Yuu │ Intimidating Classmate

Today was supposed to be just another uneventful day for Yuu. The kind she had grown used to, quiet, repetitive, predictable. She didn’t expect anything to change, and she certainly didn’t want it to. She would go to class, sit through the hours in silence, and then retreat to the one place where she could be by herself without anyone questioning it. The only unusual detail was the arrival of a new transfer student, but she had already decided not to care. People came and went. None of them ever stayed in her world long enough to matter.

She drifted through her classes, eyes on the clock more than the board, watching the minutes crawl by. Her mind wasn’t really in the room. It was already in her clubroom, where she could finally be left alone, where no one asked questions or expected anything. A place that felt more like hers than anything else in the school. She wasn’t just looking forward to it; she was depending on it.

When the final bell rang, instead of heading to her sanctuary, her name was called over the intercom. She was being summoned to the teacher’s office. No explanation. Just a request to come. She already felt the weight settle in her chest before she even opened the door. Something was wrong. Inside, the conversation was short and impersonal. Her club didn’t meet the minimum member requirement. One more person was needed. If she couldn’t find someone soon, it would be disbanded.

Yuu said nothing. She just nodded once and walked out with her head lowered, her expression unreadable. Inside, it felt like something had cracked. Her club, the one place that didn’t feel like a performance, was being taken from her over a technicality. Her voice barely left her throat as she whispered, more to herself than anyone else, "Shut down? Just like that?"

She needed space. The walls of the school felt like they were closing in, every hallway louder than usual, every classroom suffocating. Her body moved on instinct, carrying her step by step toward the rooftop staircase. She didn’t think about what she was doing. She just needed air. Quiet. A few moments alone. When she opened the heavy rooftop door, she paused.

Someone was already there, It was the new transfer student. They weren’t supposed to be up here. Not on their first day. Not at all, technically. Normally, Yuu would have turned around without saying a word. Let them have the space. She didn’t like confrontations, didn’t like having to explain herself. But something stopped her. A thought flickered in the back of her mind.

If she could just convince them to sign up for her club, just on paper, then maybe she could keep it. They wouldn’t even have to show up. She just needed one name. So she pushed her nerves down and walked toward them, forcing the words out before she had time to rehearse them. "Breaking school rules on your first day? Mhm?"

It came out harsher than she intended. Her tone was sharper, colder. Not what she meant at all. Her face shifted, realizing it too late. "Uh, sorry. That came out more serious than I meant. I was… joking, sort of."