"A piece of strawberry shortcake, please," Chae requested with a smile, her excitement evident. "And a chocolate cake for me!" Jisoo chimed in, her enthusiasm matching Chae's. Dahyun couldn't help but chuckle at their contrasting choices before stepping away from their table. She had kindly volunteered to place their order.

Approaching the counter, Dahyun gained the attention of the woman behind it. "I'll take two chocolate cakes and a strawberry shortcake, please," Dahyun ordered politely. However, the woman's gaze seemed to linger on Dahyun's ribbon, and a moment of hesitation colored her response. "Miss, I could recommend the American toast bread," she suggested, the underlying implication that it was the more affordable option.

The girl's judgmental attitude was palpable, and Dahyun couldn't help but feel embarrassed. The awareness that nearby establishments were aware of the significance of their school ribbons added to her self-consciousness.

An unexpected defender emerged, a student with a white ribbon who held a boba drink in hand. "Why do you care about what she wants to order?! Let her eat what she likes," the student retorted with a touch of annoyance. Observing the interaction, Dahyun appreciated the intervention, her gratitude evident as the girl at the counter bowed in apology before taking Dahyun's initial order.

"T-thank you," Dahyun responded with a bow as well, her gaze catching a glimpse of the student's distinctive bunny teeth. The girl merely shrugged in response before moving on.

With the food order sorted out, the girl at the counter addressed the issue of drinks next. "What about the drinks, Miss?" She placed an order for three smoothies, then reached for her cousin's card to complete the payment. As she examined the receipt, the prices of the pastries seemed to weigh heavily on her, adding a layer of burden to her thoughts.

Dahyun positioned herself beside the counter, her gaze fixed on the food preparation area as she waited for their order to be ready.

"Dahyun is my cousin," Jisoo proudly proclaimed, earning a surprised look from the young girl.

"Cousin?!" Chae nearly choked on her own surprise at the unexpected revelation. She shifted her gaze between Jisoo and Dahyun, her expression a mix of disbelief and astonishment.

"Are you being serious, unnie?!" Chae's mouth hung open as she looked back and forth between the two, her astonishment palpable.

"Heol! It does make sense at some point, b-but, are you guys undergoing a secret plan or something?!" Chae's curiosity overflowed with a torrent of questions. "I mean, just look at you and Dahyun unnie. You're an elite and she's struggling with the underclass! Or are you guys distant relatives? Is that why she's difficult and you're not?" Her words tumbled out as she tried to process this unexpected connection.

"Yah! You're more inquisitive than I expected of her," Jisoo playfully complained to Chae. The latter could only watch Dahyun as she spoke, her amazement evident.

"Seriously though, when I first met her, I thought she was an elite." Chae reminisced about the day Dahyun had helped her find her way around the campus. At the time, Dahyun hadn't been wearing a ribbon, and Chae had assumed she was an elite.

"I mean, just look at her visuals and her pale skin!" Chae gestured toward Dahyun, who was now retrieving a tray from the counter.

"Yeah, she's really pretty. She takes after Aunt Soohyun," Jisoo commented with a fond smile.

"No wonder Nancy is always giving her a hard time. Dahyun just exudes that elite aura. It must be frustrating for Nancy to accept that" Chae chuckled, recalling how Nancy would often gossip about Dahyun behind her back.

"Who's Nancy?" Jisoo asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"The white girl in their room," Chae clarified, prompting Jisoo to flash a surprised expression.

"That was her?" Jisoo recalled how she had asked Nancy to find Dahyun earlier. "Yeah, why?" Chae inquired curiously. Jisoo shrugged before nonchalantly remarking, "Nothing, I just thought it was a stray dog barking." The two burst into laughter at the humorous observation.

Their laughter was interrupted by Dahyun's return, carrying a tray with three smoothies and three pastries.

"What are you guys talking about?" Dahyun asked, puzzled by their amusement.

"Nothing, unnie. Just some stray dogs," Chae replied with a grin, causing Dahyun to furrow her brows in confusion.

"So... When do you plan on coming home, Dahyun-ah?" Jisoo inquired, changing the topic with a gentle smile.

...

Sana fiddled with a pen, her fingers restlessly toying with the writing instrument. Meanwhile, Momo's voice rose in a frustrated groan, "Augh! It was Jihyo, she's the one who took down my post!"

Sana had been listening to Momo's ongoing rant about the anonymous post she had put up on the forum regarding Dahyun.

"That nosy ! I should've taken her down from her positio