Hearing that the teacher was approaching, the class instantly fell silent, scrambling to pull out their morning reading materials. Once roll call was finished, they would be allowed to head outside to study.
During the morning study session, students could read wherever they wanted. Some sat beneath the shade of the trees, others gathered by the small garden, and a few just slumped on the steps right in front of the classroom.
When the morning classes concluded, most students pulled out the packed lunches they had brought from home, just like Mira and Ryan, unless they lived close enough to run back to their houses.
Only a privileged few could afford to eat at the school cafeteria. The majority of the kids here simply couldn't justify the expense.
Ryan walked over and sat across from Mira. They set out their homemade sandwiches and shared them, just as they always did.
Mira took out a hard-boiled egg, broke it in half, and offered him a piece. "Here, Ryan."
"No way, my aunt packed that so you could keep your strength up. I'm practically built of muscle, I don't need it," he insisted.
"It's fine, it's literally half an egg."
Mira forced it into his hand.
The other students were doing the same, either clustering in small groups to share their food or eating their packed lunches alone.
The school provided drinking water for a small fee each semester.
In her past life, Mira had never experienced anything like this. She hadn't expected to live this way now, yet instead of feeling miserable, she actually found a certain charm in the simplicity.
The Rustic Flatbread was genuinely delicious. The other students were just as content, eating their modest meals with obvious relish, completely unfazed by their lack of luxury.
"Minnie, why do you seem so different today?" Ryan asked, using her affectionate nickname.
She looked exactly the same, but her entire aura had completely shifted.
Like the argument with Amber earlier—usually, Ryan would be the one to step up. Mira typically tried to keep the peace, desperate to avoid causing any trouble for their family.
That submissiveness was exactly why Amber had grown so brazen.


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