Class had passed, and the bell for lunch break rang as loudly as it ever does.

I was already in the rooftop when this happened.

The whole morning, there was a lingering pain in my chest, and every time me and Yuuko looked at each other, or talked to each other my heart started aching a little bit more.

I try my hardest to just smile back, but no matter how it might look to her, and to everyone else on the outside, it's slowly getting to me.

So much, that as soon as the bell rang, i just dashed out of the classroom. I don't want Yuuko to speak to me right now.

I don't want any of my classmates to ask me anything. I don't want to be with anyone.

Everyone seems a little bit too loud. It's like some sort of static, that doesn't let me listen to anyone or anything properly. It just hurts, and its annoying.

I was holding my canned coffee pretty tightly with both of my hands, as every time i got a little lost in thought, it'd be a bit less warm when i snapped back out of it.

And now it's completely cold. Winter has begun, after all. And it feels like with the cold it brings, it's freezing me and all of my doubts and fears in place.

Not enough to make me unable to run away from them, but just enough to slow me down to overthink everything just a little bit more.

As i skipped through every single song that i really didn't feel like listening to, i eventually gave up and just put my headphones away, as i could hear someone coming up.

I felt the need to hide somewhere, but i eventually just discarded it quickly, specially after seeing who came to the rooftop itself.

—Mizuno-senpai?... —Anri walked in pretty slowly, and she semeed bitter.

I didn't really answer and i looked away from her, since it'd hurt if i looked at her for any longer than a mere second.

Even so... having her here turned my mood around very quickly, since she's the only person i don't mind seeing in this state.

Despite me not saying anything, i could feel her sit down and then i felt her rest on my back.

—Are you okay? —i asked, unable to shake the stupid amount of nervousness she caused me.

—Not really. I came in here because i wanted to be alone. I thought this was the first place i'd find you, too. —she spoke very quietly.

—Im sorry, i ruined your plans a little bit then. —i apologized half heartedly.

—It's fine. If it's you, then it'll be alright. Or at least i think so. —Anri chuckled a little bit. I couldn't really see her, but i can picture a faint smile forming on her face.

I wanted to ask what was happening to her directly, but at the same time i don't. I want to know more about her, about what troubles her, and i want to help her, but at the same time i really don't want to get any closer to her.

It'd be wrong to get closer, but...

—It kinda got to me today. So many stares from a distance, judging me for every little step, and every little action i take. —Anri started speaking, and i could feel how frustrated she was despite her voice keeping soft, and quiet.

—No matter how much i try to tell myself that it's fine, it's bound to get to me. And i can't do anything back, because my neck is on the line if i show any signs of misconduct. It's a bit stupid, isn't it? —Anri sighed as she finished speaking.

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—This all started because of my god damn hair color, when i was a kid. They messed with me pretty often because of it, and i hate my hair to this day as a result. It doesn't help that being the one transfer student in here, im bound to get a lot of attention. And i can't really answer back like i'd want to, because one wrong step and it'll go back to how it was in middle school. I'll end up getting pushed away, and isolated.

Anri took a deep breath and she seemed lost in thought before she continued speaking.

Was it my presence? My lack of comment on anything?

I don't know... but i wanted to know more about her.

—It's pretty stupid stuff now that i look back at it, but as a child... it scars you. Even to this day, i still hate the thought of it, you know? I really don't want to be alone. —Anri's voice started shaking by the time she stopped speaking.

It's been enough of me just playing listener.

—Every time someone compliments you for something you hate... it's like the only thing you can do is smile deprecatingly to yourself, right? Or every time that you try to just simply be yourself, and that you try to get a little bit closer to someone... they shove you off, and keep staring at you from a distance. Like you don't belong there, and that you're somewhat special.

I could feel that more than anyone. I've always lived under the spotlight of being "special" in some way ever since i moved here. That im a girl from Tokyo. That im extroverted, that i get involved with everyone. That im a model student. That im a bit clumsy, or airheaded.

No matter what, there's someone judging what i do or how i act. And it never lines up with who i really am.

—Yeah. And that same awkward moment where you have to choose between taking the compliment in a awkwardly formal way, or to just fake a smile as best as you can. You fall more on the second one, don't you? —Anri laughed and threw a curveball at me.

—Of course i do! You should know by know, im the best at playing the idiot. —I replied, feeling slightly disgusted at myself but at the same time, i felt like it was okay to do stupid stuff like this in front of her.

—I know. And i hate that part about you a little bit every time you show it. You're better off this way, Mizuno-senpai. —Anri spoke with what sounded to me like a small amount of embarassment in her voice at the last part.

—I'd rather let hell freeze over than to be like this in front of everyone. Do you really think i could have this sort of conversation with just about anyone? —I decided to speak my honest thoughts to her.

Ever since i met her these conversations always just feel a little bit more right.

—Of course not. I wouldn't even dare to admit stuff like this to anyone else either. I don't even know why i told you in the first place. —Anri spoke, but it almost felt like she said that more to herself than to me. She sounded pretty confused.

Even so, i had a pretty good guess on what she thought aswell.

—"It just felt right", is it? —i told her, pretty confident in my words.

—Yeah. You felt the same, didn't you? —Anri also replied to me, and she seemed pretty confident about it too.

—Ever since we spoke on the beach. You're very sincere compared to me, and i don't know, it just dragged me in. —i told her what i felt that day pretty honestly, and all she could do was turn around to face me, and i could see the huge amount of doubt in her face.

—Don't give me that... i know you're good at flirting, but hearing it from the girl that turns into the very definition of the word "submission" when scolded for a small thing it falls short. While we're at it, take care of yourself, please. You're terrible at that.

Wait, what is this change of topic out of nowhere? I wasn't even trying to flirt with you...

Okay, im lying. Maybe i was. A little bit. But even so?!

—Hey, why are we acting like this is a common thing to happen?! It genuinely just caught me off guard once, okay? Besides, you're the one at fault here. How else do i react to someone caring so sincerely about me? Im used to being a idiot, so it kinda stings a little bit for the 1st time. —i gasped and covered my mouth as i realized how bad i started panicking at what she told me. I could feel how my face turned beet red instantly.

Anri laughed pretty hard at my reaction, and she took quite some time to do so before speaking back to me.

—Calm down, okay? I didn't say it was a bad thing either. Besides, at the very least i appreciate you not playing the idiot for once and listening to what i tell you seriously. I'll consider it my own little privilege. So please, keep doing it♡ —Anri winked at me, and she finished her sentence with a voice pretty similar to the one i do when im jokingly flirting with Yuuko.

And just like that, it felt like she pierced my heart. I don't know what it is, but something about what she just did set my heartrate at pretty much double the speed it was. I was stunned.

Yes, me. That shameless flirt that i get made out to be. I just got completely stunned by a single cheeky girl.

—Okay, enough with this, alright? —i practially begged her to just leave it at that, since my embarassment was probably so huge it could tell more than any word i could say right now.

—As you wish, Mizuno-senpai. —Anri just kept laughing, but fortunately she didn't do anything else. I might have died if she did.

I stood up, trying my hardest to avoid the panic i was feeling right now, and i was trying my hardest to not show my red face to Anri, but before i stood up, she hugged me from the back.

—Thank you for listening to me patiently. Let's head back now, i feel a lot better now. —She whispered with her face buried in my cardigan.

I tried my hardest not to let my heart shoot out of my chest, so i just distanced myself from her after a few seconds.

—Im glad you feel better. —i managed to practically whisper these words out, but she fortunately heard them and smiled at me.

After i nearly got cured of my near-sightedness from how bright her smile was just now, i just turned around and tried my hardest to walk in front of her, so that i could hide my face and my embarassment from her.

I had a slight feeling that i would never live this day down if she had noticed, and started teasing me about it.

At times like these, is where i realize that liking someone really isn't a terrible thing.

At least, not completely.