After grabbing, not just one or two, but an entire basket of bagels and various flavored croissants, I headed out the door and down the white-tiled streets, barely visible under the light-orange sky.

Reaching the edge of the city, right before the stairs down to the beach, I veered right and found a ledge.

Climbing atop the ledge, my feet dangling in the air, I faced the ocean and gazed at the sun as it slowly rose, bringing color into the world.

*STEP*

*STEP*

Hearing the sound of footsteps echoing behind me, I turned around and met a familiar face.

"Athen? Is that you? What time did you wake up and leave...I thought I was the first."

In reality, I knew there was a chance he would be somewhere around here, as I had written a similar scene in my novel.

However, I had still decided to come, assuming that with all the changes, there was no way this one scene would remain the same.

Hopping on the ledge beside me, dressed in a plain black t-shirt and black jeans, Leo peeked down at the basket of pastries in my hands.

Well, I did try to steal this sunrise scene that was meant for him.

Nodding my head, I handed him the basket, took a bagel for myself, and gazed upward.

The two of us sat there silently on the ledge for some time, simply gazing at the light-orange surface of the water stretching on for eternity before us.

Finally, after seeing Leo awkwardly fidget around for at least a minute, I suddenly asked, destroying the calm silence.

"Oddly nostalgic, isn't it?"

Raising his head to look at the sky, Leo smiled and answered as the clouds parted and allowed Apollo's chariot to bring the sun into the sky.

"Yes, yes, it is."

Gazing at my side, Leo asked a moment later.

"Have family?"

A bitter smile on my face, I simply answered.

"Not anymore."

It was time to accept things.

This was my new reality.

Turning away to look back at the sky, as it took a light-blue color, Leo nodded and said as well.

"Guess we're in the same boat."

Before I could even react, his arm surged rightward and grasped onto my shoulder, as he pulled me closer, so that our shoulders were touching.

"Thanks. Thanks for saving her...I don't know what I would have done if someone else just died in front of me again."

Trying to scoot away, to no avail as his arm clung to my shoulder, I muttered, clearly trying to form a barrier between the two of us.

"...? I only helped to get a fav-"

Interrupting me mid-sentence, Leo broke into a fit of laughter, to my dismay, and said, trying his hardest not to chuckle.

"y-you know, Serena was right. You really are one cocky rank 1900."

Simply groaning, uncomfortably shifting under the weight of Leo's arm, I glanced upward at the sky and silently gazed alongside him.

Pausing, Leo gazed upward and continued.

"You can understand why I didn't trust you, right?"

Nodding my head, I instantly answered.

"I didn't expect your trust."

Tapping me on the shoulder repeatedly, Leo scoffed and responded, his tone filled with sincerity.

"I do now owe you one, though."

Although he could have just left it that, Leo had to add.

Yeah, how was I supposed to know that you were going to jump off a cliff to save Carissa, who you hadn't even met until what...two weeks ago?"

"..."

"Talk about lovestruck, why don't we?"

Perhaps, taking my silence as a "yes," Leo continued on, lost in his own imagination.

"Though...Magnus is a hard competitor. What you just did, saving her, did score a bunch of points, so I don't kn-"

Finally, having had enough, I snapped and interrupted.

"Let's just watch, shall we?"

"Fine, no more Carissa. I mean...how did you even save her thoug-"

Leaning backward, I muttered.

"Worry about your own friend, Haerin, first, will you?"

"..."

Taking my response as a sort of jab in a fight, Leo thought for a moment before swiping back.

"You know...Serena also seemed quite keen on listening to you. When you said destroy the diary, she was like a robot, dead set on making me do it. Although I am glad, because I was wrong, I'm still confused on why a black cat like her obeyed you-"

Waving my hands, I said while raising my smartwatch, revealing a voice recording ready to be sent to Serena with a single click of the button.

"Say another thing."

Instantly, Leo's face turned serious as he caught sight of Serena's contact, as if it were a doomsday button, his playful demeanor collapsing.

"You'll kill us both."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"..."

"..."

If Leo and I had one thing in common, it was that we both understood the terror of Serena's wrath.

After a few minutes, the sunrise officially over, Leo suddenly got up and clasped his hands, standing on the ledge despite the plunge of more than twenty feet before him, to the beach.

"Alright! I'm feeling much better; let's go!"

Turning around and seeing him expectantly looking at me, I simply shook my head and responded.

"I'll see you around."

It would be far too awkward for me if I roamed around with the main cast...after everything that had happened last night.

I hadn't even talked to Magnus once.

Nodding his head, Leo eagerly waved, like a happy dog, before walking uphill toward the center of the city.

As his figure disappeared from view, I also got up, leaving my basket behind for the swarm of pigeons that had formed above me.

I bitterly smiled and waved to his back; that conversation with Leo had simply reminded me of my high-school days back on Earth.

Then, as the loneliness sank in, it hit me: the reason for boredom.

If I wanted to enjoy this day...why am I so set on doing it alone?

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