The classroom hushed as the teacher arrived, the lesson kicking off with a drone of voices. Pens scratched across notebooks, but my mind wouldn't settle. Last night clung to me—Rei's wounded look, my words cutting deeper than I'd meant. I didn't miss him, not really. But the hollow in my chest wouldn't fill, like I'd torn something out and left the edges raw.
The second bell shrieked, yanking me back. Biology lab. Students grabbed their things and spilled into the hall, footsteps thudding like a restless heartbeat. I followed, head pounding.
The hallway buzzed with murmurs. Then, a voice—bright, too warm—sliced through.
"Nami, you're abandoning me already?"
Rian. His teasing lilt bounced off the walls, but his eyes flicked to me, quick and sharp, like he was waiting for something.
Nami didn't flinch. "Not my problem," she snapped, cold as glass.
Rian reeled back, hand over his heart. "Ouch! I thought we were friends!"
Nami spun, her glare fierce. "Friends? After you yelled at us yesterday over that?" Her words bit.
Rian's grin slipped, and he turned to me, softer, almost pleading. "Aira, tell her she's too harsh."
His gaze lingered, warm and tugging, but I shook my head. "Not now," I muttered, pushing past. Rei's shadow still loomed, and Rian's pull only tangled it worse.
"Aira—" His voice cracked, chasing me, but I sped up, my chest tight.
Nami paused, then darted after me. "Wait up!" Her hand brushed my shoulder—solid, steady. Rian's echo faded behind us.
---
In the lab, I slumped into a chair, head propped on my hand. The air stung with chemicals, sharp and cold. A shadow slid beside me, and a quiet voice followed.
"You okay, Aira?"
I looked up.
Arin stood there, lab book in hand, glasses slipping as he tilted his head. His eyes—soft, dark, steady—caught mine, and my breath snagged, sudden and sharp.
"I'm fine," I said, but my voice wobbled.
He didn't buy it. "You don't look fine," he said, easing into the seat next to me. His arm brushed mine as he settled, a fleeting warmth that sent a shiver up my spine. I couldn't look away.
"Headache again?" he asked, leaning in just a fraction. His voice was low, careful, but his closeness—his breath barely a whisper away—made my heart lurch.
"Yeah," I murmured, glancing at him.
His lips curved, a small, unguarded smile, and my stomach twisted, tight and fluttery.
Teru plopped down across from us, smirking. "What's this? Aira moping and blushing?"
"I'm not—" I stammered, but Arin's soft laugh stopped me cold. It was quiet, warm, and it rippled through me like a current. My cheeks flared.
Teru's eyes gleamed, darting between us. "Oh, I see." She pointed at the wall. "Aira, what's that?"
I followed her finger to a spiral diagram, twisting tight. Rei flickered there for a heartbeat—dim, fading—then vanished.
"Stairs?" I said, voice shaky.
Teru cackled. "It's DNA, you genius!" Her laugh burst out, loud and wild, as she waved Nami over. "Guys, Aira thinks DNA's a staircase!"
Nami smirked, leaning on a bench. "Only you."
Arin chuckled again, softer, and I risked a glance. He was watching me, eyes crinkled behind his glasses, a quiet glow in them. My hands fisted in my lap, pulse racing.
Teru's teasing faded to a hum, and for a moment, it was just him—his laugh, his look, the way he made the air feel too small.
I ducked my head, hiding a smile I couldn't stop.