Ren sat down beside Anna.
From the corner of his eye, he could feel Hiyori's gaze burning into him from across the courtyard. She stood with her arms crossed, eyes fixed on him like a hawk from far away.
He sighed softly. With her staring at me like this, I can't do anything I want.
But today he had a plan—a big plan—to get closer to Anna. For now, he would have to act normal. He forced a smile and spoke casually.
"Anna, it's such a pleasent surprise to see you early in the morning like this."
Anna turned her head, her face brightening a little. "Ren. I… I didn't expect to see you either. I'm glad I did tho."
"Well, so how are things going on your end? I told you about mine."
They started to talk. The topic drifted from day to day things to the terrorist attack naturally that had shaken the academy not long ago.
"I only heard about it after everything was over," Anna said quietly. "When I heard the news, I felt so scared for the people I care about."
