Days later…
"Miss, what are you even trying to do in school?" Bubbles frowned as they walked through the hallway of the school dormitory. "You don't have classes, so you don't need to be here. Besides, your parents already contacted your professors and the school's dean, telling them about your condition."
"Bubbles, I know I don't have classes, but there are a few papers I left behind," Gigi replied. "I'm not starting from scratch."
"But they would understand if you cannot finish in time since you're suffering from memory loss."
"Even with my memory loss, I don't want to just skip it. Or worse, repeat a year just because I cannot submit my research paper." Gigi shrugged. "Just lead the way. We're already here, anyway. Why do you always try to talk me out in the last minute?"
"Hehe. My curiosity comes a little late."
A shallow huff escaped Gigi as she silently thanked the original Gigi for the notes she'd left behind in her room. Because yes, the original Gigi had a life before Solana took over. And with this new soul, she wanted to tie up loose ends—even though, deep down, she knew she didn't have to.
Soon, Bubbles led Gigi to a room. The moment they stepped inside, Gigi's face twitched.
"This is my room?" she asked, turning to Bubbles.
Bubbles sighed. "Miss, I know you don't like it—it's a little small for your tastes," she said with a frown. "But it's the biggest room in the dorm. So yeah… you weren't very fond of it."
Are you kidding me? Gigi thought, her face twitching as she looked around, comparing it to her old dorm room in her world. That place would've fit in this room's bathroom. Gigi really was swimming in luxury.
Which made her wonder — why did Gigi even envy Aqua?
"I'll just get my things," Gigi muttered. "Stay there."
"Okay."
Bubbles quietly watched her Young Miss gather papers and a few other things to take home.
---
The two young women ended up each carrying each box — the pile of papers was far too much for a single trip. Hugging the boxes to their chests, they made their way through the campus's open hall.
"Miss, is it really necessary to take all of these home?" Bubbles asked. "Do you really hate your dorm room that much?"
"No, but I don't plan on going back and forth," Gigi said, raising a brow as she noticed a crowd gathering by another building. "What's going on over there?"
"Huh?" Bubbles stopped and turned in the direction Gigi was looking. Standing on tiptoe, her brows furrowed as she caught a flash of bright red hair. Her expression dropped. "It's the school prince."
"School prince?" Gigi looked at her in disbelief. "That's actually a thing?"
Bubbles nodded. "His name is Alex Sparrow. He's the hottest celebrity right now."
"A celebrity, huh?" Gigi murmured, her expression shifting as she recalled one of the names from Echoes of My Heart.
In every modern reverse harem, a celebrity was practically a requirement. Because… why not?
"I see." Letting out a dry chuckle, Gigi turned on her heel. "Let's go."
"Wait—Miss!"
But Gigi had already resumed walking, not interested in running into another male lead. Dealing with Sevan was already enough. So far, she was doing a decent job avoiding Aqua and living a mostly carefree life.
Still… I have to take Troy out of the picture, she thought. He's not faithful, anyway.
Lost in thought, Gigi stopped when she stepped out of the campus gate. "Huh? Where's our car?"
"Miss, the driver probably drove around to not cause traffic," Bubbles said. "Let's wait on the bench. I'm sure he'll be here soon."
"Okay."
They sat down on the bench on the side. But after two minutes, the car was still nowhere in sight.
"What's taking him so long?" Bubbles whispered, turning to Gigi. "Miss, I'll call him."
Gigi simply nodded. She watched Bubbles dial the number and raised a brow when the girl turned to her with concern.
"Miss, it seems the driver had trouble at the other gate," Bubbles explained. "I'll go check it out."
"I'll come too—"
But Bubbles quickly shook her head and placed a hand on Gigi's arm. "Miss, you're still recovering. Just wait here. It's only a five-minute walk. I'll be quick. The guards probably didn't recognize the new car."
"…" Gigi wrinkled her nose but said nothing, listening to Bubble's reminder.
"I'll be back~!" And just like that, Bubbles dashed off.
Watching her sprint away, Gigi couldn't help but shake her head. "Sometimes I don't know if I'm amazed or annoyed by her. Though, she does have her good traits." Even if she could be a bit too much.
Still, it didn't really matter.
"For some reason, I've been feeling sleepy lately," she mumbled, massaging her nape and closing her eyes. "Then again, I stay up late just to watch another episode."
Since arriving in this world, there were a lot of things Gigi had to adjust to. One of them was the complete lack of activity. Even when she wanted to do something, her "parents" wouldn't let her.
Back in her world, she was always on the move. In fact, during her last mission, she had gone undercover in a drug cartel. So, one could only imagine the pace of her life then.
Now? It was a world of difference. Enough to make her lazy.
Very lazy.
Just as she was fighting off a yawn, Gigi noticed the light dimming around her. Opening her eyes, she felt a shadow stretch over her from behind.
"Huh?" Instinctively, she tilted her head back.
Standing behind the bench, gazing down at her, was a red-haired man with sharp, fox-like red eyes. His face hovered close—too close—as he stared her straight in the eye.
Gigi blinked. And then blinked again. Even upside down from her angle, she could tell by the thin lips, pointed nose, and delicate features how ridiculously handsome and youthful he looked.
But the real question was…
Why the hell was this guy so close?
The corners of his red, thin lips curled up into a beautiful smile until his foxy eyes squinted a little. "Hello."