A different Yes

Rin blinked, caught off guard.

Did she miss Anko? The question sat in the air between them, light but impossible to ignore.

She lowered her gaze, staring at her hands as if the answer could be found there. She wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't like she spent the weekend longing for Anko's presence—but when she thought about it, there had been moments where her mind wandered back to the rooftop, to their quiet lunches, to Anko's warm voice breaking through the silence.

Still, saying that out loud felt… embarrassing.

"…I guess it was quieter," Rin finally mumbled, her fingers fidgeting slightly.

Anko chuckled. "So you're saying I'm loud?"

Rin's eyes widened slightly. "N-No, that's not—"

"I'm kidding." Anko smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "You're just bad at answering questions, huh?"

Rin huffed, looking away. "Maybe."

Anko watched her for a moment before leaning back in her seat. "Well, I missed you."

Rin's heart skipped a beat.

It wasn't a big deal. It was just a simple sentence. But the way Anko said it, so casual, as if it was the most natural thing in the world—it made Rin's chest feel strangely warm.

She didn't know how to respond to that.

So she didn't.

She just focused on her desk, ignoring the way her ears felt hot.

Anko didn't push for an answer. Instead, she just smiled, as if she already knew.

Silence settled between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that didn't need to be filled.

Rin thought that would be the end of it, but Anko tapped a finger against the desk, her eyes still on her.

"So," Anko said casually, "how about we do something next weekend?"

Rin looked up. "What?"

"Next weekend. You and me. We go out, do something fun."

Rin frowned slightly. "Why?"

Anko tilted her head. "Why not?"

Rin opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. Why not? She didn't exactly have any plans. It was just… unexpected.

She stared at Anko, searching for some kind of deeper motive. Was this another one of her teasing games? Or was she actually serious?

"Do you always invite people out like this?" Rin asked instead.

Anko smirked. "Nope. Just you."

Rin felt her heartbeat pick up again. She swallowed, looking away. "I don't know…"

"Think about it," Anko said, stretching her arms above her head. "I'll even let you pick where we go."

Rin glanced at her skeptically. "You don't seem like the type to give people choices."

Anko laughed. "I'm full of surprises."

Rin wasn't sure what to say to that. She wasn't even sure how she felt. But before she could come up with a proper response, the classroom door creaked open, and the usual morning rush of students began to trickle in.

Anko leaned forward, lowering her voice so only Rin could hear. "I'll be waiting for your answer, okay?"

Rin bit the inside of her cheek.

Anko always made things sound so simple.

But nothing ever felt simple when it came to her.