Chapter 25: Difficult Turn VI

Harmony stood up and looked at her one last time before shaking her head and finally leaving the room. She wasn't planning on doing anything further but couldn't let her continue any longer, especially since it was clear she had no intention of stopping the nonsense.

As she stopped near the door, she saw someone just outside, leaning against the wall with a serious expression.

"You won't be doing anything about that?" he asked.

"What am I supposed to do? Entertaining her more is just a waste of my time," she replied, turning to leave.

But before she could take two steps away, Luca grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

"Wha—"

"Let's celebrate."

"Huh?!?"

"We never got to celebrate winning the play."

"That was days ago," she said, feeling his behavior was too random.

"Come on. You did a great job. It's only right you treat yourself to some good food," he said, not letting go and continuing to walk.

She furrowed her brows but, recalling his character, could only relent, especially after hearing the words, 'You did a great job.'

She looked down, said nothing, and let him pull her along.

When they reached the gate, the other three were waiting. Seeing Luca pulling Harmony by the hand, they exchanged glances.

"Shall we celebrate?" Luca said immediately upon reaching them.

"Huh?" they responded, mirroring Harmony's confusion.

"Both of us didn't get to celebrate back then, so why not now?" Luca grinned.

'Weren't you the one who chose to forgo the celebration back then?' the other three thought.

"How about what you asked us to do?" Gabriel asked, puzzled by Luca's sudden shift.

"We'll talk about that over some food," Luca replied, continuing to walk out of the gate, still holding Harmony's hand.

"Weren't we discussing proving her innocence? Why does it seem like it's already been proven?" Kenneth scratched his head.

Justin looked around and noticed students watching Luca and Harmony as they left the building.

"That scene alone suggests there's more to the rumors about Miss Thomas," he said, shrugging as whispers spread.

Luca's public display with Harmony and his smile were enough to sway opinions.

"Well, we already have evidence and a witness. This event just makes proving her innocence easier," Gabriel said, adjusting his glasses before following Luca.

Kenneth and Justin looked at each other, shrugged, and followed, placing their arms around each other's shoulders.

...

"Eat more meat," Luca said, adding more pieces to Harmony's plate.

"I… can get my own food," Harmony said slowly.

People glanced at them; with their remarkable looks, Harmony felt nearly invisible. Luca smiled before finally focusing elsewhere.

"What is this really about?" she asked after a while.

The other three looked at Luca, also confused by his behavior.

"I just want to ask. You have a witness from that day. If you had mentioned it earlier, you wouldn't be in so much trouble. Why didn't you?" Luca asked.

The other three looked at Harmony.

"I found it too much of a hassle at the time," she replied nonchalantly, munching on another piece of meat.

She then frowned, realizing his words, "Witness?"

The four looked at her, clearly surprised.

Soon enlightenment appeared in her eyes, "Indeed. I had a witness."

Kenneth swallowed hard, Justin choked on his drink, Gabriel raised an eyebrow, and Luca blinked before laughing.

"Just how have you been living your high school life?" he asked.

"As quietly as possible until a certain someone broke that peace," Harmony replied.

*COUGH COUGH*

This time it was Luca's turn to choke.

"Well, anyway, because of your witness, things will resolve faster," Luca said, changing the subject.

He studied Harmony's face, "Or do you have no plans of discussing it?"

Harmony sipped her drink, done eating.

"If she knows better, I wouldn't bother anymore," she replied.

"But you seem to have something that could prove your innocence. You also didn't bother with witnesses," Luca asked, intrigued.

"With how advanced we are now, finding evidence is easy, especially with such child-like games," Harmony said.

They understood what she meant without further explanation.

"Does that mean you already know who was behind everything from the beginning?" Kenneth asked in awe.

Harmony looked at him for a moment.

"Thank you for the meal. Is this enough? I have many things to do," she said, standing up.

"This is on me. Thanks for your time," Luca said, waving her goodbye.

Harmony shrugged, gave a slight bow, and left. The other three looked at Luca.

"Why exactly did you decide to have dinner with her?" Gabriel asked with a frown.

"I just felt she deserved a reward," Luca replied honestly.

"What happened after we parted at the main gate?" Kenneth asked.

-FLASHBACK-

"Where do you think we should start?" Kenneth asked, hands behind his head.

As they walked past other students still discussing Harmony's alleged misdeeds, Justin rolled his eyes.

"Duh, obviously at the bridge where everything happened."

"Indeed," Kenneth said, rubbing his chin.

"Sometimes I wonder if you'd do well in the outside world," Justin said, shaking his head.

"Come on, solving her problem is easy. Miss Thomas' innocence is straightforward to prove," Kenneth said.

"That's what I've been saying. She was innocent, but no one listens to me," another voice said.

They turned to see one of the oldest guards of the school.

He looked at them with disappointment in his eyes.

"That young lady may always be in her own world, but she is among the best in this school. I heard some students blaming her for something that happened the night before the festival. But how could she have done that when she was under my watch at that time?"

Luca's ears instantly perked up, "Can you explain what you mean by that, sir?"

The old man slowly recounted, "Miss Thomas returned here the night before the festival, around seven in the evening, just as she did last year. Talking about some props being destroyed? This time she came for some final touches. I gave her two hours to finish everything before going home."

The four of them exchanged glances.

"She was here until about nine in the evening. She even offered me tea. I didn't stop her because you folks are different from students at other schools if you know what I mean. I heard the accident happened around half past eight. Unless she has superpowers, it's completely impossible for her to have pushed that other young lady."

-END OF FLASHBACK-