Lina had never felt this out of place in her own classroom.
Ever since Ciel sat beside her, things were different — louder, warmer, a little chaotic. He greeted her like a friend every morning, saved her a seat ar lunch, even shared his favorite snacks, placing them on her desk like a habit.
Everyone noticed.
Everyone had something to say.
"You too look cute together," Rachel teased one afternoon.
Lina just smiled awkwardly. Cute? She didn't even know what this was.
What bothered her more wasn't the teasing.
It was Renzo.
He'd stopped saying hi. He didn't linger in the hallways anymore. And when their eyes met — if ever — his stare was blank. Like he was looking through her.
Today, though, something broke that silence .
She was walking toward the library again, books hugged tight to her chest, when she heard someone call out — "Lina!"
It was Ciel, running toward her. Smiling, of course.
"Hey, want to check out that café near the campus after class? I heard they have that cinnamon thing you like."
She hesitated. "I… I don't know."
He tilted his head. "Not a date. Just coffee. Friends, right?"
Lina opened her mouth to answer — and that's when she felt it. A pair of eyes. Watching.
She turned her head slightly — just enough to catch a shadow disappearing down the corner of the stairs.
Renzo.
She didn't know how she knew. But it was him.
And for the first time since the video, her heart didn't flutter from attention. It ached frim absence.
—————
– Renzo's Side (Mini POV)
He didn't meant to stop.
He just told himself he was just passing by. That the hallway near the library was just quieter than the main one. That it had nothing to do with her schedule.
But then he saw Ciel — all smiles, full of ease — walking beside her like they'd known each other for years. Like he had the right.
And Lina laughed.
Not loudly. Not showy. Just… softly. Like a secret.
Renzo looked away quickly.
He hated how warm his ears suddenly felt.
He hated the way his chest tightened.
And most of all…
He hated that it wasn't him making her laugh.