By the time a week had passed, the air in class had shifted again. Hana's absence still lingered like an empty desk, but life didn't stop—it just twisted into new shapes.
And the biggest twist? Sayuri and Akio.
No one saw it coming. After days of avoiding each other, they showed up together one morning—Sayuri glowing, Akio quieter but smiling in his own way. When someone asked, Sayuri didn't deny it.
"Yes," she said, voice shy but steady. "We're… dating."
The class buzzed like it had been hit with electricity. Half the girls squealed, the boys groaned, and Akio rolled his eyes like he didn't care—but the way he stood close to her, shoulder brushing hers, told the truth.
I wanted to be happy for them. Really, I did. But when I caught Peryn smirking at me from his seat, I knew this was only the beginning of chaos.
It started small.
At lunch, when I passed him a snack, he dramatically leaned toward Sayuri and whispered, "Wow, no food for me today, huh? Guess I'll just starve…" Sayuri laughed, Akio shoved him playfully, and I pretended not to roll my eyes.
During games period, he "accidentally" let another girl borrow his football jersey, then came back to me all casual, like, "Oh, you don't mind, right, Luna?" His cheeky grin told me he was watching for my reaction.
And worst of all, in computer lab, he leaned so close to whisper in my ear that I shivered—but then he turned to the girl beside me and cracked the same joke, loud enough for me to hear.
I hated how my chest tightened every time. I hated how much I noticed.
One afternoon, while walking out, Akio and Sayuri strolled ahead, fingers brushing shyly. Behind them, Peryn slowed his pace to match mine.
"You're quiet today," he said.
"Nothing to say," I muttered.
He tilted his head, studying me with that infuriating little smile. "What's wrong? Jealous of Sayuri and Akio?"
I almost tripped. "What—no! Why would I be jealous?!"
"Ohhh," he drawled, leaning in, voice low. "So it's me, then?"
My face burned. He laughed, stepping back, hands raised like I was about to hit him. "Relax, relax. I'm just messing with you, bro."
But the way his eyes lingered on me, sharp and unreadable, told me he wasn't just messing. He was testing me.
And I hated that he might already know the answer.