I am several shades of fucked right now.

Your words were caught in your throat as if there was an invisible thread clasped around it. At how dry your throat was, when you thickly swallowed, the action felt like you've just consumed a bundle of sandpaper. "Can you repeat that?" you asked.

Utari tilted his head inquisitively to the side. The hidden look of malevolence in his eyes was now shrouded with one of simple puzzlement as if he was a perplexed child displaying innocent confusion. It was terrifying how easily he could fool people with his acting. You wondered if you didn't have the benefits of the game that you would've fallen victim to it as well.

"Ah! I meant to ask what you were doing here." A light chuckle parted from him. "You've basically been invisible this afternoon," he explained casually. If anyone amongst the students happened to have any suspicions of Utari, it would've vanished by now.

Like I'd believe that. You swore, if he had the chance, he would've grabbed the heavy song book and smashed it over your head. The pressure to come up with an immediate response remained oppressive, especially with the stares of so many students focusing on you. Your mind haphazardly raced for a reply, however, every response you came up with vocalised your distaste towards the idol.

"Forget it."

Kasumi's voice snapped you out of your stupor. She unplugged her phone from your portable charger and curtly returned it to you. After sending one last cold glare towards Aimi, she exited the room and closed the door with a loud and irritated slam.

Students were left speechless at the scene that had just unfolded. Some exchanged nervous glances, others remained silent and busied themself with something quiet.

"Well, it was an accident, right?" Utari said, his cheerful and melodious voice soothed the tense atmosphere, melting the oppressiveness as if it were cotton candy. The idol plugged the karaoke machine back in. Once the blank TV screen turned back on, Utari flashed everyone a charismatic smile. "Let's go back to singing! I'm taking up volunteers to sing a duet with me next."

And just like that, the once rigid and uncomfortable atmosphere dispersed as if nothing had happened at all. A barrage of eager voices cluttered the room. Students resumed back to laughing, chatting; everyone was back to their usual antics. You could even say that it was livier than before.

Well, you supposed it made sense. From an outsider's perspective, it was nothing but a minor interruption. For you, however, you felt like you've just escaped a battle unscathed.

An individual with an impeccable talent for acting, skilful in manipulating his emotions and being capable of switching swiftly it as if it was as natural as changing the settings of the game. Accompanied with a face, voice, and personality that can win over just about anyone with the littlest effort, you were sure that Utari was someone that'll cause a fair share of your headaches.



===



After heading home from that karaoke outing, you were beyond exhausted. It was a miracle that you managed to get yourself to brush your teeth and properly get ready for bed. Now? It was the next morning. The thought of getting ready to school and leaving your comfy bed made you silently sob to yourself.

???

Morning! Wonderful day, isn't it?

6:43

A familiar ringtone broke the peaceful silence in your room. With a huff, you turned over and snuggled yourself deeper into the comfortable mattress, basking contently in its soft embrace. Unfortunately for you, not even a second had passed and the ringtone chimed a second time.

You begrudgingly pulled the covers down, an annoyed expression plastered on your face at the interruption. With a heavy sigh, you rubbed off the sleep from your eyes and grabbed your phone.

???

Isn't it about time you get up? Laziness isn't very attractive.

6:44

You pursed your lips. "I'm taking care of my health, that's attractive."

???

If you get up, I'll show you a new feature.

6:45

Your eyes widened in interest. Oh?

With a determined glint in your eyes, you pushed the covers off and instantly sat up.

"I was already feeling awake anyways."

As you scurried around the house quickly getting ready, your phone chimed again.

???

What's the rush? Why don't you eat a proper breakfast? I worry that your poor eating habits will get to you before the male leads do.

7:00

You furrowed your eyebrows. "No."

???

Breakfast or I won't be giving anything.

7:00

"..."

Cut to you angrily munching on a bowl of cereal. After finishing up, you promptly washed the dishes, grabbed your bag, and headed out the door.

"Okay!" you exclaimed. "New feature. Where."

???

Just walk to school as usual and it'll be added to your phone itself after a certain event :D

7:30

You squinted your eyes suspiciously at your phone before sighing and stuffing it into your pocket. Your gaze vigilantly darted around expectantly as you began walking. If someone were to pass by you, they would've thought you had an extreme case of paranoia.

"Uh, not much is happening––"

"I am so fucked." An unfamiliar voice suddenly interrupts you.

Your head instinctively turned to the source of the sound, eyes catching sight of a woman. One hand was frantically stuffing paper work into her purse while the other was haphazardly locking the door. Frustrated cusses would escape her lips every time her panic caused her to use the wrong key.

"Oh fu––I mean–– Shin, please don't repeat what mummy said, okay?" She looked down to her son who was quietly standing next to her. His expression was collected and patient, the complete opposite of his mother. He gave her a small nod and quietly whispered a petite 'okay'.

His mother sighed a breath of relief. "Good, good. Come along now, we need to quickly get you to the daycare. If I'm lucky, I'll still make it to my job on time. Granted I may have to run a few red lights––" Her voice made a crashing halt mid sentence as soon as her eyes caught yours. The female blinked several times before giving you a strained smile in which you assumed was supposed to be a friendly gesture.

"Good morning," you said, pretending that you didn't just witness the whole ordeal. Putting on your most humble and inviting smile, you asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Oh! Good morning!" she beamed back, maybe a little too quickly. Her rushed tone of voice made it seem as if she was engaged in a heated battle against time, and was losing. "No, no, everything's fine. It's not like I had several mental breakdowns this morning––oh, why you look at the time. You must be late to school, right? Take care now!"

Your smile faltered into one of concern, mainly at the barrage of frantic words that were thrown mercilessly at you. Her son was standing behind her timidly. Fluffy tufts of black hair, and jet black eyes were peeking out from behind her leg to catch a glimpse of you.

Your lips curved up into a friendly smile and you sent him a small wave before redirecting your attention back to his mother. Now, normally, you would've just said peace and walked away without any further pestering. However, you felt like there was something you needed to do here. Your thoughts referred back to when the mysterious texter mentioned a new feature.

Before your thoughts could properly collect themselves, you instinctively asked, "If you want, I can take your son to the daycare for you?" You almost immediately regretted those words as soon as they flowed past your lips. Wow, way to sound creepy.

The woman simply blinked several times at you, comprehending what you had just said. She then gently ushered her son directly behind her, sending a dagger-like suspicious glare through her onyx optics. "I know my Shin is the most adorable boy in the world..." she said, tone quieter and serious before she suddenly and dramatically pointed a finger at you. "But I won't let you kidnap him!"

You could literally envision a thunderbolt calamitously zapping towards the ground between the two of you, ensuing some game-like 1v1 battle.

You let out a nervous chuckle. Seriously, what have I gotten myself into?

Shattering the tense(?) ambience, a phone rang loudly. The mother visibly stiffened as she anxiously reached down to her purse. Swallowing, she turned it on and answered the call.

"Hello~ A beautiful morning isn't it––ah, late? Me? Of course not! In fact, I'm actually almost there. I'm so almost there that it beats everyone who ever said that they're almost there––okay I'll stop. Oh, did I mention that I absolutely adore your voice––okay I'll really stop now. Yup, goodbye––" The phone call ended abruptly on her and she immediately muttered. "I am utterly fucked."

Her words elicited a concerned look from her son. She entangled her fingers in her wavy black locks in frustration and sighed before catching the knowing smirk on your lips. Furrowing her eyebrows she instantly replied with, "No."

"But you'll be late," you said. "And from the looks of it, the stakes are pretty high."

"I don't know why you're so insistent," she said. "But my son's safety is my first priority. I'm not willing to hand him over to someone I hardly know."

I mean, she has a point. You tapped your chin in contemplation, a thought hum escaped your lips before you snapped your fingers when an idea popped in your mind. "Okay, how about this." You pulled out your phone. "We'll call and I'll keep you on the line. I'll make sure that your son and I are always talking."

"Seriously, why are you so stubborn?" The mother folded her arms, her expression no longer suspicious but, instead, exasperated at your insistence. "Isn't this just a hassle for you?"

"Maybe I'm just a good person."

"..."

"...Okay, yeah, sorry. Not even I believe that myself." You cleared your throat. "I'm new here in this neighbourhood," you explained. "I'd like to make some friends or at least be somewhat familiar with the people around me. That's why I offered to help, but I guess I was just a little too straightforward. Sorry about that."

The raven haired woman paused momentarily, her head cocked to the side and her face morphed into one of deep contemplation as if she was recalling a piece of information that was deeply tucked away on the back of her mind. "...What's your name?"

You were a little thrown off at her sudden question, but answered nonetheless. "(L/n) (Y/n)"

"(L/n) (Y/n)?" A look of realisation crossed her and her expression softened into what looks to be...pity? "No wonder you looked so familiar..." the female muttered before sighing and letting out a short laugh. "Geez, I hardly recognise you now."

"..?" Your eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean––"

"Hm, guess you don't remember me," she commented before shrugging. "Eh, you were barely three back then anyways."

Okay, now you were very confused. Did the two of you meet in the past before?

Now that I think about it, I don't know anything about the connections that the previous (Y/n) of this world had. It was convenient that you were starting fresh in a new school without any prior relationships, but if you were to encounter an old friend or acquaintance, there will definitely be some problems.

Your eyes traveled back to the mother. Well, she mentioned that I was three. I'm not entirely doomed. I can just pretend I don't remember anything.

"Tamashiro Yua," she said before gesturing to her son. "Shin, introduce yourself now."

Her son stepped shyly away from behind her legs. He gave you a stiff and nervous bow and quietly introduced himself. You smiled softly at the child. However, as soon as your eyes made contact with his, he immediately shied away and went back to hiding behind his mother.

"So, if we're doing introductions, I assume it's a yes?" You took out your phone. "Okay––"

"No need." Tamashiro quickly cut you off. "Just take him to the daycare." Her eyes took a quick glance at her watch and almost fell back in shock. "Look, I really gotta go. If anything happens to my precious Shin." She made a slicing motion across her neck and you immediately got the message.

She bent down to kiss her son goodbye and you swore you heard her say something along the lines of 'if she does anything to you, kick her in the shin and alarm the police'. She then gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder followed along with a determined nod as if she was sending him off to battle.

You were slowly beginning to regret your decision.

"I'll be off now!" And just like that, she entered her car and drove off, leaving you and Shin alone. An uncomfortable blanket of silence draped over the air before you cleared your throat sheepishly.

"Don't tell your mother this," you began. "And I know you're like four and all, but do you happen to know the way?"

===

"..."

"..."

A child who isn't even a quarter of my age is the one leading me. This is a new type of low.

You sighed to yourself as you walked beside Shin, he seemed to not mind being the one to take the lead. Well, it was more like you couldn't tell, his face was always painted with one of indifference. Suddenly, the boy stopped in front of a building and you assumed that you have arrived at your destination. About to walk in, you stopped yourself when you saw Shin not moving an inch.

"Should we head in now?" you asked.

The child tensed a little at your question and he gave you a hesitant and stiff nod. His lips were pressed into a thin line and his eyes gazed intensely at the door. You looked at the door and then back at him, trying to figure out what was wrong. As you racked your brain for a possible reason for the child's hesitation, you then decided to make an educated guess.

"Are you nervous about meeting the other children?"

At your question, his head turned to yours and a look of obvious surprise was evident on his countenance. "I-I..." he barely managed to say the beginning of his sentence before he immediately averted his eyes to the floor.

You chuckled lightly and crouched down to his level, tilting your head to see his face. "You can tell me, don't worry."

Shin's small hands held a tighter grip on his backpack. You patiently waited for him to give you an answer. You wanted to send a silent message that you were here to reassure him, not interrogate him with your question.

"..Friends."

"Friends?" you repeated. "Oh, are you having trouble making them?" Your voice naturally became much gentler when speaking to him, you felt as if the smallest displayal of intimidation will ruin all your progress.

Despite his eyes being the darkest hue, they lit up brightly. It was the most expressive you've ever seen him be today. Though it was small and easy to miss with a simple glance, an adorable smile graced his lips. "Yes!" he exclaimed before blinking in surprise at his raise in volume. A pink hue tinted his cheek in embarrassment. "Ah...uhm..."

"Yes?" you prompted.

Silence lingered for a little longer before he said his next sentence. "...Miss, how did you know?"

The power of guessing and praying that you were right. "It's a secret~" you mused, holding an index finger to your lip and playfully hushing him.

"Secret?" The child tilted his head. "...Am I not allowed to know?" His tone had notably grown quieter and his shoulders sagged a little in disappointment. Puppy like sadness was in his eyes and you felt like you had just committed a crime worse than murder.

"W-well, I can't tell you now," you quickly said. "But! In the future I'll tell you. When you're ready and make a lot of friends."

His face brightened again and you swore you needed a pair of sunglasses to be able to directly face him.

"Oh, okay!" he said excitedly. However, his face was quick to morph into one of concern. "...But, I don't know how to make friends." Small tears pricked from the corner of his eyes. "When I try, the other kids give me a weird look..."

Oh no. You chuckled nervously. This is the part where I'm supposed to be the responsible one and give him life changing advice. "Well, have you tried smiling?"

The child simply sent you a perplexed look.

"When you smile, people see it as a sign of kindness," you explained. "They'll naturally want to be friends with a kind person, right? So, when you first meet someone, do it with a happy smile."

"Ohh..." he gaped as if he had just discovered a mind-blowing piece of information. "Okay!" he beamed with innocent determination before giving you the most precious and widest grin you've ever seen from him. You almost fell backwards at how cute he was. "Like this?"

Did I do something good in my past life to be able to witness such a sight? "That's perfect!" you cheered and gave him a light round of applause.

Shin looked away bashfully at your encouragement. "Uhm..." He hesitated for a moment before timidly asking, "does that mean you're my friend now?" His eyes help a hopeful look and you can see him bracing himself incase of rejection.

"Of course!" you replied with a warm smile. "Well, I'm (L/n) (Y/n). What's your name?"

"I'm Tamashiro Shin! B-but it's okay to call me Shin," he said. He then quietly mumbled 'ah! My smile!' and his lips curved into a delighted smile. "S-so, are we friends now?"

You chuckled. "Of course! Now, should we head inside?"

Nodding eagerly and with light bounces in his steps, he followed you. A smile graced your lips at his happy demeanor and you couldn't help but also feel joyous as well. However, upon hearing the muffled laughter and chatter of children coming from the otherside of the door, Shin's small body tensed.

"Wanna hold my hand?" You offered your hand out, and he gave you a small nod before timidly accepting your offer. "Okay, ready?"

He nodded with shaky determination. "R-ready!"

Pulling open the doors to the daycare, all the muffled noise from became an exuberant clamour that came crashing down onto your eardrums mercilessly. Glancing around the room, if someone had taken a rainbow and threw it onto the room, the end product would be the colours inside the daycare. Adding to it's charm, every wall had some sort of art created from one of the children hung up.

And as expected, there were plenty of children; playing with toys, painting, having pretend tea parties, and some had their eyes pinned on you in curiosity. To the left, there was an old lady who had a handful of children crowded around her; they were paying close attention to the book in her hand.

You stood there not knowing how to announce your presence. However, thankfully, when the lady looked up for a brief moment, her eyes met yours. "Well here's an unfamiliar face." She looked over to Shin, and despite the wrinkles on her face, she smiled beautifully. "Are you his sister?"

Shaking your head, you replied with, "Just a friend. His mother entrusted me to bring him here."

Shin's eyes brightened at your words, lips tugging into a small smile. You then let go of his hand and gave him an encouraging nudge forward, insisting that he join the other children. His body stiffened at your gesture and he looked over his shoulder with a nervous expression. It was as if someone had taken his previous determination and threw it out the window.

"You'll be okay," you said. "I'll be right here, I won't leave until you're comfortable."

A little bit of time elapsed before Shin took in a deep breath. He felt a strong sense of security with your reassurance, it gave him the extra push he needed. He quietly walked up to a group of kids, hands nervously clasped together, and introduced himself followed along with the smile you told him to do.

And you swore he just became the first crush of all the girls there.

All the children easily accepted him, urging him to join them in their game. You smiled in triumph at the sight, oddly really proud at his accomplishment. The boy, a little overwhelmed at the new attention he was receiving, glanced back at you. With an excited grin, he mouthed, "I did it!"

You gave him a thumbs up. "Good job!" you mouthed back and you could faintly hear the lady chuckling at the exchange between you too. After sticking around for another few minutes, you concluded that Shin was fine to be left with his friends. You politely excused yourself, thanked the caretaker for her services, and headed for the door.

However, as soon as your hand was about to reach for the door knob, you almost fell forward when it suddenly swung open. You managed to catch yourself before mumbling dramatically under your breath how you could've died.

"Oh! Sorry about that, I'll––wait, (L/n)-san?"

The familiar voice struck you with a dreadful realisation. Out of all the people, you had to encounter him?

Hesitantly looking up as if that will magically make the individual in front of you somehow transform into someone else, your eyes locked with familiar grey-blue optics. The idol fluttered his eyes in perplexion. His head tilted slightly to the side, causing his lustrous braided hair to fall off from his shoulders. You mentally questioned how long it took every morning for the male to get his hair done.

"What a nice surprise!" he beamed with his usual smile. "I didn't expect to see you here––"

"Don't worry, you won't be seeing much of me once I walk out that door––"

Knocking away your ability to finish the sentence, an explosive onslaught of excited chatter flooded the room, destroying whatever little peace that was once left before a tsunami of kids ran towards Utari.

"You're back!"

"Are you going to sing for us today too!?"

"Yay! He's here!"

"Play a song! Play a song!"

"The guitar is over there!"

As the entire daycare crowded around the idol, you instinctively moved out of the way. However, because of that, your only exit is now gone. Shin was the only child who didn't rush over to him. He walked over to you and stood by your side.

The old lady didn't seem to mind the commotion, in fact, it seemed like she was enjoying it. "He's a popular one, huh?"

"Yeah, you should see how much attention he gets a school," you replied. "Does he have a sibling? What's he doing here?"

The lady chuckled fondly at your question. "It's best if you see for yourself."

You and Shin unanimously blinked in confusion, the two of you exchanged glances and both gave the same shrug. A couple of kids then came up to Shin and urged him to join them and you noticed that Utari was grabbing a guitar. Shin looked back at you, concern in his eyes.

"You can go ahead, don't worry about me," you reassured.

"But I don't want to leave a friend behind..."

You blinked in surprise before chuckling in amusement. "Okay, okay. I'll go along with you then."

Shin nodded happily and grabbed your hand before leading you to the center of the room. Utari was sitting on a chair, preparing his guitar, while the children sat in a circle around him. Everyone was tiny compared to you, so, naturally, sitting amongst the children made you stand out quite a bit.

I didn't think this through.

You swore you heard Utari let out a short amused laugh when he saw you and played it off as a cough. You simply buried your face in your knees in embarrassment.

"Is big sister going to join us?"

You lifted up your head and saw a girl clutching a stuffed teddy bear. You gave her an inquisitive gaze and asked, "Big sister? Me?"

She nodded her head enthusiastically. "We're all one big family here!" she beamed. She adorably made her teddy bear point in Utari's direction. "If he's big brother, that means you're big sister!"

All the children nodded unanimously with serious expressions as if they've just concluded some sort of business meeting. Well, there was no way you were getting out of this one. "Welp, I hope everyone treats me well."

You were met with eager cheers and delighted claps. Feeling more comfortable and less embarrassed, you glanced over to Utari. You made a mental note of the guitar he had in hand. It wasn't anything flashy, just a simple, ordinary brown acoustic guitar. Oddly enough, despite its simplicity, you thought it suited him very well.

Everyone quietened down when he strummed the instrument, preparing to play it. Many leaned forward, eyes attentive and curious of what he was going to play. You couldn't help but also play close attention.

During your research, you found out that his songs were mainly upbeat, energetic, and had various instruments playing in the background. You weren't sure if it was because your research skills sucked, but you hardly found any acoustic music from him.

With a soft strum, Utari's fingers delicately plucked the strings, playing a soft and soothing tune. The way he played the instrument was mesmerising, the dulcet melody mellifluously dancing around the room.

And then, he began singing.

If you could describe beauty through sound, this was definitely it. His voice was golden and delicate, you couldn't help but stare in awe and appreciate his ability.

Was it because of its simplicity? The skillful use of his guitar? You had heard his voice multiple times prior to this, so just what was about his voice now that is so much more different?

You were pulled out of your thoughts when the room erupted in a storm of claps. Utari had finished singing, and you joined the applause.

"Another one!"

"One more song please!"

"Again! Again!"

Utari laughed and looked more than willing to play another song. However, he gave them an apologetic look and said, "Sorry, but we're out of time. I have school, remember?"

Collective 'awws' of disappointment came from the children. After a few light protests, Utari was able to convince them to go back to their respective spots. The guy was good at handling children, you had to give them that. Whilst he was distracted with that, you took the opportunity to sneak your way towards the door.

"Ah!" you heard Shin call out. "Goodbye!" He smiled brightly and enthusiastically waved at you.

You jolted in surprise and waved back at him, you swore you felt a tear roll down your cheek when Utari turned over to you. Dammit.

"Oh, you're leaving? Give me a sec." Utari quickly grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulders, there were various keychains dangling from it and even a small plush hanging on the side. "Let's walk together!"

You took in a deep breath. Lord, give me strength. "Yeah, okay."

"We'll be off, Hanako-san," he said politely and gave the caretaker a small bow. He then opened the door for you and smiled. "Well, after you."

"Thanks." You stepped out and resisted the urge to just bolt away.

"As I said before, I didn't expect to see you there," Utari said, closing the door behind him and walking beside you. "The kids really seem to like you, I don't blame them."

You didn't know how to feel about how smoothly he slipped in that compliment. "Well, I was taking someone's son to the daycare for them. You know, the boy with black hair and the only one that didn't rush to you upon arrival," you replied. "Do you sing them a song everyday or something? Meeting a famous idol wasn't on my agendar this morning."

"I often come by during my freetime," he said. "It's really fun! I've only just got to know them recently and I love how inviting the place is."

"Well, all the children clearly love you. I could feel the ground shaking when they ran over."

Utari chuckled. "They seem to like you as well. Before I know it, you'll steal my spotlight."

"Hah. Me competing with your singing? That's hardly fair."

"You have your baking abilities," Utari pointed out.

You weren't even sure if you could bake so you responded with a simple shrug. And after that, the conversation basically died on you. You could feel an inkling of nervousness when walking beside the male. Uncertainty clouded your mind, should you keep talking to him? Get to know him better?

"By the way," Utari began out of the blue, causing you to jolt a little in surprise. "Feel free to tell me if I'm prying too much, but the boy with you seems to like you a lot. Have you two known each other for a while?"

The guy sure liked to ask you questions. "We first met like half an hour ago––wow that sounds weird to say out loud."

Utari blinked in surprise. "I'm amazed at how well you managed to befriend him," he said. "Make sure to share your secret one day, okay?" He sent a playful wink your way.

That was ironic coming from a beloved idol, but okay. You wanted to just nod and let the conversation fall back into silence, but you decided to take the initiative to keep it going. "Don't count on any great advice. I have yet to make any friends at school."

The idol looked over to you and faked a hurt look. "Are we not friends?" he asked. "I'm hurt, (L/n)-san. I thought we had something special when we walked to the library together."

You suppress the urge to inhale in a sharp breath. You literally looked like you wanted to murder me the other day, but okay.

"You know what? No comment."

The male covered his lips and gasped, playfully saying something along the lines of how cruel you were. Despite you chuckling along with him, you couldn't bring yourself to genuinely enjoy your time with the idol. The look in his eyes back at the karaoke place, you won't ever forget it. That experience acted like a constant reminder to never let your guard down around him.

"Oh! By the way," Utari said, voice light and upbeat. "Are you and Kasumi-san close?"

Way to drop a bomb on me. "No, not really," you replied. "But I'd like to get closer to her."

Utari was silent for a moment before saying, "have you heard the rumours about her?" he asked. His tone of voice was casual like he was just asking a normal everyday question. However, his voice faintly sounded like he was insinuating something else.

"I live under a rock," you said. "Either way, you don't need to tell me. I'll judge someone's character based on my own impression. Rumours are usually exaggerated anyways." Then, an idea clicked to you as if the right machinery had finally placed itself into the cogs of your mind. The topic of rumours? Utari must've had a fair share of them, maybe there was something you can pry into?

You made a mental prayer. Lord give me strength again, I'm most likely going to provoke him with my next words. You felt like a jerk, but it was better that than having no leads on how you can stop Utari from hurting others.

"I'm well aware that rumours aren't always true," he replied. "I just wanted to ask you, that's all."

"Mhm, you just made it sound like such a big deal," you said, doing your best to sound as ignorant as possible, hoping that it'll provoke him.

"That's because they can be," he replied. How fast he answered threw you off guard but also caused you to mentally raise an eyebrow. "Whether they are true or false, it can easily––" He abruptly stopped himself before clearing his throat and swiftly continuing his sentence, "––I'm just worried for you, that's all," he said, voice gentle and concerned. Heck, the switch was so fast that you almost doubted yourself that he made that subtle slip up.

"Worried for me?"

"Of course," Utari said. "Associating yourself with Kasumi-san will make yourself a victim to the rumours as well. But, I shouldn't tell you what to do. You're free to make friends with whoever you want." He smiled. "Just some background info for you."

"Well, thanks, I guess." You didn't mean for your voice to sound so dismissive, but it was too late to take it back.

The school eventually came into view and you could already see a few female students making their way to approach the idol. "Well, catch you later." You waved goodbye to him, not bothering to wait for a response, before entering the school.

After calmly walking in, you then let out a very long sigh of relief. Didn't die, mission success. You then contemplated over the conversation you had with the bluenette. It seemed like rumours were somewhat of a sensitive topic for him, you wondered what the story behind that was.

Diverting yourself away from your thoughts, whispers caught your attention and you naturally looked over to where they were coming from. Kasumi and her friends were huddled together and were too focused on their conversation to notice your presence. As you walked past them, you managed to capture snippets of their conversation.

"I can't wait to see the look on her face."

"Right? Do you think she'll cry or something? I need to get a photo of that!"

"I bet she'll run to Utari-kun, haha."

Oh god, not again. You desperately wanted to eavesdrop more to get clearer details, however, standing in the middle of the hallway alone for no apparent reason isn't such a brilliant idea. With a huff, you decided to be a good student and head to homeroom early not because you have no one to hang with.

You slid the door open and were welcomed with an empty room, as expected. Right, I should check my phone to see if I've gotten that new feature yet. You felt better with something to do, and as you walked, you stopped dead in your tracks when your eyes caught a glimpse of Aimi's desk.

Messily scrawled across her desk in big and bold lettering were acrimonious and spiteful slanders and insults. There was even an effort to scatter trash across her desk. Inferring from the conversation you heard before, there was no doubt that Kasumi and her friends did this.

A stressed sigh seeped past your lips as you tangled your fingers in your hair. If Utari happened to see this and found out that it was Kasumi, you didn't even want to imagine what would happen. You pinched the bridge of your nose. How should I deal with this––

Shattering your thoughts, the bell chimed, signalling that homeroom had started. Panic ensued within you and the multitude of approaching footsteps from students making their way over to homeroom only amplified it. This was bad. If someone walked in right now, it would look like you had done this yourself––

"Oh! (L/n)-san!" Aimi was the first to walk into the room, she was accompanied by Utari and a few other students. The blonde's blue eyes lit up at the sight of you, a cheerful smile gracing her light pink lips. "You're here––" She stopped and her eyes centered on her desk. "––Early..." Her voice trailed off and her smile fell into a confused frown.

More students filtered into the room after her, everyone was chatting happily before all conversations came to an instantaneous stop. It didn't take long for everyone's eyes to be pinned on you and the desk. Aimi's eyes cautiously met your gaze while Utari's remained difficult to decipher. It frustrated you how hard it was to read the male's eyes, and it also frustrated you that he always had that smile on his face.

"(L/n)-san," he said, voice casual and suffocatingly kind. He approached you. "You seem a little tense, are you okay?"

"..." You couldn't find the right words to speak.

As students began to realise what had happened to Aimi's desk, there were scattered gasps of shock before they quickly turned into whispers, whispers that you didn't want to hear. Utari had his gaze fixated on the desk before he averted his gaze and looked around. A small hum escaped his lips, you didn't know if it was one of amusement or thoughtfulness.

"(L/n)-san..." His words sounded so innocent and gentle. If you didn't know any better, you would've thought he was coaxing you.

"...Were you the one who did this?"







A/n: Utari 🤝 being a two faced b––

Anyways, what do you guys think of him? Any theories? This chapter was hella fun to write and I'm super excited to see everyone's reaction for the upcoming chapters on this boy.