Chapter 9 Café

Lily Parker was roused from her sleep by her roommate, Aria Mitchell, although Lily's brain was still muddled from the alcohol she'd consumed the night before.

The morning sun shone brilliantly through the floor-to-ceiling window, casting a warm, golden glow over their petite bedroom. Half-awake, Lily vaguely heard Aria exclaim with excitement, "Lily, wake up! Your exchange student application got approved, and you got a full scholarship!"

Jolted awake, Lily clutched Aria's sleeve and asked urgently, her voice raspy from just waking up, "What did you just say? It's approved? You're not joking with me, are you?"

Aria shot her an annoyed look and said, "I swear! Would I lie about something like this?"

While brushing her teeth, Lily pinched her face hard in front of the mirror several times. It hurt for real, but she still couldn't believe that the famously selective music academy had chosen her. Her brain was still trying to process this unexpected piece of good news.

From outside the b