On the first day of the new school term, Aveline pushed the door open as she always did. But this time, the person who had always been there was nowhere to be seen.


    She took a deep breath-habits were such frightening things.


    Orion, I''ll get used to it, she thought.


    "Aveline."


    A familiar male voice rang out beside her ear. Startled, she looked up and was met with a bright, sunny smile.


    Kieran jogged over to her, his footsteps light. "My dear Aveline, from now on, I''ll be the one picking you up every day."


    She froze. Even though she knew Orion had gone to Ennd and couldn''t possibly appear, for just a moment, she''d hoped...


    When she saw that it was Kieran, her expression shifted instantly-from happiness to cold indifference.


    "Aveline, even if it''s not Orion, you don''t have to look that disappointed. You''re hurting my feelings," Kieran teased, pretending to be wounded as he noticed her rapid change in demeanor.


    "What are you doing here?" she asked tly.


    "I heard Orion went to study in Ennd, so I''m taking on the responsibility of bringing you to and from school. Aveline, I know you like Maybachs. I had my dad buy a new one just yesterday."


    Aveline nced at the new car parked by the roadside. "You''re mistaken. It''s not the car I like, but the person sitting inside it."


    With that, she turned and climbed into her family''s Lincoln.


    Kieran wasn''t discouraged. "Fine, if you don''t want me driving you, how about you drive me instead? I don''t mind either way." Without waiting for an invitation, he shamelessly slid into the passenger seat of her car.


    Aveline nearly sighed in defeat. Kieran''s thick skin was truly unmatched.


    From the moment they met, he had always been like this-clinging to her like glue. If he''d been older, she might''ve understood, but back then, he''d only been a first-grader,


    a clueless little boy who couldn''t possibly understand the concept of love.


    Seven years had passed since then, and Aveline still couldn''t figure out why he insisted on sticking to her.


    Did he like her? He''d never said so outright.


    When she''d asked him why he followed her around, his only exnation had been: "Because we''re desk mates."


    Honestly, only someone like him could interpret being desk mates as an excuse to act like a persistent shadow.


    "Aveline, now that Orion''s gone, do you miss him?" Kieran asked suddenly.


    Of course, she missed him. She missed him so much it hurt. These past few days, she hadn''t been able to sleep well because thoughts of Orion consumed her mind.


    When he was by her side, she hadn''t realized how important he was. But now that he was gone, she understood just how deeply he had be a part of her life.


    "Aveline, don''t worry. Without Orion, I''ll take care of you from now on," Kieran said earnestly.


    But Aveline didn''t take his words to heart. She already had a n to be closer to Orion again.


    She decided to skip a grade. By the end of her second year of middle school, she took the high school entrance exams and advanced directly to the first year of high school. Her only goal was to see Orion sooner.


    On her first day of high school, she was thrilled. Finally, she thought, she could leave Kieran behind. Her ears would finally get some peace.


    Or so she believed.


    As she stepped into her new ssroom, a familiar, cheerful voice greeted her.


    "Hey, Aveline! What a coincidence! We meet again!"


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    Aveline froze.


    There he was-Kieran, smiling brightly at her.


    She was stunned. He''d never mentioned skipping grades. She''d never paid attention to his grades either. After all, her heart was entirely upied by Orion. Why would she care about anyone else?


    And so, she and Kieran became desk mates once again.


    By now, they were fourteen. Aveline had grown to 170 centimeters tall, while Kieran had experienced a growth spurt, shooting up to 185 centimeters in a single year.


    Every day, she missed Orion. The ocean between them, along with the time difference, made phone calls difficult.


    Orion had started his own business during his first year of college. Even during holidays, he didn''t have time toe home.


    He had promised to personally give Aveline a home. But he was determined not to rely


    on his family; he wanted to build everything himself. Hispany was in its early


    stages, and he was working tirelessly to make it seed.


    It had been over a year since Aveline hadst seen him. Even during the New Year, Orion hadn''t returned.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to-it was that he couldn''t.


    Despite his hectic schedule, Orion made time every day to send her a "goodnight" message. Often, his sleep schedule was so irregr that even those messages came at odd hours.


    Aveline had considered flying overseas to visit him during school breaks, but she didn''t want to disrupt his work. Instead, she used her free time to start her own investments. She didn''t want to be a fragile treasure in Orion''s hands; she wanted to stand by his side as an equal.


    The two of them, who had been inseparable since childhood, hadn''t seen each other in three years.


    "Aveline, do you really not miss Orion?" Aurora, her mother, asked.


    "Mom, when missing someone bes a habit, I stop feeling it," Aveline replied softly.


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    How could she not miss him? They said distance was the greatest killer of rtionships,


    but Aveline felt that her longing for Orion had never diminished.


    Every night, she''d fall asleep holding the jade pendant Orion had given her.


    "Orion is something else. No matter how busy he is, he should''ve found time to visit you. It''s been almost three years," Aurora sighed.


    Aveline gently held her mother''s hand. "Mom, don''t me Orion. I understand him."


    "Oh?"


    "Before he left, he promised to give me a home. These past few years, he hasn''t just been studying-he''s been building his career.


    He doesn''t want to rely on his family. Starting from scratch is already hard enough.


    If he came back to see me, he wouldn''t want to leave again, and he hasn''t achieved his goals yet.


    Even his parents have to fly overseas to see him. It''s not just me."


    "You''re the only one who could understand him. With the kind of family backgrounds we have, you two could livefortably without lifting a finger. But he insists on taking the hardest road."


    "Orion doesn''t want to depend on anyone. He wants to prove himself. Mom, you started from nothing too-you should understand how he feels."


    "You really have that much faith in him? He''s 22 now. Aren''t you afraid he''ll fall for someone else?"


    "He won''t," Aveline said with a faint smile. "Orion promised me he wouldn''t, and I believe him."


    Aurora sighed. "You''ve worked so hard to catch up to him. From your second year of middle school to your final year of high school, you only took two and a half years. You''ve really put your heart into this."


    The Ba family''s children-every one of them had a streak of devotion that ran deep.