The first full day of school pressed down with the kind of heat that made tempers short and gossip long. By lunch break, the rumor about Eadlyn and Sayaka had already evolved through three generations of exaggeration.
Version 1: They held hands at the festival.
Version 2: They prayed for "couple fortune."
Version 3: They kissed behind the shrine while fireworks exploded.
By the time he reached the second-floor landing, students were whispering in clusters, some whispering with curiosity, others with sharpness.
"Sayaka-senpai rarely gets close to anyone…"
"Why him?"
"Nino must be devastated."
"Manami's whole group must be losing it."
"You think it's going to explode? That trio is dangerous."
Eadlyn took a sip of water, listening without reacting. He had learned something important yesterday:
Rumors don't hurt you until you give them your attention.
But that didn't mean the world would let him ignore them.
As he stepped into Class 1A, the moment felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Too focused.
Three people were waiting for him.
But not visibly.
1. Manami _______
She sat at the window, tying her hair into a tight ponytail. Her eyes weren't the warm, competitive ones she wore during track meets. These were sharper—like she had already finished three plans before he walked in.
When he greeted her, she didn't look up.
"Morning," she said.
But her tone meant: I'm thinking.
2. Rin _______
At the back of the room, Rin twirled a pen between her fingers. She wore her usual playful smile, but her eyes had a glint that meant she was… calculating something.
Rin didn't do idle.
Rin didn't do quiet.
Unless she had a reason.
3. Ken — The Wall
Ken stood beside Eadlyn's seat, arms crossed, expression unreadable. The kind of stance one takes before a match. His steady presence wasn't intimidation — it was reassurance.
But none of them said anything.
Not yet.
Lunch Break: Movement Begins
Eadlyn went with them to the courtyard—something unspoken guiding his steps.
The second they were away from crowds, all three turned to each other at once.
Manami spoke first.
"Okay. So Hiroto is moving."
Eadlyn blinked. "Hiroto?"
Rin nodded, flipping her ponytail.
"The swimming club ace. Model student. Perfect attendance. Used to walk home with Sayaka in middle school."
"And," Ken added, voice low, "he likes her. As in… really likes her."
Eadlyn inhaled slowly.
"So he's part of this rumor mess?"
Manami tapped her foot.
"He didn't spread the rumor. But he didn't try to stop it either. That's as good as adding firewood."
Rin leaned forward.
"We can't let this blow into something stupid. So—just saying—we're working on it."
"We?" he echoed.
Manami smirked.
"The three of us."
He stared between them. "You're… planning something?"
Ken shrugged.
"Not for you to worry about."
Rin winked.
"You'll find out later."
They shared a look between themselves — the kind that said they had already made phone calls, pulled strings, whispered to influence groups… and Eadlyn wasn't supposed to know yet.
He opened his mouth to protest, but Manami raised a finger.
"No hero speeches," she said. "You helped us. Now we help you. Period."
She turned on her heel, heading to class.
Rin followed, skipping lightly.
Ken stayed for a moment. He placed a firm hand on Eadlyn's shoulder.
"You don't have to do everything alone."
Then he walked away.
And Eadlyn stood there for a moment, feeling something warm drop quietly into his chest.
This was friendship, he realized.
Not the loud kind.
Not the dramatic kind.
The loyal kind.
After School: The Ghost Appears
The courtyard was almost empty when Eadlyn walked out. Students were packing up, clubs gathering for meetings, upper-year captains shouting instructions.
He was heading toward the gate when someone spoke behind him.
"You stepped out of the pattern today."
Eadlyn turned.
A boy stood under the shade of the gym building.
Short black hair.
Sharp eyes hidden behind long bangs.
Uniform neat but somehow forgettable.
Presence quiet. Very quiet.
Ichigo.
He wasn't dramatic.
He didn't smile.
He didn't glare.
He simply noticed.
"You're… Ichigo from our class, right?"
Ichigo nodded once.
"You don't talk much," Eadlyn said.
"I don't talk unnecessarily," Ichigo corrected calmly.
Then he stepped closer.
"I've been observing the rumor structure today."
Eadlyn blinked.
"The… what?"
Ichigo continued matter-of-factly.
"Rumors follow patterns. Whisper trails. Social gravity points."
His eyes drifted across the courtyard.
"Nino's name is in three patterns. Sayaka's in eight. Yours in ten."
He looked directly at Eadlyn.
"This is not random. Someone is directing the flow."
Eadlyn's jaw tightened. "Who?"
Ichigo shook his head.
"Don't worry about that."
He paused.
"That is my role."
Eadlyn stared. "Why are you helping me?"
Ichigo met his gaze evenly.
"Because Ken, Manami, and Rin decided to move. When they move, the school tilts. When the school tilts, I analyze."
He stepped back, blending into shadow like he belonged there.
"And because you're not the type to break people without noticing it."
Eadlyn exhaled.
"Thank you."
Ichigo nodded again.
"You will need that kindness. Especially for what's about to come."
Eadlyn frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Someone is coming to talk to you."
A pause.
"A boy who once believed Sayaka belonged to him."
"Hiroto," Eadlyn whispered.
Ichigo's gaze darkened with surgical precision.
"Be careful with him. He is not cruel, but he is… wounded. And wounded pride is unpredictable."
Eadlyn swallowed.
Ichigo walked past him, speaking one last line:
"When he asks you why you're with her…
Make sure you know your own answer."
And then he vanished into the building — silent as a shadow.
Final Moment: The Meeting Approaches
As Eadlyn walked toward the school gate, he saw him.
Hiroto.
Tall. Confident posture.
Swimming club jacket.
A face that carried quiet handsomeness.
But something in his expression was tight.
He approached slowly.
"Greyson," Hiroto said.
"We need to talk."
Eadlyn took a breath.
He wasn't afraid.
Not anymore.
Because he had something stronger than rumors.
He had friends preparing the field behind him.
He had Sayaka's quiet trust.
He had Nino's vulnerability.
He had Ichigo's shadow-like intelligence.
And he had himself.
He nodded.
"Let's talk."
The chapter ends with both boys walking toward the back courtyard — where unspoken histories were waiting to collide.