Ara's mind drifted back to the past few months, to the day she had finally returned to school after her long stay in the hospital.
The hallways had felt different then, almost like she was walking through a place that no longer belonged to her. The noise of students laughing, talking, and moving between classes felt too loud, too strange. For so long, she had been stuck in a quiet room, surrounded by white walls and the steady beeping of machines. Coming back felt like stepping into a life she wasn't sure was hers anymore.
Her hands had trembled as she held the strap of her bag tighter. Would people even remember her? Would they care that she had been gone? Or worse, would they whisper behind her back about the reason she had left?
But then, at the entrance, she saw her.
Ningning.
Her best friend's face lit up the moment her eyes landed on Ara. Without a second thought, Ningning had run forward and thrown her arms around her.
"Welcome back!" Ningning exclaimed, her voice full of warmth that cut through Ara's fears. "I've missed you so much!"
Ara had melted into the hug, her stiff body slowly relaxing. For the first time in months, she felt like she belonged again. "I've missed you too," she whispered.
Despite the pain, the memories of the hospital, and the scars that refused to fade, moments like this reminded her that not everything had been taken from her. She still had Ningning. She still had friendship.
Now, sitting in the cafeteria weeks later, that memory slipped away as Ningning's voice pulled her back to the present.
"So, what are you going to do about Karina and the others?" Ningning asked, her brow furrowed as she stabbed at her food with her fork.
Ara let out a sigh and pushed her lunch around on the tray. "I don't know. I thought they'd stop after everything that happened. But they still find ways to get to me."
Ningning scoffed and leaned back in her chair. "Well, you have Chenle on your side now." She gave a cheeky grin. "And me, obviously. We're not going to let them mess with you again."
Ara couldn't help but smile, warmth spreading through her chest. "Thanks, Ningning. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You'd probably drown in a sea of textbooks and notes," Ningning replied dramatically, flipping her hair over her shoulder like a diva.
Ara burst out laughing, shaking her head. "You're impossible."
The two of them laughed together, and for a moment, the heavy weight that always clung to Ara seemed to lift. Their voices rang across the cafeteria, light and carefree. For the first time in so long, Ara felt... normal.
But that feeling didn't last.
Later that afternoon, when Ara walked home alone, uneasiness settled in her stomach. The encounter with Karina earlier replayed in her mind again and again, like a film stuck on repeat. The way Karina had shoved her, the cruel look in her eyes... it should have left Ara scared. And maybe part of her was.
But more than anything, she felt tired.
Tired of the bullying. Tired of pretending. Tired of being strong when all she wanted to do was crumble.
Her thoughts were broken by a quiet voice.
"Ara."
She stopped walking and turned in surprise.
Standing a few feet away was Giselle.
Ara froze, gripping the strap of her bag tighter. "Giselle?" she said cautiously. "What are you doing here?"
Giselle looked nervous, shifting from foot to foot. Her usual confident expression was gone. Instead, her eyes were lowered, her shoulders tense.
"I... I need to talk to you," Giselle said at last.
Ara narrowed her eyes, suspicion curling in her stomach. "About what?"
Giselle took a shaky breath before finally looking at her. "I need to apologize."
Ara's heart skipped. She hadn't expected that. "Apologize?" she repeated slowly.
"For everything," Giselle admitted, her voice cracking. "I never wanted to hurt you, Ara. Karina and Winter... they pushed me into it. I was scared of them, but that doesn't excuse what I did. I stood by while they made your life miserable. I should have done something. I didn't. And I'm so, so sorry."
Ara stared at her, her emotions twisting into a storm. Part of her wanted to shout, to ask why she hadn't stopped it sooner. Another part wanted to believe her, to accept the apology that sounded so real.
"Why are you telling me this now?" Ara finally asked.
"Because I can't keep living like this," Giselle said honestly, wiping at her eyes. "I don't want to be that person anymore. I want to help you, if you'll let me."
Ara studied her face carefully. No smirk, no mocking glint, no signs of lies. For once, Giselle looked... sincere.
"Okay," Ara said softly. "But this doesn't mean I forgive you. You'll have to prove yourself."
Relief washed over Giselle's face, and she nodded quickly. "I understand. Thank you, Ara."
When they parted ways, Ara let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she was holding. What she felt wasn't forgiveness yet, but it was something close. Something lighter.
Maybe it was closure.
The next day at school, Ara noticed the change immediately.
The whispers in the hallway weren't about her anymore. Instead, they were about Chenle. About how he had stood up to Karina, how he had grabbed her wrist with such force and stared her down with eyes colder than anyone had ever seen from him. The golden boy of the school, the one everyone admired, had shown a side of himself no one expected... and he had done it for Ara.
And it worked.
Karina, Winter, and even Giselle kept their distance. The heavy pressure Ara had carried for so long was finally starting to lift.
At lunch, Chenle slid into the seat across from Ara and Ningning, flashing his usual smile. "How are you feeling?" he asked gently, his eyes searching hers.
"Better," Ara admitted, smiling back. "Thanks to you."
Chenle shrugged, trying to play it off. "It was nothing. Just what anyone decent would do."
Ningning rolled her eyes and smirked. "Don't be so modest. You're our hero now."
Chenle raised a brow and smirked. "Hero, huh? I like the sound of that."
The three of them laughed, and for the first time in ages, it didn't feel forced.
As days passed, Ara noticed herself changing.
The fear that once controlled her steps now loosened. The silence that used to choke her felt less suffocating. She wasn't just surviving anymore... she was slowly reclaiming her life.
And with Ningning and Chenle by her side, she felt stronger than she ever thought possible.
Even Giselle, though Ara remained cautious, seemed to be showing that she wanted to change. It would take time, but maybe, just maybe, Ara could trust her again.
One afternoon, as she and Ningning walked home together, Ningning suddenly broke the silence.
"You know," she said thoughtfully, "I think things are finally looking up."
Ara glanced at her friend, then up at the sky where the warm sunlight bathed everything in gold.
A slow, genuine smile spread across her face.
"Yeah," Ara whispered.
And for the first time in a long while, she truly believed it.
