The class began, and the day went on as usual.
After lunch break, Leo stepped outside and walked around the school grounds. The air felt calm, but his mind wasn't. After a while, he returned to the classroom—and that's when he heard them.
Three girls were talking.
"Did you see? Leo was talking to Claire today," one of them said.
"I know, right? I wonder what's so special about her," another replied.
The third girl laughed softly. "She's always alone. She doesn't have any friends. Maybe she just doesn't like talking to people."
They all giggled.
Leo stood behind them, silently listening. His expression changed. Then his eyes shifted toward Claire.
She was at her desk… quietly standing there.
And she had heard everything.
Leo felt a sharp discomfort in his chest.
"This is bad… she heard all of that," he thought.
The third girl spoke again, "I think Leo and Claire are kind of alike. Both are rich, both stay alone… and honestly, both seem a little rude."
They laughed again.
That was enough.
Leo stepped forward.
"Can you move, please?" he said calmly.
The girls froze. One of them turned around, her face turning pale.
"O-Oh… yes, of course," she said quickly.
They moved aside, embarrassed and nervous.
"Why didn't you tell me he was behind us?" one girl whispered to another.
Leo didn't respond. He simply walked past them and returned to his seat.
As he sat down, his eyes drifted toward Claire.
"That was really wrong… they shouldn't have said those things," he thought.
"Claire…"
After school ended, Claire quietly packed her bag.
"Hey… Claire."
She turned around, surprised.
It was Leo.
"Can I walk you home?" he asked.
Claire's eyes widened slightly. She wasn't expecting that.
"Uh… sure," she said softly, giving a small smile.
Behind them, the three girls watched in shock.
"What?! He's going with Claire?"
"I can't believe this…"
"After what we said… he's definitely going to hate us now…"
Outside the school, Leo and Claire walked side by side down the quiet street.
After a moment of silence, Leo spoke.
"Hey, Claire… you don't really talk to anyone at school. Why is that? Do you just prefer being alone?"
Claire looked a little shy.
"Well… I do like being alone," she said gently. "But what about you? You're the same, aren't you? I've never seen you talk to anyone either."
She glanced at him.
"Everyone at school admires you. It's like you have a fan base."
Leo looked surprised. "What? I didn't even know that."
Claire smiled slightly. "Those girls who talk to you… they admire you."
Leo sighed lightly. "Oh… them. I'm not really interested in talking to them."
Claire chuckled softly. "I see… but don't you think they might find you rude?"
Leo shrugged. "I don't really care what people think about me."
Claire looked at him for a moment, then said quietly,
"It's still strange… seeing you talk to me."
Leo turned toward her. "Why?"
"Because you don't talk to anyone," she replied honestly. "So it feels… a little unexpected."
Leo stopped walking as they reached near his house.
He looked at her, his expression soft.
"That's because… you're different," he said.
Claire blinked, surprised.
"You're a really nice person."
For a moment, Claire didn't know what to say.
Leo gave a small smile.
"See you tomorrow," he said, before turning and heading toward his house.
Claire stood there for a few seconds, her heart beating a little faster.
Then she smiled softly… and continued walking home.