Even before first period commenced, the classroom was buzzing. Students were bending over desks with phones blinking as they chatted in groups. There was an odd, uncomfortable sharpness to the air.
Ryuzi knew that edge. He'd lived it before.
He sat down in his seat facing the window and did not pay attention to the glares that caused itching to his skin. His bag fell with a thump to the ground. His chin was in his hand, and he was faking an outlook at the cherry blossoms as they blowed in the wind.
But he heard every word.
I heard he was thrown out of his last school.
No, no--my cousin said he had a fight over a girl.
Did he not make some one cry so hard she changed schools?
The rumors had mutated. New lies out of old, And spreading like the fire. The knuckles of Ryuzi turned white on the desk. Here we go again.
"Good morning, Ryuzi!"
The rogue voice snipped through the murmurs like the rays of the sun breaking the storm-clouds. With his smiling face Suki bent forward his desk. "Sleep okay? You look less broody today!"
Ryuzi scowled faintly. Don't you have other people to bother?
"Nope." Suki dropped, chin in his hands. "You're my favorite target."
The laughter was gentle in the class, but this time there was a touch of the edge to it. Some boy behind muttered loudly enough: Favorite target? Guess he like dangerous kinds.
A snicker followed. "Careful, Suki. He could use you as he used that girl.
Ryuzi's chest tightened. His teeth gritted as he looked straight ahead. Ignore it. Just ignore it.
But Suki heard--and Suki never listened.
"Hey!" His voice was sharp and louder than the gossipers had thought. He sprang out of his chair, with his hands fixed squarely on the desk of Ryuzi. The sparkle in his bright eyes had lost its playfulness, and was now smouldering with wrath.
You dare talk rubbish about him, when you yourself know nothing of the truth, Suki said. You believe that by repeating rumors you are cool? It just makes you pathetic."
The classroom froze.
The boy smirked weakly. Why are you so much defending him? Have a crush on the Ice Prince or something?
Suki didn't flinch. "Maybe I do. So what?"
There was a general burst of shocked gasps and giggles in the room.
The head of Ryuzi swiveled around with open eyes. "What the hell--"
Suki smiled at him in a coy way. "See? That shut them up."
The teacher entered the room, interrupting the silence with the familiar greetings of attention. But it was not the whispers that came back, that morning.
Ryuzi sat, however, frozen, cold creeping along his neck. When the class settled he looked at Suki with a hiss. "What the hell was that?"
Suki blinked innocently. "What? I defended you."
"You--" Ryuzi's voice faltered. You said... crush. His heart ached. "You're insane."
Suki smiled slightly, bending nearer so that only Ryuzi might overhear. "Maybe. But I'm your insane, now."
Ryuzi turned his head back to the window, flushed in ears. "...Idiot."
But there was something other than annoyance which was trembling in the word.
During lunch Ryuzi ran away to the roof, where the wind was cooler, and the voices could not be heard. He leaned back against the fence, and shut his eyes.
The door creaked open.
"Found you!"
Of course.
Suki jumped over the roof and sat down next him with his bento box. You didn't think I would leave you to eat alone, did you?
"I was hoping," Ryuzi muttered.
"Too bad." Suki put a bit of tamagoyaki into his mouth. "Want some?" He extended a piece using chopsticks.
Ryuzi stared at it, frowning. "...No."
"Suit yourself." Suki ate it, and swung his legs. You see I thought you were impossible to talk to. But I'm starting to realize..."
Ryuzi arched a brow. "What?"
Suki leaned more, smiling. "You're just lonely."
The lines were like a sucker punch. Ryuzi opened his eyes, but before he could respond, Suki threw in a little: "Which works out really well, by the way, since I am so good at filling empty spaces.
Ryuzi glanced over his shoulder and suppressed the sudden heat in his chest. Damn him.
The Aoyama dinner table that night was, as usual, disorderly.
So what is this I hear that you were yelling in the classroom today? Hana asked with a smirk.
Suki's chopsticks froze. "...Who told you?"
"Kenji," Emi sang. "He texted me. You almost told the entire school about your everlasting love.
Rika gasped dramatically. "You did WHAT?!"
With a groan Suki leaned over the table. "It wasn't like that!"
"Ohhh, it was exactly like that." Emi leaned forward, and grinned wickedly. "You like him."
"I--" Suki sputtered, face red. "That's not--!"
But despite the cackling of his sisters the smile that was tugging at his lips would not go. They may not have been totally wrong after all.
Ayumi gave a slight knock on the door of Ryuzi at the Takeda house.
"Come in," he muttered.
She looked in, bearing a tray of tea. "You seemed... upset at dinner."
Ryuzi looked away. "It's nothing."
She faltered, and laid aside the tray. Ryuzi... you can say to us, whether something is wrong, right?
His throat tightened. He would have said it--the rumors, the voices--but the words stuck in his chest like a stone.
"...Yeah," he whispered.
She left with a quiet smile. And Ryuzi sat looking at the steam which rose out of the tea, and heard the words of Suki in his mind.
You're just lonely.
It was the first time that Ryuzi questioned himself whether perhaps... he did not want to be.