She couldn't help but think that if this professor were just a bit older—maybe 26 she might have actually considered making a move.
But unfortunately, even though people in this world live much longer, their perception of age is different.
Here, being 20 is still considered quite young—almost like being a teenager back in her old world. People aren't seen as fully mature adults until much later, so despite the number, the mindset and social expectations are completely different.
Seeing Aurora standing there dazed, Freya who was not the type to repeat herself asked again, unusually patient.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you still undifferentiated? Who are you with?"
Aurora quickly averted her gaze. Seeing a teacher at a bar felt a little awkward—especially since this teacher had once tutored her and would soon be teaching one of her classes.
"Hello, teacher! Good evening. Nice to see you again!"
Freya gave a polite smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"It's already night."
Aurora blinked, then corrected herself with a sheepish grin. "Good night!"
She quickly backed away and turned around to head back the way she came. But just as she took a step, Freya called out to her.
"You haven't answered my question."
Damn it!
She should've just stayed outside and smoked with Hyacinth. Why did she come back in?
Why, out of all people, did she have to run into someone she knew—especially a teacher?
If her parents found out she was at a bar instead of studying, they'd never let her out again.
Based on the original owner's memories, her parents were ridiculously strict. So strict that the original Aurora wasn't even allowed to meet her friends.
Now, she was doomed.
staring blankly up at the ceiling.
(Dog face peaceful meme.)
Aurora didn't realize someone was already behind her while she was busy thinking up excuses. It was difficult for her—she wasn't used to lying or making things up, having always preferred to be straightforward.
She's the little angel in her friend group, alright? She wasn't the one who caused chaos or taught her friends how to, ahem, please someone.
Aurora's friends from her previous world: "BS."
She confidently looked back, ready to say something—only to freeze when she realized the person who had been standing upstairs was now right in front of her. Her words caught in her throat.
"..."
Freya raised an eyebrow.
Aurora quickly blurted out, "It's a part time job."
Freya replied calmly, "I heard you've been helping with a family restaurant recently, aside from your duties at home."
All of Aurora's excuses turned to ashes in an instant. Just because she had been a salesperson in her previous life didn't mean she was out here scamming people. And besides, whenever she looked at this teacher, she always had the unsettling feeling that Freya could see right through her. It was hard to explain, but it felt like nothing could get past her.
The sharp click of heels echoed in front of Aurora, but she didn't register it at first—until she realized Freya was now only five feet away, steadily walking toward her. With each step, the distance between them grew smaller and smaller.
She looked at the teacher in front of her, deep in thought. When she first encountered her in the library, the teacher already seemed suspicious and cunning. At the time, Aurora assumed she was just a minor side character.
But now, that didn't seem to be the case. This woman clearly knew things she shouldn't have. And that hair color... it looked oddly familiar.
Even though Aurora was a bit farsighted, she struggled with recognizing people from a distance—something about it stood out.
Was it her hair color? Aurora might seem carefree or even a little dumb on the outside, especially around people she considered friends—but that didn't mean she wasn't cautious in this world.
Here, even the so-called minor villains or more accurately, cannon fodder—couldn't be underestimated.
Calling them "villains" might be a stretch, since most were dumb as hell, but they still posed a risk if ignored. And more importantly, there was always the possibility of encountering a true villain—a genius level threat capable of turning everything upside down.
Aurora had learned that the hard way, once being completely blindsided by a single, brutal plot twist.
Even though the romance parts of the novel were painfully cringe, the author was undeniably a genius when it came to plot twists.
If they ever switched to writing mystery novels, Aurora might have binge-read their entire catalog. Too bad the author seemed hopelessly love brained instead.
Aurora had read the author's note announcing that she was finally in a relationship with her longtime crush—the same person she'd been gushing about in nearly every note.
At this point, she might as well write a whole novel about it.
Tch.
She was a lot like her main character, Hyacinth. The way she talked in the author's notes, comparing herself to Hyacinth, it was clear—they really did resemble each other a lot.