White walked toward Shu, clutching Bell's hand.
He felt nervous and anxious.
'I don't know what I'll say. If she's still angry, she won't even listen. But I have to try. At the very least, I want a proper conversation… to understand her situation better.'
He asked Bell to stay quiet for a moment. Even if she spoke, Shu wouldn't hear her—but it might distract him.
"…Hey, Shu."
She turned at the sound of his voice. Annoyance flickered across her delicate face, followed by the usual sharp neutrality she always wore. Her eyes were like guarded walls behind glass.
"What do you want? And if you're here to tell me you didn't cheat on the test, then you're wasting both your time and mine."
Her tone was clipped, as if even acknowledging him was a burden.
White's chest tightened, but he forced himself to speak.
"I think… what I said might not have been a big deal to me… but I didn't consider your feelings. So, I owe you an apology. On the rooftop… I dismissed your feelings. I didn't realize how important your achievements were to you. That wasn't right."
For a brief moment, her mask cracked. Surprise flickered in her eyes. But just as quickly, it disappeared—replaced by that cold shell again.
"If you're sorry, then let's leave it at that. I don't have time to waste."
She turned away, brushing her fingers along the books on the shelf with forced calm.
Her dismissal stung.
But it wasn't unexpected.
White's eyes drifted—almost on their own—to her wrists, half-hidden beneath her sleeves. The red welts he had seen before replayed vividly in his mind.
'…I can't just let this go.'
"Shu…" he spoke again—
—but before he could continue—
"Papaaa!"
A small tug on his sleeve snapped him back.
Bell's innocent voice rang out as she looked up at Shu with curiosity.
"Bell! What are you doing? I told you to stay quiet for a moment," he whispered, scolding her softly.
"But…" She looked at him as her stomach growled.
"Just wait a little longer. I'll treat you to pudding later," he said.
"I want two!" she said, jumping.
"…Done."
"Who are you talking to?" Shu's voice cut in, her expression already saying everything.
White's stomach dropped. He looked at her—
As expected, confusion filled her face.
She couldn't see Bell.
To her, he was just talking to empty air.
He forced a smile to hide his embarrassment, but inside, unease crept deeper.
'This isn't a coincidence anymore. Miss Elsa couldn't see Bell. Shu can't see Bell. Only I can. '
The weight of that truth pressed heavily on his chest.
---
For the rest of their shopping, White tried talking to Shu. But she kept her distance, ignoring him—like she was trying to escape.
Until they reached the cashier.
That's when her composure cracked.
Her hands searched through her bag.
Her face turned pale.
"…No… maybe I left it at home…"
White moved before he could stop himself.
"Did you… forget your wallet?"
She stiffened and turned toward him, her face flushed with embarrassment and pride.
"…I don't want your help. Just leave me alone. I'll manage somehow."
"You can't manage everything," he said gently. "Let me pay. Think of it as a loan. You can return it anytime."
"No."
The word was firm—but fragile.
"If I don't help, you'll have to leave everything behind. You've already come this far… so isn't it more reasonable to accept help?"
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
"…Fine. Just this once."
Something in White's chest loosened.
This wasn't just about money.
It felt like a door had opened—just a little.
Because when someone owes you something…
Whether they want to or not—
They stay connected.
---
Shopping took longer than expected.
By the time they stepped outside, the sky had already darkened.
At first, Shu refused when White offered to walk her home.
But eventually—
He managed to convince her.
'That's the power of a favor.'
---
Under the dim glow of the streetlights, they walked in silence.
Bell hummed beside him, swinging the grocery bag she held like it was a prize.
It surprised him—
Even the things she held became invisible to others.
The bag in her hands…
Shu couldn't see it.
Shu clutched her own bag tightly.
The distance between them felt fragile—not physical, but emotional.
---
Finally, she spoke.
"…Thank you. And… I apologize for earlier. On the rooftop."
White glanced at her, surprised.
"You don't need to. Are you talking about when you yelled at me?" he teased lightly.
"…Yes. I shouldn't have lost my composure, regardless of… your grades."
Her voice trembled beneath the calm she tried to maintain.
"But… it's just that…"
She trailed off.
Her lips pressed tightly together.
Her gaze shifted away.
"…Is it because of your parents?" White asked carefully.
Her reaction was immediate.
She stiffened—like he had touched something he wasn't supposed to.
"It's not that."
But the lie was obvious.
Fragile.
Transparent.
She wasn't denying it because it was false—
She was denying it because she couldn't say it out loud.
---
They kept walking.
The silence between them was loud.
Heavy.
Filled with unspoken truths.
---
"…Shu," White said softly. "If you want to share… why do you distance yourself from others?"
She looked at him, confused.
"I mean… unlike me, you're famous. A top student every semester. People try to talk to you… but it feels like you push them away on purpose."
Her steps slowed.
For the first time, her voice wasn't sharp.
It was tired.
"…Because it's a waste of time."
She looked straight ahead.
"Spending time on useless things… going to karaoke, laughing at meaningless things, hanging out without purpose…"
"I don't have time for that."
"A friend is just someone who steals your time."
Her voice felt empty.
Like a doll speaking.
A doll that only knew how to wear expressions—
Even if it was broken inside.
---
White didn't know her well.
But even then—
He could tell.
She was broken.
He wanted to ask more.
But he couldn't.
Not directly.
So, he stayed quiet.
---
When they reached her street, she stopped.
"This is where we part. I'll repay you tomorrow at school."
White didn't want the silence to win.
He didn't want her to disappear behind that wall again.
'If I stay quiet now… everything will go back to how it was. But what can I even say? I'm not a hero. Not a magician. I can't fix everything. I'm just… a normal person. At most—I can listen. And be there. Yeah… that's enough.'
---
"…Shu!"
He called out before she could leave.
She turned slightly.
"Spending time with friends isn't a waste," he said, his voice trembling—but firm. "If no one else… then let me be your friend. Your first friend."
"Give me a chance. I'll prove you wrong."
The moment the words left his mouth—
He realized what he had just said.
His face burned red.
He dropped to his knees, hiding his face in embarrassment.
Beside him, Bell tilted her head in confusion—
then gently patted his head.
---
White didn't look up fully—
but from the corner of his eye—
He saw it.
Her eyes widened.
The mask on her face flickered.
For a moment…
He thought she would say something.
But instead—
She turned and walked away.
Without a word.
---
White's chest sank—
until he noticed something.
The faintest curve.
The smallest smile tugging at her lips.
It was brief.
Fragile.
Almost invisible.
But real.
---
And in that fleeting smile—
He knew.
His words had reached her.
---
A small sense of relief filled him.
'Maybe I can't change everything at once… but slowly—I can close the distance between us. And maybe—just maybe—help her. Even if it's just by listening.'