The next morning arrived far too quickly.
Eri realized that the moment her arm went off.
She groaned into her pillow, ears fttened and tails wrapped tightly around herself like a protective cocoon. For several seconds she simply refused to move.
Her brain was repying st night.
The ntern bridge.
The wish tags.
The walk home.
The kiss.
Both kisses.
And then Mira’s relentless interrogation.
Her ears warmed just remembering it.
A knock came at the door.
“Rise and shine, lover girl,” Mira called from the hallway.
Eri immediately shoved her face deeper into the pillow.
“Go away.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“Nope.”
The door opened and Mira leaned against the frame, already dressed for school and looking far too awake.
“You have approximately ten minutes before Mom starts the ‘you’re going to be te’ speech.”
Eri groaned again.
“I don’t want to go to school.”
“Because of Alex or because of Becca?”
“…Both.”
Mira nodded thoughtfully.
“That’s fair.”
Eri finally pushed herself upright, her tails drooping tiredly behind her.
“What if Becca says something weird today?”
“She will.”
“That was not reassuring.”
“She’s been suspicious for many weeks,” Mira pointed out. “Yesterday probably just added fuel.”
Eri rubbed her face.
“Great.”
Mira shrugged.
“Look on the bright side.”
“There is no bright side.”
“You kissed Alex.”
Eri grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at her.
Mira caught it easily.
“Still worth it.”
School felt different that morning.
Not dramatically different.
Just… sharper.
Eri noticed the way a few students whispered when she walked by. Not cruelly—more curiosity than anything—but it still made her ears twitch slightly.
Her tails stayed tucked closer to her legs as she approached the lockers.
Alex was already there.
The moment he saw her, he smiled.
Which did not help her composure at all.
Her ears turned pink instantly.
“Morning,” he said.
“…Morning.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“You look like you slept two hours.”
“I slept six.”
“Your face says two.”
“Your face says you’re annoying.”
He chuckled.
Before she could respond—
Another voice joined them.
“Well.”
Eri’s stomach dropped immediately.
Becca stood a few lockers down, leaning casually against the wall.
Watching them.
Not gring.
Not smiling.
Just observing.
Her eyes moved from Alex…
…to Eri…
…and then down briefly.
To their hands.
Which were still very close together.
Alex straightened slightly.
“Morning,” he said.
Becca pushed herself off the wall.
“Morning.”
Her tone was neutral.
Too neutral.
She walked closer, stopping just beside them.
“You two seem… closer tely.”
Eri forced her expression to stay calm.
“We’re just friends.”
Becca hummed softly.
“Right.”
Her gaze lingered on Eri a little longer.
Something analytical was happening behind her eyes.
“You know,” Becca said slowly, “I’ve been thinking.”
Alex gave a cautious smile.
“That’s usually dangerous.”
She ignored the comment.
“Ethan disappeared two weeks ago.”
Eri felt her heart thud once in her chest.
“And?”
“And around that same time,” Becca continued, “Eri suddenly started showing up everywhere.”
The hallway noise seemed louder around them.
Eri kept her voice steady.
“I transferred.”
“Yes,” Becca said.
“But the timing is… interesting.”
Alex crossed his arms.
“People transfer schools all the time.”
“They do.”
Becca’s gaze flicked to Eri’s ears.
Then her tails.
Then back to her face.
“And people don’t usually come in like this in the middle of a semester.”
Eri tilted her head slightly.
“What do you mean.”
Becca studied her carefully.
“It’s hard to expin.”
She stepped a little closer.
“You just feel… familiar.”
Eri’s posture tightened slightly.
“Familiar in what way?”
Becca shrugged lightly.
“Like you’ve always been here.”
Eri blinked.
That wasn’t what she expected.
Becca continued.
“But also like you haven’t.”
The words hung strangely in the air.
Then Becca did something unexpected.
She smiled slightly.
“Also,” she added, “you two are terrible at hiding things.”
Eri’s ears twitched.
“What things.”
Becca pointed casually.
“Your tails keep curling toward him.”
Eri looked down instantly.
Her tails immediately froze.
Alex snorted quietly.
“Traitors,” Eri muttered under her breath.
Becca’s smile widened just a little.
“See? Things like that.”
Eri looked back up at her.
“Becca…”
“Rex,” Becca said.
“I’m not accusing you of anything.”
Her tone softened slightly.
“I’m just noticing patterns.”
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“You sound like a detective.”
“Maybe I should be.”
She gnced between them again.
Then added casually,
“So… did something happen yesterday?”
Eri felt like her brain short-circuited.
“What.”
“It was Valentine’s Day.”
“And?”
“You two disappeared after school.”
Alex answered smoothly.
“We went out.”
Becca’s eyebrows lifted.
“Out where?”
“The gardens.”
Her expression sharpened instantly.
“Interesting.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Becca said calmly, “that’s the same pce Ethan started acting strange strange.”
Eri’s breath caught very slightly.
Just for a second.
But Becca saw it.
Her eyes narrowed.
Not accusing.
Just… confirming something.
“I thought so,” she murmured.
Alex frowned.
“Thought what?”
Becca shook her head.
“Nothing.”
But the look on her face said otherwise.
The bell rang suddenly, echoing through the hallway.
Students began moving toward their cssrooms.
Becca grabbed her bag.
“Don’t worry,” she said lightly as she stepped away.
“I’m still figuring things out.”
Then she paused.
Looking back at Eri one more time.
Her eyes lingered just a little longer than before.
Not confused anymore.
Curious.
Like someone staring at a puzzle that was finally starting to make sense.
“…See you ter,” she said.
Then she disappeared into the crowd.
Alex exhaled slowly.
“Well.”
Eri stared down the hallway where Becca had gone.
Her ears slowly lowered.
“She’s really close.”
Alex rubbed the back of his neck.
“Yeah.”
Eri’s tails shifted nervously behind her.
“She doesn’t know what happened,” Alex said.
“But she knows something happened.”
Eri nodded quietly.
And now Becca wasn’t just searching for Ethan anymore.
Now she was looking at Eri.
And starting to realize that the answer might have been standing right in front of her the entire time.