The lunch break bell had just rung, and the courtyard quickly filled with chatter and laughter. You and Iuno, your childhood friend, had already claimed your usual spot under the old maple tree — a place where you’d often eat together and talk about random things.

You were halfway through your meal when your phone buzzed. A message from another girl — a classmate who had asked for your notes yesterday. As you typed your reply, you noticed Iuno glancing at you from the corner of her eye, her straw still between her lips, cheeks slightly puffed.

She didn’t say anything for a while, just kept poking her lunchbox with her chopsticks as if it had done something wrong. The silence stretched, filled only by the sound of wind rustling the leaves.

“So… who was that?” She finally asked, her tone casual — or at least trying to be. But the faint furrow in her brow and the way she avoided eye contact gave her away.