I blinked. "Truth or dare? Seriously?"
"Dead serious," she said, legs criss-crossed on the bed like some anime gremlin summoning chaos. "You can't read depressing manga with someone and not play a soul-baring game after."
I gave her a look. "That's not a rule."
"It is now," she said, already spinning an invisible bottle in the air.
"You literally decided. You said we should read it" I said almost losing my sanity.
"Whatever. You're first. Truth or dare, Shin-kun."
I sighed, setting the manga aside. "Truth."
"Coward."
"Pick your question."
She tapped her chin dramatically. "Okay, hmm... What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done in public?"
I stared.
She grinned.
"I once fell into a trash can," I said flatly.
She paused. "Like… metaphorically or physically?"
"Physically."
There was a beat of silence. Then—
She howled. Like legit fell onto her back, kicking the air like she couldn't breathe.
"Oh my God—wait—were you like—like full-body in the trash?"
I crossed my arms. "Yes."
"Why were you near a trash can???"
"I dropped my pen. I leaned over. It was raining. It slipped. Gravity exists."
She was still laughing when I threw a pillow at her.
"Okay, okay," she gasped, sitting up, wiping a tear from her eye. "Your turn."
I narrowed my eyes. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
Of course.
"I dare you to… sit still for five minutes."
She froze.
"Witchcraft," she whispered. "You're a menace."
"I want silence. Just for five minutes."
"Boringggg," she whined, but she sat still anyway, exaggerated posture and all, like she was being held hostage by her own bones.
Exactly forty seconds later, she broke.
"Okay, new round! Truth."
I sighed. "What do you wanna know now?"
She bit her lip, eyes turning serious for once.
"…Why do you always look like you're somewhere else?"
I blinked.
"That's not an embarrassing truth."
"Nope," she said, hugging her knees. "Just a real one."
I looked away.
"I just... think a lot," I said finally. "It's easier being in my head."
She nodded slowly.
"That's fair," she whispered. "But just so you know, I like having you here. Out of your head. Even if it's just in mine."
I didn't say anything.
I didn't need to.
The silence between us was soft now.
Like a truce.
Then she slapped my arm.
"Okay! New round. Truth or dare?"
"…Dare."
She lit up.
"I dare you to let me draw something on your arm."
"Zani—"
"With glitter pens."
"…Fine."
Because I'm weak.
Because maybe I wanted to know what she'd draw.
Because maybe, just maybe, I didn't mind being here either.
"Hold still," she said, already popping the cap off a sparkly pink pen like it was a weapon.
"I regret everything," I muttered.
"Too late," she chirped, dragging my sleeve up and squinting like my arm was her personal canvas.
I didn't dare look. She was humming under her breath and mumbling stuff like, "This is gonna be my legacy," which was incredibly threatening.
After like three minutes of silence and intense scribbling, she pulled back dramatically.
"Done."
I looked down.
It was a potato.
A glittery, smiling potato.
Wearing a cape.
"Why is it a superhero potato."
"Because he's you. Captain Cloud."
I stared at her. "I'm not even—"
"No questions. He fights crime with emotional repression and sad playlists," she said, solemnly. "Your superpower is not telling people how you feel."
I rolled my eyes.
"Okay, now answer me stuff," she said, leaning forward like this was some kind of therapy session. "Who's the prettiest girl in our class?"
I blinked. "What?"
"You heard me."
"I don't even know most people in our class."
"That's a lie. You sit right next to people. You just choose not to learn their names."
"That's not a crime."
"It is in girl code."
I didn't respond.
She narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Who do you notice the most then?"
I looked at her.
"Honestly?" I said.
She nodded.
"You," I muttered.
Her entire face glitched.
"Me?!"
"You're hard not to notice. You're loud. And sparkly. You trip over nothing. You once brought a live frog to class for no reason."
"Okay that was science."
"It was art class."
She burst out laughing and threw a pillow at me. "You're the worst. But like, in a flattering way."
Then she leaned back against the wall, quiet for a second.
"…What do you think people see when they look at you?"
I paused. "I don't know. Quiet. Maybe weird."
"Wrong," she said instantly. "You look like the type of boy people write poems about."
I blinked. "That's... oddly specific."
"Cloud boy with the sad eyes. Mysterious. Kinda scary in a cute way. Very main character energy."
I snorted. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
"Take the compliment, Shin-chan."
She leaned over, poked the glitter potato on my arm.
"He believes in you," she said softly.
And for some reason… that meant something.
"Hey," I said after her third question in a row. "You're taking all the turns."
She gasped. "Excuse me? I'm the host, the artist, and the supplier of snacks. I'm allowed."
I raised an eyebrow. "Still. My turn. Truth or dare?"
She grinned. "Truth. Hit me."
I sat up straighter. "Why do you always smile?"
That wiped the grin off her face for half a second.
Then she gave a tiny shrug, looked up at the ceiling. "Because people don't ask questions when you look happy."
I blinked. "What does that mean?"
She tossed a pillow at me. "My turn!"
"No—hold on—"
"Have you ever had a crush on someone in school?"
I just knew she was going to change the subject.
I stared at her.
"Be honest!" she sang, swinging her legs off the side of the bed. "No dodging!"
"Maybe," I said.
"Maybe?" she repeated with a dramatic gasp. "That's weak."
"Fine. Yes."
"Who?"
"I didn't say all that," I muttered.
She grinned like she just won the lottery. "I'm gonna figure it out."
"Don't waste your energy."
"Oh, it's already wasted on you, cloud boy."
I rolled my eyes. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth," she said, no hesitation.
"What was your childhood like?"
She paused. For real this time. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her hoodie.
"…Messy," she said finally. "You know those rooms that look clean until you open the drawers? Yeah. Like that."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything.
But I felt she was...hiding something.
She cleared her throat loudly. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth," I replied, still staring at her.
"Would you date someone like me?"
I blinked.
Hard.
"That's not even—"
"Answer the question!" she said, pointing a cookie at me like it was a lie detector.
I looked at her. Glitter in her hair, mischief in her smile, sadness behind her eyes.
"…Probably."
She grinned so hard her cheeks turned red. "Probably?! Shin! You're getting soft!"
"You're getting weird."
"I've always been weird. You're just finally catching up."
She flopped backwards onto the bed with a laugh, and I couldn't help the way my lips tugged upward just a little.
Just a little.