"Thank you for giving me a ride." Aqua ducked slightly, looking at Gigi inside the car. "Take care. If you need anything, I'm just in the building."
Gigi nodded, watching her close the door carefully before rushing toward the entrance of the other building. At the same time, the vehicle began moving again, now heading to drop Gigi off at her own building.
Their university was huge, twice as big as the one Gigi had attended in her previous life. And since she and Aqua were taking different courses, their classes were held in separate buildings.
So, running into her isn't very likely unless I purposely wander over to her building, she thought, tilting her head slightly. But…
Slowly, Gigi turned to look out the window.
It was true she didn't need to return to class yet. The school had granted her a special exemption to rest and recover, and with her memory loss, the professors—and even the dean—thought she might need remedial classes. After all, everything she'd once learned had been wiped clean.
But Gigi had other plans: she wanted to stay close to Aqua.
With Bubbles away for now, she figured she might as well enjoy the rare peace and quiet, without anyone talking her ear off.
"Young Miss, we've arrived."
Gigi's thoughts stopped at the sound of the driver's voice. She looked out the window and then offered him a polite smile.
"Thank you," she said. "Oh, and don't worry about picking me up later. I'm staying in my dorm tonight."
"My parents already know," she added, sparing him the trouble of asking.
"Understood, Miss."
"Thank you," she repeated before stepping out of the car.
Gigi lingered for a moment, watching the car pull away. But before it completely disappeared from sight, she turned and walked toward the entrance of her building.
---
"Aqua."
Troy appeared beside her, making her flinch as she busily organized her books in her locker.
"Troy!" She patted her chest, frowning at him. "Why do you always sneak up on me like that?"
Troy chuckled and leaned an arm casually on the locker next to hers. "You're early today. Didn't you get caught in traffic?"
"I told you, the traffic isn't the problem," she replied. "It's the buses — they're always full."
"That's why staying in the dorm is more practical. Look at me—even if my car breaks down, I'm fine since I live on campus."
Aqua raised her brows briefly and shrugged, returning to arrange her notebooks. "Gigi gave me a ride."
"Huh?"
"I know. It's a bit surprising, right?" She gave him a knowing smile as she closed her locker and turned to face him, clutching a book to her chest.
Her cheeks colored slightly. "I'm not used to it, but… it felt nice."
"Oh…" Troy nodded thoughtfully, his smile softening as he looked at her. "I guess she really is changing for the better. Honestly, I hope she doesn't get her memories back."
Aqua's smile stiffened until it faded.
Right, she thought, lips pressing into a line. Gigi's only being nice because of her memory loss. But once she remembers…
She forced herself not to dwell on it.
"Aqua, want to head to class together?"
She looked up, meeting Troy's clueless expression. After a pause, she gave a small smile and nodded, hugging her book tighter.
---
Gigi's schedule today included one class in the morning and another in the afternoon. Tomorrow, she only has one in the afternoon.
Thankfully, her morning class hadn't been as difficult as she'd expected. All her reviews and late-night reading had paid off—she wasn't entirely lost.
But now, she didn't know what to do with the free time before her next class.
Staying in her dorm would be mind-numbingly boring. She'd tried that already, and only lasted ten minutes.
"I didn't know students had access to the rooftop," she whispered, approaching the metal grid enclosing the area. Her fingers curled around the cool bars as she looked down.
This was the building where Aqua's class was currently held. Since the campus was so large, loitering in her own department's building felt pointless — there was nothing to see or do there.
But here…
There she is.
Gigi narrowed her eyes, spotting Aqua walking across the open courtyard below, accompanied by Troy.
As usual, Aqua held a book close to her chest. Her long silver hair floated behind her in the gentle breeze. Her entire presence seemed to radiate warmth — sparkling, even. And her smile… it was beautiful, captivating even from up here.
Of course, she's the heroine, Gigi thought. Her gaze shifted to Troy. But him… he's not.
Troy was just a catalyst in this story.
He was also the reason Gigi had chosen to return to school early—not to seduce him, but to test a few things. Being on campus, where more people knew Aqua and Troy, made it easier to gather information about them.
I'll get there, she told herself as she slowly turned to leave.
But then, she paused.
From the corner of her eye, she caught movement. Her brows lifted slightly as she turned to look.
Someone was lounging on a raised platform near the rooftop's edge, legs swinging lazily.
Alex.
His red hair gleamed under the sun, his smile wide, squinting up at the sky with his naturally foxy eyes. His foot swung rhythmically, the heel of his shoe tapping the wall beneath him.
Since when has he been here? She wondered, frowning.
Alex hopped down from the platform, landing with exaggerated flair.
"Well, look who's here!" he announced with a grin as he strolled toward her. "I heard you got into an accident and lost your memory."
He stopped just a step in front of her, eyes half-lidded with mischief. "But I guess even if the mind forgets, the heart remembers."
"What nonsense are you spouting now?" she replied flatly, unimpressed.
"Our meeting place!" he declared. "Don't you remember this rooftop?"
"No."
His grin didn't falter. He bent forward slightly, hands on his hips. "Are you sure?" he asked, his smile turning sly. "This is where we had our first kiss. Doesn't ring a bell?"
Then he paused, eyes twinkling as they opened just a bit wider.
"Or… should I help you remember?"