The final bell rang in the afternoon, echoing through the hallway as students began to leave their classrooms in clusters of laughter and chatter.
Claire left quietly, just like she always did.
No lingering.
No waiting.
No small conversation.
And again—
she did not look for him.
Miko watched her figure disappear down the corridor, his chest tightening slightly.
"…She's really avoiding me," he murmured under his breath.
Not obviously.
Not rudely.
But intentionally.
And that was exactly what made it harder to ignore.
Because Claire was never the type to suddenly change her attitude without reason.
She wasn't impulsive.
She was careful.
Which meant—
something must have happened.
Outside the school gate, the air felt calmer. The noise of the campus faded behind him as he walked slowly, still lost in thought.
Then—
He stopped.
That voice was familiar.
He turned and saw Tasya standing a few steps away, clutching her bag with an unusually serious expression.
That alone was strange.
Tasya was rarely this quiet.
"…Tasya?" he said, slightly puzzled.
She glanced around first, as if making sure no one was nearby, before walking closer.
"You noticed Claire, right?" she asked softly.
His brows furrowed immediately.
"Yes," he answered without hesitation. "She's acting different today."
Tasya hesitated.
A long, uncomfortable pause followed.
Miko's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What happened?" he asked, voice firmer now.
"…You're really persistent," Tasya muttered.
"I don't like guessing games."
She exhaled slowly, then finally spoke,
"Diana told Randy about you and Claire."
Silence fell instantly.
Not shocked silence.
But heavy confirmation.
Miko's expression didn't change much.
Because this part—
was not surprising.
"…About our closeness?" he asked calmly.
Tasya blinked, slightly caught off guard by his reaction.
"…You're not surprised?"
He let out a quiet breath.
"I already know Diana likes me," he replied flatly. "She confessed before. More than once."
Tasya's eyes widened.
"You… rejected her, didn't you?"
"Yes."
Simple.
Direct.
No hesitation.
"And I never gave her the wrong idea," he added calmly. "I made it clear every time."
Another silence followed.
"But she didn't stop," Tasya said quietly.
Miko didn't deny it.
Because that was the truth.
Diana's attitude never turned hostile toward him.
She stayed polite.
Friendly.
Gentle.
But persistent.
And observant.
Too observant.
"…She noticed I stayed near Claire," he concluded on his own.
Tasya lowered her gaze.
"Yes."
"And she told Randy," he continued.
A slow nod.
"Yes."
This time, a faint, almost bitter smile appeared on Miko's lips.
"So that's how Randy suddenly knew," he murmured.
Everything connected now.
Randy's question.
Claire's sudden distance.
Her careful tone this morning.
Not coincidence.
Information had been passed.
Tasya shifted uneasily before speaking again,
"I warned you before, didn't I? Diana doesn't like seeing you close to other girls."
Miko's expression turned slightly colder.
"I'm not responsible for her feelings," he said calmly. "I already rejected her clearly."
"I know," Tasya replied quickly. "But feelings don't just disappear because of rejection."
The wind blew softly between them, carrying an unspoken tension.
"And that's not all," she continued more quietly.
His gaze sharpened.
"…What do you mean?"
Tasya hesitated, then spoke in a lower voice,
"She didn't just tell Randy once."
That made him pause.
"She's been observing for a while," Tasya admitted. "How often you talk to Claire. How you wait after class. Even small things."
Miko's grip on his bag tightened slightly.
So it wasn't a one-time report.
It was ongoing observation. A slow realization settled in his mind.
No wonder Claire suddenly became careful.
No wonder she limited their interaction.
No wonder she looked around more today.
She must have realized someone was watching her movements.
And once she connected it to Randy—
she chose distance.
Not because she disliked him.
But because she didn't want unnecessary attention.
Tasya looked at him seriously now.
"I'm telling you this because you forced me to answer," she said. "But I'll say this honestly."
He remained silent, listening.
"Don't get too close to Claire."
His eyes shifted slightly.
"…Because of Diana?"
"Yes," Tasya replied without hesitation. "You already rejected her, and she knows it. But if she thinks Claire is the reason you keep rejecting her…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
She didn't need to.
The implication was clear.
Trouble.
Jealousy.
Interference.
"And Randy is already aware of Claire," Tasya added quietly. "That makes things even more complicated."
Miko lowered his gaze for a moment.
Inside his mind, Claire's voice echoed again—
I'm just trying to be more careful.
Not with him.
With everything.
A quiet understanding formed.
"…So she noticed she was being watched," he murmured.
Tasya blinked. "What?"
"She didn't suddenly change for no reason," he said calmly. "Claire doesn't act without thinking."
Which meant—
Her distance this morning
was intentional.
Strategic.
Protective.
Not rejection.
A faint tension appeared in his chest.
She was distancing herself…
to avoid dragging him into unnecessary attention.
Tasya sighed softly.
"I'm serious, Miko. For your own sake, and for hers… keeping distance is safer. Diana won't like it if this continues."
This time, he didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the road where Claire had walked earlier.
His expression was calm.
But firm.
"…I already rejected Diana," he said quietly.
Tasya nodded. "I know."
"And I won't change how I treat my friends just because of that," he continued.
The evening light reflected faintly in his eyes now—clear, steady, and resolute.
"She didn't push me away because she dislikes me," he added softly. "She did it because something around her is becoming complicated."
A small pause.
Then, almost under his breath,
"…And that means she needs someone who understands the situation, not someone who disappears."
Tasya stared at him, slightly stunned.
"Miko…"
He adjusted his bag strap and began walking toward the gate.
Calm as always.
But more aware than before.
Now he understood one thing clearly.
Claire's distance was not coldness.
Not rejection.
Not indifference.
It was caution.
And if Diana had been reporting even something as simple as his conversations with Claire—
Then the invisible eyes around her life
were far more active than he initially thought.
His gaze darkened slightly as he walked.
"…So that's the real reason," he murmured.
Not because Claire changed.
But because the people watching her
never stopped.