuits. I want you all to witness this day—I’m saying goodbye to the old me.
won’t let myself suffer anymore, and I won’t ignore my friends. I’m going to reclaim my eals and pursue what I really want. I’m going to be a person who lives with integrity and arlessness!”
Good!” Talia found a lighter. “We’re here to help you and hope you’ll follow through. Don’t rget about us just because of other things.”
Chapter 34
Luna took the lighter: “I will. If I don’t, you all can stop talking to me forever!”
“Just ignoring you won’t be enough!” Nicole reached up and tapped Luna on the head. “Get ready for a good beating from us!”
Talia and Jade nodded. “Yes. If you make excuses and refuse to join our dorm activities again, we definitely won’t let you off the hook!”
The group burst into laughter, and amid their teasing, Luna set her diary on fire. Then, she threw the box of gifts she had once treasured, one by one, into the fire pit.
When everything had burned to ashes, it felt as though the wounds on her heart were slowly healing–she was alive again.
Russell walked back to the lab with snacks, feeling dejected. Before he could even enter, he ran into Mia, who came looking for him.
Mia’s heart sank when she saw the snacks in his hands–Luna didn’t accept the snacks. It seemed she wouldn’t agree to Russell’s request after all.
“Russell, is Luna still mad at everyone?” Mia asked with a sad expression. “It’s all my fault. She’s so cold and refuses to talk to anyone because of me.”
He concurred that Luna was being cold–hearted. All he did was ask her for a small favor, and she rejected him without hesitation.
Russell gritted his teeth. “It’s not your fault. We misjudged her. We didn’t expect her to be so ungrateful. She flipped on us without any hesitation. We’ve been looking out for her all this
time!”
It seemed his guess was correct–Luna’s current success was entirely due to the help of the five seniors, and Mia was even more determined to ruin Luna’s reputation.
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Chapter 35
Chapter 35
