Chapter 11

The rooftop was just like yesterday—quiet, peaceful, untouched by the noise of the school below.

The moment they stepped outside, Rin felt relieved.

She didn't know why.

Maybe because it was familiar now.

Maybe because she wasn't alone.

Anko didn't say anything at first. She just walked ahead, stopping near the fence like yesterday, setting down her lunch.

Rin followed slowly, sitting a small distance away. Not too close. But not too far either.

Anko stretched her arms, sighing as the wind ruffled her hair.

"Man, I needed this," she murmured. "Today felt long, huh?"

Rin blinked. "It did?"

"Well… maybe not. But I kept checking the clock a lot."

"…Why?"

Anko smiled. "Dunno. Maybe I was looking forward to lunch."

She said it so casually, but Rin felt something weird in her chest.

She looked down, fiddling with the wrapper of her sandwich. She wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she just… didn't.

Anko didn't seem to mind. She unwrapped her own lunch and took a bite, sighing happily.

"This is so much better than the cafeteria," she said. "No noise, no people watching me eat. It's kinda crazy how many people stare down there."

Rin stayed quiet. She wouldn't know. No one ever paid attention to her.

Anko glanced at her.

"You don't like the cafeteria either, huh?"

Rin hesitated, then shook her head.

"Thought so." Anko grinned. "Guess we're the same in that way."

Rin's fingers tensed slightly around her sandwich.

No, they weren't the same. Not at all.

Anko was popular. Loved by everyone. People wanted to be around her, talk to her, sit next to her.

Rin was nothing like that.

She wanted to say it—wanted to remind Anko of the obvious gap between them.

But… she didn't.

Because somehow, this moment felt real. And if she pointed it out, it might shatter.

So instead, she just nodded, taking a quiet bite of her sandwich.

For a while, neither of them spoke. But it wasn't uncomfortable. The silence felt… okay.

Until Anko shifted, resting her arms on her knees.

"Hey, Rin."

Rin looked up.

Anko had that soft expression again—the one she had yesterday. The one that made Rin's chest feel strange.

"…What?"

Anko tilted her head slightly. "You're thinking about something."

Rin tensed.

She was. But she didn't think it was obvious.

"I'm not," she said quickly.

Anko just hummed. "Liar."

Rin stiffened, gripping her sandwich tighter.

"…Why do you care?"

Anko blinked.

Then, she smiled.

A small, gentle smile.

"Because I want to know you."

Rin's breath caught.

The words were so simple. So casually spoken.

But they hit something inside her.

She looked away. "There's nothing to know."

Anko laughed softly. "I don't think that's true."

Rin didn't respond. She just focused on finishing her sandwich, ignoring the weird, warm feeling in her stomach.

Anko let the conversation drop after that. She didn't push. She didn't pry.

And somehow, that made Rin feel more at ease than anything else.

They finished their food in comfortable silence, the wind brushing past them.

And for the first time in a long time… Rin didn't mind lunch.

The wind had settled, leaving only the distant sounds of the schoolyard below.

Rin was staring at her empty hands, lost in thought.

Anko was still sitting next to her, quiet—not like the usual kind of quiet Rin was used to, where people ignored her, dismissed her.

This quiet was different. Comfortable. Like Anko was simply waiting for the right moment to speak.

And then… she did.

"Hey, Rin."

Rin glanced up.

Anko's expression was unreadable—calm, but serious.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

Rin stiffened slightly, but didn't say anything.

Anko leaned back on her hands, gazing up at the sky for a moment before looking at Rin again.

"I've… noticed you for a long time."

Rin's fingers twitched.

She didn't like the sound of that.

"Not in a weird way," Anko added quickly, as if sensing Rin's discomfort. "I just… always saw you."

Rin frowned. "That's not true."

Anko tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"No one 'sees' me," Rin muttered. "People ignore me or… mock me. That's how it's always been."

Anko exhaled through her nose, a small, knowing smile on her lips.

"That's what you think."

Rin looked at her, confused.

Anko rested her chin on her hand, watching her closely.

"I saw you, Rin. Every day. Sitting at your desk alone. Leaving class quietly. Going home with your head down. I watched you get stuck with cleaning duty over and over, doing it all by yourself because your cleaning partner left you to it alone."

Rin's breath caught.

She noticed... me?

Anko's voice softened. "And every time I saw you… I wondered what you were thinking. What kind of person you were."

Rin swallowed, feeling strangely vulnerable.

She didn't know how to respond.

Anko continued, voice light but sincere.

"I wanted to talk to you for a long time, you know?" She smiled a little. "But I didn't know how. You always seemed so distant."

Rin tensed. "That's because I don't talk to people."

"I know," Anko said. "That's why I thought… maybe I should be the one to take the first step."

Rin looked at her, confused.

Anko sighed, leaning forward slightly. "Rin… I want to be your friend."

Rin's body froze.

Friend?

No one had ever said that to her before. Not like this.

She wasn't sure how to react—wasn't sure if she even believed it.

She lowered her gaze, fingers gripping the fabric of her skirt.

"Why?" The word came out barely above a whisper.

Anko didn't hesitate. "Because I think you're interesting."

Rin's stomach twisted.

That didn't make sense.

"I'm not," she muttered.

Anko chuckled. "That's what you think."

Rin blinked.

She had said that before.

And for some reason, hearing her own words thrown back at her made her feel something.

Anko gave her a soft look. "You don't have to answer right away. Just… think about it, okay?"

Rin didn't respond.

She wasn't sure if she could.

Her heart was pounding too hard.

Anko stretched her arms with a yawn, breaking the heavy atmosphere. "Anyway, we should probably head back. Lunch is almost over."

Rin barely processed what she was saying.

Her mind was still stuck on those words.

I want to be your friend.

She never thought she'd hear that.

And yet…

Something in her chest felt warm.

Like maybe… just maybe…

She didn't hate the idea.