𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓.

── .✦ 5

Friday

The rooftop was a peaceful escape during lunch—away from the crowded halls and chaotic classrooms. Y/n always appreciated the quiet moments up here with Taeko, where they could eat and chat while the breeze tousled their hair.

But today, Taeko was unusually quiet. Too quiet.

Y/n unwrapped her sandwich, sneaking a glance at her friend. Taeko was half-heartedly poking at her bento, her chopsticks stabbing into her rice like it had offended her. The silence was unnerving.

"You good?" Y/n finally broke the stillness, taking a bite of her sandwich. "You've been weirdly quiet today."

Taeko let out a low, dramatic grumble, setting her chopsticks down and leaning back against the fence. Her narrowed eyes bore into Y/n. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

Y/n blinked. "What? What are you talking about?"

Taeko folded her arms, her tone sharp. "When were you going to tell me you and Ayato are dating?"

The words hit Y/n like a freight train. She froze mid-chew, her sandwich slipping from her fingers. "WHAT?!" she screeched, nearly choking. "Wait—what—who—WHAT?! Who told you that?!"

Taeko raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by the outburst. "Don't play dumb with me. I saw it on Musume's page. Everyone's talking about it."

Y/n's face flushed, her mind racing. Oh, no. No, no, no. Panic bubbled in her chest as she stammered, "W-What did you see?!"

With an exasperated sigh, Taeko pulled her phone from her bag, scrolling for a second before thrusting it toward Y/n. "This."

Y/n stared in horror at the screen. There it was—a photo of her and Ayato in the janitor's closet, their lips locked in what looked like a kiss. The caption read: Caught these two lovebirds skipping class~ ♥ #Spotted #AkademiRomance.

Her jaw dropped, her voice barely a whisper. "Oh my God..." She buried her face in her hands, her voice muffled. "HOW DID SHE EVEN GET THAT PICTURE?!"

Taeko tilted her head, clearly unimpressed. "So, it's true, then? You're dating Ayato?"

Y/n's heart was pounding, her brain scrambling for an answer. She couldn't tell Taeko the truth—about the cover-up or anything else. After a long, defeated sigh, she muttered, "Yeah... I guess we're dating."

Taeko's jaw dropped in shock, then immediately morphed into a gleeful grin. "I knew it! I knew something was up with you lately!"

"What are you talking about?!" Y/n spluttered, her cheeks burning.

Taeko pointed an accusatory chopstick at her. "You've been all spacey and weird in class! And now this! Oh my God, Y/n, this is huge!" She poked at Y/n's blushing face with a teasing grin. "So... spill. How did it happen? What's he like?"

Y/n groaned, trying to buy time. "It's... complicated," she muttered. "But yeah, we're... dating."

Taeko wasn't buying the vague answer. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "And the kiss? Was it good? Romantic? Unexpected?"

Y/n's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "It was—unexpected!" she blurted out, hoping to shut her friend down.

Taeko burst into laughter, the mischievous glint in her eye only growing. "Oh, I knew it! I bet he's secretly a romantic! Does he smile around you? Does he—"

"Taeko!" Y/n swatted at her, to stop the teasing.

But Taeko's grin faded slightly, her tone softening. "Okay, but seriously—are you happy? He didn't pressure you into this, did he?"