It wasn't until the group spilled out of the mall that you could finally take a breath. The chaos of it all had left you in a dazed fog. Childe and Fischl were already arguing over some ridiculous thing—probably about whether or not Mona was a "mysterious genius" or just a "walking disaster," which was your best guess considering the way they were throwing words at each other like daggers.

"This is insane," you muttered, glancing sideways at Scaramouche. You hadn't missed the way his hand had hovered near your lower back when Heizou had sidled up too close earlier. You weren't sure if he was trying to be protective or just annoyed, but it was kind of cute either way.

"Tell me about it," Scaramouche replied, his tone dry but the corner of his mouth twitching up like he couldn't help himself. "I thought they'd never stop fighting. Mona's the worst influence on them."

"Please," you rolled your eyes, shifting the strap of your bag higher on your shoulder. "You were practically ready to throw down with Heizou. You've got the same problem."

He gave you a pointed look, eyes narrowing slightly. "You mean the fact that Heizou can't take a hint?"

You shrugged. "I never said I wouldn't have gone out with him, you know..." You glanced back at the group. Childe was now trying to drag Fischl into a ridiculous debate about who would win in a fight—Fischl's "Oz" or Mona's "water magic," which was really just a hose. It was absurd. "I don't know. You didn't seem to mind him too much when we were talking. Are you jealous?"

His lips parted like he was about to protest, but then he paused. "No," he muttered finally, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not jealous. Just... cautious."

"Uh-huh," you said, not buying it. Scaramouche wasn't great at hiding his feelings, especially when it came to you. "Sure."

"Shut up," he grumbled, turning away from you with a half-smile that made your heart skip. "Let's just get to class before they drag us into their nonsense."

⸻

The walk to school was quieter, the streets crowded with other students rushing in the same direction. The group was split up as usual: Childe was cracking jokes with Fischl, Mona was trailing behind looking like she had better things to do, and you found yourself a little ahead of the group with Scaramouche.

You could feel the weight of his presence beside you, and for a moment, it was almost... comfortable. Too comfortable, considering the fact that you were pretty sure you both had unspoken tension between you. That feeling of something unresolved that lingered like static in the air.

"Hey," you started after a while, glancing up at him. "You've been kind of distant since... well, since the mall."

Scaramouche's eyes flickered to you, lips pressing into a tight line. "I'm not distant," he said stiffly. "I'm just... focused. Don't need to entertain any distractions right now."

You raised an eyebrow, trying to suppress the grin that threatened to spread across your face. "Distracted by what? You mean schoolwork?"

His gaze met yours, and for a split second, it was like the world around you didn't exist. "You could say that," he muttered, looking away. "And also... other things."

"Other things?" you pressed, genuinely curious now. You nudged him with your shoulder. "Like what?"

Scaramouche glanced down at you, the tips of his ears tinged with pink. "Never mind," he muttered, turning the corner abruptly. "We're here."

You couldn't help but laugh. He was so easy to mess with, it was kind of adorable.

⸻

The school day was a blur of classes and awkward glances between you and Scaramouche. There was something about the way he looked at you when your eyes met, like he was about to say something, but always stopped just short. It made your heart race, and you hated that you were feeling this way, but it wasn't like you could turn it off.

It wasn't until lunch that things got a little more relaxed. You and Scaramouche found a spot on the rooftop, the quiet away from the chaos of the cafeteria always a welcome relief. The group was supposed to meet up, but you had noticed that you and Scaramouche were often alone in moments like this... probably because Childe liked to cause a scene, and Mona was always wandering off somewhere.

Scaramouche leaned against the low wall, unwrapping his sandwich with an almost exaggerated slowness. "You're quiet today," he remarked, eyes flicking over to you. "Something on your mind?"

You bit your lip, watching him closely. "I don't know... I feel like we've been ignoring something." You paused, your voice lowering. "Like this... whatever this is between us."

He stilled for a moment, as though he hadn't expected you to say it out loud. "There's nothing to talk about," he replied, though his voice lacked its usual bite. "We're friends."

"Is that all?" you asked, arching an eyebrow. You leaned forward, watching him carefully. "Are you sure about that?"

He didn't answer right away, his eyes narrowing as if he was searching for the right words. Finally, he sighed, sitting up a little straighter. "Look, I don't know what you want from me, okay? This... whatever it is, is complicated. I'm not good at this stuff. But I'm not just some idiot who doesn't see what's going on."

Your chest tightened at his words. There it was again—those tiny cracks in his confident facade. You wanted to say something, but the words stuck in your throat.

"Scaramouche..." you began, voice softening, but before you could finish, the door to the rooftop opened, and Mona's voice rang out.

"Hey, lovebirds, the bell's about to ring!"

You could feel the heat rising in your cheeks. "We're not—"

"Sure, sure," Mona interrupted with a teasing grin. "Keep pretending. You two are so obvious."

Scaramouche shot her a glare, but Mona only shrugged and left. You couldn't help but laugh, the tension breaking for just a moment.

"Anyway," you said, standing up to grab your bag, "guess we'll have to figure this out later."

Scaramouche just stared at you for a moment, his lips curling up in a tiny, unreadable smile. "Yeah," he said, voice unusually quiet. "Later."

⸻

The rest of the day passed in a blur. You didn't have time to process everything—especially the way your heart had skipped when Scaramouche had finally admitted there was something going on between you. You were both thrilled and terrified, not sure what to make of it.

But for now, all you could do was keep moving forward.