The rooftop air smelled of summer and rust.
Riko leaned heavily against the metal railing, her fingers clenching the cool bar until her knuckles whitened.
The angry rush of her heart hadn't quite calmed yet. It slammed against her ribs like a trapped bird, desperate to break free.
The city stretched out beyond the school walls, endless and hazy under the afternoon sun.
From up here, it almost looked peaceful. Almost.
"Hey, girl... you okay?"
A soft voice floated toward her.
Riko turned slightly, blinking against the sunlight.
Yu, short brown hair a little windswept, skirt askew from rushing, was peering at her with a worried frown.
The concern in her friend's eyes was like a balm, cooling some of the fire still burning in her chest.
"I've... never seen you look so angry," Yu said, easing herself down beside her, legs swinging over the rooftop ledge. "Like, ever."
Riko let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Slowly, carefully, she pushed the anger back down, locking it behind the perfect mask she always wore.
Smile. Always smile.
She forced a small one onto her lips and looked up at Yu.
"Yeah. Just... teenage boys being turds and spreading lies," she said, trying for lightness.
Yu gave her a long, knowing look, and without another word, leaned her head against Riko's shoulder.
"Boys suck. Sorry, Ri."
The warmth of her friend's presence was comforting.
Riko closed her eyes briefly, letting herself pretend, just for a moment. That everything was fine.
Yu squeezed her arm gently. "I've never seen a rumor get to you like this," she said quietly.
Neither had Riko.
She stared down at her hands resting on her lap. They looked so steady, but she could still feel the trembling just beneath her skin.
"I don't know why it's getting to me," she admitted, her voice so small it almost got lost in the breeze. "Maybe because... he made people question my integrity. Who I am. What I stand for."
She swallowed hard.
"I just..." Her fingers curled into fists. "I don't ever want anyone to doubt that I care about them. That I'm sincere. I—"
She broke off, the words sticking painfully in her throat.
The sky above stretched on forever, a brilliant endless blue.
Yet somehow, Riko had never felt smaller.
Yu's hand found her shoulder again, grounding her.
"Don't worry," she said firmly. "No one's questioning you. Your actions speak louder than anything he could ever say."
Riko turned her head to look at her.
"Thanks, Yu. You're the best."
A sheepish smile crept onto her face. "But... maybe I didn't help myself when I stomped through the halls like a toddler and grabbed him by the collar," she muttered, covering her face with both hands.
Yu let out a peal of laughter that bounced joyfully across the empty rooftop.
"Honestly? I think it was kinda badass," she said, bumping Riko's shoulder. "Besides, half the guys in school are probably swooning over how feisty you looked."
"Wh-what?!"
Riko's cheeks burst into flames.
Yu squealed, grabbing Riko by the shoulders and shaking her lightly, teasing her with a wide grin.
They collapsed into a fit of giggles, the tension finally cracking and spilling out as laughter.
For a little while, the world felt light again.
When the bell rang, they stood, brushing dust off their skirts and gathering their things.
As they headed down the stairs, Riko silently prayed the day's drama would be over.
But fate, it seemed, had other plans.
The sun had dipped lower in the sky by the time Riko finished helping the volleyball club.
She wiped her dusty hands on her skirt, sighing as she tucked the last of the equipment into the storage closet.
Her body was tired, but her mind wouldn't stop spinning.
No matter how hard she worked, no matter how many smiles she gave, there was still that whisper of doubt now.
Fake.
Liar.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and trudged toward the school gate.
And there, waiting with an easy slouch and a half-lazy grin...was Hoshina Soshiro.
Riko's steps stuttered.
For one wild second, she considered sprinting the other direction.
But before she could move, he fell into step beside her, swinging his bag lazily over one shoulder.
He acted like they were old friends, like the confrontation earlier hadn't happened at all.
"So," he said cheerfully, "today's lecture was such a snooze. Do you really think Kaiju came to Earth that way? It's all just hypothetical nonsense."
Riko blinked at him, stunned into silence.
Was this some new tactic? Pretend everything was fine and mess with her head?
She forced herself to respond cautiously.
"I'm... not sure. I think it's interesting, though. We still know so little about them."
With his bag over his shoulder, his elbow bounced in the air as he walked. It acted as a divider between them.
Maybe that was intentional.
The more he talked, casually, almost lazily, the more Riko's brain raced.
Why was he doing this?
Why pretend they were friends now?
Why act like nothing had happened?
Before she could stop herself, the words burst out:
"Why?"
He paused. She felt the hesitation in his steps.
"Why are you talking to me like we didn't argue earlier?" she demanded, voice sharp.
There was a beat of silence.
Then, he chuckled.
"Eh, it's better than walking in silence," he said easily. "And I stand by what I said. But people can have different opinions and still get along, you know?"
Riko stared at him, dumbfounded.
That wasn't just a difference of opinion. He had practically accused her of being a fraud. He had hated her.
She opened her mouth to say as much, but then she realized.
They had stopped walking.
Confused, she looked around, and froze.
They were standing in front of her house.
When had they even gotten there?
Before she could react, Hoshina tilted his head, jerking it toward the house next door.
"I've seen you struggle," he said, his voice dropping lower, softer.
"I've seen you cry. I've seen how hard you work. But I also see how those around you thank you for that hard work. By leaving you to do everything alone. You put in hours and they give you what? A grateful smile and "you're the best!" He said in a fake cherry tone.
He clicks his tongue in thought then continues. "How many people would run to your side if you needed it? How many people would do the same for you? How many of them would stay for you, Kai?"
His voice is softer almost sad.
"I'll tell you how many... none."
His words slammed into her chest, knocking the air from her lungs.
"You're wrong," she whispered, trembling. "I don't mind. I choose to help. I—"
Hoshina finally turned to look at her, and the world seemed to sharpen into painful clarity.
His hair caught the evening breeze, strands of deep violet whispering across his forehead.
His ruby-red eyes, usually so mocking, were serious now. Sad, even.
"Then tell me, Kai," he said quietly.
"Why are you crying?"
She lifted her hand to her cheek, almost in disbelief.
Her fingers came away wet.
Her heart screamed in protest, but her mind.
Her mind whispered that he was right.
That he had seen the part of her even she tried to ignore.
The part that was lonely.
Tired.
Desperate to be truly seen, not just admired.
He shook his head, a soft, pitying gesture.
"Since we were five," he said. "Since we moved next door. I hear you crying at night. Throwing things in your room when you think no one's listening.
You're not fooling anyone, Kai, Riko."
She wanted to scream at him.
Tell him he was wrong.
Tell him to mind his own business.
But the words wouldn't come.
Because deep down.
She didn't want him to stop seeing her.
As she stood there, frozen in the dying light of day, he turned toward his house, pushing open his gate.
Just before slipping inside, he glanced over his shoulder, a crooked, bittersweet smile tugging at his mouth.
"You look so pretty when you cry," he said.
And then, he was gone.
Leaving Riko alone on the sidewalk, heart shattered, knees weak.
She stumbled inside her house, closing the door softly behind her.
Only then did she slide to the floor, pressing a hand to her chest, as if she could somehow hold it together.
Hoshina, Soshiro... what have you done to me?