It's been a few days, and our usual lunch routine has fallen back into place. But something feels... different.
It's not Gigi and Shu—they're still as annoyingly chaotic as ever. No surprises there. The change has everything to do with my dynamic with Ari.
Ever since the library incident, Ari has been noticeably more... chatty. And, to my misfortune, a little more touchy. Not with Gigi or Shu, mind you—just with me.
I had no idea what to do with this realisation. Maybe the best option was to just let Ari be and keep acting as stoic as ever. Probably.
Like any other day, we were at the cafeteria for lunch, with Gigi and Shu diving headfirst into the latest campus gossip.
"So," Gigi began, her tone dripping with mischief as she turned to Ari, "I heard you and Jun are dating?"
Wow. Shameless, Gigi. Didn't even let the poor girl take a bite of her burger before going straight for the drama.
I kept my focus on my curry udon, half-listening to the conversation while pretending not to care.
It hadn't even been a month, and Ari already had dating rumours swirling around campus. Not surprising, though. It was inevitable. Someone like her would always have people poking their noses where they didn't belong.
"Yeah, is that true?" Shu chimed in, her curiosity evident.
I was in the middle of messily slurping my udon noodles when she reached over with a napkin, wiped my cheek, and then gave it a playful pinch.
"Messy eater," she teased with a chuckle.
I groaned, batting her hands away. "Cut it out," I grumbled, shaking off her touch.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Ari watching the whole interaction with a curious expression. I shrugged it off, assuming this was just the first time she'd seen how Shu and I usually behaved around each other.
It's not just Shu, though. Gigi acts the same way, but Shu is much more direct. Being an only child, she's always dreamed of having a baby sister to fuss over, dress up, and take care of—and somehow, I've become her substitute.
"So?" Gigi pressed, her curiosity still unrelenting.
Ari tore her gaze away from us and turned to Gigi. "No," she said with a small laugh. "Jun just helped me the other day. I have no idea where that rumour even came from."
"Bummer!" Gigi exclaimed, clearly disappointed, as if she'd been hoping for something more dramatic.
"Well, people love to gossip," Shu chimed in matter-of-factly. "They probably just assumed you two were dating after seeing you together."
I didn't bother paying much attention to the rest of their conversation. I already knew where it was headed.
Am I upset that rumours like this are floating around? Not really. It's not like Ari and I are together. I may fancy her, sure, but that doesn't mean I want to pursue her. Besides, she's free to date whoever she wants.
And like I've said before—straight girls are a no-go.
"Hi!" a voice startled me out of my thoughts, and the chatter at our table came to an abrupt halt. All four of us turned to see a girl nervously standing by, her flushed face betraying her anxiety.
"You're Yumi Kim, right?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.
Oh no. I already knew where this was going.
"Yeah?" I replied casually, trying not to let out a sigh.
I could practically feel the weight of three pairs of eyes drilling into my back, the anticipation radiating off of them.
"I… I just think you're really cool," the girl stammered, her voice tinged with a mix of courage and fear. I had to admire her bravery for choosing to confess in such a public place. "I just wanna know... if you'd like to go out with me?"
"I'm sorry, but no," I said as gently as possible, trying not to crush her spirit entirely. She seemed like a sweet girl.
"Oh!" she chuckled nervously, though the hurt in her eyes was clear. "It's okay. I just wanted to know if I had a chance…" Her voice softened as she spoke, and she gave a small, awkward smile. "Sorry for bothering you guys." With a little wave, she turned and walked off in the opposite direction.
"Yuu is such a heartbreaker," Shu teased, her voice light but laced with amusement.
I didn't respond, keeping my eyes firmly away from her—and the other two—because I knew exactly what they were all thinking.
"She was kinda cute, though," Gigi said with a teasing grin, prompting me to finally turn and glare at her—and Shu, who was barely holding in her laughter.
"Shut up," I snapped, my face burning with embarrassment. Naturally, they only laughed harder at my flustered state.
"Apparently, Ari, you're not the only one who gets a ton of confessions," Gigi added, glancing at Ari with a playful smirk. "Yuu here never runs out of people confessing to her, like, every single day."
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to my udon, hoping to drown out their relentless teasing by focusing on my food.
But it didn't help.
I could still feel Ari's amused gaze on me, her expression far too entertained for my liking. They were all clearly enjoying this way too much.