Ch.71 : Grand Opening of the Unity Headquarters

As soon as the school bell rang, Nic headed straight to the Unity Club to tell the others to go to the HQ first, saying he had to grab something before joining them.

One by one, the girls began arriving in front of the Unity headquarters. Vivi, Leona, Nia, Yui, and Violet showed up early, followed by Jenny, Fanny, Lily, Mika, Olivia, and Melody. When they arrived, they saw Gina standing in front of the door with her arms crossed.

"Sorry, apparently we have to wait for everyone to arrive before we can go in," Gina said casually.

Leona raised an eyebrow. "Why? What's inside?"

Gina only smiled. "Lots of interesting stuff."

Soon after, Raina, Eliz, Luna, Sylvia, and Selene appeared. Luna looked so excited she almost ran ahead before Sylvia pulled her back by the collar.

"Don't just barge in!" Sylvia scolded.

Luna pouted. "But I'm curious…"

Then came the group from the apartment—Monica, Julia, Bella, Charlotte, Zestia, Emily, and Viona. Mira arrived alone and was quickly pulled in by Selene.

"Come on!" Selene said with a smile.

Mira just smiled and gently stroked her small dog. A few of the other girls instantly became interested and began petting it too.

Lastly, Rika and Talia arrived, both slightly impressed by the large building before them.

"I didn't expect the HQ to be this big…" Rika muttered.

"Yeah, I thought it'd just be a normal room," Talia added.

Once everyone had gathered, Gina nodded and opened the door. As they stepped inside, they were blown away by the luxurious and spacious lounge, decorated with photos of all of them.

"Wow, we look like celebrities," Violet commented, pointing at one of the pictures.

They began exploring the space. Vivi and Leona headed straight to the custom-made basketball room. Nia, Fanny, and Jenny went to the martial arts area, complete with punching bags and equipment.

But before they got too carried away, Gina's voice came through the HQ's communication system.

"Everyone, come back. There's a special room I want to show you."

Though slightly confused, they followed her instructions. When the door to the room opened, their jaws dropped. Inside was a stunning collection of sparkling, high-end clothing neatly arranged across the room.

"Oh my god… this looks like a designer boutique!" Leona gasped.

In an instant, the room turned into a spontaneous fashion show as the girls began trying on outfits. Laughter and playful teasing filled the air.

"How do I look? Do I slay or what?" Jenny asked dramatically.

"More like you belong in a comedy runway," Fanny teased with a smirk.

Amidst the noise, outside the Unity HQ, a girl stood with her hands on her hips, observing the grand building in front of her. Chloe had finally arrived—invited by Nic for reasons she still didn't fully understand.

Chloe stood before the door, staring at the building in awe. Her hand hovered hesitantly over the doorbell. But remembering Nic had asked her to come, she finally took a breath and pressed it.

Inside, Gina, who had been watching the others play dress-up, heard the doorbell ring. She asked if anyone was still outside.

Vivi answered casually, "Probably just Nic. He's not here yet."

Gina paused. That couldn't be Nic. Curious, she went down to check. When she opened the door, she saw Chloe standing there with a slightly shy yet composed expression.

"Uh? Who are you?" Gina asked.

Chloe smiled softly. "I'm Chloe, Nic's classmate."

Gina raised an eyebrow. "Classmate? Not one of his girlfriends too?"

Chloe quickly shook her head. "No! He just asked me to come. Said I could help you guys with fashion stuff—make you all even prettier."

Hearing that, Gina smiled and let her in, leading her to the room where the girls were still busy trying on outfits. Gina clapped her hands to get their attention.

Chloe began introducing herself, but before she could finish, Selene walked up with a curious look.

"Classmate? Really?"

The room was instantly filled with teasing smiles.

Chloe, clearly used to this kind of energy, ignored the jokes and got to the point. "I'm here because Nic asked. I know quite a bit about fashion. And, well, the clothes Nic bought for this room? They're from my family's boutique. So I can help pick out the best ones for you."

Everyone was stunned.

"Wait, your family owns this kind of fancy store?" Vivi asked.

Without wasting time, Leona and Nia excitedly grabbed Chloe's hands.

"Then hurry up and pick outfits for us!"

Chloe got to work, selecting clothes and accessories that matched each girl's style. One by one, they changed into the dresses chosen especially for them. When they looked at their reflections in the mirror, a hush fell over the room.

"Wow… is that really me?" Melody whispered.

"Like a real princess," Olivia added with a smile.

They all looked beautiful—elegant and radiant. An unspoken excitement grew in the room as they imagined Nic seeing them like this.

Suddenly, Raina and Eliz approached Chloe.

"Your turn," Raina said, handing her a gown.

Chloe was surprised. "Huh? Why me?"

They exchanged glances and smiled. "Just a thank-you gift," Eliz said warmly.

Though hesitant, Chloe finally gave in and changed into the dress.

With everyone ready, they made their way back down to the lounge to wait for Nic. Melody, holding her violin, looked at Monica.

"Wanna sing something when Nic arrives?" she asked.

Monica hesitated. "Sing what?"

Bella grinned mischievously. "That song you always sing in your room, Mon."

Monica's face turned beet red. That song was her own composition… about Nic.

Intrigued, Melody asked to see the lyrics. Still blushing, Monica ended up sending them to her phone. The girls who read the lyrics smiled knowingly.

"These lyrics are really good. Easy to remember too," Talia commented.

She pulled out her fan and started arranging everyone into position like a proper formation. With everyone lined up beautifully, they waited eagerly to welcome Nic—Chloe now reluctantly among them too.

To be continued…