The school’s fire alarm blared, setting off a wave of panic. High school seniors flooded the hallway, packed shoulder to shoulder as confusion spread. Students shoved and stumbled, the tension in the air thick like things could spiral out of control at any moment. Nene was caught in the middle of it, her anxiety spiking as bodies pressed too close, invading her space. “Was this Rui’s doing again..? I’m not even sure if it’s better or worse if it wasn’t,” she grumbled inwardly, frowning.

Then, through the chaos, a hand slid past the crowd and hooked around her arm, not rough, but with just enough pull to make her follow. She spotted a familiar blue cardigan ahead. Looking up, Nene met Rui’s eyes and relief washed over her.

“Oh, hey... What’s going on this time?” she said bluntly through the noise, trying to keep the suspicion out of her voice.