Looking around the room, I realized something.
Most of these people were just distant names and faces.
I barely spoke to any of them back in school.
Maybe coming here was a mistake.
Zack gave me a polite smile and shook my hand.
Leslie, on the other hand, was the complete opposite–lively and talkative, chatting away nonstop.
Surprisingly, her energy put me at ease.
The awkwardness faded, and before I knew it, I was actually engaging in conversation.
Meanwhile, Wade sat across the room, watching us with a look of disdain.
Zack leaned in and muttered, “Wade’s a total snob. Only sucks up to people with money or power. If it weren’t for
Pierce being in the government now, he wouldn’t have bothered coming to this reunion.”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 7
I didn’t comment and just glanced in Wade’s direction.
Yeah.
He was definitely not a good guy.
As more classmates arrived, the room filled with laughter and nostalgia.
To my surprise, many of them were warm and welcoming.
They came over, greeted me, asked about my life.
And just like that, I found myself relaxing.
For the first time in years, it almost felt like I was back in high school again.
Once everyone had arrived, Pierce stood up to give a short speech.
He even mentioned our chance encounter yesterday, calling it fate.
“Childhood friendships aren’t easy to come by,” he said, raising his glass.
“Let’s all stay in touch.”
The mood was warm and lighthearted.
I sat with Leslie and a few other classmates, sipping on my non–alcoholic drink.
I had just removed my stitches and wasn’t about to push my luck.
Halfway through the dinner, a few of the guys had already drunk too much–one of them being Wade.
He swayed in his seat before suddenly speaking up.
“Hey, you–Sora, right? You shouldn’t be drinking soda. You should be toasting us properly. After all, we all donated money to you back in the day.”
The air froze.
Several people shot him warning glances, their expressions shifting into discomfort and quiet anger.
But Wade was oblivious, grinning like an idiot.
“I mean, hell! I personally gave you twenty dollars. That’s more than enough to feed your whole family for a week!
་་
“Wade, you’ve had enough. Knock it off.” Pierce’s voice was sharp, his patience clearly wearing thin.
But Wade just laughed, waving him off.
“Aw, come on, class prez, don’t be so serious. I’m doing pretty well for myself these days, y’know–a few companies, a couple of hundred thousand in the bank. Might need your help someday though.”
With
sloppy grin, he threw an arm around Pierce’s shoulder, only for Pierce to swiftly dodge it.
Wade didn’t seem to care.
He just kept rambling while half the table tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.
Someone brought up work, and the mood slowly shifted back to normal.
Chapter 7
+25 BONUS
People took turns sharing their careers–some had started businesses, some worked in government, others were teachers or ran small shops.
But Wade?
The moment he heard someone owned a company, he poured them a drink.
And when it was someone who worked a regular job–like retail or delivery–he barely spared them a glance.
It was painfully obvious and incredibly awkward.
Then, Rain suddenly turned to me.
“Sora, what about you? What do you do?”
I smiled. “I’m an assistant.”
Wade let out a loud, dismissive snort.
“An assistant?!” he scoffed. “What, you never went to college after dropping out? What kind of company even
hires a high school dropout as an assistant? Tell me so I know to stay the hell away from it.”
Chapter 8
+25 BONUS
Chapter 8
