Rosaria hated moments like these.

Rosaria hated everything to do with that woman.

Each morning, Rosalyne would walk into their shared first class and always somehow sit exactly three seats diagonally to her left. No matter where she was sitting. Rosaria thought that she was just seeing things and didn't think much of it. Maybe she just liked that seat? After all, Rosaria did sit in the same place every day. Why would it be different for Rosalyne? No matter the case, she isn't one to leave any loose ends on anything. So, she sat down a total of 16 seats further down from where she usually did. And surely enough, Rosalyne was there. Exactly 3 seats diagonally left to Rosaria like any other day, chatting with her fake friends in the next few available seats until the professor came in 15 minutes late like usual.

Rosaria would thank her lucky stars that the two had only one more shared class. That class is physical education. Although it was a lot worse than teyvat history considering she wasn't an actual student, just the supervising member of the student council. How irritating.

Rosaria broke out of her pondering state with the unpleasant chime of the break bell in her ears and Barbara's waving hand in front of her eyes. "yoohoo!~~ Rosa? Are you awake? It's break time already! You seem really tired today..."

Rosaria dismissed her seatmate with a disapproving wave of her hand and muttered a barely legible "I'm fine." under her breath before reaching for her bookbag hung on her chair, getting up, and dragging her feet to the canteen, leaving the blonde girl stranded and disappointedly huffing in the empty lecture hall.

Rosaria was passing the chemistry lab when a noise seemingly pricked her ear. "did you hear? That freshman we walked by the other day? You know? The one with short blonde hair and a coffee-brown shirt? They found her dead with a knife in her chest today!"

Rosaria stopped in her tracks. "Something interesting finally happened at this damned institute", she mused to herself, laughing lowly at the thought then resumed her quest for hashbrowns at the canteen.

--

Rosaria's order number rang through the bleak walls of the cafeteria, getting up from her small, uncomfortable table to take it from the counter, the old lunch lady smiled and whispered just loud enough; "enjoy your lunch, Rosaria." Rosaria sneered, leaving a very disappointed employee behind but she couldn't care less about it. The quicker she got done with this, the quicker she could get to thinking about what happened to the freshman she heard about earlier. She returned to her graceless table to find someone new.

A girl in her year, with white hair and excruciatingly pale skin paired with rainbow-tinted eyes with white circles for pupils. She wore a short-sleeved off-white shirt, a black skirt, and a tie. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail that went just below her neck coupled with bangs that complimented her features perfectly. Rosaria recognized her as the girl from the dorm room across her own that would seldom come out, if she did she would merely be taking out the trash.

Intrigued, Rosaria sat down on her cold little seat yet again. "we need to talk." the girl instructed silently, Rosaria told her she didn't even know her name. She awkwardly introduced herself as "Shenhe" and quickly carried on with her whispering as Rosaria leaned in, "I know you heard about the murder. I know you want to investigate. Team up with me?" was all she got out before her face flushed a deep red, either with embarrassment or with the fact Rosaria was now barely an inch away from her.

After about a minute of awkward silence, Rosaria laughed heartily, a rare smile audible in her voice as she accepted the offer. Perhaps this was going to prove amusing after all?