𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐄

𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

*RINGGGGGGGG*

"Class dismissed." With that, everyone closed their textbooks as they went out to head to the lockers.

"Man... that was tough," Lavi said as he opened his locker.

"Yeah, what happened back there Allen?" Lenalee asked as she opened hers.

"Uh... It's nothing. I just remembered something that's all." Allen let out a nervous chuckle as his two friends sceptically looked at him.

*SLAM*

They simultaneously closed their lockers as they stood there and chatted while waiting for their other two friends.

"By the way, do you know the new student Allen? I noticed that he kept on gazing at you" Lenalee asked curiously. Tyki kept on stealing glances at Allen during class and he couldn't help but sigh at the memory.

"Speaking of the new student, he is currently approaching us," Lavi said as the two turned towards Tyki, who was walking confidently with his usual charming smile as he reached them, giving a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Why, hello Allen's friends," Tyki greeted warmly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important."

Lenalee smiled back, a bit of curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Not at all, Tyki. We were just talking about you, actually. I was wondering if you knew Allen because you kept on stealing glances at him."

"Yeah!" Lavi agreed enthusiastically, flashing a grin. "Allen and I have been best friends since high school, so naturally, I noticed too."

Shit! I forgot how perceptive they are!

Allen chuckled nervously, but that didn't go unnoticed by the three. "Uhh... He's my new neighbour! I met him last week, so that's why we know each other."

Please believe it!

Tyki, who had been listening quietly, caught on and nodded quickly in agreement. "Yeah, that's right. We ran into each other by chance, and now we're neighbours. Nothing more to it."

Lenalee's curiosity didn't seem entirely satisfied, but she let it slide, her smile still in place. "I see. Well, it's good to know you two are getting along already."

Lavi, still grinning, gave Tyki a playful nudge. "Guess that means we'll be seeing more of you, huh? Should be interesting."

We'll just play along. Allen, you better have a good explanation for this.

Lavi and Lenalee exchanged a brief glance, silently agreeing to keep an eye on Tyki. Something about him seemed off, and they couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to him than he was letting on.

Tyki, ever perceptive, noticed their subtle shift in demeanour. He could practically hear their thoughts, the suspicion in their eyes almost amusing to him.

Hmmm... It seems they're very suspicious of me. Not that I care, Tyki mused to himself, maintaining his casual smile.

"Well," Tyki said, breaking the silence, "I should probably get going. I wouldn't want to keep you three from whatever you were discussing." His tone was light, but there was an edge to it that made both Lavi and Lenalee even more wary.

Lenalee nodded politely. "Of course, Tyki. We'll see you around."

As Tyki turned to leave, Lavi couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly, his instincts screaming that there was something more to this new student than met the eye.

Once Tyki was out of earshot, Lavi leaned closer to Lenalee, his voice low. "I don't know about you, but I'm definitely keeping an eye on him."

Lenalee nodded in agreement, her expression serious. "Something about him doesn't add up. We need to be careful."

Meanwhile, as Tyki walked away, he couldn't help but chuckle softly to himself. Let them be suspicious. I couldn't care less about them.

———

"Sooo.... Are you going to tell us how you met that guy?" Lavi interrogated Allen as they sat together in the cafeteria. His usual playful demeanour was absent, replaced by a tone of genuine concern. Across the table, Yu and Alma exchanged confused glances, clearly out of the loop.

"Who's the guy?" Alma asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Some new student that popped up out of nowhere," Lavi replied, rolling his eyes. Despite the casual gesture, his voice remained serious. He leaned in closer to Allen, lowering his voice slightly. "But seriously, Allen, where did you meet that guy? He seems suspicious. And my instincts are telling me that guy's dangerous."

Allen shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the weight of Lavi's gaze pressing down on him. He knew Lavi well enough to understand that when his instincts kicked in, they were usually right. But how could he explain meeting Tyki without sounding crazy or disclosing that he is the owner of the coffin he found in the alleyway? 

"I... well, it was just by chance, really," Allen started, trying to find the right words. "He moved into the apartment next to mine last week. We bumped into each other a couple of times, and that's how we got to talking."

Lavi's eyes narrowed slightly, still not entirely convinced. "Look, I'm not going to force you to tell us the truth. I just want you to be careful around that guy, alright?" He knew Lavi wasn't trying to push him, but the guilt of holding back the whole story was gnawing at him.

"Yeah, Allen," Lenalee chimed in, her tone soft but firm. "You have your reasons why you keep lying to us, and we'll respect that. Just know we're here for you, and we'll wait when you're ready."

Yu crossed his arms, his expression as stoic as ever, but his eyes held a rare glimmer of concern. "We're not gonna push you, but don't think we're not paying attention. If that guy's trouble, we're not sitting on the sidelines."

Allen looked around at his friends—Lavi, Lenalle, Alma, Yu—all of them trusting him enough to wait for the truth. He felt torn, knowing they deserved to know more, but unsure how to explain his encounter with Tyki.

"I... I'll tell you when I can. I promise," Allen finally said, his voice quiet but sincere. "I just need to figure some things out first."

Lavi gave a reluctant nod. "Alright, we'll wait. But don't take too long, okay?"

Alma smiled reassuringly, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah, we'll be here when you're ready, Allen. No pressure. Well, maybe just a little." He winked, earning a smirk from Yu.

Allen chuckled softly, feeling a bit of the tension ease. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."

But even as they shared that brief moment of understanding, Allen couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get more complicated from here. Tyki's presence wasn't just a coincidence—it was the beginning of something much bigger.