Chapter 864: What a coincidence

"Oh, my god," Nina breathed as she entered the gymnasium, looking around at the venue where this reunion would be hosted. She opened and closed her mouth, but no words came out.

Even Jonathan, who was with them, was rendered speechless. It was so ridiculous in his eyes that he didn’t even know what to say or think. If there had ever been a moment when Jonathan had forgotten his malicious intentions, even briefly, from birth until now, it would have been today.

As for Yuri, she was grinning from ear to ear, finding everything... interesting.

Banners hung everywhere, each featuring Penny’s face. Penny’s childhood photo—the candid one where she was eating—was used by the fan club. The chairs and tables were wrapped beautifully in pink and gold, with a life-size standee of a thirteen-year-old Penny in every corner. Posters were everywhere. It looked a little simple at first glance, but there was also a Penny mascot and other unnecessary decorations that made it all feel like a children’s party!

"She’s going to be terrified," Nina blurted out, looking at the photographers and other people milling about inside. "Very terrified of this."

"I’d be — if I were her," Jonathan muttered, taking in the insane decorations. "My girlfriend told me the fan club had become a trend, but I didn’t expect it to be a cult."

Nina looked at Jonathan, making him realize what he had just said.

"It is a cult," she said with a sigh, just as she heard Lily’s lively voice coming from somewhere.

"Nina~!!"

Yuri, Jonathan, and Nina slowly turned to where the voice was coming from. Their eyes instantly fell on the beautiful woman, wearing a customized dress that matched the event theme, complete with a blonde wig. They also noticed the sash across Lily’s chest that read "President."

’She looks like a Barbie,’Nina and Jonathan thought immediately, though they kept it to themselves as they smiled at Miss President.

"Nina, you’ve arrived!" Lily exclaimed, stopping in front of them and pulling Nina into a tight embrace. "Oh, my god! I missed you so much—are you okay?"

Lily pulled back, her eyes full of genuine concern. Nina pressed her lips together and nodded.

"I’m okay, Lily. I’m sorry I can’t always respond to your messages, but I really appreciate that you check in on me every day."

"Of course." Lily smacked her lips, huffing. "I’m just glad you were able to come."

"Hehe. I came to give Penny moral support..." Nina trailed off, her eyes still scanning the venue. "...but now, I’m glad I did come." Penny was surely going to be horrified by all of this.

"Hehe. Is everything good now?" Yuri chimed in. "Lily, you’re quick! When I left, you were still busy with all of this."

What Yuri wanted to ask was how Lily managed to doll up and change despite all her morning activities.

Lily giggled. "I didn’t tell you, but I have a celebrity van parked right outside. I showered and got everything done in there. Can’t waste time on travel, you know," she explained, only then noticing the unfamiliar man standing with the girls.

"Oh." Lily furrowed her brows, eyeing Jonathan from head to toe. "You are...?"

"I came here as a plus-one," Jonathan smiled amiably at her. "My girlfriend told me I should go because she’d be a little late."

"Oh! Who’s your girlfriend?"

Nina and Yuri exchanged glances, both curious about Jonathan’s lover. Nina had asked him about it yesterday, but when he answered vaguely, she didn’t press the issue. But now that Lily was asking, Nina was curious.

"Cassandra," Jonathan answered, still smiling. "She’s from the Star Section."

Lily’s mouth formed an O, while Nina furrowed her brows. Nina looked at Jonathan with mild surprise, not expecting this at all. But then again, there were only a few girls in the limited slots of the Star Section.

"You’re her boyfriend—wow!" Lily clapped slowly, a little surprised. But then, her eyes flickered to Nina and back to Jonathan. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Yuri jumped to her side.

"Lily, where’s Ginnie?" Yuri grinned, holding Lily’s arm. "I think something’s wrong with the mascot. You should check it out!"

"Huh?" Lily blinked in confusion, but before she knew it, Yuri was already dragging her toward the mascot she’d been inspecting earlier.

As Yuri led Lily away, Nina felt a slight sense of relief. ’Knowing Lily, I was sure she was about to mention that strange coincidence.’

Finn and Cassandra had once been arranged to marry. They had been engaged as children. Although Finn had told Nina there was no romantic love between them, the fact remained that they were supposed to marry each other.

So Nina and Jonathan... What a coincidence.

"Hmm?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow, noticing Nina staring at him. "Is something wrong with my face, Miss Reed? You’ve been staring."

"Oh." Nina cleared her throat, forcing a smile. "No—nothing, Mr. Russel."

"Is that so?"

"Can I see your ticket? I’ll help you find your seat," Nina offered, hoping to settle him in his spot.

"Sure." Jonathan nodded and pulled out the ticket Cassandra had given him to show Nina.

The moment Nina saw the table and seat number, her face twitched slightly. When she looked up, she saw Jonathan staring at her curiously.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, noticing Nina’s awkward smile.

"It seems... we’re sharing a table," she said.

"Oh." Jonathan nodded, smiling widely. "What a coincidence, but I guess it’s for the better. Shall we take a seat, then?"

"Uhm... I wanted to help them a bit," Nina explained.

Jonathan followed the direction her finger was pointing, nodding in understanding. When he faced Nina again, he flashed her a friendly smile.

"Then, should I help too?"

"I’m sorry?" Nina asked, a little confused.

"Cassy told me that the fan club is all about helping each other and doing good causes," Jonathan explained. "Even though I’m not part of the fan club and am only honored to be here, I also want to help. Besides, my girlfriend isn’t here yet, and there are only a few people here. I don’t know them as well."

"Oh." Nina rocked her head thoughtfully. It made sense. Even though there were already some people here, it wasn’t as packed as it would be once the attendees started arriving. Jonathan might feel bored or left out.

In the end, she smiled at him and nodded. "Then, let’s help them... if you don’t mind, of course."

"I don’t."