After a while, everyone slowly walked toward the main hall.
The lights grew brighter as the engagement ceremony was about to begin.
Aria quietly moved toward the stage step by step.
For once, she wasn’t making jokes or acting carefree.
Watching her walk away, Muichiro and Tashinora suddenly felt a strange heaviness in their hearts.
Neither of them understood why, but seeing Aria standing there beside someone else felt… uncomfortable.
Then suddenly—
The entire hall was covered in a deep red light.
Guests looked around in confusion.
Whispers spread everywhere.
“What’s happening?”
“Is this part of the event?”
The next moment—
Step… Step… Step…
Footsteps echoed through the hall entrance.
Everyone turned around.
A man wearing a sharp black suit slowly walked inside with complete confidence.
It was Hutaro.
Using his powers, he had created a dramatic atmosphere around himself.
The red lights flickered across the hall while his shadow stretched across the floor, making his entrance look straight out of a mafia movie.
Shin’s eyes widened.
“…No way.”
Roy looked confused.
“Who even is that guy?”
Meanwhile, Aria looked at Hutaro—
And suddenly a creepy smile appeared on her face.
Muichiro immediately narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“…Why is she smiling like that?”
Tashinora sighed.
“…I suddenly have a very bad feeling.”
Hutaro slowly walked toward Aria.
He stretched his arm toward her dramatically as if he was about to pick her up.
But Aria immediately raised one finger.
“No, no, no.”
She shook her head seriously.
“Don’t pick me up.”
Hutaro froze awkwardly for a second.
“…Right.”
Then he simply grabbed her hand instead.
“Come with me.”
And before anyone could react—
The two of them suddenly ran toward the exit.
Aria turned around while being dragged away and waved happily at everyone.
“Grandmas, don’t worry!”
She grinned proudly.
“I’ll be back home by tomorrow!”
Elli covered her face with one hand.
“…She actually did it.”
Bali sighed deeply.
“I knew something like this would happen.”
Outside, a luxurious black car was already waiting.
The moment Hutaro and Aria got inside, the car sped away from the venue.
Suddenly Shin remembered something Aria had told him earlier.
His eyes widened.
“WAIT!”
Everyone looked at him.
“She told us if anything weird happened, we had to go to the park behind the venue!”
Without wasting another second, Shin dragged everyone along and ran toward the back park.
Meanwhile, inside the moving car—
Aria leaned back comfortably and stretched lazily.
“Mission successful.”
Hutaro looked exhausted already.
“…Young Miss, I feel like my life expectancy dropped today.”
A few moments later, the car reached the park.
Aria looked outside and smiled.
“Alright.”
Then she opened the door casually.
“You can stop here.”
She looked at Hutaro proudly.
“I’ll go from here myself.”
Aria stepped out of the car and started walking toward the park quietly.
The night breeze brushed past her hair as she casually put her hands into her pockets.
But suddenly—
“Aria…”
A soft voice called out from behind her.
Aria stopped instantly.
Her footsteps froze.
Slowly, she turned around.
A woman was standing a short distance away, smiling gently at her.
For some reason, Aria couldn’t move.
Her eyes widened slightly.
The woman slowly started walking toward her.
Step…
Step…
Step…
Then suddenly—
She was right in front of Aria.
Aria’s eyes widened in shock.
How…?
She hadn’t even seen her move.
The woman softly placed her hand on Aria’s cheek and smiled warmly.
“How are you, my child?”
The moment Aria looked into her eyes—
Everything around her suddenly felt blurry.
Memories flashed through her mind.
A small child running happily…
Warm hands gently fixing her hair…
A familiar smile…
Those same eyes…
Aria’s breathing became uneven.
Her lips trembled slightly.
“…M-Mom?”
The woman smiled softly and touched her forehead.
“How are you, my little girl?”
Tears slowly gathered in Aria’s eyes without her even realizing it.
For a moment, she looked like a little child again.
Then her mother’s expression softened.
“Aria…” she said quietly,
“…today is our last meeting.”
Aria’s eyes widened instantly.
“What…?”
“You won’t be able to see me again after this.”
“N-No…”
Aria immediately stepped forward.
She stretched out her arms, trying to hug her—
But the moment she touched her—
The figure disappeared.
Gone.
Completely gone.
Silence.
Aria stood there frozen, her hand still hanging in the air.
Confusion filled her eyes.
“…What?”
She quickly looked around.
“Mom?!”
Nothing.
Only the cold night wind answered her.
Aria frowned deeply.
“…How?”
She looked at her own hand in disbelief.
“No way…”
Then she muttered quietly to herself,
“How did she move that fast?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Even my teleportation technique isn’t that fast…”
For the first time that night—
A strange feeling of uneasiness settled in her heart.
Just then—
“ARIA!”
Muichiro’s voice suddenly echoed from behind.
Aria quickly turned around.
Shin, Roy, Suzumi, Jennifer, Usagi, Shuyong, Muichiro, and Tashinora were all standing there.
But the moment they saw her—
Their expressions changed immediately.
Because the Aria standing in front of them now wasn’t the same cheerful girl from before.
The smile on her face felt weaker.
Her eyes looked distant, as if her mind was somewhere else entirely.
Aria noticed their expressions and quickly forced a smile onto her face before walking toward them.
Tashinora narrowed his eyes slightly.
“What happened?” he asked softly.
“Why do you suddenly look so quiet?”
For a moment, Aria froze.
Then suddenly she laughed.
“Huh?”
She waved her hand casually.
“I was just watching what reactions you guys would make.”
Shin looked confused.
“…Reaction?”
Aria grinned dramatically.
“Yep.”
Then she walked toward Muichiro and crossed her arms proudly.
“So?”
She raised an eyebrow confidently.
“How was my plan?”
Muichiro stared at her for a few seconds, as if trying to read her expression properly.
But then he sighed and smiled faintly.
“…I’ll admit it.”
“It was pretty good.”
Aria immediately looked proud of herself.
“I knew it.”
After a few moments of silence, Shuyong looked toward Aria with a worried expression.
“Aria, all of that is fine…”
Then he hesitated slightly.
“…but where are you going to stay?”