Bewitched

Lena followed, hand still in Umire's, her steps light but her heart heavy with disbelief. They exited the classroom together, hand in hand.

The hallway was mostly quiet—just the low murmur of lingering students—and sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting gold across the floor.

It lit Umire up ahead of her, haloing her figure in soft warmth as she walked just a step in front of Lena.

Lena stared at the back of her, at the gentle pull of her hand. 

It was too surreal, like a moment borrowed from someone else's life.

"Mr. Yon probably wants to talk to you about being late today. Why were you late anyway?" Umire asked, turning her head towards Lena, not halting in her steps forward. 

Lena's eyes stayed on their entwined hands, her nerves tightening as she noticed how clammy her palm had become. She fought the instinct to pull away but didn't want to make Umire think she hated the contact. She didn't hate it, which surprised her. She felt like she'd done more hand-holding in the past 24 hours than she had done in her whole life put together. She distantly wondered if Umire held everyone's hand like this. A strange flutter twisted in her stomach at the thought.

"You there?" Umire's voice broke through her thoughts. Lena blinked and raised her gaze to meet her.

The light streaming through the windows bathed half of Umire's face in a soft glow., Lena distantly thought of how she looked like a painting, especially with how silky and fluffy her hair fell down her back and shoulders and delicately framed her face..

"Wait, what did you say?" Lena asked, still a little lost in the moment.

"Huh, you weren't listening for real?" Umire exclaimed, her voice rising in playful disbelief.

Lena's heart dropped, thuddering harshly as her chest tightened. Did I upset her? Is she mad? She panicked. Why do I always mess everything up?

"Oh, maybe I should go to Mr. Yon and tell him how I saw you almost skip class," Umire teased, a mischievous laugh in her voice as she smiled deviously.

Lena's shoulders relaxed slightly as she glanced at her. She's laughing? Was she not upset? Lena couldnt tell but she didnt look too upset she seemed to be kind of in a good mood…maybe.

"Wait…" Lena paused, taking a moment to process what Umire had just said. "How did you know I was about to not enter the class?"

Umire flashed a playful grin. "I was watching you. You were standing there in front of the door for, like, three minutes. And when I started walking toward you, you were backing up. What were you trying to skip? I'm the class president, you know—I have to enforce the rules." She laughed jokingly. "But seriously, why were you late?"

Lena shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, I slept past my alarm…"

She felt her cheeks flush slightly at the thought of Umire watching her. She hadn't even noticed. It felt strange, like being caught in something she didn't understand.

"Did you sleep late, or did you have a weird dream?" Umire asked, her voice light but curious. They were descending the stairs now, and Umire had let go of her hand. She bounced down the steps lightly, taking two at a time, her skirt and hair swaying with each step.

At the mention of the dream, Lena's stomach tightened. The memory of the dream that felt all too real came rushing back. The cold sweat, the creeping sensation of helplessness as the vines gripped her, pulling her toward the dark abyss. The black orbs loomed in her mind again, chilling and unfathomable.

"Uh… something like that…" Lena trailed off, her words faint, as her eyes met Umire's. Those deep, impossibly dark eyes where no light reflected seemed to mirror the two orbs from her nightmare.

Umire was at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for her the usual soft smile plastered on her face. Her gaze never wavered, too steady, too perceptive. And it made Lena feel even more on edge, like she was being scrutinized in a way she couldn't escape.

"Why weren't you entering the classroom?" Umire asked curiously.

"I, uh…" Lena murmured, her gaze dropping to the ground as she fumbled for the words. She couldn't bring herself to say the truth of how pathetic she'd felt standing there, trapped in the anxiety of walking in late and having everyone's eyes plastered on her. Why was it so hard to just be normal?

"Let me guess…" Umire continued, her voice delicate but perceptive. "You didn't want everyone staring at you while you walked in late, so you thought maybe you'd just skip? Were you nervous?" Umire's eyes met hers, and for a brief, disorienting moment, it felt as though Umire could see straight through her, every insecurity Lena had carefully buried. Those dark eyes seemed like they could strip away every mask she wore.

Lena froze two steps from the bottom, her heart racing. Umire's guess was disturbingly close to the truth, minus all the endless, pathetic scenarios that spiraled through Lena's head during the commute to school.

"Gosh, you're so cute!" Umire smiled at her, her eyes closing slightly in a soft, affectionate expression. There was a faint blush on her cheeks, making Lena's heart flutter, and the warmth of the smile seemed to melt the tension in her chest.

Lena stood there, completely still, caught in a moment that felt too perfect. She couldn't look away. Umire's smile felt impossibly warm and seemed to spread through her.

"C'mon, we're almost at the teacher's office. Let's not keep Mr. Yon waiting, and I want to hang out before the sun sets," Umire said, already moving toward the exit of the stairwell. Lena quickly walked the remaining two steps and jogged after her.

As they walked the rest of the way to the teacher's office, Umire chattered excitedly about their plans for lunch tomorrow, going on and on about what she might attempt to bake. Lena found herself responding without thinking, her words coming easily, almost instinctively.

It surprised her. She wasn't used to talking so casually with someone like this.

Her mind flicked to the students around her, laughing and chatting without a care. She felt like an outsider, watching from the edge as if observing a movie. Her gaze shifted back to Umire, whose warm smile seemed to look towards her with easy affection.

Lena's chest tightened, a strange warmth unfurling inside her, crawling beneath her skin with every passing second. It was unfamiliar, unsettling even—but not unpleasant. She couldn't explain it. Being near Umire made her feel... different. As she followed after Umire, she felt uneasy yet strangely drawn to the comfort of those deep, impossibly dark eyes.