The Rumors Begin

By the time a week had passed, it was clear to everyone in the class that something was going on between Mike and Emi. They had become nearly inseparable, always walking to and from school together, sitting near each other in class, and spending time during lunch breaks chatting or watching Emi sketch. Their classmates had noticed, and whispers had started to spread.

Mike didn't care. He was used to being talked about, and most of the time, he found the rumors amusing. But this felt different. This time, the whispers weren't about one of his pranks or jokes. This time, they were about Emi—and something about that made him more aware of what people were saying.

As they walked into school together one morning, Mike noticed a couple of girls giggling as they passed by. They didn't say anything directly, but the way they glanced at him and Emi with knowing smiles made it pretty obvious what they were thinking.

Emi noticed too. She frowned, glancing sideways at Mike. "Do you hear them?"

Mike shrugged, trying to play it off. "Yeah. Let them talk."

Emi sighed, adjusting the strap of her backpack. "I don't get why they care so much. It's not like we're doing anything weird."

"We're just friends," Mike said quickly, but the words sounded strange, even to him.

Friends. Was that really all they were?

Emi seemed to pick up on his hesitation, and she gave him a curious look. "Yeah," she said softly. "Just friends."

But something lingered in the air between them, unspoken but undeniably present.

In the classroom, Mike settled into his usual spot behind Emi, but today, the whispers from their classmates seemed louder than usual. It didn't help that Ryan and a couple of the other boys had noticed the change, too. Mike could feel Ryan's eyes on him from across the room, but he ignored it. He was used to his friends giving him a hard time, and this wouldn't be any different.

Still, when the teacher left the room for a few minutes, Ryan wasted no time in sliding over to Mike's desk, a teasing grin on his face.

"So," Ryan started, leaning in, "you and Emi, huh?"

Mike rolled his eyes. "What about me and Emi?"

"Come on, man. Everyone's talking about it," Ryan said, gesturing around the room. "You're always with her now. It's like you can't stay away."

Mike shrugged, refusing to give Ryan the satisfaction of seeing him flustered. "She's cool. We hang out. Big deal."

"Yeah, but..." Ryan smirked, lowering his voice. "You like her, don't you?"

The question caught Mike off guard. He opened his mouth to deny it, to say something witty and brush it off, but the words didn't come. Did he like Emi? Of course, he liked her as a friend, but... was it more than that?

Mike shifted in his seat, his mind racing. Before he could figure out what to say, Emi turned around in her chair, her eyes narrowing as she noticed Ryan leaning in too close.

"Is he bothering you?" she asked, her voice sharp.

Ryan raised his hands in mock surrender. "No trouble here. Just chatting."

Emi shot him a look that said she didn't buy it for a second, but she let it go, turning her attention back to Mike. "You okay?"

Mike nodded, feeling his heart rate slow as she smiled at him. "Yeah. Just the usual nonsense."

Ryan, still grinning, gave Mike a knowing wink as he walked back to his desk. Mike shook his head, annoyed but also relieved. He knew the teasing would continue, but at least Ryan hadn't pushed too hard—yet.

Lunch that day was quieter than usual. Mike and Emi sat at their usual spot by the far wall of the cafeteria, away from the noise of the other students. Emi had her sketchbook out, as usual, doodling aimlessly as she picked at her food. Mike watched her, absently chewing his sandwich.

The whispers had followed them here, too. Mike could hear bits and pieces of conversation from the tables nearby—people talking about him, about Emi, about the fact that they were always together now. It was starting to grate on him, but he didn't want Emi to notice how much it bothered him.

After a while, Emi looked up from her sketchbook, her brow furrowed. "You've been quiet today. What's going on?"

Mike hesitated. He didn't want to bring up the rumors, but he could tell she already knew what was going on. Emi wasn't the type to let things slide.

"Just people talking," Mike said finally, shrugging as if it didn't matter.

Emi sighed, closing her sketchbook with a soft thud. "Yeah. I noticed. It's getting annoying."

"They'll get bored eventually," Mike said, trying to sound confident.

But Emi didn't look convinced. "It's just... I don't get why people can't mind their own business. Why does everyone assume we're—"

She stopped herself, biting her lip. Mike knew what she had been about to say. Why does everyone assume we're a couple?

For a brief, tense moment, neither of them said anything. The unspoken question hung in the air between them, heavy and awkward. Mike felt his heart pounding, the silence growing louder with each passing second.

He could see the uncertainty in Emi's eyes, the same uncertainty he felt. They were close—closer than either of them had expected—but what did that really mean? Were they just friends? Was that all this was?

Mike swallowed, trying to force the words out. "Do you think... maybe it's because we've been hanging out so much?"

Emi blinked, surprised by the question. She thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. Probably. I mean... it's not like we're trying to make it look that way."

"Right," Mike said quickly, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. "We're just hanging out."

Emi looked at him, her expression thoughtful. "Do you think people care too much about that stuff? Like... whether two people are just friends or something more?"

Mike paused, unsure how to answer. He had always been the guy who didn't care what people thought of him. Rumors and gossip had never bothered him before. But now, with Emi, it felt different.

"I don't know," he admitted quietly. "Maybe they do. Or maybe we just notice it more when it's about us."

Emi smiled faintly, her eyes softening. "Yeah. Maybe."

They lapsed into silence again, but this time, it felt less awkward. Mike felt the tension between them ease, the weight of the conversation lifting just a little. But the question still lingered in the back of his mind, gnawing at him. What were they?

The next few days followed the same pattern—whispers in the hallways, teasing from their classmates, and quiet moments where Mike and Emi would walk home together, sharing conversation and silence in equal measure. The rumors never seemed to let up, and while neither of them said anything, it was clear that both Mike and Emi were thinking about it.

On Friday afternoon, as they walked through the school gates at the end of the day, Emi suddenly stopped, looking up at the sky. The clouds had rolled in, gray and heavy, promising rain.

"I think it's going to storm," she said, her voice soft.

Mike glanced up at the clouds. "You want to get home before it hits?"

Emi shook her head. "No... I kind of like the rain."

Mike raised an eyebrow. "Really? Most people try to avoid it."

Emi smiled, that quiet, thoughtful smile he was starting to love. "There's something peaceful about it. It's like everything slows down. People hide inside, and for a while, the world is quiet."

Mike chuckled. "You're weird."

"Maybe," Emi said, shrugging. "But it's true."

They continued walking, the sky growing darker as the storm approached. As they passed the park, Emi suddenly veered off the path, heading toward one of the swings. She dropped her bag on the ground and sat down, gently swaying back and forth.

Mike followed, watching her with curiosity. "What are you doing?"

Emi smiled up at him. "Just... waiting for the rain."

Mike stood there for a moment, watching her swing back and forth, her eyes closed as she leaned into the gentle motion. There was something almost magical about the way she seemed so content, so at peace with the world around her.

Without thinking, Mike sat down on the swing beside her, his feet lightly kicking off the ground. They swayed in silence, the wind picking up as the first drops of rain began to fall.

Mike glanced over at Emi, her hair beginning to dampen with the drizzle. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, the soft rain glistening on her skin.

And for the first time, Mike realized that maybe—just maybe—he was starting to feel something more than just friendship.