Rebirth: Love me Again

[EVE]

I raised an eyebrow, amused. "Is that so? Well, let's just say I'm feeling generous. I've already decided to gift that billion dollars to you as your eighteenth-birthday present, Sophie. No need to fight about it—consider it my little treat."

Sophie's jaw dropped, and I couldn't help but notice some of the others were now looking at me with newfound respect, even admiration.

It was clear the tide had turned in my favor, and as the snacks arrived, I took another bite of my cupcake, savoring the taste of victory just as much as the chocolate.

"Don't worry," I added cheerfully. "There's plenty more where that came from. Enjoy the cupcakes, everyone—they're on me!"

The others suddenly perked up, and within seconds, they swarmed around me like bees to honey.

"Eve, how did you even start growing your money?" one of them asked eagerly.

"Do you have any tips on investments? Stocks? Real estate?" another chimed in, practically vibrating with curiosity.

Before I knew it, the study session had turned into an impromptu investment seminar. I blinked, half-expecting someone to pull out a notepad.

Riri gave me a playful nudge and whispered, "Looks like you've just become their financial guru. Should we start charging them for this class?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "Who knew a study session would turn into a business consultation?"

Over at the table, Sophie, Lily, and their friends looked like they'd just bitten into a lemon. Their faces were priceless—clearly, this wasn't the study session they had planned.

Instead of being the center of attention, they'd ended up as the odd ones out.

Meanwhile, I was loving this unexpected turn of events. It was a perfect chance to connect with my classmates and expand my influence for future business opportunities.

Plus, I could already see the gears turning in some of their heads as they eagerly asked for investment tips. I was practically building my network one cupcake at a time!

But, of course, Sophie and Lily weren't about to let me steal the show for too long. After a few more minutes of investment and business talk, they swooped in to change the subject.

Lily cleared her throat and leaned forward with a dramatic flair. "Oh, by the way," she began, batting her eyelashes. "Have you guys heard about Hyun, the fashion designer who went viral overnight?"

The girls nodded eagerly, chiming in, "Yes, yes! He's the one everyone's talking about! His new collection is simply stunning, right?"

The shift was so obvious, I almost laughed.

The girls erupted in excitement when the topic shifted to Hyun, the overnight sensation in the fashion world.

Riri was practically glowing as she chimed in, "Yeah, he's like

gorgeous

too!"

"I heard he's so talented that even royalty is lining up just to get one of his dresses," another girl gushed.

"He's so exclusive that not even top celebrities can book him easily," someone added with a wistful sigh. "It takes months just to get a meeting with him, let alone a custom piece!"

That's when Lily, with a not-so-subtle smile, seized the moment. "Well, thank goodness Sophie is acquainted with Hyun," she announced, clearly trying to one-up the conversation. "Right, Sophie?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I almost choked on my cupcake. Sophie knew Hyun? I'd never heard of it before, but given her penchant for exaggeration, I could guess where this was going.

Sophie smiled, soaking in the attention. "Oh yes, I knew Hyun before he became a sensation," she said confidently, like she was sharing a juicy secret.

A girl next to her gasped. "Seriously? Where did you meet him?"

Sophie's smile widened as she licked her lips, clearly enjoying her moment of glory. "Actually, I was the one who discovered his talent. I even helped him fund his first studio," she said, looking as though she'd just unveiled a major industry secret.

There was a collective gasp. "No way, Sophie! You're saying you helped launch

Hyun

into the fashion world?"

Sophie nodded graciously, as if this wasn't a big deal for her. "That's right. If you want, I can get you all custom dresses from him. It might take a while since he's extremely busy right now, but I'll make it happen."

The room buzzed with excited murmurs, and the girls around her practically swooned. "Oh my god, Sophie, you'd do that for us? You're amazing!"

Sophie nodded, feigning modesty. "Well, the Christmas season is coming up, so I figured it could be a nice gift for my dear friends."

I watched as my classmates fawned over her, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Riri struggling to hold back her own excitement.

She adored Hyun's designs—anyone could tell just by the way her eyes sparkled at the mention of his name. But Riri, being loyal to a fault, didn't immediately jump on Sophie's offer, which made me smile a bit.

Leaning over, I whispered to her, "Riri, if you really want a dress from Hyun, I can get one for you."

Her head snapped towards me, eyes wide. "Wait, seriously? You can do that?"

I nodded casually, trying not to make a big deal of it. "Yep, consider it done."

Almost instantly, I felt the temperature drop as Lily's sharp voice cut in. "Really, Eve?" she sneered, her tone dripping with venom. "Sophie just said she knows Hyun personally, and now you're saying you do too? Come on, it's a bit much, don't you think?"

The room fell silent, all eyes now darting between Sophie and me. It was a standoff, and I knew the kind of game Sophie and Lily were trying to play.

They wanted to expose me as a liar or someone who was just trying to one-up them. But I kept my cool, refusing to rise to their bait.

I simply smiled, taking another slow bite of my cupcake. "Believe what you want, Lily. But let's just say I have my own connections," I replied, keeping it vague.

The last thing I wanted was to reveal the truth about my relationship with Hyun, especially with everyone fighting tooth and nail to get a piece of him these days.

Sophie's smile faltered for a brief moment before she quickly masked it. "Well, isn't that interesting," she said, her voice tight. "I suppose we'll just have to see whose dress gets delivered first, won't we?"

"Sure thing," I replied lightly. "After all, Christmas is just around the corner."

The tension in the room was thick, like a perfectly stirred pot of drama, as the girls eyed us, torn between Sophie's grand claims and my confident but mysterious response.

It was clear to everyone that this wasn't just about a dress anymore—it was a subtle but intense battle of influence, one I had no intention of losing.