Lunch Time With Her

For a second, the entire class went silent.

Sakura turned, raising an eyebrow. "Anko?"

Anko had just entered the room, her usual easygoing expression in place. But her tone? Flat. Unreadable.

Sakura let out a light laugh. "Oh, come on. We're just joking around."

Anko moved toward her desk, not breaking stride. "Yeah?" Her voice was neutral, but the air felt different.

Rin didn't dare look up. She was still frozen in place, her mind racing.

She didn't need Anko to step in. She didn't want Anko to step in.

It would only make things worse.

But Anko didn't seem to care about that.

She pulled out her chair but didn't sit. Instead, she glanced toward Sakura. "You're always joking around, huh?" There was an almost amused edge to her voice. "So, what's funny about her?"

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"I mean," Anko said, "if you're making a joke, then the punchline has to be something, right?"

The class was watching.

The weight of their stares pressed down on Rin's shoulders, but she forced herself to stay still. She didn't want to react. Didn't want to draw more attention to herself.

Sakura let out a short breath, her expression tightening. "It's not that deep."

Anko hummed. "Right." She finally sat down, leaning back slightly. "Just seems weird to joke about someone who never even talks to you."

That struck a nerve.

Rin saw it—the way Sakura's fingers twitched slightly, the way her smile stiffened just a little.

For the first time, Sakura had nothing to say.

"…Whatever," she muttered, turning away. "Wasn't even a big deal."

And just like that, it was over.

The tension in the room shifted. The watching classmates lost interest. Some went back to their conversations, others scrolled through their phones, and a few exchanged quiet looks before turning away. The moment had passed.

Sakura went back to her seat, clearly irritated. She didn't say anything else, but Rin knew this wasn't over. It never was.

Rin let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

She should have been relieved.

But she wasn't.

Instead, a whole new feeling settled into her chest—

Why did Anko do that?

She didn't need anyone to defend her. She didn't want anyone to speak up for her.

Especially not someone like Anko.

Not someone from that bright world.

As Rin stared down at her desk, hands gripping her sleeves tightly, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling creeping up her spine.

This wasn't the first time someone had defended her before. Teachers had scolded her bullies in the past. A few classmates had awkwardly told them to stop, only to back off when Sakura brushed them aside.

But this was different.

Anko wasn't a teacher. Anko wasn't just some classmate who wanted to look good in front of others.

She didn't hesitate.

She wasn't scared of Sakura.

She was watching.

And that realization made Rin's heart beat just a little faster.