Romance AU - ByakuRisa

3

*CUE ELEVATOR MUSIC*

[Word count: 2891]

A month had passed, and the tension between Risa and Byakuya had grown increasingly bitter. The initial confrontation in the hallway had left both of them seething, and neither was willing to relent or attempt to mend the rift. The result was an unspoken agreement of avoidance, with their paths rarely crossing within the hallowed halls of Hope's Peak Academy.

Calliope, Risa's steadfast friend, had taken notice of the growing distance between the two. She couldn't help but feel caught in the middle, torn between her loyalty to Risa and her desire for harmony within their small social circle. Calliope walked with Risa up the staircase to their classroom.

"Im glad you're finally coming to class, its going to be hard seeing him again, i know, but im there and Mondo has been telling me about how much he's missed you in class." Calliope spoke gently to Risa, not wanting to scare her away from the idea of going to class again.
"Only took a bit of convincing." Risa teased, it took a month to convince Risa to come back to class.
"You sure you have everything?" Calliope asked as they reached the small landing in between the stairs as the stairs switched directions halfway up, Risa fake checked her pockets and sighed heavily, her perfect entertainment acting facade up. "Shit, i forgot my phone. I'm gonna go quickly get it-"
"You'll be late-"
"That's better than not being there at all!" Risa smiled as she turned away and started walking down the stairs.

Risa had made her way down the grand staircase, her footsteps echoing in the regal corridor, as Leon stood at the bottom, waiting for her. His tall figure, stupid red hair, and casual demeanor provided a comfort to Risa, in a way he was everything she had wanted to be growing up, so being around someone so much like her inner self gave her mental safety. He looked genuinely concerned as he noticed Risa's apparent frustration.

"Hey, Risa," he began, his voice a low murmur to maintain privacy from the others in the hall, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah man." She smiled widely.
"Got everything?" He asked the same as calliope, Risa double checked her pockets again and realised she did genuinely forget her phone, so the 'lie' she told Calliope wasn't actually a lie. "Shit no, i forgot my phone.." Risa looked up at the stairs and noticed Calliope was standing there waiting for her to return, so she grit her teeth and smiled.

"Alright.. can you maybe stall Calliope and get her to go to class alone while i grab my phone?" Leon nodded slowly but paused before he walked away, "You and Togami havent spoken in a while, you doing any better?" He sounded genuinely concerned for his friend.

Risa's steps towards the elevator to the first floor, faltered for a moment, her expression shifting from something neutral to a mixture of sadness and frustration. She knew Leon meant well, but the mere mention of Byakuya's name had a way of bringing back her pent-up emotions. She replied in hushed tones, her words laced with a hint of exasperation, "Yeah it was purposeful, im doing fine.. that's what happens when someone's ego is bigger than the entire school. I can't stand his arrogance."

Leon nodded empathetically, his gaze fixed on Risa. He understood the source of her frustration, and his soft-spoken manner was a testament to his desire to help. "I get it, Risa.. maybe we should actually go to class sometime soon you know.. seeing him might get rid of your pent up frustration?"

Risa's resolve was unwavering. She was determined to keep her secret of skipping classes hidden from Calliope, her closest friend. She couldn't risk Leon inadvertently revealing the truth. With a forced smile, she replied, "Thanks, Leon, but I've got things to do right now. I need to head out, i'll meet you downstairs. See you in a minute."