Chapter 8.1

As we walked through the university gates, I felt the weight of countless eyes pressing down on me. No—scratch that. They weren't looking at me. They were looking at her.

Kaori was that famous. The kind of girl who turned heads without even trying. Guys admired her, girls admired and envied her, and professors probably gave her the benefit of the doubt just because of who she was. She wasn't just popular—she was practically a campus celebrity.

And yet, there she was, walking beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Meanwhile, my nerves were going haywire. Even if I knew their eyes weren't on me, I could still feel the stares, the silent questions forming in their heads. Who's that guy? What's he doing with Kaori? Are they dating? No way, right?

I wasn't just imagining it either. I caught glimpses of students whispering, their curious eyes flicking between me and Kaori. A few guys in the distance exchanged looks before one of them scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

I tried to keep my expression neutral, to act like I didn't notice. But my body had other plans. My shoulders were stiff, my footsteps awkwardly deliberate, and my back—ugh, my back—was already drenched in sweat.

It was ridiculous. I hadn't done anything wrong, yet I felt like a suspect being paraded through town after committing some unspeakable crime.

Kaori, of course, was completely unfazed. No hesitation. No awkwardness. No reaction to the whispers or the stares. She just walked with the same effortless confidence she always had, her gaze straight ahead, as if the world outside her bubble didn't exist.

How is she so calm?

For her, this was probably normal. Being noticed, admired, talked about—it was just part of her daily life. She had probably stopped caring a long time ago.

But me? I was struggling just to breathe properly. Every step felt like I was walking deeper into a battlefield, surrounded by invisible arrows of judgment.

I wanted to say something, anything, to break the tension I was feeling. But what was I supposed to say? Hey, Kaori, mind toning down your existence a little? Yeah, right. Like that would help.

So I did the only thing I could—I kept walking, pretending like my brain wasn't currently melting under the pressure.

...

By the time we reached the locker area, my heartbeat was hammering in my ears. My palms were clammy, my breathing felt uneven, and I could swear my legs were unsteady—like I'd just run a marathon. Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic, but still. My body had officially entered panic mode.

I fumbled with my shoes, my fingers stiff and uncooperative as I swapped my outdoor ones for my indoor pair. The whole process felt ten times harder than usual, probably because I was hyper-aware of the lingering stares from the hallway. Even though most students had already moved on, I could still feel their eyes, like a phantom pressure weighing down on me.

I just needed to finish up and get out of here—

And then—

"Y-Yuto…"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. "W-why!?" My voice cracked so hard it could've been used as a sound effect in a comedy skit.

Kaori tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "Why are you sweating so much?"

Ah, crap.

I quickly wiped my forehead with my sleeve, trying to play it off. "E-eh? N-no. It's nothing."

She didn't look convinced. At all.

One eyebrow arched as she studied me like I was some kind of rare specimen. "Uh-huh," she said flatly.

For a brief second, her gaze flickered toward the hallway. Even though most of the onlookers had already turned away, there were still a few students stealing glances, whispering among themselves.

She shrugged, slipping into her school shoes effortlessly. "Okay."

And then—I saw it. A slight smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Wait. Was she… amused?

I stared at her, feeling an odd mix of betrayal and disbelief. Seriously? Here I was, practically melting under the pressure, and she was enjoying this?

Or maybe… this was just normal for her. Maybe she was so used to being the center of attention that something like this didn't even faze her anymore.

Meanwhile, I was over here struggling just to exist.

I turned away immediately, yanking out my handkerchief and dabbing at my face as discreetly as possible.

Damn it. That was embarrassing.

She actually noticed how much I was sweating. What was I supposed to say? Oh, don't mind me, I'm just terrified of ruining your perfect reputation by existing too close to you?

Yeah. That would definitely make things less awkward.

I stole a quick glance at Kaori, half-expecting her to still be watching me, but she had already lost interest. Before I could even finish processing my embarrassment, she was walking ahead—completely unfazed, like nothing had happened.

Did she really not care? Or was she just used to people reacting like this around her?

I let out a silent sigh and hurried to follow her, pretending I wasn't the one making things weird.

But the moment we stepped into our classroom, things only got worse.

The air inside felt… off.

It wasn't loud like usual. In fact, the usual morning chatter had died down significantly. A few students paused mid-conversation, their gazes shifting toward us—no, toward her.

Then, like a ripple effect, more heads turned. Whispered voices picked up, hushed but sharp, filling the room like static.

I gulped.

This wasn't just curiosity anymore.

This was attention. Real attention.

And I was standing way too close to the source of it.

...

Silence.

A thick, suffocating silence.

It was as if the entire classroom had collectively held its breath, all the noise dying the second we stepped through the door.

Then, in the next second—

Whispers.

At first, it was just a murmur—a faint, barely audible sound that quickly spread like wildfire. Eyes darted toward us, then quickly flicked away, only to sneak glances again, as if afraid to be caught looking.

The room seemed to shrink, the air growing heavier by the second. It wasn't like the usual casual chatter that filled the space between classes. No, this was different. This was… observation.

Students leaned into each other, their voices hushed but rapid, as if passing secret information. Some were too bold, and their eyes lingered on us for just a little too long.

I could hear bits and pieces of their conversations as we walked past.

"Wait… did Yuto and Kaori just come in together?"

"No way. That has to be a coincidence, right?"

"They were talking too. Like, actually talking."

"Yeah! And did you see Yuto? He looked so nervous, like he was hiding something!"

"Wait, wait, wait—does this mean they're actually… you know… dating?"

"Pfft, impossible. There's no way Kaori would go for someone like him."

"Then why were they together? And why did it look so… natural?"

"Maybe she just feels bad for him or something."

"Or maybe, just maybe… she actually likes him?"

It wasn't just the boys anymore. The girls were talking, too. I saw one of them glance at me, then quickly turn away, her face flushed.

This is bad. Really bad.

I couldn't help it—my body went rigid, the unease creeping up my spine like a creeping chill. My palms started sweating again, and I could feel my heartbeat speeding up.

But Kaori?

She walked like she hadn't even noticed the shift in atmosphere, her usual calm demeanor in full force.

It was like she was immune to all of this.

And then, someone snorted. "Get real. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. Like—bro, what am I even supposed to defend this? It's real after all. It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard and imagined.

As we passed by one group, I caught something strange.

"I heard Kaori rejected some rich guy before. Maybe she has weird taste?"

What? Who was that about? My curiosity spiked, but I shoved it down. The last thing I needed was another rumor to worry about.

I knew this was going to happen. The moment we entered together, I knew people were going to make assumptions. Overthink things. Twist reality into something completely different.

But now, looking around at all the wide-eyed stares and hearing the hushed voices buzzing in the background—

It was way worse than I expected.

And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse—

I locked eyes with Ms. Secretary, Hoshino Chi.

Her gaze wasn't just surprised—it was sharp. Calculating. Like she was putting together pieces of a puzzle no one else even realized existed.

She didn't frown. She didn't react with shock.

She just watched.

And for some reason, that made my stomach twist even more than the gossip around me.