Chapter 8

The bus ride over had been smooth. When Yurina arrived, she was practically bouncing in her seat, excitement bubbling up inside her. When she finally stepped off the bus, she was greeted by the sleek, modern facade of the museum, with towering banners advertising the ancient Mesopotamian exhibit framing the entrance. Her heart leaped as she walked inside, eyes wide at the pristine displays and polished floors. Everything was laid out so carefully, so methodically.

She squealed when she picked up a fancy brochure from the welcome desk. Its glossy pages were filled with descriptions of the ancient artifacts. Quickly, she drifted from display to display, marveling at the beauty and detail of each piece.

She pulled a small notebook from her bag in a quiet corner near one of the more elaborate displays and began scribbling notes. She was so engrossed in the details that she didn't notice someone approaching until a familiar, playful voice cut through the air.

"Look at you, living up to the expectations of a scholarship student perfectly. I'm impressed."

Yurina's heart sank, and her stomach flipped. She immediately recognized the voice—smooth, arrogant, and annoyingly charming. She slowly turned her head to confirm what she already knew. Daiya stood next to her, hands in his pockets, a teasing grin on his face.

"Daiya." She barely managed to say his name, a tight smile plastered on her face, a bead of sweat running down the back of her neck.

Without missing a beat, she snapped her notebook shut and attempted to make a break for it, moving into a fast walk as she ducked between displays, hoping to lose him in the crowd.

"Oh, come on now! Are you seriously running away from me?" Daiya's voice trailed after her.

She told herself she was not running, but walking very quickly, weaving between a group of tourists gawking at an ancient vase. She kept her pace up, determined to avoid the awkwardness, but it was a lost cause.

She felt a hand gently grasp her arm, halting her escape. A soft groan escaped her lips as she stopped in her tracks, realizing there was no avoiding him now. Slowly, she turned to face Daiya, meeting his ever-amused gaze. "I didn't think you'd be that embarrassed. But now that I'm looking closer, your face is super red."

Her hands flew up to her cheeks, feeling her skin burn as she yanked herself out of his grasp. "It's not!" she shot back, but her voice cracked, only making it worse. Daiya chuckled, clearly enjoying her flustered reaction.

She exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing as she glared at him. "What are you even doing here?" This was supposed to be her relaxing, nerdy day out—not a Daiya special.

"My dad likes to host events like this," he said, leaning casually against one of the display cases, drawing a few glances from nearby visitors. "You know, to show off his influence, keep up the family image or whatever. So I had to come and make an appearance—shake hands, smile for pictures, that kind of thing. You know how it is. Remember the name Kudou. You'll probably be seeing it in the papers a lot. Or on some fancy donor wall if you keep coming to places like this."

"So that explains why you're so… you."

He quirked an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She hesitated, not really sure how to explain it. "You know... you're just—ugh, forget it." She sighed, giving up on explaining herself and turning on her heel, walking in the opposite direction. Maybe if she ignored him long enough, he'd get the hint and go away. But, of course, Daiya wouldn't make things that easy.

He stepped beside her, effortlessly keeping up with her brisk pace. "So, where are we going now? The pottery section? Or maybe the ancient scrolls?" he teased, utterly oblivious to the fact that she didn't want him there. Yurina didn't answer, trying to drown him out as she focused on the exhibits around her. But Daiya kept talking, his voice a constant hum in her ear as he rambled about whatever came to mind.

And then, like a light bulb flicking on in her head, she suddenly remembered what Serena had said earlier—that someone had told her about her night with the boys. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him, narrowing her eyes. "Wait a minute. It was you, wasn't it? You told Serena about…"

Daiya blinked, taken aback for a moment before letting out a nervous laugh. "Okay, so maybe I let it slip. But Serena's the only person I told, I swear."

Yurina scowled, crossing her arms. "You bragged about it?"

Defensively, he raised his hands in front of him. "It wasn't like that. It just came up in conversation, okay? I didn't mean anything by it."

"You didn't mean anything by it?" she repeated, her voice rising in disbelief. "Do you realize how this could screw things up for me? I don't have a rich daddy to swoop in and fix things if word gets around that I slept with half the campus."

He scratched the back of his head, his usual confidence faltering slightly. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't think it was a big deal. I really only told Serena. She's cool. She's not going to spread it around."

Her mood had soured completely, and her excitement for the exhibit evaporated. She just wanted to leave. "I'm going," she muttered, already turning away from him.

"Wait, wait!" Daiya quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "I'm sorry, okay? I swear, I only told Serena. Can we just... I don't know, start over or something?"

"You seriously want to start over after you bragged about running a train on me? Really?"

Daiya's smirk wavered, but only for a second. He crossed his arms, looking at her with that same air of privilege, like he didn't fully understand why she was so upset. Maybe it was that rich-kid mentality, thinking everything would blow over with a few words and some charm. He huffed, running a hand through his hair. "I told you, it was only Serena. I swear. Let me make it up to you."

Yurina hesitated, crossing her arms as she eyed him skeptically. "I don't know if I want that," she muttered, shifting on her feet. Daiya didn't have to worry about things like this getting out, but she did. Plenty of people on campus would love nothing more than to bring her down a few pegs, and if word got around that she had been involved with three different guys—all well-known among the social scene—it would be over.

"Come on, I'm not lying. Don't leave yet, okay?" His words had an edge of desperation like he didn't want her to slip away, and something about how he looked at her made her pause.

Reluctantly, she stayed, though the energy between them had shifted. She was quiet, arms still crossed as she glanced around, unable to focus on the displays that had captured her attention just minutes ago. Daiya shifted awkwardly beside her before clearing his throat. "You want to ditch?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"No," she mumbled. "I was actually enjoying myself before you showed up."

That got a chuckle out of him, but she wasn't in the mood to laugh along. He sighed, scratching his head, clearly trying to figure out how to navigate this without making things worse. "Alright, alright. We'll stay then," he conceded, though she could tell he wasn't thrilled about lingering around in this quiet, educational space. "Actually, how about I show you something no one else gets to see?"

Her interest was piqued despite herself. She glanced at him, trying to gauge his intentions. "What do you mean?"

Daiya's grin widened as he reached for her hand. He wasn't waiting for permission, so he tugged her toward the back of the exhibit. "Come on. I'll show you."

What could he possibly have access to that the general public couldn't see? Knowing him, it was probably something scandalous. But the thought of seeing something no one else had access to was enough to get her to follow him. Daiya led her through a set of doors clearly marked "Restricted Access," barely pausing as he glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was still following.