By the third day, the whispers had grown louder.
"Aya's so lucky, sitting next to him every day."
"Do you think they're talking outside of class?"
"No way, Lawrence doesn't like anyone."
I kept my head down, pretending to focus on my notes. But it was impossible to ignore the stares.
During lunch, I escaped to a quieter corner of the courtyard, away from the noisy classrooms. The breeze was cool, and the sound of leaves rustling was a welcome change.
I had barely opened my lunchbox when a shadow fell over me.
"Mind if I sit here?"
I looked up to see Lawrence standing there, holding his lunch tray.
I blinked. "…There are other empty tables."
He shrugged. "This one's fine."
Without waiting for my permission, he sat down across from me.
For a moment, we ate in silence, the only sound being the faint rustle of the trees.
Finally, I asked, "I thought you didn't like sitting with people."
"I don't," he said simply.
"Then why—"
"Because the other tables are full."
I gave him a look. "That's not true. I passed by at least three empty tables."
He glanced at me then, his expression unreadable. "Do you always argue this much?"
"I'm just curious."
"Curiosity gets you into trouble," he said, taking a bite of his food.
I rolled my eyes, deciding not to push further.
But for some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that he sat here for a reason.
A group of girls passed by, whispering loudly enough for us to hear.
"They're eating together!"
"Do you think they're dating?"
I felt my cheeks heat up, but Lawrence didn't react at all.
He just continued eating, completely unfazed.
Finally, I muttered, "Aren't you bothered by what they're saying?"
"No," he replied.
"…Why not?"
"Because it doesn't matter."
I stared at him for a moment before looking away. Maybe he really didn't care what people thought. Or maybe he was just good at pretending.
When lunch ended, we walked back to class in silence.
But as we stepped inside, I noticed a few classmates staring at us, whispering again.
Lawrence didn't even glance at them.
But I couldn't help feeling… strange.
Not embarrassed. Not exactly.
Just… strange.....