And now, for Rosalie, he wanted me—the girl whose ticket they threw away, who might've been forced to stand seven or eight hours on the train—to return early just to hold seats for the two of them?
My silence must have sounded like hesitation to him. Or worse—agreement.
"See? This way you won't be bored at home alone, and you'll be helping us too. Killing two birds with one stone, right?"
"If Rosalie finds out, she'll definitely be happy. Once her mood improves, she'll do much better on her next exam."
I forced down the wave of nausea rising in my throat.
If I tore off the mask now, I wouldn't get to witness the rest of their little performance.
Lowering my voice deliberately, I said, "...Alright. I get it. You two... have fun."
The moment I gave in, Kervin's tone turned outright cheerful, as though he had just solved a huge problem.
"That's my girl! Danna, you're always the most understanding."
"So it's settled then—you'll handle the seats for us. Preferably by the window, somewhere airy. Rosalie likes those spots."
"When we're back, I'll take you to that restaurant you've been wanting to try."
He even remembered to specify her seating preferences.
"Mm." The sound that escaped me was flat, indifferent.
"Good, then that's it. Rosalie is calling me—I'd better see what she needs."
Without waiting for my reply, he hung up hastily.
As the busy tone beeped in my ear, the last trace of my forced composure slipped from my face.
The next two days passed in calm silence.
Kervin didn't call again. He only sent me a message once, reminding me again not to forget to save seats in the library, as if Rosalie's academic success depended solely on my diligence.
On the other hand, Rosalie posted on her social feed.
It was a picture taken at a downtown café—the very one I had mentioned countless times, telling Kervin I wanted to visit.
The caption read. [It feels like hard work never pays off... I couldn't help but feel bad. Thankfully, someone is always here to comfort me. Hopefully I can relax a bit over the holiday~]
And there, plain as day, was Kervin's comment.
[I'll take you to eat something good during the holiday.]
Likes and consoling comments from mutual friends stacked neatly beneath.
Expressionless, I scrolled past, not even bothering to tap for a full view.
The afternoon before break, a knock came at my dorm door.