"Miyuki, can you take this trash out for me?" Suzuki-sensei asked, breaking me out of my daze.

I pulled out my earbuds and asked, "What?"

The smile that she wore on her face twitched, portraying her annoyance. "Because you aren't paying attention in class, I will give you clean-up duty for the week... Got it?"

I could just about see the anger in her eyes, making me frown. Like anybody else was listening to her speak anyways. As proof to that, everyone in the class were all just talking away, even as I speak, not giving a damn about Suzuki-sensei's English lesson at all.

"And your earbuds!" Suzuki-sensei suddenly hissed, holding out her hand.

I whimpered at the thought. "Not my babies... Please!"

She merely scowled. "Earbuds."

"Fine..." I got up from my seat, trudged up to her and handed her my earbuds before lugging the garbage out the door.

The trash bin was located behind the school so it was a relaxing walk with everyone out of the way. I glanced up at the sky, squinting. Normally, if this were a shoujo manga, the heroine should've bumped into her first love already.

I wanna bump into an anime character...

I chuckled dryly to myself for thinking such a saddening thought. But it would never happen, would it? Reality was a cruel thing.

I threw the garbage bag into the bin and with my untainted hand, wiped my sweat on my skirt. Yes, my school had skirts as part of the uniform. I dressed the part of an anime heroine, but it could never come true.

I shook my head quickly and turned around to get out of the place. Just as I was about to turn the corner, a sickeningly sweet cackle filled my ears, "Rin's such an idiot."

I came to an abrupt halt.

Rin...?

I backed up to not let the girls from yesterday see me. They wore their gym uniforms so they were probably outside due to that.

"I know! She really thinks a guy actually wants her," snickered another one.

"Well this thing did start out as a prank but her reactions were hilarious so we kept it up, right? Do you think we should stop...?" tentatively asked a girl in glasses.

A chestnut haired girl slapped her arm. "Of course not! I wrote a new letter saying that she's the guy's role model! It'll be hilarious!"

"I know right! Let's put it in her locker after class!" schemed the first girl.

As they kept discussing their plan, I shut my eyes, trying to block out what I was hearing. I didn't usually eavesdrop on others but this time was just a coincidence, huh? This was what I kept telling everyone...

Friends are dangerous people. They laugh and have all sorts of fun with you, making you feel like you can truly open up to them, but then you find that you don't even know them at all. Just as they could become your closest friend, they could also become your most hated enemy.

"Ah, everyone! Kurosaki-sensei wants all of us to report to the field!" Rin called over to her friends after emerging from the said field.

Someone from the group cried, "Okay!" Then they all dashed up to her, laughing their fake, gleeful laughs.

I exhaled loudly as I made my way back to the class.

This was why I couldn't help but hate the aspect of "friends."

——————————————————

"Sorry, Rin-chan! We still couldn't find the culprit!" Saki apologized repeatedly a few days later in the clubroom. "I really am sorry! I said I would help you too!"

"I-It's alright! He might just give up on me!" Rin laughed.

"Sorry... I really wanted to help..." Saki pouted.

Rin waved her hand dismissively. "I told you it's fine, Saki-senpai! Really!"

"Still... I thought they'd be able to find him by now. It's been two weeks," Hiro commented.

"Yeah..." Hinata agreed. "I wonder who he is."

"Well, at least we can rule Hiro out," Yuji said, leaning back in his seat. "The guy's short but he's definitely not that creepy."

Hiro's brow twitched. "Yuji..."

"I complimented you," he excused.

"How?!"

"Settle down, boys! The battle has only just begun!" Wannabe said, grinning from ear to ear.

I groaned, completely fed up with all their words. "Can all of you just be quiet?"

Wannabe flinched, his lips quivering. "Hoshino...?"

Ignoring him, I put my hands to my hips. "You guys are so hopeless! Who the freak cares about the guy! It won't kill you to know!"

Saki gasped, "How could you say that, Mi-chan? Rin-chan's really worried and it's not like you know who did it either!"

I closed my eyes and sighed once more. My reaction provoked their curiosity.

"Do you perhaps know something, Hoshino?" Wannabe questioned.

I shrugged. "Even if I did, what's the point in telling you guys about it? It'll be Rin's problem to solve."

"M-Mi-chan?" Saki asked.

I held up my hand. Oh, why not?

"Listen and be amazed! The problem with your guys' method is that you are all considering the culprit to be a guy!"

"Huh? It isn't?" Hinata asked.

I nodded. "The fan letters writing, the way it always smells of perfume, and also the way that the person knows almost everything about Rin—"

"Wait... you know how it smells?" Hiro interjected but I ignored him.

I once again placed my hands on my sides and declared, "And how you've never seen or heard of the boy that's been 'stalking' you. Don't you think that's strange?"

"Yeah... With what you've mentioned, it is too suspicious to suspect it's a boy," Hinata said.

Yuji asked, "So you're pretty much saying that the culprit is a girl?"

"Rin, have you ever seen anyone near your locker every time you received a letter?" I turned my attention towards her but the brunette had gotten so pale.

"W-well, my friends are but they usually wait for me to walk home together from time to time."

I snorted while Wannabe's eyes lit up.

"The writing of the letters, plus how it smells of perfume, and the way they know everything about you... Don't tell me it's—"

"—my...friends," Rin finished.

I bobbed my head. Case closed.

"Wait!" Saki cried. "How can you just say that without any proof?"

I rolled my eyes. "I have enough proof. Trust me, they're the ones doing it."

"Huh... Why? I don't get it...?" Rin struggled to breath properly as I crossed my arms.

"For a laugh." Her eyes widened and I continued, "Friends are dangerous people. They could trample, torment, and ruin someone's life and only think it's a joke themselves. They don't understand the uneasiness of the person they're hurting and just keep it up like they haven't done anything wrong."

"Hoshino..." Hinata said.

I sighed, slipping out my cell phone. "I've had enough of playing detective so tell me when this situation is over."

"Hoshino-san...I don't really get it, but thank you! I will have a talk with them to see if it's true or not!" Rin quickly bowed and excused herself.

"Wait, Rin-chan!" Saki yelled and spared me one last glance before running after her. "Thanks Mi-chan!"

It was really awkward after they left, and my stomach, deciding to be the saviour, chose that moment to grumble. "Wow, I'm hungry," I said, "I'm gonna go get something to eat."

Yuji laughed, getting up to his feet. "Funny. I was just thinking the same thing."

"Should we go together?" Hiro said, standing up as well.

"Ooh, I know the perfect place," Wannabe said, beaming. "Let's all head—"

I held out my hand. "It's fine. You could stay here."

He gaped. "How mean! I'm hungry, too! I'm coming! I'm coming!" he cried childishly.

Hinata's laugh that followed was enough of a consent to join us as well.

Sooner or later, I knew that Rin had to be sorting everything out with her "friends," and the final decision would be on her shoulders. Would she keep her friends or would she find someone else? I nudged aside the thoughts. Well, it didn't concern me. I finished all that I could for this chapter of my life. I'd just get something to eat, paid for by these losers of course, and be on my way.

Just like always.

——————————————————

"Tatsuya-sama, the car has arrived."

A young boy with blond hair nodded his head and made his way inside his family's limousine. His chauffeur closed the door shortly behind him, and before he could roll the windows up as well, the boy found himself staring at a group of people talking and laughing. He spotted a girl following shortly behind with long black hair, bickering with a familiar blond.

The boy's jaw fell in surprise as he recognized the girl. He immediately shut his mouth and smirked. "Oh, that must be Miyuki Hoshino." He snickered to himself. "I'll play with her next~"