The longer time dragged on, the more Erica felt unsettled. She paced back and forth until she got dizzy. She chewed on her bottom lip so much that it started to feel raw.

Finally, unable to take the unsettling feeling, she contacted Desmond for help. When it really mattered, he was still the most reliable one and the big brother whom Luna listened to.

After that, she left the mini aquarium to check on Luna, but found that the two were missing.

Erica thought back to what Lucas had said. He had mentioned wanting to take her to the hall. An ill feeling told her that she could find Luna in the hall and not for a good reason. So, Erica rushed to the hall while relaying the information to Desmond.

Erica burst through the entrance to the hall in time to see an egg flying towards Luna, who was standing on a makeshift podium in the middle of the hall.

Luna was already a mess. There was flour and rotting vegetables on her.

Erica’s heart hurt as she immediately understood what might have transpired. "BIG SIS!" A tearful cry interrupted the session.

In Erica’s shock and dismay, she had not noticed Desmond reaching the scene moments after she did.

"What's going on?!" His voice bellowed through the hall at the same time.

The rowdy crowd fell silent, and every single head was turned towards them.

"Haven't you heard? She's the one behind all the rumours about Rina and Victor.

“And the rumours were all lies!"

“She made a fool of us!”

"No! It's freakish how she made it all so believable!"

"Stone this insidious witch!" Someone shouted to restart the activity.

The crowd very easily exaggerated what had been revealed to them just moments ago. Alas, these people who were equally guilty in the rumour spreading would go off scott-free.

Desmond's eyes and heart burned with rage as he punched the daylights out of the man who called Luna a witch. He was ever ready to jump onto anyone else who intended to throw something at Luna.

The sight of someone from the military faculty mad and in action intimidated everyone from resuming their fun.

Erica also assumed her position by Desmond's side, ready to take anyone on. "Every one of you here are so s-"

"Big brother. Erica." The softest whisper drifted into their ears and attracted their gazes.

Luna had been standing on the makeshift podium numbly, while she listened to Lucas denounce her.

Before long, the familiar feeling of dissociation happened. She looked down on everything from up above. Everything felt and looked surreal. She stood still like a perfect exhibition. Lucas's voice was unclear like it was travelling through waterlogged ears.

The crowd's ire was easily raised, and she watched them start throwing the rotten and expired food that they were provided with upon entering the hall.

Now, she simply had to wait this out.

Her dream-like state broke when Erica and Desmond ran through the open doors of the hall.

Knowing that Erica was about to draw the crowd's ire onto herself and take responsibility for the one behind the rumours, Luna quickly spoke up.

"Big brother. Erica."

Everyone's gaze turned back onto her.

Now that she got everyone's attention again, Luna smiled softly and shook her head. "It's okay. I'm just paying for what I did."

Her gentle demeanour irritated the crowd.

"What's with that?! Who are you trying to be?!"

"Is she actually trying to be like Rina?! How sickening!"

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“It’s disgusting!”

"You'll never be like Rina!" Someone gagged to emphasize how disgusting Luna was.

More derogatory comments came out of the crowd's mouths, but Luna's eyes went dead once more. ‘How predictable.’

At the back of the crowd, her siblings no longer picked a fight with anyone. Luna rarely smiled like that. Her action clearly conveyed her intentions to them and her unspoken plea to cooperate with her. However, it was hard to cooperate with whatever she was planning to do. No, it was impossible.

Meanwhile, Lucas stood on the other end of the hall with his brows deeply furrowed.

‘Like Rina? Are they blind? She's so different. Is she actually... Bored?’

He absentmindedly compared his current impression of Luna to Rina's weak image. Rina had been unable to take the nasty rumours and had spiraled down into acute depression. Yet here Luna was, taking everything head on, with that dead expression on her face.

What he saw next stunned him further but also puzzled him greatly.

Desmond and Erica pushed their way through the crowd, went up onto the podium, and wrapped Luna's body between them. They refused to let Luna take the fall alone. Since they were both taller than her, they effectively shielded her from most of the thrown food.

Their warm embrace brought Luna back to reality once again.

Luna’s eyes teared up and her lips quivered. “Why...?” She whispered too softly to be heard. She had a plan... That would keep them unharmed...

Luna brought her hands up to grip their arms tightly. "You're both so silly…"

"You're the silly one." Erica and Desmond said in unison. “We’ll always be together.”

Luna’s heart was wrenched. The tears that built up in her eyes rolled down her cheeks.

‘After everything I did, I still couldn't protect Erica by myself. Instead, they both came up to protect me…’

Then, as if a dam broke, her tears poured endlessly, but there was also an awkward smile that spread across her lips.

‘My precious family...’

"Thank you…" Her soft voice croaked. ‘For all your love...’

Her siblings hugged her tighter in response.

When the scene on the podium had suddenly and unexpectedly changed to look so blissful and loving, the crowd grew increasingly hesitant. Seeing that there was not much left to throw anyway, they lost interest and trickled out of the hall.

Lucas balled his hands into fists and stared hard at Luna before leaving as well.

Once the three siblings reached home, they headed straight for the bathrooms. It was lucky for them that they had three bathrooms available. Their driver was not as fortunate. He had to go through the trouble of sending the car to be cleaned.

Luna was the first to come out since she only took a shower, while the other two were likely soaking in a warm bath to soothe themselves. Because of that, she caught her parents trying to sneak into the kitchen.

"Father. Mother. Welcome back, you're home early today. What're you two doing?"

Her father coughed lightly before speaking, "We were just about to get something for teatime. Don't mind us."

"Would you like me to fix something for you?"

"No, no. Luna dear, just go rest in your room." Her father shooed her away while her mother eagerly nodded in agreement.

"... Okay..." Even though it was obvious that they were up to something, Luna decided to not disturb them.

After some time in her room, her mother’s voice shocked her from behind. "Luna baby! You aren't resting again!"

"It's just some light reading." Luna defended herself.

Her mother looked a little reproachful, but she ended up sighing, then breaking into a helpless smile. "Never mind that, I came here to call you and Erica. Come!"

Luna obediently followed her mother to get Erica.

On their way down, they met Desmond whom their father had been in charge of getting. They also caught whiffs of a tantalising smell.

A mouthwatering spread on their circle marble table greeted the siblings. Now that the smell hit them in waves, it alerted them to their hunger, and their stomachs growled.

"All of you have had it rough today." Their father said with a kind smile.

"Come, eat and lift your spirits so that you can put up a good fight again!" Their mother encouraged them. "Especially the two of you." She rubbed Erica's and Luna's heads.

There was a rule in their school – Whatever happened there stays there. Nothing should be carried out besides the relationships made or broken, and there can be no external involvement. However, their parents were no dummies, and they have their ways of getting information.

Parents could not interfere with matters taking place in the school, but nobody said that they could not cheer their children on from the sidelines.

Luna sat at her usual spot at the table then blankly stared at the bowl of food in front of her.

"Luna baby, is something wrong?" Her mother asked worriedly.

"Hm? No, I was just thinking how wonderful all of you are." Luna broke into her rare heartfelt smile that shone radiantly, making everyone's hearts melt.

"Awww, you're just as wonderful, my baby! Eat, eat!"

Erica and Desmond nodded along eagerly while their father smiled proudly at Luna.

After their early dinner, Erica held onto Luna's hand before she went into her room.

"Big sis… If anyone comes to find trouble with you at school, can you please call big brother or me?" She was afraid that Luna would experience more hardship now that people saw her as the culprit behind the rumours and schemes.

"Don't worry about me. Because it's me, everything will blow over easily and I'll soon be overlooked as usual. I won't be able to say the same if you had been the one though."

The way Luna said it with such confidence thoroughly confused Erica. The odd things that Luna said were increasing overtime and it was starting to worry her. "Big sis... Why're you so sure?"

"That's not important. More importantly, Erica, every time you feel a compelling need to be rid of Victor or Rina or both of them, can you promise me to first question yourself if that is really really what you want? Or is it just a trigger that makes you feel like you need them gone? They're different in an important way."

Erica looked even more confused, and her mouth hung agape. ‘Of course, it's something that I want.’ Erica was very tempted to say what she thought, but something told her that Luna would only say more confusing things.

"Erica? Please?"

Despite not understanding Luna's choice of words, Erica gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded to humour her. At least, what she could take away from Luna’s request was Luna’s wish for her to no longer bother with Victor and Rina.