Chapter 27 " Sonia , do we still need to teach them a lesson ? " her companion asked . Sonia glanced in Darlene's direction . The girl's presence was impossible to ignore : her long black hair cascaded down to her waist , she wore a breath away . spotless uniform , and her face was so fair and translucent that her beauty took one's She sat upright at her seat , taking small , delicate bites of her meal . Everyone else in the cafeteria had left . In the vast dining hall , only Darlene remained , eating unhurriedly ; Deanna , who was covering her face ! and sobbing loudly ; and Georgia Howell , who stood with her head bowed , nervously clutching the hem of her skirt . No matter how you looked at it , the scene felt jarring and strange . " That girl ... her name is Darlene , from the economics department , " a girl said . " She's in the same class as Mr. Alaric , and she's Mr. Calder's study companion . " " I don't care what her name is . " Sonia's smile was beautiful , but also proud . " If she crosses me , she's finished . " " But ... she really is an eyesore . " The voices gradually faded away . Darlene went to the restroom to rinse her mouth , and by the time she came out , the cafeteria lights had been turned off . Outside , passing students pointed and whispered at the darkened room . Deanna kept her face buried in her arms on the table , her shoulders shaking as she sobbed . Her cries grew quieter , but her sorrow only deepened . In her previous life , Darlene often witnessed bullying . Back then , she had status and power - everyone deferred to her , and no one dared to speak to her harshly . She never bullied others , nor was she ever bullied . So she couldn't truly empathize with the victims . Now , with her status reversed , she had become what this world called the lower class . The feeling was ... truly unique . She walked away from Deanna . Suddenly , Deanna lifted her head , looking embarrassed . She caught a strong scent of food wafting from herself , quickly wiped away her tears , and her face flushed red with shame and awkwardness . Such a beautiful girl . She was afraid of seeing the same malice - or even ridicule - in Darlene's eyes as she had seen in the others . Because of Sonia , she had already been completely ostracized . " Here , wipe your face . " But instead , Deanna saw the other girl reach out and hand her a pack of clean tissues . Darlene's voice was clear and pure , her smile gentle and faint . Deanna bit her lip hard and clenched her fists . Looking closely , her whole body was trembling whether from nerves or excitement , it was hard to tell She felt that Darlene meant no harm , but she was afraid this was a prank orchestrated by Sonia- -an apparent act of kindness that would actually push her into an even more terrifying abyss . Darlene simply placed the tissues on the table and left . She still had two classes that afternoon and needed to prepare in advance . Wintervale Academy's lunch break was officially from eleven thirty to two o'clock . This should have been the quietest time on campus , but since it was the start of a new term - the prime season for summer club recruitment - every club had claimed a spot under a canopy , setting up booths in their designated areas . Recruitment slogans and posters stretched from the cafeteria all the way to the classroom buildings . Drama Club , Fashion Club , Sailing Club , Racing Club - there were all sorts of strange clubs , and even students openly keeping wild animals on campus under the name Rearing Club . Along the way , well - dressed boys kept inviting Darlene to join their clubs . Some whistled at her , others blocked b asked if she wanted to go for a ride . Darlene suppressed her discomfort , politely declined , and hurried away . r path with sports cars and 16/30 Whiteout Survival 675 % Install > < Chapter 27 Menu She made a quick stop at the library and only returned to the classroom when it was almost time for class . That afternoon , more than half the class was missing . Only three or four students remained , still listening to the professor . Almost everyone else had left - either to attend parties or family banquets . Lucian and his circle had to the racetrack in the suburbs . < Chapter 29