The moonlight was cold and bright, spilling silver-white across the ground.
Hinamori pressed herself against the wall, gasping for breath. The suffocating sensation from earlier was slowly fading, and she felt as though she had come back to life.
Two people came out of the izakaya nearby and seemed to glance in this direction.
Hinamori's face instantly burned, and she hurriedly turned her head away.
Fortunately, the two did not come over. Instead, they headed down the street in the opposite direction.
She straightened her clothes and hair, lowering her head as she looked around helplessly.
The President stood right in front of her, yet Hinamori had no idea what she should say.
"I... I'll be going now..."
In the end, she managed only that before fleeing the scene as though running for her life.
Xin watched her flustered retreating figure and gave a soft laugh, raising a hand to wipe the trace from the corner of his mouth.
Affection: 83
#
The next day.
Class A classroom for first-year students at the Spirit Training Academy.
"Morning, Hinamori."
"Morning."
Hinamori responded absentmindedly to the greeting from her classmate beside her.
She sat alone at her desk, staring blankly out the window.
"Momoko?"
Rukia patted her shoulder.
Only then did Hinamori turn her head. "Rukia, you're here?"
"What's wrong with you? You didn't even respond when I greeted you."
"I... It's nothing. I was thinking about something."
Rukia sat beside her and looked at Hinamori strangely.
After class began, Hinamori remained completely distracted, which made Rukia suspicious. Hinamori's state felt very familiar to her, as though she had seen her like this before.
"Momoko, you've been distracted all class. What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, nothing," Hinamori merely said.
Rukia: "..."
Another class passed, but Hinamori was still the