𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓.

── .✦ 7

The next day came quietly, the morning sun just beginning to stretch over the rooftops of Buraza Academy. Y/n walked alongside Ayato, still surprised by 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," 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, she heard Taeko's voice calling her from the courtyard. Taeko waved her over with her usual bright smile, her short hair bouncing as she jogged toward Y/n. "Hey! Y/n! What's this I see? You and Ayato walking together to school?"

Y/n groaned internally. She knew where this conversation was going. "It's not what you think, Taeko," Y/n started, but Taeko crossed her arms, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"Oh really? So you're telling me you didn't stay at your boyfriend's house last night?" Taeko teased, poking Y/n in the ribs with a playful smirk. Y/n's face flushed a deep red.

"It's not like that! I got caught in the rain, and Ayato just let me stay over. It was late, and I couldn't go home—"

"Right, right, totally normal for a girl to stay over at her boyfriend's mansion," Taeko interrupted, raising an eyebrow as if she wasn't buying a single word of Y/n's explanation.

Y/n gave her a playful swat on the arm. "Shut up, it wasn't like that, and you know it!"

Taeko laughed, her voice echoing through the courtyard. "Oh, I know, I know. Still... your boyfriend letting you stay at his place? Sounds like a dream scenario to me." She winked, and Y/n just rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, nothing happened! It was just... well, he was being nice," Y/n muttered, though her cheeks were still warm from embarrassment.

Before Taeko could press any further, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. "Alright, alright, I'll drop it—for now," Taeko said, sticking out her tongue before heading to her class, leaving Y/n alone with her thoughts. She sighed and made her way to class, hoping the teasing wouldn't escalate.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

At lunch, Y/n, Taeko, and Ayato found their usual spot on the rooftop, the midday sun casting long shadows across the school grounds. The three of them sat in their familiar corner, sharing a meal and chatting about the usual day-to-day school gossip. The view from the rooftop was stunning, and the cool breeze made it a favorite spot for students who knew about it. The distant sounds of laughter and conversation from below were almost drowned out by the wind, giving the trio a peaceful bubble of their own.

As Taeko dug into her lunch, she suddenly spoke up, her tone casual but curious. "Hey, did you guys hear about Osano Najimi? He's been missing for days now."

Y/n's chopsticks froze in mid-air. "Missing?" she echoed, trying to keep her voice even, though her heart had skipped a beat.

"Yeah," Taeko nodded, swallowing her food before continuing. "He hasn't been to school, and his mom reached out to the police. They're officially considering him missing."

Y/n stiffened. She stole a quick glance at Ayato, who remained completely unfazed, as if the news had no impact on him at all. His expression was the same calm, unreadable mask he always wore. He set down his chopsticks, wiping his mouth with a napkin before speaking in a smooth, collected voice.

"That's unfortunate," Ayato said, his dark eyes betraying no emotion. "I hope they find him soon." Without missing a beat, he smoothly changed the subject. "By the way, have you heard about the new Marvel movie coming out next week?"