Chapter 8.2

The moment we stepped into the classroom, time slowed down.

I don't mean in a dramatic, slow-motion kind of way like in movies—no. I mean it in that awful, unbearable way where every second drags on painfully, stretching into what feels like an entire hour of pure, suffocating awkwardness.

The kind where you become hyper-aware of every movement, every sound, every single breath.

I swear, the walk from the door to my seat was the longest walk of my life.

Each step felt heavier than the last, like I was trudging through knee-deep water. I could feel their eyes—countless pairs of them—boring into me from all directions.

At first, I thought they were looking at Kaori. Which made sense.

She was Kaori, after all.

Student Council President. Class President. A well-known figure on campus. The type of person who could casually walk into a room and make heads turn without even trying.

People always looked at her.

But then—

I realized something horrifying.

They weren't just looking at Kaori.

They were looking at me.

Wait. Looking? At me?

What the hell?

A weird chill crawled up my spine, and my shoulders tensed involuntarily. I could practically see their thoughts forming in real time—puzzled expressions, subtle side glances, quiet nudges between classmates.

The atmosphere had shifted. It was no longer the usual passive admiration people had for Kaori. This was something different.

Curiosity.

Speculation.

Gossip.

I could almost hear the whispers, the hushed voices weaving through the room like an invisible thread, wrapping tighter and tighter around me.

What the hell? Weren't you guys just obsessed with Kaori two seconds ago? *What changed?

I didn't dare make eye contact.

Instead, I hurried to my seat, sitting down as fast as I could, pretending like nothing was happening. Just act natural. As if that was possible with the weight of half the classroom's stares pressing down on me.

But even then, I couldn't escape their eyes.

The silence wasn't normal. It wasn't the peaceful, half-distracted kind that usually filled the classroom between lectures. No—this was *different*. It was the kind of silence that made the air feel thick, like I had just walked into a restricted area without permission.

Like I wasn't supposed to be here.

I shifted awkwardly in my seat, my back stiff as a board, forcing myself to focus on literally anything else. My desk. My notebook. The faint ticking of the classroom clock. Anything to ignore the heat of their gazes drilling into me.

But the murmuring hadn't stopped. If anything, it was getting worse. A quiet hum of voices—whispers just low enough that I couldn't make out the words, but loud enough that I knew exactly what they were about.

And then—

The stares intensified.

Most of the girls had their eyebrows raised, leaning into each other with wide eyes, whispering rapidly. Some looked genuinely curious, others outright shocked. A few were glancing between me and Kaori, their expressions shifting like they were piecing together a mystery.

And then there were the ones with mischievous smirks. The kind that screamed, Oh, this is interesting.

Yeah. That was not a good sign.

But the guys?

The guys were a whole different story.

If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under by now.

One guy squinted at me, like I had just personally offended his entire bloodline. Another sat with his arms crossed, his jaw clenched so tight I swore I could hear his teeth grinding.

And then there was the guy in the back.

He wasn't whispering. He wasn't even pretending to be subtle. He just sat there, glaring daggers into my soul, like I was some kind of pest that needed to be eliminated.

A cold sweat trickled down my neck.

Okay. This is bad.

What… what is happening?

Did I just unknowingly commit a crime?

Why does it feel like I stole something from them?

Wait—don't tell me.

They're jealous?!

What did I do?!

Oh. Right.

I walked into class with Kaori.

That's it.

Just that one thing had turned me into public enemy number one.

Man, this sucks.

I wanted to laugh. Not because any of this was funny, but because the sheer absurdity of the situation was so ridiculous that my brain couldn't process it properly.

Why was I being treated like some kind of criminal just because I happened to walk beside Kaori?

I swallowed hard, my back stiffening as I fought the urge to shrink into my chair. I needed to act normal—which, by the way, is impossible when half the class looks like they want to skin you alive.

The tension was suffocating.

The weight of their stares pressed down on me like an invisible force, making my every movement feel unnatural, calculated.

I could feel my face heating up from all the unwanted attention.

I was sitting in pure, painful, unbearable awkwardness, trying so hard to pretend I didn't notice the way everyone was looking at me.

But let's be real.

There was no way I could ignore it.

...

I picked up my pen.

I tapped my desk.

I flipped through my notebook—even though I wasn't reading a single word.

Just act natural.

Just pretend like nothing's happening.

But man, believe me, it's not working at all!

Yeah, that wasn't working. Not even a little.

The weight of their stares felt like a physical force pressing down on me. I could *feel* their eyes tracking my every move, waiting—expecting something.

I forced myself to focus, pretending to be busy as I pulled out my notebook. Maybe if I looked occupied, they'd lose interest. Maybe if I acted like I didn't notice, they'd get bored and move on.

But the universe clearly wasn't done making me suffer because—

A few guys suddenly stood up.

And started walking toward me.

I froze.

Oh no.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

This can't be good.

My grip on my pen tightened as my body went rigid, my pulse hammering in my ears. I braced myself as they stopped right in front of my desk, looking at me with an intensity that made my soul want to leave my body and ascend to another dimension.

They weren't just curious.

They were too curious.

And that was never a good thing.

One of them leaned in slightly, eyes gleaming with interest.

"Hey there," he said, his tone light—too light. "How did you manage to talk to the Pres?"

Another guy crossed his arms, his brow furrowed like he was trying to solve a high-stakes mystery.

"Yeah, man. Did you bribe her or something?"

"Hell, are you guys actually dating?"

"Wait, are you secretly rich or something?"

"Maybe you're actually from some powerful family?"

"Or are you like, her childhood friend?"

"Or maybe you're just—"

"Or—" the last guy smirked, "—are you just some errand boy for her?"

What kind of interrogation is this?!

I was completely caught off guard. My brain struggled to process their rapid-fire questions, and the more I hesitated, the more suspicious I probably looked.

"U-Uh—" I stammered. "It's not— I mean, we just—"

"Guys," I interrupted, completely overwhelmed. "I— I can't even keep up with all your questions!"

My mind was overheating. How was I supposed to answer this? If I denied it too hard, they'd think I was hiding something. But if I didn't deny it at all, then the rumors would only get worse! And to make it worse—I was already flustered as hell. My hands felt sweaty, my mind was spinning, and my body was stiff with panic.

"Help.." I whispered it under my breath, my face burning, barely audible—just a desperate little plea that no one was supposed to hear.

I didn't mean to say it out loud.

But apparently—someone heard it.

And she acted on it.

"Oh my," Kaori's voice rang out, amusement dripping from her tone. "Yuto, are you struggling over there?"

My entire body went stiff.

No.

Nononononono.

I turned my head slowly, painfully, and sure enough—there she was, standing beside my desk, her arms crossed, her lips curled into an infuriatingly playful smirk.

Kaori, what the hell are you doing?

She tilted her head slightly, as if deep in thought. Then—

She leaned in.

Closer.

Way too close.

"I didn't expect you to be so shy about us, Yuto~" Her lips hovered near my ear as she whispered, just loud enough for the guys around us to hear.

WHAT?

WHAT?

WHAT? …HUH?! What did she just say?!

I snapped my head toward her, my face heating up instantly, eyes wide in pure shock. The guys around me froze. The class fell silent. I could literally hear their brains short-circuiting.

"EH?!" One of them nearly yelled. "WAIT, WAIT, WAIT—WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!"

Kaori just smiled sweetly."Hmm? Who knows?"

The guys around me lost their minds.

"WAIT—ARE YOU TWO REALLY—?!"

"NO—IT'S NOT—!" I tried to deny, but the damage was already done.

The whispers exploded across the classroom.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to die.

Right here. Right now.

Kaori just chuckled to herself, looking pleased, before sauntering back to her seat **like she hadn't just set my entire life on fire.

I couldn't even process what just happened.

I could feel my face burning, my heart pounding in my chest.

No, no, no, do NOT just leave it at that!

She had just thrown gasoline onto a fire, and now she was acting all innocent?!

The guys were losing their minds.

"Wait—hold on—Yuto, what's happening?! Are you two actually—"

"Yo, dude, you have to tell us!"

"Kaori, what do you mean 'who knows'?!"

Kaori, the demon woman, just giggled. "I mean exactly what I said~"

I wanted to die.

This was it. My life was officially over.

And then—

Just as I was about to try (and fail) to clear things up, the teacher walked in.

"Alright, good morning cla—" She paused mid-sentence, frowning. "What's going on over there?"

The guys around me slowly turned their heads toward the teacher.

"Ehehehe…" One of them let out a nervous laugh.

"Uh…" and the other one scratched the back of his head. "Nothing, Ma'am."

The teacher narrowed her eyes. "Go back to your seats."

"Yes, Ma'am…"

And just like that, they scattered, reluctantly shuffling back to their desks like scolded children.

I collapsed onto my desk, completely drained.

What… what just happened?

And more importantly—

What the hell is Kaori planning?

I nearly collapsed from relief.

Finally. Finally, some peace and—

I felt a tug on my sleeve.

I froze.

Slowly, I turned my head.

Kaori was still standing next to me.

And then—

She pulled me closer.

"W-What are you doing, Kaori?" I hissed in a whisper.

"You did ask for help, didn't you?" she teased, her voice low and smug. "Like, 'Help~' all desperate and flustered like that?"

"I— I DID NOT SAY IT LIKE THAT!"

She just chuckled, patting my shoulder like she'd done me the biggest favor in the world.

"Well, well, well~" she hummed, looking oh-so-proud of herself before sauntering back to her seat.

I just sat there, completely speechless.

Kaori. What the hell was that?!

...

Chi's POV.

Something… felt off.

I tapped my pen against my desk, the faint click, click, click filling the small gap of silence between my scattered thoughts. My eyes followed the scene playing out across the room, observing from a distance.

Kaori teasing some random guy? That alone was unusual. She wasn't the playful type—at least, not in front of others. She had a cool, almost untouchable aura, someone who didn't entertain meaningless interactions. And yet, here she was, smiling at him, speaking to him in a way that felt… too easy. Too natural.

But that wasn't what was bothering me the most.

It was him.

That guy.

Iwasaki Yuto.

Why did he seem so… familiar?

It wasn't just from the library incident. No—this feeling went deeper, like a vague memory lingering at the edge of my consciousness, refusing to take shape.

High school?

A strange sense of unease settled in my chest.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to grasp the loose threads of my thoughts, but no matter how much I reached for it, the answer remained just out of my grasp.

Where… have I seen him before?

It was irritating. Like knowing a word but not quite remembering how to say it.

Tsk. Annoying.

I clicked my pen again, this time sharper, a quiet expression of my frustration.

My gaze drifted back to Yuto. He was slumped over his desk, rubbing his temples like he was still recovering from Kaori's little stunt.

That posture. That awkward way he tried to shrink into himself, as if he wasn't used to attention.

Something about him felt too familiar.

And that bothered me.

...

Back to Yuto's POV.

I didn't learn a single thing in class that morning.

My brain was fried, my nerves shot, and my focus? Completely nonexistent. The whole lecture passed by in a blur of monotone words, floating around me but never sinking in. The professor's voice became nothing more than background noise—just another layer of sound mixing with the occasional rustling of notebooks and the faint tapping of pens against desks.

Before I knew it, exhaustion had taken over. The tension from earlier had drained every ounce of my energy, and at some point, my heavy eyelids won the battle.

By the time the lecture was over, I had somehow managed to fall asleep.

And then—

"Hey, Yuto."

A voice, soft but firm.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, shaking me lightly.

"Wake up, Yuto."

I groaned, still caught in the haze of sleep. My head felt heavy, my limbs sluggish. "Mmmh…"

"Yuto."

I blinked.

Wait.

That voice—

My half-asleep brain struggled to catch up, but before I could process anything, I caught a faint scent. Something light and fresh—floral, maybe? It wasn't overpowering, just subtly pleasant.

That was the moment my senses finally kicked in.

Slowly, I turned my head, groggy and disoriented—only to find myself face-to-face with Kaori.

Her face was way too close.

My drowsiness vanished in an instant.

"K-Kaori?!"

I jolted upright so fast that my chair screeched against the floor, earning a few glances from nearby students.

She simply smiled, completely unfazed. "Let's go eat lunch together."

...

I'm doomed.