Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

"Yeah, I was quite surprised at the time, considering I initially thought Mr. Senqueerde was so much older than me, and he might not understand the kind of music I like. But to my surprise, Senqueerde is really well-versed. He knew a lot of things I mentioned and told me lots about the history of music and its changes," Lina said, feigning admiration, which made everyone at the table laugh.

Since when did Lina understand music, Hexia tipped her head to the side, thinking the one who truly adored music in the class was probably Clara, who dreamed of becoming an idol, but even she said practicing the guitar was too hard.

While they were laughing and talking, Hexia spoke little. In the end, it was Senqueerde who took the initiative to speak up.

"Hexia, haven\'t you thought about where to go for vacation? It seems like everyone else has their own plans."

"Ah, me? I haven\'t really decided yet. Probably going to work part-time and save up some money since I won\'t have time to work once high school starts, and there will be lots of places to spend money then," Hexia shook her head.

"That\'s a pity, especially since there\'s only one middle school graduation vacation. Looking back at my own graduation, I also missed out on going out with my classmates because I was preparing for re-exams, leaving many regrets," Senqueerde shook his head.

"Though studying is important, you only live once, and if you miss out, that\'s it."

"Yes, my sister also said the same thing. Girls need to grab hold of many things while they\'re young, or they\'ll regret it when they\'re older," Dudu agreed wholeheartedly.

"That does sound quite reasonable," Mili nodded vigorously.

"Don\'t keep obsessing over your part-time job, Hexia," Lina started to assist now.

"You won\'t save much in a month of part-time work, and a week away won\'t waste much time. Life is about experiencing different things."

"But..." Hexia was about to refuse when Senqueerde intervened.

"It\'s okay. Traveling doesn\'t cost much, and just so happens our company is organizing a trip. As the manager, I have two spots for family or friends. It\'s a vacation to the beach in South Third District, would you like to join Lina and me?"

Inviting Hexia alone probably would have caused much wariness and resistance, but including a classmate and former deskmate like Lina would lower many of her defenses.

"I..." In the past, Hexia might have hesitated due to her inability to refuse people, but now, well...

"I\'d rather not go," the girl shook her head.

For one thing, she didn\'t want to accept favors for no good reason, and then there was her intuition; she didn\'t particularly like Senqueerde for some reason that she couldn\'t put her finger on.

"You should go and have a look. It\'s a rare vacation, and Hexia, you wouldn\'t want to always look back on your time spent only in Payin City\'s underground scene. Getting out for some fresh air would be nice," Lina grabbed Hexia\'s hand, urging her once more.

At this point, Dudu and Mili also sensed something amiss, but they felt somewhat favorable towards Senqueerde, and after having a free meal today, they didn\'t feel right saying much.

Hexia was in luck, Dudu thought; such a wealthy person was interested in her.

Tch, why does it have to be Hexia, am I not pretty enough? Mili sipped her drink gloomily.

"Still, I\'ll pass," Hexia struggled to pull her wrist from Lina\'s grasp. She rarely refused anyone, and saying such things in front of everyone made her feel immense pressure.

Seeing Hexia like this ignited an inexplicable anger in Lina\'s heart. What\'s the deal, putting on airs at a time like this? She had assured others on Hexia\'s behalf, usually so compliant, and now acting all aloof, huh.

"Hexia, do you look down on me!" Lina didn\'t hide her emotions any longer and stood up with a tight face.

"This..."

Watching the scene, Senqueerde almost wanted to facepalm. He was a respectable person, and the restaurant had a bit of a reputation. This kind of commotion was truly undesirable. The girl named Hexia obviously wasn\'t used to the world, timid, and perhaps had refused earlier out of shyness. But with time, she would warm up; however, with Lina\'s interference, things would be trickier.

As the two seemed ready to argue, Dudu and Mili quickly intervened to calm things down. Dudu hugged Lina, and Mili pulled Hexia aside.

"Calm down, Lina. Hexia didn\'t mean it; it\'s just her usual shy nature," Dudu soothed Lina.

Mili also spoke to Hexia on the side, "Okay, don\'t mind Lina. She\'s probably just impulsive. You know how she is, always a bit blunt... Just greet Mr. Senqueerde, apologize, and then you can leave. After all, he did invite us for a meal, and it cost a pretty penny."

With their efforts, the situation cooled down slightly, but the mood was ruined. As Mili and Dudu thought about how to wrap up the day, say their goodbyes, and disperse, footsteps echoed from outside the restaurant.

"Special police?" whispered some guests in the restaurant.

Different from the usual white-dressed police, these officers were fully armed, wearing matte black armor and helmets, with pulse rifles in their hands that radiated a deadly presence. As they entered the floor, they split up to secure the area, then checked each shop one by one.