Chapter 27: Difficult Turn VIII

When the break came, Patricia realized that the video had not only been shown in their class but to the entire school.

Despite this, she didn't receive any calls from the teacher's office.

Instead, she experienced subtle bumps in the hallway, as if her classmates were trying to send a message. After the break, she found her belongings messed up, and harsh words were scrawled across her table.

The tables had turned; what Harmony had gone through, Patricia was now facing. Meanwhile, Harmony had become elusive, avoiding anyone who tried to reach out to her.

Kathrine sighed deeply.

"I understand how you feel," Beatrice echoed, also looking downcast.

"I mean, I slapped her without thinking. Now I feel like saying sorry isn't even enough," Kathrine shook her head, guilt written across her face.

"Well, since we didn't know her well, we unfairly blamed her for what we saw. All we can do now is offer a genuine apology," Beatrice said, squeezing Kathrine's hand.

They both knew that using ignorance as an excuse didn't justify them being bystanders while Harmony experienced bullying. Yet it felt like it was also the only reason they had.

"But just like she always does, she blends into her surroundings and disappears. When she returned, the teacher was right behind her. There's no way we could talk to her then," Kathrine lamented.

Beatrice felt a heavy weight on her heart. She hadn't bullied Harmony, but she hadn't stopped anyone either.

Most importantly, she had hoped to learn from Harmony after the play, but now that opportunity was gone. How could she ask for guidance when she had stood by silently?

The bullies weren't much different from those who just watched without intervening.

"Should we ask them?" Kathrine suggested, nodding toward Luca's group, who had just returned from break.

Beatrice agreed, and the two approached the four boys who were laughing about something amusing.

"Can we ask you something? Do you know where Miss Thomas is?" Kathrine asked as they got closer.

Justin and Kenneth turned to Luca, with a look of inquiry. Meanwhile, Gabriel sat on his chair and started burying his face in a book.

This time it seemed to be a novel, something everyone was used to. He would always be seen either with educational material or a novel.

As long as they are books, he finds entertainment in them.

But most of the time, he would be seen with medicine or other related science books.

"Why are you looking at me?" Luca asked.

"We thought you might know where she is," Justin shrugged.

"We just wanted to... apologize," Kathrine said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Not that I'm stopping you, but I think she has a lot on her mind. If not then she wouldn't have addressed the bullying, she may have left it alone until the end of our third year. Today she's not even in her usual spot," Luca replied.

He remembered how she spoke with his aunt about her injury, causing him to conclude that she wasn't only indifferent, she had other things to worry about.

Kathrine and Beatrice exchanged glances, knowing Harmony often went to the garden behind their building when she needed to be alone. They had already checked there and, as expected, she wasn't there.

Beatrice smiled sadly, "It's not like she has to give us time to apologize."

Seeing their disappointed faces, Luca sighed, "We can try inviting her to Justin's concert. If she comes, you'll have a chance to speak with her. That is a chance since if she comes it means that it will be her free time."

Kathrine and Beatrice's faces lit up, "Okay, thank you!"

"Hey, hey, why are you suddenly inviting more people to watch me?" Justin joked, after hearing their conversation.

"Why not? More support can't hurt," Luca shrugged.

Justin squinted at him, "I won't give you tickets."

Luca raised an eyebrow, "Are you really going to be this childish?"

"Be my accompaniment, and I won't complain, even if you invite more people."

Luca laughed, "Why? What happened to your partner?"

"Nothing. But business is business—give and take."

"Shouldn't you be doing business with them instead of me?" Luca shot back.

Justin shook his head, "You made the decision without asking me, which means you're their employer and will be dealing with me."

"Seriously, why are you asking me?" Luca replied with a defeated smile.

"Your piano playing matches my play perfectly," Justin said.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Luca suddenly remembered who would be at the competition.

Justin looked away, "What are you talking about?"

"The Princess of the Morgrave family will be there. You're more nervous than ever now."

"Shut up," Justin replied, unable to argue.

Luca chuckled, "Geez, you two are the same. You've both won and lost awards; why be nervous now?"

"She has more trophies than me," Justin grumbled.

"Hey, why are you sounding like a weakling?" Kenneth chimed in, joining the conversation.

He then put his arm around Justin's shoulder.

"I'm not!" Justin slapped his arm away.

Kenneth looked at Luca, raising an eyebrow, 'Come on, help your friend out here.'

Luca shook his head, "Fine. I can accompany you. I don't have anything scheduled for that day anyway."

Justin smiled widely, "Thanks, man!"

Gabriel, who had been quietly reading, smiled slightly at their banter.

"The Princess of the Morgrave family is competing? Where is it going to be?" Beatrice finally got her chance to ask.

"Hmmm? At the City Amphitheatre next to the City Hall," Luca replied nonchalantly.

"Isn't that a big competition?" Beatrice had heard about it many times—the competition Justin would be participating in.

"Well, City D's indoor Amphitheatre is huge, with a seating capacity of 10,000, making it perfect for a national competition," Justin said.

"I didn't expect it to go unnoticed, especially with someone big attending," Kathrine remarked.

Justin frowned at Kathrine's comment.

"I didn't mean you're not a big deal! It's just that not everyone knows each other. But the Princess of the Johnson family is someone people can't overlook. She's practically perfect. Someone many look up to," Kathrine defended herself.

"I think it was big news in City S, our country's main city. But not everyone is a fan of musical performances; people usually show up for idols," Kenneth added, stretching his arms behind his head.

"True enough," Kathrine agreed with a shrug.

"We'll give you the tickets tomorrow and let you know if she'll be there," Luca said just as the bell rang.

"We'll take the tickets even if she doesn't come," Beatrice assured.

"Oho, I didn't expect to have fans," Justin said with a playful grin.

"No, we want to see the Princess perform," Kathrine replied without hesitation.

Justin's smile instantly faded, causing laughter to ripple through the group. Even Gabriel let out a chuckle.