Chapter 8 — Hiding Places and Invitations

The hands of the classroom clock ticked slowly.

Fourth period was math, and Shinichi found himself staring blankly at the board as the teacher scribbled down a complicated equation involving vectors and parabolas.

"—And if we plug in these values, we get the x-intercept here…"

The chalk squeaked.

Shinichi's eyes drooped.

His notebook was open, his pen in hand… but his mind? It was still reeling from the morning.

Riku's voice echoed in his head like poison.

"You think someone like Megumi would go for a runt like you?"

He clenched his pen a little tighter.

Even though the lesson continued, he barely processed a single word.

His thoughts drifted elsewhere—to the quiet space behind the staircase. The only place where he could still breathe during school hours.

The bell finally rang, snapping him out of his daze.

"Lunch break!" the teacher called, stretching. "Hand in your classwork before the end of the day!"

The students around him sprang up like released springs, chatting, laughing, grabbing their bento boxes. The air in the classroom shifted immediately—lighter, freer.

But Shinichi didn't wait.

He grabbed his lunchbox, stood up, and made a beeline for the door before anyone could stop him.

…

He dashed through the hallway, ducking behind the stairwell at the end of the west wing.

There, hidden behind a set of old lockers and dusty storage crates, was a narrow opening—barely big enough for a slim boy like him to squeeze through.

But inside, it was quiet. Peaceful. Removed from the chaos.

He had found this place in first year after the bullying started. Since then, it had become his secret sanctuary.

He unwrapped his lunch: rice, egg and stir fried Veggies —all carefully prepared at morning. A simple, warm, home-cooked bento.

As he ate in silence, the knot in his chest slowly loosened.

His mind wandered to something his grandfather once said:

"Being strong doesn't always mean being loud. But it does mean knowing when to stand tall, even if you're trembling."

A faint smile tugged at Shinichi's lips as he chewed thoughtfully.

…

Once finished, he carefully packed away his lunchbox and peeked through the narrow gap.

A few students were still loitering near the vending machines, chatting lazily.

He waited.

Once the hallway was clear, he slipped out, dusted off his uniform, and headed back toward the B-2 classroom.

The corridor was mostly empty now—all students had returned to class.

"Oi! Shinichi!"

He flinched, startled by the familiar voice.

Megumi jogged up to him, her loose tie bouncing slightly as she stopped beside him, panting lightly.

"There you are! I was looking for you during lunch," she said, brows furrowed. "Where'd you go?"

"Ah… sorry. I just wanted to eat somewhere quiet," he replied, forcing an awkward smile.

Megumi raised a brow. "Alone again? You've been doing that a lot lately."

"I-it's nothing serious," he waved it off quickly. "Just… thinking."

She didn't look convinced, but she didn't push either.

"Anyway," she continued, brightening a little, "are you free after school today? Or do you have your part-time job again?"

Shinichi shook his head. "The bakery's closed today. They're doing maintenance on the oven. So… I'm free."

"Perfect," Megumi grinned. "Then come to my house. My mom's been asking about you—she says you haven't visited in forever."

"Eh? Really?" Shinichi blinked. "I-I didn't want to be a bother."

"Idiot," Megumi smirked. "You're never a bother. Besides… I wanted to talk about that thing from this morning. The one I couldn't bring myself to say."

Shinichi's expression softened. "Okay… sure. I'll come."

With that, their conversation ended. The lunch break was nearly over, so they returned to their respective classrooms. As Megumi turned down the C-2 corridor, she gave him one last glance—half-smile, half-nervousness—while Shinichi walked back toward B-2, already wondering what she wanted to say.

…

Sixth Period: English

Mr. Yamazaki stood at the front of the classroom, reading from the textbook in a slow, drawling tone.

"—And the phrase 'on cloud nine' means feeling extremely happy…"

Shinichi copied down notes, his mind still half-adrift. English was easier than math, at least. He liked reading—maybe because the worlds in books felt safer than the real one.

Around him, the usual low classroom noise hummed—whispers, doodles, stifled yawns. No one spoke to him. And honestly… that was fine.

The clock ticked steadily.

He tried not to glance over his shoulder.

He didn't want to see if Riku was staring.

…

When the final bell rang, students erupted from their seats.

Shinichi packed his bag slowly, waiting for the rush to die down before stepping out.

He made his way toward the C-2 corridor.

Megumi was already stepping out, her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah."

They walked side by side through the now-empty hallway, their pace unhurried.

"By the way," Megumi added, stealing a glance at him, "thanks for agreeing to come over. My mom will be thrilled. And… I really do want to talk to you."

"Don't mention it. We're friends," Shinichi said, giving her a soft smile.

Together, they turned toward the student council room to meet Akane before leaving.

As always, Akane stayed late for council responsibilities—but today, she was taking longer than usual.

They stood waiting outside the door, voices quiet.

"She's usually out by now," Megumi murmured, glancing at the hallway clock.

Shinichi gave the door a light knock. "Maybe she got caught up with paperwork?"

Megumi tilted her head, then placed her hand on the handle. "Let's check inside—just in case."

And with a soft creak, the door slowly opened.