e and Francis had already s

with her after lectures, or start a conversation when Chloe would otherwise

as something other people naturally had while she simply watched from the outside. Ye

h a tree near one of the lecture buildings, F

asn't always

om her notebook. "

sferred

he

he academic year bef

slightly. "Then you'v

is no

't you ta

rugged. "I

hy didn

intly. "You always looked lik

gaze. "I didn't,"

looked

think anyone wa

ll," she said, nudging Chloe's shou

e sm

come so comfortable around her. She could laugh with Francis, complain about assignments, sit in silence

Chloe ha

, not everyon

with Francis when she heard laughter behind her. She k

t is

didn't

the ones involved in the incident with the stolen examination papers the previous year. The t

ey wer

Chloe up and down.

"Still hiding beh

er grip on them.

her laughed. "You su

forward. "What

t her. "Nobody wa

leave he

he girl mocked, laughing. "An

fri

ughed again

es

ould mind yo

N

kly that even Chloe loo

o pick a fight with someone who isn't bother

began pounding

behi

ed Francis. Francis s

ckly after that. The th

rightened. "Stop!" she cr

ill three against one. One girl grabbed her arm while another tried to pull her hair. Francis twisted aw

crack

ood immediately appe

anc

Something in her expression changed. She lost her temper. She c

e thundered acro

one s

, marching toward them with a face hard w

at once. "She started it!" "She attacked

ression became eve

r looked at them one after another

cis. "And you. What exactly

didn't let her answer. "You think because

her voice trembling. "T

oward her sharply. "D

iately lowe

harshly in front of the students who had begun gathering around them, then ordered them to stretch out the

ch you to stop distu

girls glare

ed. "And don't loo

mediately l

to Francis. "And you

blood beneath he

re ble

noth

nic.

is si

oved beside her. "I

at her. "You

ant

d in Francis's ex

ther. The nurse cleaned the blood fro

n," she said. "You too

urse cleaned around her

red at he

er and smiled. "Don

eside her quietly. For several

eyes filled

notice

wiped her fa

re cr

kno

hy

before: when people laughed at her, when they insulted her, when they tore her drawin

These tears

d looked at her being bullied and decide

face. "I've never.

is wa

anyone do that

ression softe

up fo

for a moment, then smi

made Chloe

whelmed, too shy, and too embarrassed to move. So she simply sa

cause she had been hurt, not because she had been humiliated, and not because she

herself back around Francis. She talked more, laughed more, complained

fter class when Francis noticed Chloe stari

ha

linked.

re sm

am

u a

looked

her eyes playfu

ad snapped

definite

re i

hl

re i

. "You're terr

n, slowly, she smile

new

softly. "He's.

is wa

e I met a lo

ow

rain

raised a

at her hands. "I w

n changed slightly.

cked up my drawings.

did he

"He asked if

iled too.

e I had a

Chloe's face softened.

became shy.

know h

re

blinked.

esitated. "He's really..." Sh

ed. "You're a

ely protested.

ur

e la

ncidences at the King residence. For now, it was enough to talk about the man from the rain: the man she had admire

s office that evenin

e rain, the girl who worked in his mother's house, the girl who had been admiri

ve in coinciden

is expression hard. If Chloe really had been trying to get close to him, he wanted to know w

d confr

ad to dec

importa