Suzune sat in the cafeteria, absently stirring her soup with a spoon as a faint prickling sensation crawled up her neck, the undeniable feeling of being watched, not just by one or two people, but by dozens of pairs of eyes that lingered too long, whispered too softly, and made her skin feel strangely cold despite the humid air around her.
She was used to being stared, of course.
With her looks, attention was nothing new.
Beautiful, poised, and she was even infamously rumored to be involved in compensated dating.
Suzune had long accepted that her name carried both admiration and disdain.
Still, today's stares felt different, it was sharper, heavier, as if someone wasn't merely looking, but observing her carefully, targeting her specifically.
Tohka noticed her unease, and couldn't help but ask worriedly. "A-Are you okay Suzune-san? You look… tense."
