The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character

"Hehehe."

Keira couldn't help the little laugh that slipped out.

The embarrassment from earlier? Gone—completely gone.

In fact, she was feeling pretty great right now.

She had almost given up earlier, especially after he turned down her lunch invitation. It had stung more than she expected. She'd even prepared a lunchbox just for the two of them—picked out the ingredients herself, stayed up late putting it together.

So when he said he had other plans, it felt like the world tilted just a little.

But it turned out... he wasn't lying. He really had been busy.

And more than that—he still accepted the lunchbox.

Not because he pitied her. Not because he felt obligated.

But like he couldn't say no. Like… maybe a part of him wanted to say yes.

Rin Evans.

She kept calling him a loser—mostly out of habit, partly because she didn't know how else to act around him.

But if she were being honest with herself… he was someone she just wanted to be close to.

As a friend! she told herself quickly.

…Or maybe something a little more than that.

Still, friend or not, she was just happy he didn't hate her.

He should have, if she was being fair. After everything she'd done—picking on him, teasing him nonstop, making him the target of her frustrations—most people would've pushed her away without a second thought.

But not Rin.

He'd been patient.

He'd even helped her make friends when she'd been too proud to ask.

He'd seen past her attitude and treated her like… a person.

It was more than she deserved.

And maybe that's why this lunchbox meant so much. It wasn't just a meal. It was her clumsy way of saying, thank you.

Of saying, sorry.

Of saying, I want to be closer to you.

"Hehe," she laughed again, hugging her knees as she sat on the bench under the shade. "He really doesn't hate me, does he?"

That thought alone made her heart feel a little lighter.

Because if anyone had reason to walk away—it was him.

And yet… he didn't.

She had acted like she was confident.

Like it didn't matter if he said yes or no. Like offering him the lunchbox was no big deal.

But the truth was, she hadn't slept well the night before.

Because the moment she'd sealed that bento box shut, a single terrifying thought had crept in.

What if he hates me?

That thought chased her into her dreams—and what followed was a nightmare she couldn't shake.

In it, Rin stood in front of her with that calm, deadpan expression. Except there was no warmth behind his eyes. No kindness.

Just cold.

"Seriously? Just because I threw you a few crumbs of decency, you thought we were friends? Get a grip."

"Why don't you go back to drooling over that Leo guy you were so obsessed with?"

"Oh, right—he dumped you, didn't he? So now you're crawling to me like a backup plan?"

"Pathetic."

It felt real. His tone, the way his lip curled in disgust, how his eyes looked at her like she was nothing. Like a joke.

She woke up with her heart hammering in her chest, her pillow damp from sweat—and maybe from tears she didn't remember shedding.

That dream haunted her the entire morning.

She almost didn't bring the lunchbox.

Almost threw it away before leaving the dorm.

Because no matter how she tried to spin it, she couldn't stop thinking: What if that's what he really thinks of me?

That she was just bouncing from Leo to Rin like some lost puppy who couldn't handle rejection.

And okay—yes, she still liked Leo. She wasn't going to lie to herself.

But…

After what happened with him—after that awful incident that left a sour taste in her mouth and a cold, stiff feeling in her chest whenever she looked at him—things were different.

Her feelings hadn't vanished, but they'd dulled. Blurred.

Leo used to make her heart flutter. Now, he just made it tense.

So when Rin spoke to her kindly, like he actually saw her—not as a nuisance, not as an annoyance, just as… Keira—

she didn't know how to handle it.

She'd run away earlier, flustered and embarrassed after misunderstanding his "flirting"—which probably wasn't even flirting at all.

But then, like he hadn't just been brushed off, Rin came looking for her.

He scratched the back of his head, looked at her like she was the confusing one, and muttered:

"Ah, hey. Why do you look so dejected again? Okay, fine. We can just eat together for two lunches later, right?"

She blinked.

Two lunches?

Who does that? Who makes that kind of offer just because someone looks disappointed?

"Who would offer to eat two lunches together with someone they disliked?"

It didn't make any sense.

"This went better than I thought, right?" she mumbled to herself, her voice almost incredulous.

But even as she smiled, a question lingered in the back of her mind.

Why?

Why was he being nice to her?

Why didn't he hate her, after everything she'd said—everything she'd done?

Anyone else would've shut the door on her a long time ago.

So what was Rin Evans thinking?

Was he just… nice to everyone?

Or—

She bit her lower lip.

No way.

"...Is my face his type?"

The thought slipped in before she could stop it, and she immediately groaned, burying her face in her hands.

What the hell was she thinking?

Sure, she wasn't the prettiest girl in the academy—those spots were taken by the real stunners, the ones who turned heads the moment they entered a room.

But she was still cute! Definitely above average. Her hair looked good when she actually brushed it, and she had certain assets that some boys had a hard time ignoring.

She had caught people staring before. More than once.

So maybe Rin was just… noticing?

She imagined it.

Rin sneaking glances when he thought she wasn't looking.

Eyes trailing down.

Her cheeks turned red.

"Nope, nope, nope—what the hell am I even thinking?!"

She smacked her cheeks lightly with both hands.

"I'm losing it. I'm actually going crazy."

That's what this was, right? Delirium from anxiety and leftover embarrassment.

There was no way Rin saw her that way. He was just being decent.

Just being… Rin.

Still, she couldn't stop the corner of her lips from twitching up.

Because even if it wasn't that, the way he came to find her—how he noticed something was off and actually cared enough to say something—

That meant something.

And no matter how much she overthought it, or twisted herself up trying to figure out why, one thing was clear:

Rin didn't hate her.

And for now, that was enough.