Chapter 5

I don't dislike Emma.

If I disliked her, I wouldn't have been so considerate of her family background and sensitive personality, carefully thinking before speaking.

When the four of us eat together, I can't even mention the restaurants we three used to go to, because Emma's family couldn't afford such restaurants, and mentioning it would make Emma feel inferior.

That's what Gabriel and Lucas said, so I didn't want to argue.

At first, it was just restaurants, but later there were more and more things we couldn't talk about; our graduation trip to Japan, going to Disneyland together, surfing at the beach together...

Lucas said that Emma had always stayed in a small town, her family wasn't well-off, she had never been abroad, and didn't have many entertainment options, so we shouldn't mention these things to widen the gap between friends.

Gabriel nodded in agreement beside him.

Those beautiful memories were sealed in our hearts, never to be mentioned again.

Lucas and Emma talked about interesting things in their class, while Gabriel listened quietly, occasionally making sarcastic comments like before.

I listlessly finished the cola in my cup and chewed on the ice cubes.

Noticing the sound, the other three all turned their gazes towards me.

"Sophia, what's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood lately."

Surprisingly, Emma was the first to speak up, looking at me with concern in her pitiful eyes.

Lucas and Gabriel both looked at me nervously.

I suddenly felt very annoyed. I didn't want to pay for someone else's sensitivity anymore, nor did I want to become someone who couldn't say anything.

"It's nothing, I just can't join the conversation. It's a bit frustrating."