The morning bell rang, echoing through Northern Heights Academy like a signal for chaos. Luna slung her bag over her shoulder, weaving through the crowd of students with a quiet determination. But she knew — and always seemed to — that Peryn would notice her first.
Sure enough, he was leaning against a locker near the entrance, arms crossed casually, smirk already in place.
"Late as usual," he teased, his voice low and playful.
"I'm on time," Luna shot back, trying to sound confident. But she felt her cheeks warming.
Hina, lurking a few lockers down, whispered conspiratorially to Sayuri, "Watch how he reacts when Akio gets involved today. Classic."
Akio appeared moments later, holding his books a little too tightly, jaw set, eyes darting toward Luna more than the hallway around him. Luna immediately noticed the tension radiating off him. Every glance he gave Peryn — subtle, almost imperceptible — carried a silent warning.
During first period, group activities became a stage for the unspoken dynamics. Luna and Peryn were paired for a simple experiment, and as usual, his attention was entirely on her. He leaned over, adjusting a small measurement, and whispered, "Careful, your technique is… messy."
Luna rolled her eyes, laughing quietly. But Akio's fingers tapped furiously against his notebook across the aisle. His jaw tightened with every glance toward Peryn and Luna. The faint flare of jealousy was undeniable — Luna could feel it, even if she tried not to.
By lunch, the tension escalated. Hina had somehow orchestrated the seating so Luna was beside Peryn again. They shared snacks, and naturally, Peryn took slightly more than his share.
"You're hogging it again," Luna said, pretending to glare.
"Sharing is overrated," Peryn replied, smirking, glancing at her in that way that made her insides flutter.
From a few tables away, Akio's frown deepened. He muttered something under his breath — barely audible, but Luna caught the word ridiculous. His body language screamed it: arms crossed, shoulders tense, eyes flicking constantly between them.
Luna felt a pang of sympathy, but more than that, a strange thrill. Peryn's attention made her heart beat faster than Akio's silent tension ever could.
Later, in computer lab, Peryn leaned over her shoulder to help fix a stubborn cable, humming off-key again — that "broken radio" tune that always made her laugh despite herself.
"Stop singing like a broken radio," she whispered, hiding her smile.
"Only for you," he muttered cheekily, leaning just slightly closer.
Akio, seated nearby, shot a sharp glance. His hand tapped nervously on his keyboard, jaw tight. Even Sayuri whispered to Hina, "He's clearly jealous."
Throughout the day, Luna noticed the pattern: Peryn's teasing, playful attention, small gestures — shoulder taps, whispered jokes, correcting mistakes — were personal and deliberate. Akio's reactions, though restrained, were growing more obvious: small frowns, slightly sharper tones when talking to her, subtle attempts to get her attention.
By the time the last bell rang, Luna's mind was a swirl of confusion and excitement. She walked out into the late afternoon sunlight, Peryn beside her, smirking and whispering a joke only she could hear.
Akio lingered behind, eyes watching, tension radiating, clearly wishing he could step in.