The "Joint Cultural Exchange" was a disaster waiting to happen. The district council thought it would "bridge the gap" between the rough public schools and the elite academies. In reality, it felt like a collision between two different planets.
The sports hall of the St. Cerasus Academy was a sea of white lace, expensive tea sets, and the smell of high-end perfume. Standing in the middle of it all, Yuri Sakaki felt like a stain on a white carpet.
He was wearing his Chidori High uniform—jacket unzipped, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Every time he moved, a group of St. Cerasus girls would flutter away like nervous sparrows, whispering behind their fans.
"Is that him? One of the Chidori boys?"
"He looks terrifying... did you see his eyes?"
"I heard he’s the one who runs that gang near the station..."
Yuri tightened his jaw. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go back to the kitchen where the only thing that judged him was the timer on the oven. But he had promised Selina he’d come to see her class’s choir performance.
"Sakaki!"
He turned to see three of Selina’s classmates—girls with perfect posture and eyes that looked at him like he was an interesting insect.
"You’re Selina’s 'friend' from the diner, aren't you?" the girl in the center asked, her voice dripping with artificial politeness. "We’ve heard so much about you. It’s... brave of you to show up here."
Yuri didn't blink. "I'm just here for the show."
"Of course. But you should know," she leaned in, her smile never reaching her eyes, "Selina is the pride of St. Cerasus. She’s destined for a top university, a perfect life. Being seen with... someone like you? It’s a bit of a distraction, don't you think? Like a smudge on a masterpiece."
Yuri’s heart felt like it had been dropped into ice water. He didn't have a comeback because, in the dark corners of his mind, he had thought the exact same thing. A smudge on a masterpiece.
Before he could answer, the lights dimmed. The choir took the stage.
There she was. Selina stood in the center, her indigo hair glowing under the spotlights. She looked like an angel. When she began to sing, her voice was so pure, so full of warmth, that the entire hall went silent.
Yuri watched her from the back, hidden in the shadows. She looked so far away. She belonged up there, in the light, surrounded by people who were "perfect."
As the song ended and the applause thundered, Selina’s eyes scanned the crowd. She was looking for someone. When she finally spotted Yuri in the back, her face broke into a smile so bright it eclipsed every spotlight in the room. She waved energetically, ignoring the confused looks from her teachers and peers.
Yuri didn't wave back. He couldn't. He just turned and walked out of the hall, the sound of the applause ringing in his ears like a mocking laugh.
He was halfway across the courtyard, the cold night air hitting his face, when he heard the sound of running footsteps and a heavy gasp.
"Yuri! Wait!"
He stopped but didn't turn around. Selina caught up to him, breathless, her choir robes fluttering. "Why are you leaving? The festival isn't over! I wanted to show you the garden and—"
"They’re right, Selina," Yuri said, his voice sounding hollow even to his own ears.
"Who? What are you talking about?"
"Your friends. Everyone." He finally turned to face her, his violet eyes shadowed with a decade of accumulated pain. "Look at us. You’re a masterpiece, and I’m just... the guy people cross the street to avoid. Me being near you doesn't make me look better, it just makes you look worse."
Selina’s expression shifted from confusion to a cold, sharp anger he had never seen before. She stepped into his space, her small hands balled into fists.
"Is that what you think of me?" she asked, her voice trembling. "That I’m some fragile 'masterpiece' that can be ruined by a shadow? That I’m so shallow I care about what some girls who don't even know you think?"
"Selina, I'm just trying to protect—"
"I don't need a protector today, Yuri! I need my friend!" She grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pulling him down so he had to look her in the eye. "Do you know why I love that restaurant? Because when I’m there, I’m not 'The Pride of St. Cerasus.' I’m just a girl who’s hungry and happy. And do you know why I like you?"
Yuri was frozen, his breath hitching in his throat.
"I like you because you're the only person who looks at me and sees me, not my grades or my school." Her eyes softened, tears shimmering in the corners. "If the world thinks you're a smudge, then I guess I'll just have to be one, too. Because I’m not going back to 'perfect' if it means you’re not there."
Yuri looked at her—really looked at her—and the glass wall he had built around his heart finally shattered. He reached out, his large, trembling hand gently brushing a tear from her cheek.
"You're a brat," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
"And you're a hero," she replied, leaning her forehead against his chest. "Now come back inside. I’m starving, and I heard the Chidori High stall is selling terrible yakisoba that we absolutely have to try."
Yuri let out a short, shaky laugh. He took her hand, his fingers lacing through hers, and for the first time in his life, he didn't care who was watching.
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