𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐊𝐄𝐘 - 𝐑. 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐀

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

TWENTY-THREE
_____

After the next few days that have passed, Suna continued to act nonchalant around Zumi whenever they sat at the usual place where they ate at lunch, which was on the bench beneath the Cherry Blossom tree. Petals of pink slowly gliding against the wind that carried its weight, gently laying on its side to stay on the ground where people usually would ignore.

The breeze had started to grow colder, dropping a few degrees as the month of November comes around with many students worrying about the upcoming festival while others could barely give any cares for the event. Some would lazily sleep on their chair as the others worked excitedly, and some just planned to be absent on the day of the said event.

Finally, as the fourth day of November approaches, Zumi woke up with a pounding migraine that rammed on the muscle placed inside of her skull. She woke up to a ticklish feeling in her nose before she let out a small high-pitched sneeze, almost mimicking the sound of how kittens would sneeze as well.

Her journey towards the school was also anything but enjoyable with the wind blowing against her already swollen face and squinty eyes, she pulled her mask up and hugged her soft jacket tighter around her body.

She had four rolls of paper in her arms and a bag that was quite heavy on her back on her short journey. When she steps inside of the classroom, she glanced around the place in search for their class president.

"Good morning Hoga-san." She hears the voice of Kita greet right behind her making her jump in surprise.

His face remained blank with his posture straight making look as confident as always, it almost made her want to cower in place at the feeling of slight inferiority compared to him. She turns around to face him and gave him a short nod.

"Good morning. Uh, I finished the backgrounds already, Kita-san." She says, trailing right behind him as he walks towards his seat. She hands him the four rolls then held her hands behind her back nervously, scratching the skin of her hand in anticipation when she watches him inspect the paintings with an unreadable look.

His eyes inspect the burst of colors that appeared in front of him, held between his hands and admired the different unique backgrounds that Zumi had thought of. One was a painting of a temple with different statues, one was a galaxy that he remembered helping her with, one was a had a scarier theme with a structure of a dark haunted because she painted that on the day of Halloween (she had nothing better to do since dressing up and trick or treating weren't her thing), and the last one was just a vibrant abstract painting.

A few seconds pass by and he raises his head up to give her a little smile, "Thank you Hoga-san. These are really beautiful."

Her brows shot up and her lips part in flattery because of his compliment then stutter, "R-Really? I couldn't have finished it earlier if Suna didn't help me, actually." She mumbles the last part quietly though he still catches it.

"Suna helped you? That's good." He then adds with his face turning stoic once again, "Okay thank you once again, Hoga-san. You may go back to your seat since class is about to start."

"Alright."

-o-

Suna stops mid-bite from the onigiri that was placed in his hand to inspect the girl that was sat beside him, his eyes observing her face intently before asking, "Why are your eyes so squinty, they look like mine now."