The afternoon was warm, and the group was sitting together just like any other day. To me, it felt like another beautiful moment in my New World. I was relaxed, my guard was down, and I was enjoying the feeling of belonging.
But then, the air shifted.
One of the girls leaned in, her smile "sweet" but her eyes sharp and curious. "So, Iris," she began, her voice dropping to a whisper. "We've all been wondering... what exactly is the deal between you and Luca? Who is he to you, really?"
I froze, the laughter dying in my throat.
"I mean, he's a classmate, a member of our council," another girl added, watching my face closely. "And yet, he only has eyes for the back row. Is he your boyfriend? Is there something 'inappropriate' going on between you two that we don't know about?"
The question hit me like a physical blow. I felt a puzzled heat rush to mycheeks—a blush of pure surprise. In that one second, the Sweet mask of my friends slipped just enough for me to see the Toxicity underneath.
I suddenly understood why Luca had been so Practical with his warning. He knew this moment was coming. He knew that their friendship would be treated like a scandal by people who didn't understand it. As I looked into their expectant, hungry eyes, I realized I wasn't sitting with friends—I was sitting with judges.
The group sat in a circle, but for the first time, I felt like I was in the center of an interrogation. The 'sweetness' in the air had turned into a thick, uncomfortable pressure.
"Iris, come on," one of the girls said, crossing her arms. "We're all in the same class. We see how he acts. Luca is handsome, he's popular, and he doesn't give the rest of us a second look. But with you? He's always there. He talks to you, he waits for you, he reserves that seat like it's sacred."
I felt my heart hammer against my ribs. I remembered my vow that I shouldn't trust anyone blindly. I told myself that they might be just curious about us. But is that all?
"Are you hiding something from us?" another girl asked, her voice sounding hurt on purpose. "We thought we were your friends. We walk home with you, we share everything... but you're keeping secrets. Do you not trust us? Or do you just think you're better than us because you have him?"
I realized that they were using my own kindness against me, trying to force me to admit to a romance that I wasn't even sure yet.
I sat frozen as the girls watched me, their eyes hungry for a confession. In that moment, the New World I had built felt like it was crumbling into dust.
A cold clarity washed over me. I looked at their sweet smiles and finally saw the Toxicity underneath. I realized they hadn't walked home with me because they liked me; they had walked with me to stay close to the girl who had Luca's attention. Every Sweet moments we shared was just a way to make me feel comfortable enough to leak a secret.
"They are the ones", I thought, my heart sinking. "They are the ones behind the whispers."
I realized they were likely the source of the rumors that we were "dating" or "doing something" secret. By creating the scandal themselves, they were now trying to force me to confirm it. It wasn't friendship—it was an interrogation.
Luca's Practical warning echoed in my mind: "Not everyone is as real as they seem." I had wanted to believe he was wrong, but now I saw the truth. I had been dump to think that the Cruel World would change just because I wanted to change it. My innocence was still a target, only now, the weapons were smiles and fake kindness.
Inside, I felt as if a cold rain were falling, but on the outside, I didn't let a single tear show. I took a deep breath, clutching my Unbreakable Spirit like a shield. "Get a hold of yourself, Iris," I whispered in my mind. "Don't let them see you bleed. Protect your friendship."
I looked at the circle of girls and did something I had never done before: I gave them a perfectly calm, innocent smile.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice light and airy, as if I were hearing a funny joke. "Relationship? I didn't even know you were thinking of something like that. There is no 'relationship' between us."
The girls looked at each other, puzzled. They were expecting me to blush, to stutter, or to confess. They weren't expecting this cool, steady denial.
"But he sits with you every day..." one girl started, her voice trailing off.
"We are just classmates who take our studies seriously," I replied, my smile never wavering. "He's a classmate who is helpful to everyone, isn't he? I thought you all knew that. I'm sorry if I didn't realize you were so interested in my seating arrangements."
By playing 'dump'and acting like their questions were silly, I took all the power away from their gossip. I was no longer the emotional child they could bully; I was a woman who knew how to keep a secret safe.
"I has found a new kind of strength—the strength to smile while my heart is breaking. By denying our friendship, I has successfully shut down the interrogation, but at a heavy cost. Now I know I'm alone in a room full of enemies. I've realized that I shouldn't judge anyone based on their age."
"Will the girls believe her calm denial, or will they dig even deeper to find a crack in her mask? How long can Iris keep up the act before the pressure becomes too much?
Wait until the next chapter to find the answer."