Lunch Time With Her

The next morning, Rin immediately knew something was wrong.

It wasn't anything obvious—no one pointed or laughed at her. But as she walked through the halls, she could feel it.

The glances.

The whispers.

They were subtle, but they were there.

Two girls near the lockers exchanged a look when Rin passed by. A group of boys lowered their voices mid-conversation. Some people didn't even bother hiding it, openly turning their heads as she walked by.

Rin clenched her bag strap. Why?

She kept walking, keeping her head down. Maybe she was imagining it. Maybe she was just paranoid.

But then—

"She was with Anko yesterday, right?"

The voice was hushed, but Rin heard it clear as day.

Her chest tightened.

So that's what this was about.

The realization only made her stomach twist more. It wasn't her they were interested in. It was the fact that Anko—Hiroshi Anko—had walked home with her.

And people had noticed.

Rin hated that they had noticed.

She walked faster, forcing herself to ignore it. She just had to get to class. Once she sat at her desk, everything would go back to normal.

But the moment she stepped inside, she knew—

It wouldn't.

The chatter died down for a split second as she entered.

Then, just as quickly, it picked up again.

A few classmates sent her quick glances before turning away, whispering.

Rin's hands went cold.

She rushed to her desk, sat down, and kept her gaze on her notebook.

This was worse than usual. Normally, she was invisible. Normally, no one cared.

But today, it was like she had unknowingly stepped into the light.

She wanted to crawl back into the shadows.

Just as she was trying to steady her breathing, a voice cut through the air—

"Well, well."

Rin's stomach dropped.

She didn't have to look up to know who it was.

Sakura.

She braced herself.

The familiar click of polished shoes stopped beside her desk.

Sakura's tone was light—too light. "Never thought I'd see the day."

Rin stayed silent, staring at the page in front of her.

Sakura chuckled. "What's wrong? Too good to talk to us now? Since you're, you know…" She leaned in slightly. "Hiroshi Anko's new best friend?"

A few nearby classmates snickered.

Rin's hands clenched into fists under her desk.

She knew she shouldn't react. She knew that if she just ignored it, Sakura would eventually get bored.

But this was different from usual.

This time, it wasn't about what Rin lacked.

This time, it was about Anko.

And that made everything feel so much worse.

Sakura's voice was dripping with mock curiosity now. "So? What's the deal? You got something on her? Blackmail, maybe?" She smirked. "C'mon, you can tell me."

Rin felt the eyes on her. The classroom wasn't even trying to hide its interest.

Her throat tightened.

She didn't ask for this. She didn't want this.

But before she could even think of a response—

"Sakura."

The voice was calm, but it cut through the room like a blade.

Rin's breath caught.

Anko.