During Golden Week, Arzen moved through the motions at the Lan estate, each day feeling like he was stepping on eggshells coated in gold. The Lan's massive mansion, with its winding corridors and extravagant décor, was almost too much to process, but he kept his expression flat, trying not to let the excess sink in too deeply.

Yushong, despite his age, was a beast at video games. Sitting beside Yushong in the grand living room, Arzen watched him clear level after level on the big screen, the man’s fingers moving deftly over the controller as if it were a corporate meeting instead of an adventure game. Arzen’s eyes widened at the sight, his grip on his own controller tightening with each failed attempt to keep up. Yushong barely glanced over, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips as he smoothly completed another mission.

Hanmei’s kitchen sessions were equally eye-opening. She wasn’t the best at everyday cooking, often setting off the smoke detector when trying to fry something simple, but her baking was on another level. She moved through the kitchen with the precision of a master, her hands deftly kneading dough, decorating cakes, and perfecting each pastry like it was an art form.

From this world’s Arzen’s memories, he knew she was an excellent baker, and now, he got to taste her creations himself. Each bite brought back flashes of memories—a cake she made because this world’s Arzen had mentioned liking it once, a plate of cookies she baked just because of the same reason. Arzen’s eyes flickered with recognition as he chewed, a small nod escaping him as he savored each piece.

Afternoons were a mix of outings and stolen moments of solitude. Hanjun would drag him out to places Arzen barely remembered, the routes familiar but the experiences surreal. When he wasn’t out, Arzen buried himself in his script, the tapping of his keyboard the only sound grounding him to his purpose. Each scene was rewritten with an almost obsessive focus, every line a tether keeping him from slipping into the strange comfort of his new life.

Arzen's shoulders jolted up, his posture freezing as if he had been caught mid-thought. He whipped around, his eyes wide and his hand pausing mid-air over his scattered notes, knuckles turning white as he clenched his pen tighter.

“What do you mean?”

“You asked for the phone. The old Arzen would never have done that.”

Hanjun watched as Arzen’s face tightened into an unreadable mask. The slight relaxation of Arzen’s grip on the pen and the way he leaned back in his chair were subtle, yet telling. Hanjun’s eyebrows furrowed in contemplation, trying to piece together the changes in his friend.

Arzen’s internal panic was evident in his physical response—his throat went dry as memories of this world’s Arzen’s adamant refusal to use a phone flashed through his mind.

‘Sh*t! I knew it! It must be really out of character of me to ask for a phone!’ 

"I... Um... I mean... It’s just..."

Hanjun leaned in, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of mischief and reassurance. His smile softened into a more genuine expression, meant to comfort rather than tease.

"Silly Zenzen, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. Quite the opposite, actually. Mom and Dad have always hoped you’d rely on them more. This kind of change is good."

Arzen exhaled slowly, a sigh of relief escaping as his shoulders sagged. He fiddled with his pen, the tightness in his jaw easing.

"I guess... I've been trying to find my own way, but I realize I am way too stubborn sometimes..." 

Arzen glanced down at his lap, a small, genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Hanjun's grin widened in response. Hanjun’s grin widened, reflecting the warmth he felt seeing his best friend open up. His mind was a mix of satisfaction and fondness, appreciating the small steps Arzen was taking towards being more at ease.

"And you're doing great now. Mom and Dad have noticed too. You seem more at ease around them."

Arzen looked away, contemplating Hanjun’s words. Two months had flown by in this new world, during which he had actively avoided forming connections. Yet, despite his efforts, he had unwittingly begun to lower his defenses. He straightened in his chair, a newfound realization settling over him.

‘I did change…’

Comparing himself to this world’s Arzen, he noted the subtle differences. This world’s Arzen had mastered the art of self-control and boundary-setting, far surpassing Arzen’s own attempts.

Arzen had never encountered such kindness in his previous life. Instead of keeping his distance as he usually did, he sometimes let himself bask in the warmth and care from the Lan family. He had no intention of replacing the real Arzen, but the kindness he was experiencing made him question his place in this world. He pondered whether it would be so wrong to lower his guard a bit and be more open, without constantly being on edge.

The more he thought about it, the more he wondered about his place here. If the people who cherished this world’s Arzen could come to accept him as well, even if he was different, would it really be so terrible…to stay? 

The notion of being accepted and loved without pretense was incredibly tempting. Torn between two worlds, he wrestled with the idea of embracing this new life, being part of the world that had shown him so much kindness.

But the thought was quickly pushed aside.

‘No, no matter what, this isn’t my place. This life and these people are kind to me because they believe I am the "Arzen" they knew. I don’t have the right to take advantage of their kindness meant for someone else. I need to pull back.’

Determined, he resolved to reestablish the emotional boundaries he had let slip. He intended to distance himself, to avoid becoming too comfortable in a life that didn’t belong to him.

The next morning, Hanjun and Arzen returned to school. After stashing their luggage in the dormitory, they headed to their classrooms. Thankfully, there was no trouble from Carsel and Raizel. Once classes ended, Arzen made his way to the drama club. The script was 85% complete, and he only needed to confirm the final outline with Yuna before wrapping it up.

Over the past month, he had noticed a few nods of acknowledgment from drama club members. Though he wasn’t exactly making friends, the number of people who ignored him had decreased, while the few hostile ones remained unchanged.

Upon arriving at the drama club, Arzen saw Yuna in the midst of a discussion with Cain and a few others, including Lia, Anna, Arne, and Renzel. As soon as Yuna spotted Arzen, her face drained of color. She quickly averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact. Arzen hesitated, his hand hovering near the door as he considered whether to join the group.

All eyes turned to him, and he could feel the weight of their collective gaze. Yuna, sensing his hesitation, cleared her throat and quickly took control of the situation.

"Let's call it a day and keep this to ourselves. No talking about it to anyone."

Her tone was firm as she masked her earlier distress with a forced cheerfulness. She greeted Arzen with a polite smile, inquiring about the discussion for the day.

The group dispersed with varying degrees of indifference. Cain sneered at Arzen as he brushed past him, while the others exited with their own, less memorable reactions. Arzen chose not to address the earlier discussion, focusing instead on the script. He acted as though nothing had happened, his demeanor calm and collected.

Back in his dorm, Arzen immersed himself in his script. Days passed, and he finally completed it. He planned to send the finished work to Yuna for feedback as soon as possible. However, when he checked his phone, he noticed something strange.

There were tons of notifications from 【Room Number 13】group chat, and a few missed calls from Hanjun, Yuriel, and Elden. The first message he read was from Elden.

【Elden】 Hey, I heard from a friend that the Drama Club’s script is being done by Mona Arkstar. Why is there a rumor about this? Zenzen’s supposed to be writing the script!

Confused, Arzen scrolled through the messages.

【Yuriel】 Wait, what? Ask your friend who said that?

【Hanjun】 Who the heck is Mona Arkstar???

Elden filled in some more details.

【Elden】 She’s the scriptwriter behind ‘The Truth Untold’! Super famous right now!

【Yuriel】 Wait, so people think Mona’s doing the Drama Club’s script? That’s wild. Where’s this rumor coming from?

【Elden】 My friend from the football team heard some drama club member bragging that this year’s festival is gonna be a big win for them.

【Hanjun Are you sure it’s not just a mistake? I thought Zenzen was in charge of the play.

【Elden】 That’s what I thought too! But my friend said Mona’s cousin is involved somehow. It’s supposed to be a special commission for the festival.

【Yuriel】 Mona’s cousin? What do you mean? 

【Elden】 Well, something like a special commission from Mona’s cousin, who is in the drama club. That’s why they can get the script written by her!!

Arzen thought about the information.

‘Why would there be a rumor that someone else wrote the script?’