A few days after the picnic, everything seemed normal—except for one thing. White's longtime friend, Zen, had stopped coming to school.
White wanted to talk to him. He wanted to tell Zen that if whatever happened to Aris was his fault, then Zen could blame him. He could complain, yell, say whatever he wanted—but in the end, White only wanted them to be friends again.
He searched for Zen in many ways. But no matter how he tried, Zen never turned up at school, and whenever White went to his house, Zen never came to meet him. They say if a gap forms between people, time only makes it worse. White wanted to stop that before it was too late. He wanted Zen to talk to him. Yet no matter how much he tried, he felt helpless.
For a moment, he thought about asking Bell for help. But that would only create new problems—because the "price" for Aris still hadn't been completed. When White asked Aisha about it, she explained that Aris's trauma was simply the aftermath of the tragedy. It had nothing to do with her price. And if White had to pay another price on top of that, it would only put a greater burden on him.
In those same days, White noticed Shu as well—someone he worried about deeply. She always wore a cheerful smile, but he could tell she was hiding pain. Maybe it had to do with her parents or something else… but since he was already worried about Zen, she probably smiled so she wouldn't become a burden to him too.
With all these thoughts spinning in his head, White rested his face down on his school desk, trying to think of a solution. He had managed to help Aris a little, but Zen's absence only made things worse. He even tried asking Aris through mobile, but she said clearly that her brother hadn't spoken to her once since the incident.
Sigh…
"What should I do? Can someone please help me in this situation?" he muttered to himself.
"Oh? If you want help, then why don't you ask me?" a voice replied.
White raised his head in surprise.
"Student President…" he said, his voice hesitant.
As he looked around, he saw the usual thing—everyone around them was frozen, trembling as if they had seen a monster.
"Wrong," she said with a sharp smile. "This time it's the Club President who came here to take you to the club."
"Huh… But what about class?" White tried to make excuses.
But right on cue, the teacher entered. Yes! White thought. His chance to escape.
But Luna smiled and grabbed his hand firmly, dragging him forward. As the teacher tried to intervene, she said,
"I have something important to talk about with White here. I assume teachers don't interfere in student matters. Unless… you want to, Mr. Charls… Se…n…se…I…?"
Her voice dripped with mockery, almost like a threat. White saw the teacher's face pale with fear. It was true—the rumours said she was like a devil. No one in the school dared to go against her.
"Ah, I almost forgot…" Luna's eyes landed on Shu, who looked worried for White.
"Yes, you come too," she said firmly.
Shu froze, looking both shocked and scared. But after a moment, she nodded and quietly followed them.
As White complained to Luna on the way, she only answered with cold confidence. Shu walked behind them silently, wanting to talk but unable to say a word against the president.
She dragged them all the way to the clubroom, made them sit, and then prepared tea as calmly as if nothing strange had happened.
"Um… White?" Shu finally asked, looking uncertain.
"You seemed almost normal while speaking with the president just now… sorry, but can you please explain what's happening?"
White shrugged. "How can I know? She never listens to anyone. At first, I was scared of her too, but after meeting her many times since Aris's accident, I've realized she's… just another Zen who only wants to trouble me."
Shu giggled softly.
"Maybe the rumours about her are a little exaggerated."
"Nope!" White interrupted quickly, with full confidence. "Every word is true."
Just then, Luna came back, serving them tea and cookies before calmly sitting in her usual place, eyes closed as she sipped.
"So… why do you want me here this time?" White asked.
She ignored him completely. Instead, she turned toward Shu with a smile that looked both bright and unsettling.
"You're Shu, right? Class representative of White's class. Always top of the rankings. One of the brightest students in school."
Her words, combined with her smile, made Shu shiver.
"Hey! Stop ignoring me—and don't scare her with that creepy smile!" White said quickly.
"Ara, am I really that scary, Miss Shu?" Luna asked sweetly.
"I… umm…" Shu stammered, clearly struggling under the pressure.
"Don't worry, I only wanted to talk to you," Luna replied. "But if I had spoken to you alone, maybe you'd have been too afraid. That's why I brought him along. After all, he seems like an important person to you, right?"
"Important… person?" White blinked in confusion.
"Ah, he's just a friend! Nothing more!" Shu panicked, waving her hands quickly.
"Don't worry. I was only joking," Luna said casually.
"So why bring us to the clubroom then?" White asked again.
But once more, she avoided the question, chatting instead with Shu about all kinds of topics. After some time, she finally stood and said,
"It was nice to meet you, Shu. I hope we meet again soon."
Shu smiled nervously in return. "Yes… At first, I was afraid, Miss President, but after talking to you… I realize the rumours were wrong."
Just as they stood to leave, Luna caught the corner of White's shirt.
"She can go, but you stay. There's something I want to talk about," she said quietly.
"After ignoring me this whole time, now you want me to listen?" White muttered, annoyed. But when he looked at her, he realized she was serious. So, he told Shu to go ahead without him.
Shu hesitated but soon left.
When White sat back down, Luna spoke.
"That girl—she's struggling. She's going to collapse soon."
His eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"Just what I said," she replied calmly. "As I talked to her, I noticed her body language. She tries to hide her arms. She wears long skirts to cover her legs. To put it plainly—she's been physically abused by her parents. Every smile of hers is fake."
White froze, shocked.
"And I'm certain you already knew this too," Luna continued. "From the time she tried to jump off the roof until now, you knew. You told yourself you were 'supporting her from the side,' but in reality—you've abandoned her, haven't you?"
"I… I tried," White stammered. "I asked her if she needed help, I told her I—"
"Do you really think such excuses can hide the fact that you've done nothing?" Luna cut him off harshly.
Her words stabbed at him. He couldn't deny it.
Luna sighed. "Listen carefully. I'll say this only once. If nothing changes… Shu will be consumed."
"Consumed? What do you mean?"
"Maybe I didn't tell you before—when emotions exceed their limits,emotions take physical form. Then consume their hosts."
"You mean—" White gasped.
"Exactly." She looked at him with sharp eyes.
"Her emotions have already taken shape. They are feeding on her and consuming her from within. When her limit breaks, it will all collapse—and everything will be released."
White sat frozen, unable to breathe.
"And there's one more thing," Luna added calmly. "There's another person who has already become the core of an emotional creature."
Her words struck deep into him.
"That person is… Zen."