Luna glanced at Wyatt and slipped the medal into Mia's hand. “I heard the public apology was Wyatt’s idea. He must have been really worried about you.”

“It’s just a medal, so surely he wouldn’t mind using it to cheer you up. Right, Wyatt?” Luna even smiled at him, a rare occurrence.

To Wyatt, that smile felt like a rebuke; Luna was blaming him for her apology. But this was clearly her fault! How could she be so petty? What did she mean, “just a medal”? It was the very first medal of his life. He’d been overjoyed giving it to her, but now, only regret remained. Luna didn’t appreciate anything he’d done for her. He’d treated her like his most cherished junior, helping her with everything. Now, it all felt wasted effort.

“Luna, you really are something!” Wyatt snatched the medal back.

But Luna didn’t care. She feigned surprise. “Oh? Don’t you want to use it to cheer Mia up? I thought you’d be happy I did this.”

“Seeing a gift you gave re-gifted? Of course, he wouldn’t be happy. How could you not understand something that basic?” Mia pouted.

“But you’re not just anyone. You’re the most cherished, youngest member of our team. How could Wyatt not want to give it to you?” Luna blinked innocently.

“Of course I’d want to give it to her.” Embarrassment and anger flashed across Wyatt’s usually gentle face. He shoved the medal into Mia’s hands. “Mia, keep this safe. Don’t lose it like some people who don’t understand basic gift-giving etiquette.”

With that, he stormed off.

As soon as Wyatt left, Mia’s expression darkened. Though she’d wanted that medal for a long time, obtaining it this way felt ironic and unsettling. She’d underestimated Luna. Luna daring to embarrass Wyatt meant she was testing his limits, risking expulsion from the team.

“There, there… Why’d you offend Wyatt again? Are you still going to work on research?” Russell glared at Luna, disappointed.

Luna sighed. “He cares so much about Mia, and I thought he’d be happy. How was I supposed to know he’d be so mad?”

“I’m sorry, Mia. I didn’t think Wyatt would refuse to give it to you… Oh well, he’s agreed now. He must’ve decided to give it to you.” Luna turned and walked away without looking back.

Mia, wanting to sow discord, decided to play the same game. The team watched Luna’s decisive exit, exchanging glances. In their minds, the usually quiet, research-focused Luna felt… different.

The next day, Luna went to the research center. However, instead of obediently pursuing her research materials as in her past life, she intended to change her major. Medical school was five years long, and she was in the second semester of her fourth year. It was too late to switch majors, but the thought of graduating in this field disgusted her. There was nothing wrong with her major; it was even mainstream. The problem was that she’d offended the top students in the most competitive field. If she stayed, she’d only suffer. She didn’t want to be reborn just to go through that hell again. Plus, she knew where this research was headed; there was no need to waste time here. Besides, only by leaving could she uncover the truth behind Mia’s schemes and the unanswered questions from her past life.

The question of what major to switch to presented a dilemma. She spent the afternoon flipping through almost every book related to every major in the research center, but couldn’t find one both easy to pick up and doable to graduate from in a year. Just as she was about to leave and return the next day, she turned too quickly and bumped into a desk. The guy sleeping there awoke with a start, the book under his arm falling to the ground. Luna, startled, quickly picked it up. She apologized, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. You…” Her eyes fell on the cover, and her apologies halted abruptly. “Acupuncture?”

“Who said you could touch that?” The guy snatched the book and walked out.

“Why would you mess with him? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Ethan suddenly appeared and pulled Luna aside.

Luna shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s my fault; I accidentally knocked over his table. He had every right to be mad.”

“Ethan, why are you here?”

“Russell and Kevin were supposed to come, but something came up last minute, so I came by myself. Can’t have you sort through all this by yourself, can I?” Ethan said, handing her a lunchbox.

Luna took the lunchbox. Compared to their coldness toward her in her past life, their attitude now was much better, since she’d apologized to Mia. She knew this was built on that apology; in other words, it was all because of Mia, not because they trusted her. She hadn’t apologized in her past life. No matter how hard she tried to explain or prove herself, no one had believed her.

Later, working in the research center, she saw Ethan passing by with a lunchbox. Back then, she’d been so hungry she was about to faint. She’d called out, asking if she could have his lunch to avoid wasting time going out. However, Ethan had spat at her, saying the food was for Mia. Someone like her, with no morals, didn’t deserve to eat. His condemnation, his right to refuse her food, came down to one simple thing—her refusal to apologize.

Luna opened the lunchbox, pulling herself from her thoughts. “Thanks, Ethan. I’m starving.” She found a corner to eat, her thoughts lingering on the medical book. Acupuncture studies? It might actually be worth learning. If she remembered correctly, it was the least popular major in their medical school. Traditional treatment had fewer job placements, and even fewer licensed acupuncturists. Hardly anyone picked that major, but it had the advantage of being simpler than other majors. Plus, fewer students meant more professor time. If she decided to study acupuncture, she would have better access to help. It seemed she needed to learn more.

“What were you thinking about? I called you. Didn’t you hear?” Ethan walked over.

Luna looked apologetic. “I was thinking about earlier. Ethan, do you know the guy whose book I knocked over?”

“You mean Rhett Wilder?” Ethan replied with a look of disdain.

Luna blinked. “So that was Rhett?”

There was a rumor in their faculty about two school hunks, representing light and dark. Wyatt was the light in the darkness, while Rhett was the dark fog of night.

“He doesn’t get along with Wyatt and is way too gloomy. You’d better stay away from him,” Ethan warned.