Lina didn't open the strawberry milk.
It sat in her bag all day, cold from the fridge that morning, now slightly warm — like a moment she wasn't ready to touch yet.
She tried to focus in class, but her mind buzzed. Ciel's words. Renzo's silence. Tyron's quiet authority.
It was a lot.
So when Rachel plopped into the seat beside her during lunch, holding a big container of rice and chicken, Lina barely noticed.
"Earth to Mirasol," Rachel said, waving a spoon in front of her. "You've been staring at your bag like it insulted your family."
Lina blinked. "What? No. Sorry."
Rachel leaned in, lowering her voice. "Okay. Spill."
"Spill what?"
"That face," Rachel said. "That classic 'I have too many feelings but I refuse to admit it' look."
Lina laughed under her breath. "I'm just tired."
"Sure," Rachel said. "Tired of being the center of a love triangle maybe?"
Lina choked on her water. "It's not a love triangle!"
"Girl, please. The grumpy one watches you like you're a math problem he can't solve. The golden retriever keeps trying to win Best Boyfriend Award. And then there's the president, who somehow walks like he owns your destiny."
Lina blushed. "They're just… being nice."
"No," Rachel said, eyes narrowing. "Nice is letting someone borrow a pen. What's happening to you? That's not nice. That's intentional."
Lina lowered her eyes. "I don't know how to deal with it."
Rachel's voice softened. "Then write about it. Didn't Ciel give you that journal thing?"
Lina glanced at her bag.
"I can't even open the milk," she muttered.
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "What does milk have to do with emotional repression?"
Lina smiled faintly. "It's… complicated."
"Well," Rachel said, leaning back. "Whatever it is, you don't have to figure it out today. But one of these days, someone's gonna want an answer. Might as well be you first."
Lina sat in silence, the weight of her own thoughts heavier than ever.
But Rachel's presence beside her — unfiltered, loyal, real — made her feel, for the first time that day, that she wasn't carrying it all alone.