The sun dipped low, painting the sky in streaks of orange and pink as the final bell rang.
I was halfway through stuffing books into my bag when a shadow fell across my desk.
"Music Boy."
I didn't even flinch this time. "…What now?"
Rina smirked. "Walk me home."
"…What? Why?"
"Because you owe me."
"For what?"
She tapped her chin dramatically. "Hm, let's see. For not exposing your secret earlier. For inspiring you with my motivational speeches. For gracing your pathetic loner existence with my presence. Shall I go on?"
I sighed. "…You're impossible."
"Exactly. Grab your stuff."
---
We walked side by side down the quiet street, cicadas buzzing in the trees.
At first, neither of us spoke. I kept my eyes on the ground, kicking a pebble every few steps.
Then Rina broke the silence. "So. You ready for your audition?"
My stomach flipped. "…Not really."
"Good." She grinned. "If you were, you'd probably be an arrogant jerk. At least this way, you're just an anxious mess. It's endearing."
I groaned. "Stop calling my panic endearing."
"Never."
She kicked the pebble I'd been nudging, sending it skittering across the sidewalk. For a moment, her smirk faded into something softer.
"…You know, I get it," she said quietly.
I glanced at her. "Get what?"
"Being scared of showing people who you are." She stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Everyone thinks I'm this fearless goth queen who doesn't care about anything. But… sometimes it's just easier to act like that than let people see the parts they'd laugh at."
Her words caught me off guard. "…Rina…"
She shrugged, eyes fixed on the horizon. "Don't make it weird. I'm just saying—hiding sucks. Hurts more than people think."
The air between us shifted, heavier but warmer somehow.
"…Thanks," I murmured.
She smirked again, though it didn't have its usual sharp edge. "You'd better kill it at the audition, Music Boy. Otherwise, I'll never forgive you for dragging me into your melodrama."
"I didn't drag you into anything!"
"Details, details." She stretched her arms over her head. "Anyway, you're stuck with me now. Might as well get used to it."
I stared at her, the dying sunlight casting her in gold. Somehow, the idea of being "stuck" with Rina didn't sound half bad.
"Yeah," I said softly. "I guess I am."
She blinked at me, then quickly looked away, cheeks faintly flushed. "…Idiot."
We kept walking.
And for the first time, the world didn't feel quite so heavy.