The Girl Who Won’t Leave Me Alone.

Ren wasn't the type to dwell on things.

But somehow, her words lingered.

"I'm just wondering if you're sleeping to avoid class... or if you're sleeping to avoid something else."

Tch. Who did she think she was? Reading into things like that.

It was stupid. He had nothing to avoid. Nothing that mattered, anyway.

Yet, as Ren sat in his usual seat the next morning—head down, arms crossed—he found himself waiting.

Not on purpose, of course. It wasn't like he cared. But he couldn't ignore the sound of footsteps approaching the desk beside him.

"...You're awake today," Yuki Hoshino mused as she sat down.

Ren scoffed, shifting slightly. "And?"

She set her bag down and tilted her head. "It's just surprising."

"I can sleep if it makes you feel better."

She laughed softly. "I'd rather you stay awake."

Ren rolled his eyes, turning toward the window. There was something annoying about her presence. Not in the way most people annoyed him—loud, obnoxious, or too scared to meet his gaze—but because she wasn't afraid of him.

She didn't treat him like a problem. She didn't look at him like a thug. She just... looked at him.

And it was irritating.

"Hey," Yuki leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as the teacher walked in. "Do you have a pen?"

Ren exhaled sharply. "No."

She blinked. "You don't bring anything to class?"

"Do I look like I do?"

She studied him for a second, then smiled. "No, I guess not."

Without hesitation, she pulled an extra pen from her pencil case and held it out to him.

Ren stared at it, unimpressed. "I don't need it."

"Take it anyway."

"I said I don't need it."

"And I don't need two pens," she countered easily. "So now it's yours."

Ren narrowed his eyes. "That's not how it works."

Yuki just smiled like she'd already won. "Too bad. It's yours now."

Ren clicked his tongue, snatching the pen from her hand. "Tch. Whatever."

She didn't react, just turned toward the front as class started.

Ren should've stopped thinking about it. It was just a pen. It didn't mean anything.

So why did it feel like he'd just lost something in this exchange?

Lunch Break – Rooftop

The rooftop was his territory. His escape. The one place he could sit in peace without people staring or whispering behind his back.

So when Ren pushed open the metal door and found Yuki standing near the railing, staring at the sky, his first instinct was to turn around and leave.

She turned before he could.

"Oh," she blinked. Then she smiled. "I was wondering if you'd be up here."

Ren frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Enjoying the view."

He glanced past her at the empty sky. Just blue and clouds. Nothing special.

He exhaled. "You could do that anywhere."

"True." Yuki leaned forward slightly, resting her arms against the railing. "But I like it here."

Ren gave her a flat look. "Since when?"

She shrugged. "Since now."

He stared at her. "You're annoying."

She laughed. "You keep saying that, but you never tell me to leave."

Ren clicked his tongue, shoving his hands into his pockets. She had a point.

"...Whatever." He walked past her and sat down against the fence, stretching his legs out. "Do what you want."

"Thanks," she said cheerfully, sitting a few feet away from him.

Silence settled between them. Comfortable. Unforced.

Ren found himself stealing a glance at her. She was smiling at the sky, long dark hair shifting slightly in the breeze.

For a moment, he wondered what she saw when she looked up.

Then he stopped himself.

It didn't matter.

Later That Day – Classroom

Ren was fully prepared to forget Yuki existed by the end of the day.

But then—

"Ren," she called as he stood from his desk.

He sighed. Again? "What?"

She held out her hand. "My pen."

He blinked.

"What?"

"The pen I gave you," she said simply. "You never actually used it, did you?"

Ren scowled, digging it out of his pocket and holding it up. "Yeah, so?"

She smiled. "Then I want it back."

"...What?"

She reached for it. "It's wasted on you."

Ren jerked his hand away. "Tch. You can't just take back a gift."

"You said it wasn't a gift."

He clicked his tongue. "That's not the point."

Yuki grinned. "Then what is?"

Ren glared at her, tightening his grip on the pen. "I don't know. But it's mine now."

She studied him for a second before laughing. "Fine, keep it."

He wasn't sure why he felt victorious.

As she packed her things, Yuki glanced at him one last time.

"See you tomorrow, Ren."

He didn't respond. But this time, he didn't tell himself he wouldn't think about her again.

Because he already knew—he would.