By the next morning, the school wasn't whispering anymore.
It was buzzing.
Rumors don't spread like wildfire.
They spread like perfume—slowly, invisibly, sinking into fabric until the entire room smells different.
Eadlyn noticed it the moment he stepped inside the shoe lockers.
A group of girls from Class 2C stood near the cubbies, eyes flicking toward him, then away, then toward him again—performing the subtle dance of judgment that only high schoolers execute with precision.
"Did you hear? Sayaka-senpai waited for him at the shrine."
"No, no—he held her hand during the dance."
"My cousin said they bought matching charms—"
Eadlyn opened his locker calmly and switched shoes without giving the slightest reaction.
Across the hall, he caught Sayaka entering the building from the opposite side.
People parted for her automatically.
Not out of respect.
Out of expectation.
She was the student council's pillar, the top scorer, the "untouchable" senpai… until two weeks ago. Now she was something new:
A character in a high school romance story the students were writing without her consent.
Sayaka looked back at him for half a second.
A quiet check-in.
He gave a slight, almost invisible nod.
She looked forward again and kept walking.
Their communication was already evolving—
No words.
No gestures.
Just understanding.
Homeroom
When Naomi began collecting homework, the room felt unusually noisy. Whispers bounced between desks, careful but quick—like small birds darting from branch to branch.
"Did Sayaka-senpai really choose him?"
"Why him over Ken?"
"Maybe she likes foreign boys?"
The last one was whisper-sneered, the kind that carried the weight of insecurity disguised as logic.
Naomi noticed the atmosphere shift, though she pretended not to.
When attendance ended, she shot Eadlyn a sideways glance.
"Keep your head clear," she murmured.
He didn't reply, but he appreciated the warning.
Break Time — The Ripple Hits
During the break, he headed for the vending machines. He expected whispers.
He didn't expect voices.
Raised voices.
Two second-years—boys—stood near the courtyard fence.
One of them laughed loudly and said, "Sayaka-senpai only smiled because he's new. Girls like novelty."
The other responded, "Right? Wait until she gets bored. Then she'll go back to Ken."
The moment they noticed Eadlyn approaching, their laughter broke into silence.
The first boy straightened.
"You got a problem?"
Eadlyn didn't slow his pace.
Didn't look angry.
Didn't look offended.
He simply looked at them—calmly, steadily.
"I wasn't part of your conversation," he said.
"But whatever you think of Sayaka, say it to her face. Not here."
The boys stiffened.
Not because he was threatening.
He wasn't.
His calmness was worse—it was confidence without ego.
The second boy clicked his tongue. "Tch… whatever."
They walked off.
Not defeated.
But not victorious either.
Neutralized.
Sayaka had watched from the walkway above.
He didn't know until she walked down the steps later, slow enough that he understood she wanted to say something.
"You didn't have to interfere," she said quietly.
"I wasn't interfering," he said. "Just asking them to be consistent."
Sayaka looked at him, expression unreadable.
Then something gave way in her eyes.
Respect.
And something gentler.
"I'm… grateful," she said. "Not many people speak calmly when provoked."
He shrugged lightly.
"No point adding fire to smoke.
Sayaka actually smiled—small but real.
"Wise," she murmured. "Dangerously so."
Nino's Turn
At lunch, things shifted.
Nino entered the cafeteria carrying her tray, searching for a seat. A few girls looked at her, then whispered:
"She was with him a lot last year…"
"She's pretty close to him…"
"Do you think she's the backup?"
Backup.
The word hit her like a slap.
Nino froze mid-step.
Her hands trembled.
Just for a moment.
She covered it up quickly, walking toward an empty seat—but Eadlyn had already stood and moved toward her.
He didn't touch her.
He didn't call her name.
He simply walked beside her.
Like he had been planning to sit there anyway.
"Sit with me?" he asked casually.
She nodded without looking up.
When she finally spoke, her voice was too soft.
"They think I'm… a complication."
"You're not," he said immediately.
Nino didn't respond.
But she ate quietly, too quietly.
Her eyes flickered toward Sayaka across the cafeteria—Sayaka, who was handling her own share of unwanted attention with straight-backed grace.
For a moment, Nino looked small.
And Eadlyn saw it.
She didn't want him.
She needed an anchor.
This was emotional dependency—messy, deep, complicated, and completely human.
He wouldn't let her drown in it.
After School — The President Arrives
As he was packing his bag, Sayaka appeared at the doorway.
"Principal Akira wants to see you."
Again?
He walked to the office.
Akira looked up from a stack of photographs—lanterns, reflections in puddles, silhouettes under fireworks.
"You handled the courtyard incident cleanly," she said. "Well done."
Then her eyes sharpened.
"But things will escalate, Mr. Greyson."
He waited.
"A rumor doesn't cause damage," she continued. "Reactions do. Today, you passed."
She leaned forward.
"Let's see if you can handle what comes next."
She handed him a folder.
"Your first council task. Logistics meeting tomorrow morning."
He accepted it.
Not as a student…
But as someone stepping into a role.
Akira smiled faintly.
"I hope you're ready, Greyson. You're walking into crosswinds."
Evening Diary
Diary:
Rumors aren't the problem.
People's fears are.
And today, I saw how different fears look:
Sayaka hides hers behind composure.
Nino hides hers behind closeness.
The boys hide theirs behind laughter.
The girls hide theirs behind curiosity.
And all of it… comes toward me.
I don't mind carrying some of it.
But I won't let it crush anyone close.
Tomorrow, the real storm begins.