Silence filled the area once again.
Shin slowly turned toward Roy.
“…Exactly who is Aria?”
Roy stared at the disappearing cars silently.
Then he smiled faintly.
“That,” he said quietly, “is something even I don’t fully know yet.”
After Aria left, the entire school was buzzing with rumors about her.
Everyone kept talking about the luxurious convoy, the fight, and her sudden disappearance.
Meanwhile, inside the classroom, Suzumi looked around before speaking,
“Where’s Aria?
I haven’t seen her for quite a while.”
Shuyong leaned back lazily in his chair.
“No idea.
I haven’t seen her since morning either.
Maybe Roy knows something.
Whenever she skips class or disappears somewhere, she usually tells him first.”
Suzumi immediately turned toward him.
“Then ask Roy.”
Shuyong raised an eyebrow.
“Why should I ask?
You ask him yourself.”
Suzumi crossed her arms dramatically.
“Fine.”
She walked toward Roy, who was quietly sitting near the window.
“Roy, where’s Aria?
Did she tell you anything?”
Roy looked slightly confused for a second.
“Aria?
She didn’t even come to school today.
No… wait…”
He paused midway, remembering something.
“She did come to school… but also didn’t.”
Shuyong frowned instantly.
“What kind of sentence is that supposed to be?”
Before Roy could explain properly, Shin jumped into the conversation excitedly.
“What he means is that Aria came to school, but later she suddenly left because her grandmother’s condition became serious.
And you know what?
Around twelve or thirteen luxury cars came to pick her up!”
He lowered his voice dramatically.
“And on top of that, she beat Lita up really badly.”
Shuyong’s eyes widened.
“Wait a second.
Did you just say twelve or thirteen cars came for her?”
He immediately looked worried.
“Don’t tell me she got kidnapped again.”
Shin waved his hands quickly.
“No, no!
Nothing like that.
She went to meet her grandmother because her health got worse.”
Shuyong relaxed slightly.
“Oh… okay.”
Then he suddenly frowned again.
“By the way… who even is her grandmother?”
Shin scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“No idea.”
Roy suddenly blinked.
“Come to think of it… we don’t even know Aria’s full name yet.”
Suzumi looked surprised.
“…I never asked her either.”
Shin laughed awkwardly.
“Same here.
I never paid that much attention.”
At that exact moment—
Buzz… Buzz…
Shin’s phone vibrated suddenly.
Everyone’s attention instantly shifted toward him.
Shin checked the screen and his eyes widened.
“It’s a message from Aria.”
Shin quickly opened the message while everyone around him leaned closer curiously.
The chat read—
Aria:
Sorry, I left so suddenly this morning without telling you anything.
Shin immediately started typing back.
Shin:
It’s okay.
By the way, how’s your grandmother now?
A few seconds later, Aria replied.
Aria:
It’s… complicated.
I’ll tell you everything properly in the evening.
Come to my hideout tonight.
Shin blinked in confusion.
Shin:
Your hideout?
Since when do you even have a hideout?
Aria:
I do have one.
A secret hideout.
Shin laughed while reading the message.
Shin:
And where exactly is this “secret hideout” of yours?
Aria:
I’ll send a car to pick you up.
It’ll bring you directly to my secret base.
Shin immediately straightened his posture dramatically before typing again.
Shin:
Okay, Boss.
Then I’ll see you this evening at your secret base.
Aria replied almost instantly.
Aria:
Okay.
Shin grinned mischievously and typed another message.
Shin:
Don’t worry, Boss.
I won’t tell anyone that we’re coming to your hideout.
After a short pause, another message appeared on the screen.
Aria:
Bring Jennifer with you too.
Shin:
Understood, Boss.
The moment Shin finished reading the messages, everyone in the classroom stared at him suspiciously.
Shuyong narrowed his eyes.
“…Why do I feel like you’re secretly joining some criminal organization?”
Shin immediately hugged his phone protectively.
“It’s classified information.”
That evening, just as the sun was beginning to set, a long black car stopped outside the academy gate.
The door opened, and a man in a formal black suit stepped out.
He bowed slightly before speaking respectfully,
“Boss has called all of you.”
Suzumi immediately frowned in confusion.
“Boss?
What boss?”
Before the man could answer, Shin quickly stepped forward excitedly.
“The Boss has summoned us.
Hurry up and get in the car.”
Roy looked at him suspiciously.
“…Who exactly is this ‘Boss’?”
Ignoring him completely, Shin turned toward Jennifer dramatically.
“Jennifer, Boss specifically asked for you too.”
Jennifer blinked in confusion.
“Boss?
Which boss are you talking about?”
Shin opened the car door proudly.
“No more questions.
Everyone, get in quickly.”
Although everyone looked confused, they still entered the car one by one.
Soon, the car started moving through the city roads.
After nearly thirty minutes, the vehicle finally stopped in front of a massive building covered in glowing lights.
The moment Roy stepped out of the car, his eyes widened slightly.
“…This is the Nightfall Building.”
Several people dressed in black suits approached them respectfully and guided them inside.
Roy rubbed his forehead tiredly.
“Please don’t tell me the famous ‘Bali Nightfall’ called us here.”
Nobody answered him.
The group entered a large elevator, which silently carried them to one of the top floors.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened slowly.
They were led into a luxurious dark room illuminated by soft golden lights.
At the center of the room, someone was sitting on a chair with their back facing them.
The chair slowly turned side to side.
Shin immediately stepped forward dramatically.
“Boss, we have arrived.”
The chair slowly spun around.
The moment the person’s face became visible, everyone froze.
Aria smiled brightly while sitting comfortably on the chair.
“Welcome, my friends.”
Complete silence filled the room.
Roy stared at her blankly.
Suzumi’s jaw nearly dropped.
Shuyong looked like his soul had left his body.
Jennifer pointed at Aria in disbelief.
“…YOU’RE the boss?!”
Aria crossed her legs proudly.
“Of course.”
Before anyone could recover from the shock, the door behind them suddenly opened again.
An elderly woman entered the room gracefully, supported by a silver cane.
The atmosphere instantly changed the moment she appeared.
The people standing nearby respectfully lowered their heads.
Shuyong’s eyes widened in shock.
“…Y-You’re Belli Nightfall, aren’t you?”…