Logan stiffened imdiately upon seeing Hera in tears, his expression transforming into one of flustered confusion. He had no idea how he had managed to upset Hera to the point of tears. As students around them paused in surprise, casting him accusatory glances for causing Hera’s distress, Logan felt a wave of sha wash over him.
"S-Senior!" Logan attempted to wipe Hera’s eyes with his sleeves since he didn’t have a tissue or handkerchief, but his action was a bit rough, unintentionally making her look worse than before.
When Logan saw Hera’s distressed state, his heart skipped a beat in nervousness. Glancing around, he noticed that everyone was watching them, they all seemingly ready to pounce on him.
"S-senior, please don’t cry. I’ll listen to you, okay?" Logan’s voice wavered as he tried to calm Hera down. When she heard him promise to listen, Hera stopped pretending to cry and looked at him expectantly.
"Really?" Hera asked, her voice tinged with concern, her pout aid at Logan. She ensured her expression was visible to everyone around, knowing Logan appeared sensitive to public criticism. She hesitated, torn—it felt like reopening a wound that had already festered. Yet, she understood that if she didn’t act, Logan would remain trapped in a cycle of fear and pain inflicted by his supposed best friend.
She felt torn about intervening, but deep down, she knew how much she valued a helping hand in navigating dark tis. If she were in his position, she’d feel isolated and afraid of making more mistakes, worried about others’ judgnt. Yet, she wouldn’t abandon her passion. If she didn’t offer this young man a chance to achieve sothing, she’d feel she wasn’t using her influence for good when she had the ability to help. He appeared lost and confused.
This reminded Hera of how fortunate she was to have a best friend like Athena. Athena wasn’t jealous or malicious; instead, she was protective and nurturing, qualities that had shaped Hera into the person she is today. Thinking of this brought a smile to her face, and she felt a strong desire to pay forward the sa kindness Athena had shown her years ago—spreading the good karma, as they say.
"Yes," Logan nodded slightly, his shoulders starting to relax as he reverted back to the Logan she had first t—a person with a clear, cool voice, who gathered his courage to ask for directions.
"You’re not going to ditch halfway, are you? I’ve already called my manager and promised to bring a friend along," Hera continued, looking torn and worried that he might actually leave her.
But upon hearing Hera call him a friend, Logan unexpectedly smiled slightly. Perhaps he didn’t even notice he was smiling, but he genuinely felt happy to hear soone refer to him as a friend, especially after the encounter with his supposed friend earlier.
"Um, I apologize, senior, for thinking of leaving," Logan said with a smile, determined to keep his promise.
Hearing his sincere promise, Hera wasted no ti. She grabbed his hand and led him briskly to the parking spot. It took them almost half an hour to reach her car. As soon as she spotted it in the parking lot, she unlocked it with her keys from a distance, surprising the other students gathered around. Hera paid them no mind and focused on getting Logan settled into the car.
She paid little attention to the students lingering around her car, oblivious to the fact that among them were those who had been with Minerva earlier and Logan’s friend. Before anyone could react, they witnessed Hera practically stuffing Logan into her car like a big teddy bear, as if she feared he might flee. With swift determination, she dashed to the driver’s side, entered the car in a heartbeat, and drove off abruptly, leaving everyone around bewildered and exchanging puzzled glances.
As they were all about to react, Hera’s car had already zood away, leaving no trace behind. Logan’s friend appeared flustered and fuming as he watched Logan hanging out with Hera, disregarding his earlier advice to just go ho.
He imdiately dialed Logan’s number, hoping that when Logan heard his angry voice, he would turn around and ask Hera to drop him off at the curb. Unaware of Hera’s wealth, he assud she was like any other student. Despite her beauty, he believed she ca from an okay, perhaps well-to-do family that enabled her education at their institution, rather than being exceptionally wealthy like Minerva.
To say that he wasn’t attracted to Hera would be a lie. However, upon learning that Minerva and her friends ca from affluent backgrounds, he saw an opportunity to establish connections during his college years that could potentially benefit his future career.
He was reluctant to let Logan spend ti with Hera because he himself harbored feelings for her and desired to be her boyfriend. This was why he had even asked her out for a al, even if it was just in the cafeteria. Now, seeing Hera drive a hypercar worth tens of millions made him intensely jealous. Even Minerva didn’t drive such an expensive car.
He had overheard other students discussing Hera’s car, rumored to be a limited edition. In his mind, he could already picture himself behind the wheel, envisioning a future where he and their attractive senior were together. He saw it as a dream within reach, especially since he considered himself more talented than Logan, or so he believed.
When Logan’s phone rang inside the car, Hera glanced over and noticed him hesitating, fidgety about answering. She deduced it must be his supposed best friend calling, though she couldn’t fathom why at this mont. Hera pulled over to the side of the road, gently took Logan’s phone from his hand, and answered the call herself.
"Hello?" Her lodious voice rang through the phone. The person on the other end fell silent, the words he had intended to berate Logan with catching in his throat upon hearing Hera’s alluring voice. He found himself unable to muster anger towards her, yet at the sa ti, he was puzzled by why she had answered Logan’s phone.
"Hi, I’m sorry for taking Logan’s call, but he’s unconscious right now. I’m rushing him to the hospital," Hera said quickly, her voice tinged with concern. Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call and switched off Logan’s phone. Logan was left stunned by her words and the abruptness of her actions.
He didn’t understand what had transpired or why Hera felt compelled to lie on his behalf. "S-senior?" he stamred, seeking clarification.
Before he could finish his words, Hera resud driving and interjected, "You promised to co with to et my manager. I think it was your friend who called just now. If you answered, he might have asked you to go ho again, so I had to lie." Her tone carried a hint of frustration as she explained to Logan. Seeing her pout, Logan couldn’t help but softly chuckle.
He couldn’t quite grasp why his senior was behaving unusually, but her actions didn’t seem malicious. He found comfort in her presence and in her clear intention to protect him, which he could sense. Despite her smaller stature, her subtle gestures indicated her effort to shield him. However, he understood that breaking free from long-standing control wasn’t as simple as letting a crooked tree grow straight on its own.
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