The rooftop was warm under the midday sun, but in the shade of a wall, Aurora, Amber, and Fiora sat cross-legged with their lunches. They were sharing lunch and chatting about random things.
"Thanks for the food," Aurora said brightly before taking a bite.
On the other side of the rooftop, K sat stiffly, watching with narrowed eyes. His usual peaceful spot had been invaded by others.
"…May I ask," he finally said, keeping his frustration under control, "why are you all eating here?"
Amber, with rice stuffed in her cheeks, tried to answer.
"Wel' yu knooow—"
K's voice rose immediately. "Chew it first, then answer!"
Amber scowled, swallowing with effort. "Don't yell at me and leave me alone with my lunch?"
"I should be asking you that!" K snapped.
Aurora tried to reason. "Well, neither can we eat in our classroom as Fiora feels uncomfortable there. And if we eat in Fiora's class, her classmates might get the wrong idea, like we're forcing her to eat with us."
"Then you thought it was a good idea," K said bitterly, "to invade someone's private area?"
Aurora blinked. "…Private area? But this is just the rooftop, isn't it?"
"Mmphhh… Yesh, you c'n tel—" Amber mumbled with another full mouth.
K growled. "Chew first, you glutton!" His voice grew sharper. "And this area? I found it after a long search. So yes, it's private."
Amber waved her hand. "Don't be like that. You say 'private area,' but it's not like your name is written on this plac..."
Before she could finish, K pointed down at the floor where they were sitting. Carved into the surface, messy but readable, was his name.
The girls stared at it in silence.
"Did he just really write his name," they all thought at once. "Like a little kid writing his name on everything."
"Now that you've seen it," K said flatly, "you can leave."
"Don't be selfish," Amber said, finally gulping down her rice.
"Yeah, I am. So just get out of here." K started complaining.
"K… Senpai…" Fiora's soft voice broke the tension. She had noticed something.
"What?" K said, clearly annoyed.
"Why are you eating only bread?" Fiora asked.
K blinked. "…Huh? What kind of question is that?"
"No, I mean…" Fiora lowered her gaze. "It's not good for your health if you don't eat your lunch properly."
"Ah… right. Now that you mention it," Aurora chimed in, "I never saw him eat anything except bread."
K shrugged. "I don't have time to make lunch for myself in the morning. So bread is the best option. It's cheap, too."
"Umm…" Fiora hesitated, thinking carefully before speaking again. "If you don't mind… I can cook lunch for you."
Amber immediately leaned forward, grinning. "Oh my~! It seems love has started to bloom!"
"N-No! It's not like that!" Fiora panicked, waving her hands. "I mean, I just thought—if we're eating together as a group, then maybe it would be better if we shared… that kind of thing…" Her voice trailed off, growing smaller.
Hearing this, K felt a chill down his spine as his spider sense told him to leave. He knew some dumb idea was about to come out of this. While the three of them kept talking, he quietly scribbled something on the wrapper of his bread and slipped away unnoticed.
"Yes, it's a great idea, right, Aurora?" Amber said, still chewing loudly.
Aurora looked away, avoiding her gaze.
"…Is something wrong, Aurora-senpai?" Fiora asked gently.
Aurora fidgeted, then whispered so softly it was barely audible. "…I don't know how to cook."
"Hm? What?" Amber turned to K, still munching. Then she stopped. "…Wait. Where's K?"
In the spot where he had been sitting was a crumpled wrapper with a note scribbled across it:
"Don't want to join. So keep me out of it."
Amber puffed her cheeks. "Geez! He never agrees to join us."
"Maybe it's too much for him," Aurora said with a hesitant laugh.
"…Aurora-senpai," Fiora asked quietly, "do you know why K-senpai always keeps himself away from others?"
Aurora shook her head. "Well, I don't know either. Do you know, Amber?"
Amber swallowed the last of her food and shrugged. "Nope."
The school lunch ended as the bell rang, and three of them left for their class.
As Fiora returned to her classroom, most of the students were still finishing lunch or chatting in groups. She smiled faintly, hoping to slip quietly back to her seat.
But when she reached her desk, she froze.
In the wooden surface of the desk, with black marker, some mocking words were written: "Creepy quiet girl." "Fake innocence." "Weirdo magnet."
She looked left and right, confused, but everyone was busy chatting as if they all knew but pretended not to notice.
Fiora could feel eyes on her. Three girls near the windows giggled quietly, pretending to talk about something else. She knew it was them; she'd heard the same muffled laughter when she walked into class almost every day lately.
They were the reason for the confession scene and also why Fiora had to confess to K.
But out of fear of them, she said nothing. She just opened her notebook, trying to cover the words with her arms.
When classes resumed, she could barely focus. The laughter behind her seat, the whispers during lessons—they all pressed on her chest like a heavy weight. And still, she told herself: Just ignore it. It'll go away.
But it didn't.
By the time the final bell rang, everyone else rushed out in pairs or groups, and as for Fiora, as usual, she was the last to pack up.
As Fiora slid the door to leave the classroom, the three girls appeared in the doorway, blocking her path.
"Well, if it isn't the silent saint of Class 1-B," one said, her arms crossed.
Fiora stopped immediately. "I… I'm just going home."
"Not so fast," another smirked, walking inside. "You saw what was written on your desk earlier, right? Guess you didn't like our little joke."
The third laughed softly. "You could've told a teacher. But you didn't. That's what makes this so easy."
Fiora instinctively stepped back until her shoulder hit her desk. "Please… I don't want any trouble."
"Oh, you already are trouble," one said, flicking her pen against Fiora's bag. "Always sitting alone like you're better than the rest of us."
"I'm not…" Fiora whispered. "I just… don't know how to talk like others do…"
"Of course you don't. You don't even try."
Their laughter grew sharper, circling around her like a cold wind. Fiora's knees trembled as tears pooled in her eyes—but before any of them noticed, a voice cut through the classroom.
"Well, so there are really some idiots trying to ruin someone's life for their enjoyment?" K said as he sighed. "And I thought, for today at least, I could have a peaceful day."
All three froze. The sound came from the back door of the classroom.
K was there—leaning on the gate with crossed arms. He must have noticed the girls and Fiora from the class window.
"Huh? Isn't that the weird Senpai," one whispered under her breath.
K raised his voice as he said, "I am the normal one, and all other students are stupid, you understand?"
"Right," all the girls froze, shocked by his shouting.
And the classroom became silent.
He smirked faintly. "You know, I don't care what people call me."
But didn't you just shout hearing us call you weirdo? they all thought, including Fiora as well.
K's smirk turned sharper as he looked at the three girls who had just finished mocking Fiora.
"You know," he said casually, "it's funny. You three only talk big when your target stays quiet. Guess bravery comes in bulk when it's three on one, huh?"
One of the girls hissed, "Shut up. Nobody asked you."
K tilted his head. "Right, because you only pick fights with people who won't answer. Must be exhausting pretending to be tough."
Another glared. "What's your problem, freak?!"
He took a slow step forward, voice calm but cutting. "My problem? People like you—noise without meaning. You insult others to feel tall, but if silence scares you so much, maybe you're just afraid of hearing your own thoughts."
A sharp gasp followed. One girl's face flushed red with anger. "You think you're funny, huh?"
"Yeah," K said dryly, "but the audience here is pretty weak."
Her composure snapped. The girl strode up and slapped K across the face. The sound echoed through the classroom.
Fiora gasped softly, frozen in shock.
K turned his head slightly from the impact, then looked back at her with flat eyes. "You done?"
"You wouldn't dare hit back," she sneered. "You're a guy. What kind of man hits a girl?"
K sighed. "The kind who believes idiots shouldn't hide behind gender when they start a fight."
Before she realized what happened, he flicked his hand—not hard, but enough to make her stumble back in shock. "Equal rights. Equal consequences."
The other two girls jumped, tripping over chairs in panic before scrambling toward the door. The one who slapped him followed, wide-eyed and pale.
When the door slammed shut behind them, silence blanketed the room.
K rubbed the side of his face, muttering, "Tch. I hate drama."
Fiora stood speechless, staring at him. "You… actually hit her…"
He shrugged. "I returned the favor. Balance restored." His tone softened just slightly. "Anyway, don't let them walk all over you. People like that—if you don't stop them, they start believing they're untouchable."
Fiora nodded weakly, still processing everything.
K walked past her, hands in his pockets. "Come on. I'll buy something sweet bread on the way out. You look like you could use some sugar after watching that mess."
And before she could even reply, he added in his usual dry tone, "I'm not paying for yours though."