Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 149 149: New Friend

Electra's POV

I let out a long, silent yawn as the bell rang, signaling the end of our third class of the day. Three classes down, and I already felt like my brain was on the verge of meltdown—not because the material was complicated, but because I'd heard all of it before.

Unfortunately for me, I was now forced to sit through lectures aimed at a class level beneath my old one, and if boredom could kill, I would've died a thousand times already.

Pushing out of my seat, I rolled my stiff shoulders and slung my bag over one arm. A glance around the classroom confirmed that most people were doing the same thing—stretching, collecting books, chatting with friends.

Yuna was clumsily stuffing papers into a folder. She had a terrible habit of letting them accumulate until they resembled a small mountain. I caught her eye and raised an eyebrow, silently asking if she was ready to go, and she responded with a dismissive wave that I interpreted as *Just a second.*

I sighed. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten much for breakfast. Lunch couldn't come soon enough. While I waited, I propped myself against a nearby desk, absently tapping my foot. The rest of the class streamed out around me, but I stayed put, figuring Yuna would finish soon.

But when she finally stood up, instead of walking toward me, she moved in the exact opposite direction—straight toward the back of the room, where Iris was sitting with her head resting on her arms.

Surprised, I called after her, "What're you doing?"

Without looking back, she shrugged me off with a quick flick of her hand. My patience, already on shaky ground from the mind-numbing lectures, began to wear thin.

*What the hell is she up to now?* I thought, taking a few steps closer to see what was going on.

The moment I saw Yuna arrive at Iris's table, I felt an overwhelming urge to bolt out of the classroom. I didn't need whatever drama Yuna was about to stir up, and I certainly didn't need to be a part of it.

Yet, despite myself, I stayed rooted in place, watching as Yuna tapped Iris on the shoulder.

I crossed my arms, my annoyance growing as I observed their interaction. Iris, startled by the tap, sat up slowly. She looked at Yuna, blinking as if she hadn't fully processed her surroundings yet. Yuna, of course, wasted no time leaning down to chat with her.

"Hey," Yuna said, loud enough for me to hear. "Aren't you coming to lunch?"

Yuna tilted her head and smiled in that overly friendly way of hers. "Why not? Everyone needs to eat."

"I'm not that hungry," Iris replied, her voice still soft. She started to lower her head back onto her arms, clearly trying to avoid further conversation.

But Yuna, being Yuna, wasn't having it. "Nonsense," she said, grabbing Iris's bag off the table and slinging it over her shoulder. "You're coming with us."

At that moment, I realized Yuna's plan. She wasn't just being her usual nosy self—she was about to force Iris into having lunch with us.

Fantastic.

I sighed heavily, already knowing I had lost control of the situation. "Yuna," I called out tiredly. "What are you doing?"

Yuna turned to me with that infuriating grin on her face. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm rescuing your new friend from starving herself."

"She's not my friend," I retorted, even though the words felt a bit harsh as they left my mouth. "And maybe she doesn't want to be bothered."

From where I stood, I could see Iris glancing in my direction, her eyes briefly meeting mine before darting back to Yuna. "I'm fine, really," she said quietly. "I'm not very hungry."

"Oh, please," Yuna said, brushing off her excuse. "Even if you're not hungry, you can still join us. It's better than sitting here by yourself all lunch break."

I could see the hesitation on Iris's face. Part of me wanted to intervene, to pull Yuna away and save Iris from her relentless persistence, but another part of me was curious. I wanted to see what Iris would do.

Finally, Iris sighed and nodded. "Okay, I guess."

"Great!" Yuna exclaimed, standing up and gesturing for her to follow. "Let's go."

I quickly turned away, pretending to adjust the strap on my bag as they approached. Yuna's triumphant grin was unmistakable as she walked past me, Iris trailing behind her. I couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance.

Yuna had completely hijacked my lunch plans, and now I had to deal with her and Iris together. This day just kept getting better.

***

By the time we reached the cafeteria, it was already packed with students, and the noise level was overwhelming. Yuna seemed completely unfazed as she led us to an empty table near the back, chatting all the while about the "awful smell" of the cafeteria food and how it reminded her of her sister's failed attempt at cooking once.

Iris and I sat down across from each other, and for a moment, there was an awkward silence. I wasn't sure if I should say something or if I should just let Yuna do all the talking. Thankfully—or perhaps not—Yuna broke the silence.

"So, Iris," she said, leaning forward with her chin in her hand. "What do you usually do during lunch?"

Iris hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. "Um… I usually just stay in the classroom."

Yuna raised an eyebrow. "Alone?"

Iris nodded. "Yeah. I don't really know anyone here."

Yuna gasped dramatically. "That's unacceptable. You can't just sit in an empty classroom every day. You have to socialize, make friends, and experience high school like a normal person! I mean, I don't have that many friends myself, but that's for a specific reason. From where I stand, there's no reason you can't have friends."

I rolled my eyes. "Not everyone wants to be the center of attention, Yuna."

Yuna waved me off. "I'm not saying she has to be the center of attention, but she shouldn't isolate herself either. That's just sad."

Iris gave a small smile. "It's not so bad. I'm used to it."

I felt a pang of something—sympathy, maybe?—at her words. I couldn't imagine sitting alone every day without at least trying to reach out to someone.

"Well, you're not sitting alone anymore," Yuna declared with a firm nod. "From now on, you're eating lunch with us."

I shot her a look. "What do you mean 'us'?"

Yuna smirked. "Exactly what I said. Iris is our new lunch buddy."

I groaned. "You're impossible."

"I prefer 'irresistible,'" Yuna replied with a wink.

I turned to Iris, half-expecting her to back out of Yuna's sudden proclamation, but to my surprise, she nodded. "Okay," she said softly.

I blinked. "Okay?"

She glanced at me, her cheeks turning pink. "If it's not too much trouble…"

"It's not!" Yuna chimed in before I could respond. "Right, Electra?"

I opened my mouth to argue, but the look on Iris's face stopped me. She looked… hopeful. Like she actually wanted me to say yes, as awkward as it was.

I sighed. "Fine."

Yuna clapped her hands together. "Perfect! This is going to be so much fun."

I wasn't sure about the "fun" part, but I supposed it wouldn't hurt to let Iris join us. At least for now. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was the beginning of something I wasn't entirely prepared for.

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