10 ☆ (  "YOU CAN SUFFER IN SILENCE." )

"Say, Rie," Hanae and I linked arms as we walked down the stairwell, our usual conversation of stupidity turning into something more serious. "Since you and Riki were walking together in the hall today, did you see any reactions from the people passing by?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why would I care?"

"Rie," Hanae stopped to warn, placing her finger right in front of my face. What? I was still oblivious to her true meaning, trying to decipher it through the frown on her lips. "You really don't know? Oh, come on. I'm talking about how many people like your boyfriend. Don't you feel a little jealous or insecure? Nothing at all?"

That was something to consider–I hadn't really thought of it all weekend since we'd been together all of Saturday, and I was studying without a word on Sunday. I mean, I admitted I was jealous when it came to the first instant that he was with another girl, but now that we're dating, is there much to take account of? Out of all the girls that seemed to fancy him, he chose me. Was I supposed to act insecure?

"I don't think I do," I shrugged, making Hanae listen intently. "We're dating, and I trust him with all I've got. If I'm jealous, then I would be a bad girlfriend. That's how it works logically, right?"

"Ugh, you and your logical considerations," Hanae shook her head in displeasure, nudging me slightly. "You've got to stop doing that, Rie."

I pouted. "Doing what?"

"Going about complex, human emotions with a paper and a pen! Not everything is a solvable equation with a solution," Teacher Fujii told me on Friday. I believe them, I promise, but it's kind of hard when everything just seems that simple. "Not all people can tolerate your simplicity. Not like I can, not like Sunoo can, and not like Jungwon can. Riki scratched the surface of who you are–and if you want to keep him around, you should understand that things won't be as easy as they are in your head."

"I'm not going to adjust my mindset for a man, Hanae," I huffed. "Of course, I'll be aware and more understanding of the things we may go through, but I'm not going to fully change myself to keep him around. We've already told each other that we're going to communicate when things are more than meets the eye."

"Again, it's–" Hanae paused as we stopped at the soccer field, her arm slowly letting go. I turned to face her, head slightly tilting. What did she mean? I'm trying to understand her, but Hanae seems to be trying to make it sound like it sounds in her head. "It's really... not that easy."

"...Hanae–"

" Rie, Hanae!" We heard, causing us to direct our focus on the voice. Riki waved with a towel around his neck, avoiding sweat from pouring onto his uniform. I shifted my eyes to the usual girls that sat on the bleachers–they held their water bottles and towels out for him like always, but they were already staring at us with judgy eyes. I swallowed at their demeaning expressions, pushing it away as I looked back at my boyfriend. "Hm... is that for me?"

He pointed at the water bottle decorated in the heads of Kuromi, lifting his finger to point at my face. I rolled my eyes and pulled it closer to my chest, causing Riki to raise an eyebrow. "I don't know. Is it for you?" I asked him rhetorically, tapping my nails on the metal cylinder. "I mean, I'm kind of thirsty right now."

"Oh, really?" He slurred slightly, suppressing a big grin before placing his hand over mine on the water bottle. "Hm, too bad, because so am I."

Then, he snatched it out of my grasp and held it, twisting it open with his free hand and taking a sip directly from the opening. I felt my face getting hot at the fact we could've been indirectly touching lips, well, if that was a big deal. His throat seemed to gulp down all the water left in the bottle, head lifted back so that it could come to him in an instant.

When he finished, he placed the lid back on and gave it to me. "Thank you, baby."

Huh?

"Wow," Hanae lowly exclaimed, shaking her head. "God, I'm single as heck. I need to get out of here. Riki, you walk her back to class."

"Of course," He bowed his head as Hanae waved goodbye, presumably to find Jungwon and tell him about what just happened. Riki leaned down, hands on his knees, and used one hand to push my glasses back up the bridge of my nose. "Are you going to keep watching me play soccer, or should we head back to class?"

"Don't you want to stay longer?" I questioned, flickering my eyes between his own. They were dark and filled with a distinct expression, one that screamed something beyond liking and purity. Still, I feigned innocence, holding the water bottle to my chest. "I can walk back by myself. I don't want to stop the game."

"I'm not doing it because Hanae told me to, Rie," he slid his finger down my nose, holding my chin in the process. "I'm doing it because I want to do whatever you please."

"Well, I don't want to take you away from the other girls watching."

"Do you think I care about other girls?" Riki leaned down even more, eyeing my lips–but I pretended. I continued to pretend since I was afraid that I might get shoved into the turf. "Bubblegum girl–I've only ever cared about you. Don't scare yourself."

I gulped. Why was he like this?

"Sato!" Teacher Fujii. That familiar tone saved me from giving him an answer. I spun around with no remorse, eyes wide. Teacher Fujii, who held a paper in his hands, noticed my ambivalence, lips slightly agape. "Um... I need you to do something for me. Come here, please!"

"Seems like there's no helping it," Riki slithered a hand onto my shoulder, patting it softly. "I'll be in the classroom in five minutes. If you need any help with Teacher Fujii's task, call me. Okay?"

"Yeah," I exhaled. "I will."

He patted me once more, jogging back to the middle of the field. I felt a knot in my throat forming as I stared at him getting active, hands in the air to beckon the ball toward him. Still, I walked toward Teacher Fujii, head turning back once I met him at the steps.

"Seems like you two have something going on now. Right?" He asked me as we entered the school together, heading to what I presumed was the teacher's office. I nodded quickly, head still stuck on Riki's words. "I've only known you for a month or two, but sometimes, I do pity you, Sato."

"What for?" I asked. "Am I that pitiful?"

"Not at all. In fact, you don't do anything that garners it," Teacher Fujii replied, taking a right. I followed quickly. "It's just the situations you put yourself in... do you not think about the consequences?"

"You're going to have to elaborate, Teacher."

"Nishimura's all-for-one, yet one-for-all," Teacher Fujii seemed to chuckle at his own statement. I kind of felt irked by it. "Every girl in your grade wants him, Sato–yet somehow, the girl who barely had any interest in him at first got to him. You don't think that this barrier will hurt you both in the end?"

He was a star. I was aware of that. It was like dating a celebrity and knowing the busy schedules, the paparazzi, and the fans might shatter you. But, everyone is deserving of adoration, no matter what life they live. "We'll make it work."

"You tend to hurt yourself," He said. "And it might be because you've never seen the real value of love."

I paused in the hallway, my eyebrows furrowing at Teacher Fujii crossing the imaginary barrier line. However, he seemed oblivious to doing so. "And how do you know I haven't?"

"Sato, you've gone to this school since you entered high school," He crossed his arms. "You think that I'm insolent–that I haven't known of you since you were young?"

I suppose that entering his class truly wasn't a mystery. He's had his eye on me. "That's kind of stalkerish, Teacher Fujii."

"Your teachers always recommended you to me. What's more stalkerish: that, or your analysis of every person you know?" This was becoming a battle. He was no longer therapeutic, rather, he was being a soldier in this long war. I, too, became a general, hoping to stand my ground. "Sato–I know everything from your grades to your situation at home."

I narrowed my eyes. "I see why you're doing this, Teacher Fujii. You're just like me."

He flashed a smile. "Precisely. The apples don't fall far from the tree," He mentioned, crossing his arms. Just like Riki, the shade had brought out a new side of Teacher Fujii, and I almost couldn't tell if he meant that we were the same, or if it was him and Riki. "I know that your parents don't quite get along–but it's obvious because they've never gone into conferences together, no matter how many times your teacher has requested it. Sometimes, they don't even come in at all."

Then, he added, "Not even to mention how when we had orientation, your parents didn't even come. You came by yourself and spoke to nobody."

"You're a good observer, but I don't know how this helps your case–"

"Is it real, Sato?" He questioned, soon letting out a loose laugh. "I mean, the feelings you have for Nishimura. Are you completely sure that you'd like to fall, if you haven't already? I know I told you to risk it all, but didn't I tell you there would be consequences?"

I sucked in a breath. "I don't entirely understand your words, Teacher Fujii–and I don't quite know if I want to."

"When you're willing to understand, let me know," Suddenly, the sun shone over his face–and he looked out at the soccer field. I followed his eyes and watched as Riki talked to one of the girls on the bleachers, laughing hard as she continued speaking. I fisted my skirt, the girl hitting Riki softly as he continued to egg her on. "But I guess until then... you can suffer in silence."

Without any other words, he returned to his usual giddiness, clearing his throat. "Now, let's go collect the folders for the project today. If we're late, I'll blame it on you."

"Hey!"