"So?" Aurora asked.
K was still yawning when he noticed Aurora and Amber standing in front of his desk.
"What?" he mumbled, blinking in confusion.
"I'm talking about that girl. Did you meet her after that day?" Aurora pressed.
"Who are you talking about?" K tilted his head, clearly lost.
Amber crossed her arms and said, "She's talking about the pink-haired girl—the one who confessed to you. You accepted her, remember?"
K leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "No. I haven't seen her since that day."
"Are you stupid?!" Aurora shouted, startling K so much that he quickly covered his ears.
"Tch—why are you making such a big deal out of it?" he muttered, annoyed.
Amber leaned forward. "Didn't you say you accepted her confession because she needed help?"
"Of course I said that. But she never contacted me or asked for anything. If she doesn't, then there's no need for me to step in." He placed his legs casually on the desk, unbothered.
Aurora slammed her hands on his desk. "So you'll just ignore her even if you know she needs help?"
K gave an indifferent shrug. "It's simple. If she really wants help, she has to ask for it herself."
Amber frowned. "Don't you feel sorry for her?"
Instead of answering, K sighed and stood up. As he walked past them toward the door, he added in a low, cold voice:
"I don't want her to rely on me—or on anyone else. If she wants help, the first step is to stand on her own."
Aurora and Amber exchanged glances. The words hit them both with the same thought: *That sounded exactly like something a tsundere would say.
In the hallway, Aurora whispered, "So… what do we after meeting her? She might get scared."
Amber smirked. "Don't worry. I know how to deal with scared cats."
Aurora giggled softly. "So now she's a cat, huh?"
As they reached her classroom, they spotted the pink-haired girl through the window. She was quietly eating lunch alone at her desk, while the rest of the class laughed and shared food in groups.
"We should do something," Aurora whispered.
"I have just the idea," Amber replied, determination flashing in her eyes.
Before Aurora could stop her, Amber strode into the classroom and marched up to the girl's desk.
"You. Come with us," she said boldly.
The girl froze, eyes wide. "B-But…"
Without waiting for her answer, Amber lightly took her hand and pulled her out of her seat. Aurora quickly picked up her lunch box and followed along nervously.
They led her upstairs to the rooftop, under the shade, where the girl stood trembling, clutching her lunch. Her heart hammered in her chest.
Amber crossed her arms. "Do you know why we brought you here?"
The girl nodded timidly.
"Good," Amber said firmly.
The girl's eyes watered as she shakily pulled out some money and bowed. "I-I only have this… Please let me go…"
Amber blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
Aurora smacked the back of Amber's head. "Ouch! What was that for?" Amber whined.
"Idiot! You sound like a bully. Of course she's scared!" Aurora scolded before turning back to the girl with a gentle smile.
"Hello. I'm Aurora, and this airhead is Amber. It's nice to meet you."
The girl bowed her head. "I… I'm Fiora," she said softly.
"Fiora," Aurora repeated with warmth. "You might be confused, but we noticed you always eat alone. So we thought… maybe you'd like to eat with us."
"Eat… with you?" Fiora looked bewildered. Why would strangers invite her like this?
Amber grinned. "Don't worry. We just want to be friends."
Aurora's lips curled mischievously. "Besides, *he* will be joining too."
The rooftop door creaked open, and sure enough, K stepped in.
He instantly frowned when he saw the group. Without a word, he turned around to leave, but Aurora quickly grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?!" she demanded.
"Don't drag me into your little picnic." K scowled. "I should've known you two would try some stupid stunt again."
Amber pounced to block him, grabbing his leg. "Wait! We just want to eat together!"
"Why should I?!" K barked, struggling to shake them off. "Let me go!"
Aurora, refusing to release him, called out, "Fiora! Help us stop him!"
The pink-haired girl panicked, frozen in place. But when she saw K's sharp glare piercing through her, her body acted on pure fear. She stumbled forward and blocked the doorway.
"What are you doing?!" K snapped. "Don't listen to their nonsense—they're idiots!"
Fiora, overwhelmed by his voice and presence, paled—and fainted on the spot.
***
### After the Fall
Some minutes later, Fiora awoke to find herself resting on Aurora's lap. Aurora gently stroked her hair while Amber munched casually on her sandwich.
"That was close. But hey, you're okay. I was scared for a second there," Amber said with her mouth full.
When Fiora sat up, she noticed K sitting beside them, arms crossed, his troubled eyes looking away.
"Ah… um…" she tried to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
"Don't be afraid of him," Aurora reassured softly. "He only looks scary. Deep down, he cares."
"Tch… Whatever," K muttered, standing up. "Since she's awake, I'm leaving."
"K-Senpai!" Fiora suddenly called out. Her voice trembled, but she forced herself to continue. "I… I'm sorry, but… I don't like you."
Amber and Aurora froze—but neither of them looked surprised.
K, on the other hand, didn't flinch. He only sighed. "That's all? I knew from the beginning."
Fiora's eyes widened. "Then… why did you accept my confession?"
K's gaze softened just slightly. "You were afraid, weren't you? From my perspective, it looked like you were forced into it. If I had rejected you right there, it would've played right into their hands. By accepting, I flipped the game."
Her lips trembled. "Then…"
He looked away, stepping toward the door. "Then nothing. You don't need to feel responsible for anything. Forget all of it."
And just like that, he walked away, leaving Fiora staring after him, her heart pounding with confusion.