Division

The classroom was buzzing with chatter as students trickled in after lunch, but Ere'ana sat quietly at her desk, her head low as she fiddled with her pen. Her emerald eyes were watery, her lips trembling as she fought back tears. She didn't want to cry. Not here. Not in front of everyone.

"Wow, still sulking, Ere'ana?" Serenity's sharp voice cut through the air.

Ere'ana looked up, meeting the gaze of her ex-best friend. Serenity stood at the edge of her desk, her blonde hair perfectly styled, her makeup flawless. She had that confident smirk that could cut through anyone's self-esteem like a knife.

"Are you going to cry to your boyfriend?" Serenity sneered, crossing her arms. "Oh, wait—you already do that, don't you?"

Ere'ana swallowed hard, her hands trembling as she clutched her pen tighter. "Just leave me alone, Serenity," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

But Serenity wasn't done. She leaned in closer, her tone growing colder. "You're pathetic. No wonder we aren't friends anymore. You're just a useless, whiny little—" She spat out a string of cruel curses, each word cutting deeper than the last.

Ere'ana's breath hitched as tears spilled down her cheeks. She lowered her head, her vision blurring as she tried to block out the humiliation.

Just then, the door to the hallway opened, and Kikidori stepped inside, his crimson eyes scanning the room. He had just left lunch and hadn't planned to stop by this class, but something felt… off. His gaze locked on Ere'ana, and his expression shifted.

Without hesitation, he walked over to her desk. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.

Ere'ana quickly wiped at her tears, shaking her head. "Nothing," she mumbled.

Serenity, who was still standing there, rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, look, it's the knight in shining armor," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Your little *slut* is crying again. Maybe you should teach her how to grow a backbone."

Kikidori turned his attention to Serenity, his crimson eyes narrowing. He stepped closer, his towering presence making her falter just slightly. His voice was low and steady, but there was an edge to it that made the air feel colder.

"Go away," he said simply.

Serenity scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Whatever. You two deserve each other." She flipped Ere'ana off as she turned to leave, her heels clicking against the floor as she walked out.

Kikidori didn't move, his eyes following Serenity until she disappeared down the hallway. Then he looked back at Ere'ana, who was still wiping at her tears.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded, though her expression said otherwise. "I'm fine," she whispered, avoiding his gaze.

Kikidori didn't push her. He knew Ere'ana hated feeling like a burden, even when she clearly wasn't. "Alright," he said after a moment. "Let me know if you need anything."

Ere'ana gave him a small, grateful smile before walking into her classroom. Kikidori watched her go, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. The thought of anyone making her cry… it made something dark stir inside him.

---

Twenty-nine minutes later, Kikidori's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, seeing a text from Ere'ana.

**"Meet me in the girls' locker room. I need to talk to you."**

Kikidori frowned slightly, his crimson eyes narrowing at the message. The girls' locker room? Why there?

He hesitated for a moment before raising his hand to get the teacher's attention. "Can I be excused?" he asked.

The teacher, who was busy grading papers, barely glanced up. "Go ahead," she said dismissively.

Kikidori slipped out of the classroom and began making his way to the locker room, his mind racing. What could Ere'ana want? Was she okay? Did something else happen with Serenity?

He pushed open the door to the hallway leading to the locker rooms, his footsteps echoing in the quiet space. As he approached the door marked *Girls' Locker Room,* he paused, his hand hovering over the handle.

"Why here?" he muttered to himself, his brows furrowing.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside, his crimson eyes scanning the empty space.

"Ere'ana?" he called out, his voice echoing slightly.

He didn't know what to expect, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his chest. Whatever this "surprise" was, it had better not involve more tears.