Gossip of the day

## The Next Day
"Nngh~" Iyuna stretched in her bed, extending her arms wide as her blanket slipped to the side. She had just woken up, her eyes still half-closed against the morning light filtering through the curtain gaps. She glanced at the clock—the short hand pointed to 5:55 AM. Classes started at 7. Today was Iyuna's second day of high school.
Iyuna quickly rose from her bed with a swift movement, her bare feet touching the cold floor, as if nothing had happened the previous day. She then lifted her nightshirt over her head in one smooth motion, leaving her pale skin exposed to the cool air, and pulled down her pants with a single tug, preparing for her shower.
After showering, droplets of water still clinging to the ends of her damp hair, she put on her school uniform—a white top with a short dark blue-black skirt. Her fingers deftly buttoned her shirt one by one from bottom to top. Then she stepped out of her dormitory room, closing the door with a soft 'click'.
Meanwhile, on the other side, "Where is she?" muttered Lucy, nervously tapping the tip of her shoe against the ground. She was standing in front of the dormitory gate, seemingly waiting for someone, her eyes continuously scanning the area hopefully.
"Come on, who are you waiting for?" said Fyona beside Lucy, tilting her head curiously.
"I-I'm waiting for Iyuna," Lucy answered, her hand twirling the end of her hair in circles.
Fyona chuckled, her eyes flashing mischievously, "You want to be friends with her, don't you..." she teased, nudging Lucy's shoulder with her elbow.
"Y-yes, but I think she's the type who's difficult to talk to," said Lucy, looking down, sighing deeply while staring at the tip of her shoe.
Fyona held Lucy's shoulder, her fingers giving a reassuring pressure, "Lucy, who was friends with everyone in middle school, couldn't possibly fail, right?" said Fyona, comforting Lucy, her lips smiling encouragingly.
Lucy looked down for a moment, then raised her face with a broad smile, "Yeah!" Her spirit returned, her eyes sparkling with determination.
Iyuna appeared at the gate, walking slowly with her gaze fixed straight ahead without looking around, her shoes scraping against the gravel courtyard. "There she is!" said Lucy excitedly, pointing at Iyuna who was walking, her index finger held high.
"Iyuna!" Lucy called out while enthusiastically waving her hand and running toward Iyuna, her white hair fluttering in the breeze.
Iyuna glanced back briefly, her eyes narrowing slightly, trying to respond with a small wave, almost imperceptible.
Fyona followed them from behind, her feet moving quickly, her breath slightly panting, "H-hey, wait for me!" she called, her hand waving trying to get their attention.
The two of them then walked together beside Iyuna, adjusting their pace to match Iyuna's calm and measured tempo.
While walking, they tried to engage Iyuna in conversation, exchanging meaningful glances. "Hey Iyuna, have you forgiven my brother yet?" said Lucy, leaning her body slightly to see Iyuna's expression.
"Your brother?" Iyuna evaded, her eyebrow raising slightly, pretending to forget.
"Yes!" said Lucy, nodding enthusiastically.
"What happened between Iyuna and Rakha-Senpai?" Fyona chimed in, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Lucy then brought her mouth close to Fyona's ear, her fingers tucking hair behind her ear, "Last night....." She whispered all about the incident to Fyona, her hands moving to illustrate her story.
Iyuna just glanced at them briefly from the corner of her eye, then walked with firm steps as if nothing had happened, her right hand tightening her grip on her bag strap.
"Hee? Really?" Fyona exclaimed excitedly, her mouth wide open, her eyes rounded in disbelief.
Fyona then glanced at Iyuna with a scrutinizing look, and approached her, her shoulder touching Iyuna's. "Is that true?" teased Fyona, a playful smile painted on her face.
Iyuna only gave Fyona a brief glance, her flat eyes meeting Fyona's sparkling ones. "No, that's not true," she denied, her head shaking subtly.
"Hee? But I saw it myself yesterday.." Lucy responded, her hand raised to emphasize her statement.
"No, you didn't see it," Iyuna denied, walking even faster.
"Ha³, you're funny, Iyuna!" said Fyona, chuckling while patting Iyuna's back.
"Oh yeah, did you sleep well last night?" asked Fyona, tilting her head closer to Iyuna's face.
"What do you mean?" asked Iyuna, her eyes still staring straight ahead.
"Huh? H-how could you?" Fyona responded, shocked, her hand dramatically covering her mouth.
"What do you mean?" asked Iyuna curtly, her lips pressed together forming a thin line.
"You know? If I were in your position—" Fyona took a deep breath, her eyes gazing into the distance.
"—I wouldn't be able to sleep because I'd be thinking about it constantly!" Fyona said excitedly, her head filled with thoughts of Rakha, her cheeks blushing red.
"Not to mention, he did that thing to you yesterday, right?" teased Fyona, gently elbowing Iyuna's arm.
"That thing?" asked Iyuna flatly, her eyebrow slightly raised.
"You know? Like a prince pinning a princess between himself and the wall," said Fyona, her hands gesturing as if pushing something against a wall.
"I don't understand. What's the benefit?" asked Iyuna, stepping over a small puddle in the path.
"W-well..." answered Fyona, tapping her finger on her chin, thinking.
Lucy sighed, a thin vapor escaping from her mouth in the cool morning air, then whispered something to Fyona, her lips nearly touching Fyona's ear. "Iyuna is an innocent girl, it will be difficult if you want to talk to her," she whispered.
"I-I see..." Fyona responded, surprised, her eyes widening.
Iyuna just continued walking at a constant rhythm while occasionally glancing at them from the corner of her sharp eyes.
After walking for almost 30 minutes, their feet began to feel sore and warm. They finally arrived at the school gate, with an imposing building towering before them. They entered class 10F, stepping through the corridor crowded with students.
Iyuna walked to her desk with light steps without looking around, carefully placing her bag beside the desk. Meanwhile, next to her, Eid was reading a book, his fingers deftly turning the yellowed pages. "Good morning, um, Eid?" Iyuna greeted flatly, pulling her chair.
Noticing this, Eid's body immediately tensed, his eyes widening in surprise. "U-u-uh? Y-yes, good morning," Eid replied, his fingers trembling slightly gripping the edge of the book.
Not long after, their teacher entered, her firm footsteps echoing on the classroom floor. "Good morning, children," greeted Ms. Rheine enthusiastically, her smile spreading wide.
"Good morning, ma'am," said the entire class, their voices responding in an uncoordinated chorus.
"Today is your second day in class 10F. So? Have you all gotten to know each other? Have you memorized the routes of this school?" asked Ms. Rheine.
And yes, some students answered that they had with nods, while others answered that they hadn't, slowly shaking their heads.
"Well, I have one message that I must deliver to you," said Ms. Rheine, her expression turning serious.
"What message is that, sensei?" asked Lucy, raising her hand high, her fingers outstretched.
"Because this year's student admissions are considered too easy, there will be an exam," said Ms. Rheine, her tone serious, her eyes staring sharply across the room.
"An exam?" muttered Arga, his hand clenched on the table.
"An exam that will determine your future at this school—" Ms. Rheine walked slowly in front of the class, her high heels clicking on the floor.
"—and if you get a score below 50—" said Ms. Rheine seriously, her hand drawing a line in the air.
"What will happen, sensei?" asked Lucy, her eyes widening with concern.
"You will be dropped out!" Ms. Rheine declared firmly, her hand striking the desk with a loud sound.