"Oh." Juniper selected a few snacks she liked, a faint smile ying on her lips. "Thank you, kind sir."


    Meeting the girl''s beautiful gaze, the "kind sir" pathetically blushed.


    At lunch, Juniper treated Dolce to a meal to return the favor. Qadir overheard and insisted on joining, roping Queenie in as well for a livelier atmosphere. In the end, Qadir, the son of a farming tycoon and a ssic rich kid, snatched the bill.


    "For the city-wide graduation g this year, Era High is sending Ynda," Qadirined after putting down his fork. "Thepetition hasn''t even started, and those Era pricks are already iming first ce is theirs."


    "I heard Ynda got an inside scoop and started practicing two months ago. She''s even doing the same dance she won a gold medal with," Dolce added, her face scrunching up. "How is that any different from the whole thing being rigged? It''s so unfair."


    This year''s graduation g was a big deal, with all public and private high schools required to participate. Important city officials would be attending, and the winner would not only receive a cash prize but also be featured on the local news. "Queenie, you''re preparing a dance too, right? What''s it called again?" Dolce asked gently, turning to Queenie, who was studying vocabry shcards while she ate. Queenie was a gifted dancer who had won numerous awards before high school. But when her family fell on hard times, they could no longer afford the expensive lessons. Eventually, she had to give up her passion to focus on her studies. After all, college and a good job were the surest paths for a kid from a poor family.


    "''''Dawn,"" Queenie replied, her fingers tightening as her expression grew wistful. "It''s Master Lunar''s most unique work."


    Lunar had been a ''genius choreographer'' who took the dance world by storm a few years ago, responsible forunching the careers of several top dancers. The catch was, Lunar''s identity was aplete secret, and after creating ''Dawn,'' they had vanished without a trace.


    Lunar? Hearing the name, Juniper, who had been focused on her food, paused for a second before a smirk touched her lips. She thought, “Queenie certainly has good taste."


    "I think your dancing is way better than Ynda''s," Dolce said, trying tofort Queenie. "I''lle with you to the rehearsal on Saturday."


    Even if she couldn''t offer technical advice, she could at least make sure the Era High kids didn''t bully her.


    "I''ming too," Qadir chimed in, then looked at Juniper. "You''re free, right?"


    Juniper, full and content, shrugged. "Sure."


    "Great!" Qadir pped the table, buzzing with excitement. "Those Era students are always going on about Ynda''s goddess-like looks. We''ll bring Juniper along and show them what real beauty is!"


    He added, "After the rehearsal, I''ll treat you all to fondue. Their desserts are to die for."


    All Juniper heard was, "h h h... desserts to die for!"


    ...


    After school, Juniper had just stepped out of the gates when her phone buzzed.


    "My dear miracle worker, I hope I''m not disturbing you?" The old woman''s voice was electric with excitement, her joy palpable even through the phone.


    "Not at all."


    Juniper popped a candy into her mouth and opened the address the woman had sent. "I''ll be there in about twenty minutes."


    "Wonderful, wonderful!" the old woman chirped. "I''ll be waiting for you at my little farm."


    After cheerfully ending the call, the old woman opened her contacts and dialed the number saved under "Ungrateful Grandson."


    "Grandma."


    "Shanley, dear... cough, cough..." The old woman''s demeanor shifted instantly, her voice turning frail and weak. "Grandma''s not feeling so well. Could youe home and check on me?"