CHANGED - Classroom of the Elite

23

Suzune hummed in response, sliding the plates back into the shelves.

Airi muttered something Suzune didn't quite catch before turning away from the sink to face her. "Normally, um, geez how do I say this... uh, the d-difference between your eyes and other people's is that... I can look into them without faltering, um..." Suzune continued putting the plates away. "Although, normally, that's only the case when, uh, when... when..." Airi took a deep breath. "When they've experienced something traumatic."

Suzune paused.

Airi kept talking. "And, um, I-I was wondering if uh- if you... if you... maybe had something going on?"

Suzune didn't move from her spot, the drying cloth lay limp in her hand.

"Not that I'm assuming or anything! If you really don't have anything going on, then just ignore me! But... I just can't shake the feeling t-that you've gone through something no one should ever have to go through and that there's more going on between you and the ex-student council president than meets the eye and oh God I should've been a better friend to notice- "

"Stop."

Airi gasped.

It was one word. One singular word that's overlooked too much when the situation is dire yet overthought to the point of pulling one's hair out.

It was one syllable. But Airi went dead silent when hearing it come out her mouth.

"Airi." She heard Pinkie nearly topple over when at the mention of her name. "I appreciate the fact that you want to make sure I'm fine, that I'm okay, and I thank you for that. I appreciate the friendship we have." She directed her gaze towards the girl from where she was standing. And it must've been harsh because Airi's eyes were blown wide when meeting her gaze, her body stilled.

"But I would appreciate it more if you minded your own business."

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She sat with Ichinose for dinner. Sakayanagi didn't tag along this time.

Suzune could tell Airi wasn't the most comfortable with her presence right now. She didn't necessarily mean to spook her off, it just sort of... happened.

She vaguely remembers someone mentioning that the brain sometimes acts on its own when it engages with something that reminds them of a traumatic event or personal experience that has affected the brain before and that the brain acting out is it trying to be a defence mechanism so that the person doesn't have to go through it again and-

"Horikita-san?"

Suzune blinked and glanced up to see Ichinose looking concerned. "Yeah?"

"You were spacing out, are you okay?"

She waved her off. "Yep, just have something on my mind. What were we talking about?"

"Well, I was a little worried about something."

"Hm?"

"It's about Sakayanagi."

Suzune looked down at her spaghetti made by one of the seniors (she'll have to grab this recipe later). "Is it because the class A girls have no one from class B in their groups?"

Ichinose nodded. "Yeah. I brushed it off as a coincidence earlier, but..."

"You're worried that it wasn't one."

Ichinose nodded. "Yeah..." The pink-haired girl sighed and picked at her food. "I really don't want anything bad to happen to my classmates. They're all such good people... they're my friends..."