Haru tapped his pen against his notebook, his mind far from the lecture.
It had been days since he had confessed to Sakura. Days since he had asked her how she felt about him.
And yet, she still hadn't given him an answer.
She hadn't ignored him outright, but the silence weighed on him. If she didn't return his feelings, he would have preferred a direct rejection over this uncertainty.
Haru sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Maybe he had put her on the spot too suddenly. Maybe she just needed time.
His phone buzzed on the desk. A message from Aoi.
"A video?" he mumbled, unlocking his screen.
Kei, ever nosy, leaned over his shoulder. "What's that?"
"Aoi sent me something."
"Let's see it, then." Before Haru could stop him, Kei tapped the screen.
The video started playing at full volume.
"Sexy Sakura!"
Haru's heart stopped.
The whole lecture hall turned toward him as his voice—drunken, far too loud, and undeniably enthusiastic—rang out.
His fingers fumbled, and his phone slipped from his grip, landing with a loud clack deep under his seat.
"Noooo. SexyMia, dude! Youcan'tdenyit!" Kei's own drunken voice echoed next.
Kei, who had initially found the situation amusing, went rigid. His face drained of colour.
"Turn it off! Turn it off!" he whisper-shouted, scrambling to help Haru retrieve the phone.
The video continued.
"I'm telling you, Sakura's way more... way more... Sexy! Sexy Sakura!"
The class fell silent for a beat before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
Kei and Haru were now both under the desk, frantically trying to retrieve the phone as if their lives depended on it.
"Kei, help me lift the desk, so I can get my phone!" Haru hissed
Kei, his pride shattered, muttered, "I'm going to kill Aoi!"
Finally, Haru snatched the phone and ended the video. But the damage was done.
Laughter filled the room.
The only ones not laughing were Sakura and Mia.
Mia's jaw had dropped. Her blood boiled, a dangerous mix of rage and jealousy surging through her.
Sakura, however, remained composed. She wasn't embarrassed. If anything, she was carefully controlling her reaction—because the last thing she wanted was to belittle Haru's feelings.
Kei slowly turned to Mia, gauging her reaction. She didn't even notice. Her glare was fixed solely on Haru, burning with silent fury.
But Haru wasn't looking at her.
His eyes had locked onto Sakura's.
Sakura bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. Haru, still mortified, swiftly looked away.
Maybe it was the frustration of always being 'Sweet Sakura.' Maybe it was the way Mia had treated her at the mixer. Maybe it was Haru's confession.
Or maybe it was all of it.
Because in the next moment, Sakura did something none of them expected.
She stood from her seat, the sound of her heels clicking against the floor, commanding attention.
The laughter faded.
Haru looked up at her, confused. "Sakura, I—"
Mwah!
Sakura had grabbed the collar of his jacket, yanked him forward, and crashed her lips on his.
Gasps echoed through the room.
Haru froze, stunned.
Sakura. Is. Kissing. Me, Haru processed slowly in his head.
After a few seconds, Haru's arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer until their bodies pressed together. One hand slid to the nape of her neck, deepening the kiss.
The lecture hall exploded with noise.
Cheers. Whistles. Claps.
It was utter chaos.
When Sakura finally pulled away, her cheeks were flushed, her breath slightly uneven.
"That's my answer to your question," she said, smiling.
Haru stared at her, his mind catching up to what had just happened.
And then realisation dawned.
"That's a little excessive," he chuckled. "But I like it."
Sakura smirked. "Yeah, well, I found this easier than words."
Then, without another word, she walked back to her seat.
Straight toward Mia, who looked ready to explode.
Kei, finally meeting Mia's furious gaze, smirked. His eyes practically said, "I told you."
Mia's fiery glare shot back, "Shut up."
Haru, still dazed, turned to the professor. "Uh… sorry for the disruption, professor," he said, grinning like an idiot.
The professor sighed heavily. If it had been anyone else, they would have been kicked out. But Haru was the top student.
"I hope it doesn't happen again, Mr Soma," the professor muttered, returning to the lesson.
The room gradually settled down, but the air still buzzed with energy.
Sakura sat back in her seat. Her heart was still racing. She had finally given her answer. Haru was finally her's. Now, there was no turning back.
Meanwhile, Mia was fuming beside her in her seat.
Sakura hadn't just seduced Haru again—now, they were officially going out. Meanwhile, Mia hadn't even spoken to Haru once since university started.
As the lecture hall buzzed with leftover excitement from the kiss, Mia sat frozen, fists clenched. Her vision blurred—not with the sight of nineteen-year-old Haru and Sakura, but of her twenty-eight-year-old fiancé, standing at the altar, kissing her best friend.
Her fiancé. Her best friend. The memory burned. Sakura had betrayed her. Or at least, that's what Mia told herself.
The truth—the real, undeniable truth—was that Sakura had never done anything behind her back. She had never gone after Haru. She had never tried to take him away. She had never once betrayed Mia, regardless of how she felt about him.
But Mia couldn't accept that.
Because if she did, that meant Haru had never chosen her. That he had always been in love with Sakura.
And that reality was something Mia refused to believe.
Instead, she told herself that Sakura had been seducing Haru in secret, playing the innocent, selfless friend while secretly stealing him away. Acting oblivious.
Pretending she wasn't doing anything wrong.
Mia needed to believe that. Because if Sakura wasn't the villain in her story… then that meant Mia was never the heroine.
Mia inhaled sharply, gripping her pen so tightly it nearly snapped.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
In the past, she had told Sakura the truth. She had confessed that she loved Haru. And in response, Sakura helped her get close to him.
She had always been like that—selfless, obedient, never putting herself first.
So why?
Why was she going after Haru now?
Mia's stomach twisted. Wait… I never confessed in this life.
That had to be it.
Sakura must not realise how she felt.
That's why she was acting differently—why she was bold enough to kiss Haru in front of everyone.
Because in this timeline, Mia had never told her that she loved Haru.
Mia inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. It's okay. It's fine.
She would fix this.
She just had to tell Sakura how she felt.
Then, just like before, Sakura would back off.
Because if there was one thing she knew for certain, it was this:
Sakura never said no.
…
Sakura, on the other hand, had no idea what was going through Mia's mind.
All she could think about was the fact that she had just kissed Haru.
Her heart was still pounding.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus on the lecture. Her brain kept replaying the moment—the warmth of his lips, the way he had pulled her closer, the feeling of his hand cradling the back of her neck.
Sakura's face burned red as she packed her bag, fanning herself as if the room had suddenly become a hundred degrees hotter.
She didn't dare look at Haru—the cause of her current symptoms.
She needed to get out of there. Now.
Without thinking, she grabbed her bag and rushed toward the exit.
Mia's head snapped up, eyes widening. She's leaving?!
She needed to talk to her—now.
She had to stop this before it even started.
But by the time Mia got to her feet, Sakura was already gone.
Mia's jaw tightened.
She had missed her chance.
But she wouldn't miss it again.