𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓.

── .✦ 7

The next day came quietly, the morning sun just beginning to stretch over the rooftops of Akademi. Y/n walked alongside Ayato, still reeling from the events of the previous night. The cool breeze played with her freshly washed hair, and she could still feel the softness of Ayato's shirt against her skin, which she had borrowed for the night.

As they reached the school gates, Ayato glanced at her and gave a short nod before excusing himself. "I'll catch up with you later, Murakami-san," he said, his usual calm demeanor in place. His black hair was back to its neat, controlled look, and his serious eyes revealed nothing of their shared night.

Before Y/n could even process his abrupt departure, Taeko's voice rang out from the courtyard. "Y/n! Over here!"

Taeko waved her over with her usual bright smile, her short hair bouncing as she jogged toward her. "Hey! What's this I see? You and Ayato walking to school together? Am I dreaming, or is this a confession-worthy event?"

Y/n groaned internally. She knew where this conversation was going. "It's not what you think, Taeko," she said, bracing herself for the inevitable teasing.

"Oh, really? So you're telling me you didn't spend the night at your boyfriend's house?" Taeko teased, crossing her arms and smirking as she poked Y/n in the ribs.

Y/n flushed immediately, her face heating up. "It's not like that! I got caught in the rain, and Aishi-kun just let me stay over. It was late, and I couldn't go home—"

"Right, right. Totally normal for a girl to stay at her boyfriend's house," Taeko interrupted, raising an eyebrow, clearly not convinced.

Y/n huffed and gave her a playful swat on the arm. "Shut up, Taeko. Nothing happened, okay?"

Taeko laughed, her voice light and teasing. "Alright, alright. But still... staying over at his place? Sounds like a fairytale. The cool, mysterious Ayato letting you in? That's gotta be something special."

Y/n rolled her eyes. "It's really not that deep. He was just being nice."

Taeko tilted her head, as though considering her next move, but her expression shifted slightly, the teasing glint in her eyes replaced with something more thoughtful. "Speaking of guys... have you heard from Osano lately?"

Y/n blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift of subject. "Osano? No, I haven't. Why?"

Taeko frowned, looking off to the side. "It's weird. He hasn't been texting me back or showing up to his usual hangouts. I haven't even seen him around school for a couple of days now."

Y/n felt a small knot form in her chest. "Maybe he's sick or something?"

'Oh my god, is she catching up?' Y/n worried. And for a moment, there was a sick feeling in her stomach for lying on Taeko's face like this.

"Maybe," Taeko said, though her tone didn't sound convinced. "It's just not like him to disappear without saying anything, you know? And the last time we talked, he was... well, he was okay. So it's just weird."

"Is that so?" Y/n asked, suddenly uneasy and clammy now that Taeko is really digging in for some info about Osano.

"I don't know. He was okay, I guess? But he was worried about something. He wouldn't tell me what, though." Taeko shrugged but didn't look entirely at ease.

Before Taeko could continue the matter more, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. Taeko sighed and gave her a small smile. "Guess we'll have to talk more later. Don't forget—you owe me more details about your boyfriend's house."

Y/n rolled her eyes again, the unease from their conversation still lingering.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖