Chapter 68: New Development II

First, she touched the mole before staring straight into her eyes.

"That guy has such beautiful light brown eyes," she muttered, remembering the color of Shawn's eyes.

After catching herself remembering it, she shook her head then she noticed her hair.

"You are about to give up on yourself too. Hang in there for me a bit longer; you will be taken care of once we conclude our plan."

She sighed. She really wished to take care of her hair but couldn't now.

"I miss the old you," she said once again, looking at her straight blonde hair.

"Don't give up on me, please," she smiled sadly.

One of the things she really loved about her body was her hair.

Then the clock caught her eye.

It was already midnight, but when she looked at her table, she couldn't help but sigh—there was a load of things she needed to finish.

Well, not that it was new since her mother had been giving her loads of stuff to study and memorize.

"I wish I was born with a photographic memory or even a sharper one," she muttered.

Shaking her head, she leaped to work, knowing nothing would happen if she did not start.

Meanwhile, once the weekend ended, Luca came to Gabriel once class ended and the other two left first, one for final practices with his juniors and the other for his practice for the contest.

"I have a question," he started.

Gabriel looked up from the novel he was reading.

"I only heard you say you sometimes wonder if you truly are my friend. Can you tell me in detail what you really feel?"

Gabriel tilted his head to the side.

"I feel like I can only grow if I understand myself even more in this aspect."

Gabriel put down the book, "Brutal truth or white lie?"

Luca blinked before responding with a self-deprecating smile, "I had someone tell me some brutal truth already. Just tell me anything."

Gabriel slightly raised an eyebrow, wondering who was capable of confronting this person bluntly.

He had tried advising Luca about his kindness for a while now, but Luca always focused on the fact that he wouldn't be used because he could feel their intentions as well.

What he couldn't feel was the intention toward those surrounding him.

Gabriel also felt that Harmony was a good wake-up call for this person.

"Your kindness is suffocating," he said without holding back.

Luca flinched, not expecting such a brutal reply.

"Especially when you expect us to follow along. Not that you are adamant about us following you, but your disappointments are visible. You really can't deny that part."

Gabriel thought for a bit before continuing, "You even show kindness to those who could negatively affect us, whom you call your friends. That is why we wonder if your kindness is not for those you treat as your friends."

"…"

Luca fell silent, pondering his actions since the beginning.

"Or more like, do I even have friends?" he couldn't help but utter.

Gabriel nudged his eyeglasses, "You have friends, just that you need to start differentiating the depth of kindness you have towards your friends and those you don't really know."

Gabriel picked up his book.

"You have to remember that everything needs to have its own limit, and kindness is not exempted from that. If you want to treasure people and for them to treasure you back, you need to know who to prioritize. I am not stopping you since that is a part of you already, and it is a good one. I am even willing to support you. Just choose us first from time to time."

Luca sighed heavily, "I will reflect on everything you told me. Thanks."

Gabriel shrugged before he continued reading.

"Do you think…"

Gabriel once again looked at him.

"I'd be able to patch things up with her?"

Gabriel blinked before shaking his head.

"Seriously though, why are you adamant about becoming her friend?"

His answers felt vague every single time he answered this question, and Gabriel really wondered why.

Luca thought for a good while.

"Is it because she was the first person to slap you with how your kindness works?" Gabriel asked, seeing him think hard about it.

Luca looked at him with a frown before shaking his head.

"No, that's too cliché of an answer."

"Then why?"

"Her attitude towards life," he finally answered what brought him to the decision that Harmony was someone worth befriending no matter what.

"Attitude?"

"Do you remember when we heard how she confronted Patricia?"

Gabriel nodded, remembering full well the record he listened to.

"The reason she fought back was that they went too far, pushing her into a dangerous situation. And her uncharacteristically cold actions were because Patricia disregarded the fact that Beatrice could have lost her life in that incident."

Gabriel nodded his head.

"Someone like that is worth becoming close to. She treasures life more than anyone else I have met."

Luca chuckled. Indeed, he pondered this for a good while before he came up with the answer that caused him to wish to be her friend.

As someone who had been in high society for so long, he watched others disregard life like it was nothing. Some even found joy in taking other people's lives.

To find someone who was obviously a part of this society but acted like she wasn't, he couldn't help but be drawn to her, wishing to know her more and get even closer.

"Have you fallen for her?" Gabriel asked the same question that Luca had asked before.

"…"

Luca looked at him, stupefied.

Gabriel shrugged.

"No, I have not. Genuine friendship is what I desire," Luca replied after recovering.