As I said before, the atmosphere in the academy had definitely changed.
Of course, it wasn’t all gloomy—no one had died, thankfully—but things were still tense, like the calm after a storm that everyone knew could co back any mont.
But I had a more imdiate, personal problem.
Class was about to begin, and I couldn’t get to my seat.
My usual spot was in the front row, right by the window. It had the perfect view—of the board, of the instructor, and more importantly, of the sky outside. A perfect escape route for my thoughts during boring lectures.
But today, I couldn’t see anything.
Because Ryen, Leona, Nora, and Kiera were all standing in front of it like four statues guarding a sacred site.
Blocking everyone. Including .
Even Leo—yeah, that Leo—hesitated when he tried to approach and backed off the mont he caught Ryen’s stare.
I blinked at the group, more confused than annoyed.
"Hey... did I do sothing wrong?" I asked cautiously. "If I did, I’m sorry?"
"Haha. What are you talking about, Rin?" Ryen replied smoothly. "You didn’t do anything."
Right. So why were they standing around like I was so endangered species that needed 24/7 protection?
It was like a living, breathing wall. A human barrier.
Impressively effective, considering it even managed to scare off Leo.
But like all walls, it had cracks.
"Ah, it’s ti for my afternoon class," Nora said suddenly.
"Sa here. I should get going too," Leona added with a grin, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
And just like that, the impenetrable shield was cut in half.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, grateful for the sudden burst of freedom. But when I glanced at Ryen, he looked... disappointed?
"Maybe we should recruit more mbers," he muttered thoughtfully.
...Was he serious?
He looked serious.
I stared at him in disbelief. "You’re not forming a fan club or sothing, are you?"
"Of course not," he said, a little too quickly.
I sighed. This guy was unbelievable.
"...And why are you still here?" I turned to Kiera, who was the only one still lingering nearby.
"Uh, well... I... just..." She fumbled with her words, her cheeks coloring as she looked away.
This was the sa Kiera who used to call "loser" every ti we crossed paths?
Before I could say anything, Ryen spoke up. "I asked her to join us. Thought it’d be good for her to be around friends. She’s been... going through a lot after what happened."
Kiera blinked at him, visibly touched. I could see it in her expression—like soone who wasn’t used to people speaking up for her.
Still, that didn’t an I was going to let this whole circus slide.
"Ryen, people don’t call it ’hanging out’ when you hover over soone’s desk and scare away everyone else. That’s called stalking. Or bullying. Take your pick."
"It’s not bullying!" Ryen insisted. "We’re just... playing around. As friends."
"Oh, that’s the first excuse all bullies make," I said flatly. "You—wait, you’ve been a bully all along?"
Ryen just gave an innocent smile.
I groaned and sank into my seat, finally getting a glimpse of the board.
Maybe I should’ve just skipped class.
Or maybe I should start charging rent for the space around my desk.
As I sighed and leaned back in my seat, finally getting a breath of peace, Ryen plopped down beside like he had every right in the world to be there.
"Don’t worry, Rin. I’ve already started drawing up a rotation schedule," he said with an all-too-serious face.
"A what?"
"A shift schedule. So we don’t overwhelm you, of course."
He grinned.
"...Are you out of your mind?"
Before he could answer with sothing even more ridiculous, Keira quietly took the seat in front of . Not beside, not diagonally—just directly in front, blocking the view like an awkward human wall.
She was oddly quiet.
No snarky remarks. No smug grin. Just... still.
It was unnerving.
She fiddled with her fingers before finally glancing at over her shoulder.
"...Hey."
I blinked. That was new.
"Yeah?"
"...Do you—" She hesitated, then turned fully around. "Do you hate bullies?"
Her tone was serious. Eyes focused. No usual bite in her words.
I stared at her, surprised. "...Well, yeah. Who doesn’t?"
Keira flinched. It was subtle, but I caught it. Her shoulders tensed, and she quickly looked away.
"...I see," she murmured.
It clicked.
Of course. Back then, she was one of the people who used to throw the word "loser" around like it was my actual na. Teasing, taunting—yeah, she was part of that crowd. And now?
Now she sat there like a guilt-ridden puppy.
I didn’t say anything right away.
The silence between us stretched, but not in a bad way. It was quiet enough for her to think—and for to realize sothing.
She wasn’t asking out of curiosity.
She already knew the answer.
She just... wanted to hear it. Maybe even needed to.
"...I used to be pretty awful," she said finally, voice barely audible. "Not just to you. To a lot of people."
I looked at her carefully. Her fingers were clenched in her lap.
"I thought it was funny. Or harmless. I don’t even know what I was thinking most of the ti."
She swallowed.
"And after what happened... I an... you didn’t have to help , but you did. You didn’t even hesitate."
Still, I stayed quiet. Let her talk.
"I’ve been trying to figure out why soone like you would do that for soone like ." She looked up, eyes glimring. "I guess I just wanted to say... I’m sorry."
The classroom was still loud, students trickling in, voices echoing off the walls.
But here, between us, it was quiet.
"...I didn’t help you because I liked you," I said calmly. "I helped you because it was the right thing to do."
Keira nodded slowly. "I know."
I gave a small sigh, resting my cheek against my hand.
"I don’t hate you," I added.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"But if you’re serious about being different, then prove it. Not to —just in general."
"...Okay," she whispered.
She turned back around, facing the front. For once, she didn’t fidget or speak again.
And for the first ti in a while, I didn’t mind the silence.
Not at all.
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