friend chapter 3

“W-Why so suddenly? Did I do something wrong?”

“I’m bored.”

“But… we just started dating yesterday….” I sputtered, spraying the tea I’d been drinking.

Jade Stuart was a natural-born heartbreaker from a young age. At eleven, she dumped a boy after just one day of dating. The reason was absurd. Simply put, she was bored.

The scene from the novel was unfolding right before my eyes.

“Don’t do this, Jade! I can’t live without you. You’ve stolen my heart, how can you do this to me?!” That didn’t sound like something an eleven-year-old boy would say. The boy clung to Jade’s leg, tears and snot streaming down his face.

“Get lost.” Jade kicked his hand away. Ah, so ‘dumping’ him literally meant kicking him. I sipped my tea, watching the children’s breakup scene. I’m never going to date. That day, I threw away my pink diary. It had ‘Princess Lumina’s Lovey-Dovey Diary’ written in large letters on the cover. Horrifying. If this truly was the world of the novel, my love life was doomed. Yes, something had felt off.

Ever since Jade appeared, everyone’s attention had shifted to her. Before that, I was the main character. Ultimately, the real protagonist of this world was Jade, and I was just a jealous supporting character. Lawrence, my prince charming? What a joke. My nonexistent love life was less important than the friend I had right now. My one and only friend, in this life and the last. The kind of best friend I yearned for in my previous life.

I wrote down my goals in a new diary. Marrying a prince? Forget it. After graduation, I’d become a mage at the Magic Tower with a hefty salary. Dating Lawrence? Nope. My priority after entering the academy was protecting Jade. Because that’s where she would meet Edward, the crazy crown prince. I had no idea what would happen once they became entangled.

Even before he learned about Jade’s infidelity, Edward’s obsessive behavior had made her life difficult. I didn’t want to recall what he did to her after he imprisoned her. He treated her like a dog. Brainwashing her… that said it all. No matter what Jade had done, it was excessive. I gritted my teeth, making a promise to myself. I don’t care about the other male leads, but Edward is off-limits.

Time passed after I had that dream, and we turned sixteen. Tomorrow was the day we entered the academy. In other words, the start of the original story. My shoulders felt heavy. Lost in my worries, I heard a knock.

“My lady, Lady Jade has arrived.” It was Luke, the butler. I closed my diary and stood up. Today was the last night Jade would spend at our house before moving into the dormitory.

“Okay, I’ll be right there.” Worrying wouldn’t change anything. Fortunately, I had a secret weapon. I smiled confidently, thinking about it.

***I went to the entrance of the mansion to greet Jade. Not wanting to keep her waiting, I quickened my pace. I almost tripped running down the stairs. I saw Jade. About to run to her, I froze, spotting the creature beside her.

“Welcome, Jade. And… will you go out with me?” That strange creature’s name was Cain Ashford. The disgrace of our family. Cain knelt on one knee before Jade, offering her a rose. A cherry blossom-colored rose, the same shade as his hair. Where did he even get that?

“Get lost, Cain.” Jade rejected him with a familiar line. This wasn’t the first time I’d witnessed this scene. Cain confessed every time he saw Jade. How many times had it been? I’d stopped counting after a hundred. It was truly embarrassing to share the same blood.