Chapter 7

She was halfway through putting on her loafers when she glanced at the clock, mentally preparing herself for the day ahead. Yurina decided to check out the archaeology exhibit before diving into the mountain of schoolwork waiting for her. After all, there was no way she would miss out on seeing ancient Mesopotamian artifacts. She figured it was an excellent way to reward herself before drowning in assignments.

A voice broke her thoughts as she smoothed out the pleats in her short skirt, tugging at the hem to ensure it sat just right. "Where're you going looking all put together?" Serena asked, smoking as usual.

"The archaeology exhibit is open today. I figured I could spare some time to check it out…" she trailed off, knowing Serena wouldn't care much for the specifics.

"Sounds... thrilling," Serena replied dryly, exhaling a cloud of smoke. She eyed her outfit with a raised brow. "Any plans after?"

"Schoolwork," Yurina sighed. "I figured I'd get everything done when I got back. No distractions."

Serena made a sound that was somewhere between a scoff and a laugh. "Good luck with that."

Yurina grabbed her bag, tossing in a notebook and a pen just in case she got the urge to jot down a few notes at the exhibit. She paused, glancing back at Serena. "What about you? Do you have anything going on?"

Serena rolled over on her bed, propping herself up on one elbow. "Yeah, I'm supposed to meet up with my girlfriend later."

"Girlfriend?"

"Yep." She popped the last syllable. The surprise must've been written all over her face because Serena grinned, flicking her ash into the tray. "Don't look so shocked. It's not that complicated." She gave a little wink. "Anyway, you look hot. Like, all the preppy boys on campus would be tripping over themselves."

Yurina wore long socks, loafers, and a skirt that fit perfectly into that "college girl prep" aesthetic. She hadn't been trying to look "hot", but apparently, the effort had paid off. She shrugged, playing it cool.

"You sure you don't want to skip out on that boring exhibit and go have some fun with me and my girlfriend? We could make a real night out of it. There are some other girls we could invite, too. You could come along, and maybe you'll find a girl or two."

Yurina shot her a glance, shaking her head. "I'm not really into women," she admitted with a small, awkward laugh, trying to brush off the suggestion. "But thanks anyway."

Serena raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a sly smile. "Ohhhh," she drawled like she'd uncovered some grand revelation. The way her eyes narrowed ever so slightly made her heart jump.

Was she messing with her, or did she actually know? Yurina tried to play it off like it didn't matter, but her hands tightened around the strap of her bag, a nervous habit. Had Serena heard something? Did she somehow find out about—

"Guess I can't blame you, though. I heard about your little rendezvous with the boys the other night."

Her blood went cold. "What?" The word came out more like a croak. So much for playing it cool.

"You know, Shigeru, Daiya, Wataru... A little birdie told me you all got... close."

Of course, Serena knew. Yurina shouldn't have been surprised. She should've expected it. But still, hearing it said out loud made her face heat up all over again.

How the hell was she supposed to respond to that? She fumbled for words, trying to figure out how to salvage what was left of her dignity, but nothing coherent came out. Serena was just sitting there, looking at ease, like she hadn't dropped a bomb.

"Relax, it's not like I'm judging you or anything. Honestly, props to you. I don't know how you managed to handle all three at once."

Her heart pounded even harder at the casualness of her comment. "I mean," Serena continued, lighting another cigarette with a small smile, "they can be a bit clingy sometimes. It gets annoying after a while. Trust me, I've been there. But that was a long time ago, way before I started dating Lucia."

That wasn't something she'd expected to hear about them. Every time Serena spoke, she peeled back another layer of this odd friend group. She couldn't imagine any of the boys being... needy.

There was a knock on the door, breaking her train of thought. "Come in," Serena called, barely looking up from her spot on the bed. The door creaked open, and in walked, she assumed, Serena's girlfriend. She wore a casual outfit—jeans and a loose sweater, her hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. She looked normal. Completely the opposite of the whirlwind that was Serena.

"This is my girlfriend," Serena said, gesturing toward her without missing a beat. "Lucia, meet Yurina."

"Hey," Lucia greeted her with a friendly smile.

"Uh, hi," Yurina managed, returning the smile awkwardly.

Serena tossed her cigarette butt into the ashtray and got up from her bed. She grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder, and leaned down to give Lucia a quick kiss. Serena smirked as she straightened up, her gaze flicking over with a mischievous glint. "You sure you don't want to hang out with us? Could be fun, you know."

As tempting as it was to push off the awkwardness and tag along, she'd been looking forward to this exhibit for weeks. "I'm sure. But thanks. I've been wanting to see these artifacts for a while."

"Suit yourself." Serena glanced over at Lucia, then back at her, the smirk widening. "Enjoy your nerd day out."

Her face heated again, but she laughed it off. "Thanks, Serena."

Serena waved her off with a lazy flick of her hand, turning her attention back to Lucia as they got ready to leave.

She stepped out of the dorm and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering embarrassment. She'd waited too long for this archaeology exhibit to let anything spoil it. And she'd be damned if she let some rumor—albeit a true rumor—ruin her day.