I walked into class today in a very strange mood.
I was still thinking about those plastic flowers.
They were ugly. The colors were tacky. The stems were bent. And the dust on them made me sneeze.
BUT... I kept them.
That was the problem.
💢 Rina's Subtle SulkI sat down without even glancing at Anto. Usually, he'd immediately shout:
"RINAAA! GOOD MORNINGGGG~~!!"
But today... he only approached me slowly.
"Rina... morning..."
His voice was tiny, like a kitten caught in the rain. I just gave him a short nod.
And that was enough to trigger a NATIONAL PANIC.
"To... sit over there for a bit. I need to do my homework."
"What homework?! I'll help! Even though I don't know how!"
"Anto. Sit."
He sat down instantly, looking like a student who just got caught cheating. His gang was peeking from the back of the class.
Tey whispered, "Rina's sulking."
Kane took notes.
Tian whistled like a football commentator.
Juke recorded everything.
Anto looked like he was holding back tears that weren't even there.
⚠️ New Mission: Rebranding AntoDuring break, the gang gathered around. Tey patted Anto's shoulder.
"To, your image is trashed. Rina is sulking because of those plastic flowers."
"Why doesn't she like plastic?! Plastic lasts foreveeeeer!"
I heard that from a distance. I seriously wanted to throw my sandal at him. Kane flipped open his notebook.
"Mission: Rebrand Anto:
Be more gentle.
Stop being extra.
Stop shouting.
Stop being tacky.
Stop being chaotic.
Stop being an embarrassment.
Basically, stop being Anto."
Anto went silent. "...But if I stop being Anto... who am I??"
Tian shrugged. "We're confused too, buddy."
🥤 The Canteen — Anto Tries to be Gentle (Total Fail)I went to the canteen with Eli. Just as I was about to sit—Anto appeared. BUT this time, he was walking slowly.
Really slowly. Like a robot with a low battery.
"To... why are you walking like that?"
"I am... attempting... to be... gentle..."
"Okay..."
He placed a drink in front of me. Every movement was super slow. Too slow.
The drink tipped.
It spilled.
Right onto my skirt.
I let out a small shriek. "ANTO!!!"
Anto panicked instantly. "Oh my god, Rin, sorry! I'll wipe it!!"
He grabbed tissues. Lots of them. Too many. He used up an entire box of tissues on my lap.
"To!! STOP!! You're not helping!"
"But I'm being... gentle..."
"WHERE IS THE GENTLE PART???"
Eli covered her face, dying of laughter.
📚 Adrian: The "Perfect" TimingWhile I was busy cleaning my skirt, Adrian walked by.
"Rina? Did you spill your drink?"
I nodded stiffly. Adrian immediately took a tissue from his pocket and helped me gently. Anto watched, his face turning as red as a stoplight.
Adrian gave a small smile. "You should be careful. If you get sick, who's going to make me smile in the hallway?"
I FROZE.
Anto jumped up immediately. "I CAN ALSO MAKE HER SMILEEEEE!!"
I kicked Anto's leg under the table. "NOT IN THAT WAY, ANTOO!!"
Adrian laughed and walked away. Anto stared at me like someone had just stolen his favorite toy.
💥 Accidental JealousyI fixed my skirt while pouting. Anto saw my expression.
"Rina... are you mad?"
"No."
"Do you hate me?"
"No."
"Do you like Senior Adrian?"
I stood up abruptly. "ANTOOO!!! How did you even jump to that conclusion?!"
Anto took a step back. "But you... you gave him a little smile earlier..."
I went quiet. "I was smiling at my coffee. I just took a sip. It was good."
Anto looked incredibly relieved. "Oh, thank god... I thought I was going to lose you... I mean... lose the chance to do homework with you... I mean... what am I even saying—"
He started panicking at his own words.
🌸 Rina Realizes SomethingOn the way home, I walked with my head down. I realized one thing:
I was sulking. I was jealous. I got annoyed when Anto tried to act "cool." I liked it when he gave me attention. I felt bothered when he was far away.
I felt the plastic flowers inside my bag.
"Why am I like this...?"
My nose felt prickly. A small smile appeared.
"Am I... starting to fall for him?"
I covered my face with my hands.
This is bad. Very, very bad.