"Okay, class, that's it for homeroom," the teacher said as he gathered his notes and books, preparing to leave for his next class.
But just as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something.
"Oh, right. I forgot to mention—those of you who still haven't joined a club, make sure to do so by the end of the month. Otherwise, you'll be assigned to a random one."
At Akatsuki High School, there was a rule that every student had to join a club. Clubs were groups formed by people with the same interests—it could be sports, arts, or even some weird, niche activities.
"Is it already that time?" I muttered to myself. I already knew which club I wanted to join, but since there was still time, there was no need to rush.
Classes went by, and surprisingly, despite declaring yesterday that she loved me and would make me fall for her, Yuka didn't approach me at all throughout the day.
Maybe she just blurted that out in the heat of the moment and is now too embarrassed to face me… Not to mention what happened on the train.
"Shall we go, H-Hayato?"
Misaki's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Right—I'd promised to treat her, and we had planned to go right after school.
"If you're not comfortable calling me by my name, why did you even ask for it in the first place?"
"Shut up! I just need some time to get used to it," she protested, her face a mix of anger and embarrassment.
At that moment, my eyes fell on Yuka's figure as she left the classroom. That's a disappointment, I was thinking of inviting her too and have her and Misaki get closer, since both of them are my friends.
Just as I was about to brush it off, my phone vibrated. A message—from Takahashi.
"Meet me at the empty classroom beside the stairs. Alone."
That's all she wrote. Why there, though?
"M-Misaki, can you wait for me at the entrance, please? I'll join you soon," I asked, struggling to get her name out naturally. Damn it, I also can't get used to calling her by her name so easily.
She looked at me with confusion but eventually agreed. "Hmm? Okay."
I made my way to the empty classroom where she wanted to meet.
But… why here?
Couldn't she have just talked to me in class? Is it something important? I sighed. Sometimes, even I couldn't tell what was going through her head.
As I stepped into the classroom, I immediately noticed how empty it was—desks left in disarray, dust accumulating on their surfaces. Well, that's to be expected from an unused classroom.
But… where was she?
Before I could think further, the sound of the door closing echoed behind me. The room darkened, leaving only a faint light filtering through the curtained windows, barely enough to see.
"Takahashi?" I called out in confusion. But before I even realized it, she was already standing close—too close.
What the—?
How did she move so silently? I hadn't sensed her at all. What is she, a ninja?
As I was about to ask what was going on, she beat me to it.
"You're so unfair."
Huh? What did she mean by that? I couldn't understand, so I simply asked, "What do you mean?"
She looked up at my face, but with the limited visibility, I couldn't make out her expression—and I doubted she could see mine either.
"Didn't you say we're friends?" Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant. "Then why do you act so differently with me? I… I don't understand friendship much, but I also want to get close to you… like that girl."
That girl?
She's probably talking about Misaki. Duh, I don't have any other girls around me.
But now that she mentioned it, I couldn't help but think—why am I so oddly comfortable around Misaki? Why is that? I wondered.
"But you were avoiding me in the classroom."
It wasn't just today—ever since we changed seats, she barely approached me during class. She's not the type to care about what others think, so what other reason could there be?
"I wasn't avoiding you," she retorted immediately, her voice a mix of frustration and vulnerability. "It's just... seeing you being so chummy with that girl made me reluctant to approach you. I... I felt like I would just be a third wheel. On top of that, I'm not as fun as her, and I feared what if I make things awkward."
So that's what she was thinking. I let out a quiet sigh, closing my eyes for a moment before meeting her gaze.
"There's no way I'd ever think that," I said, my voice firm yet gentle. "Just like Misaki, you're my friend too. If I didn't enjoy spending time with you, I wouldn't have asked to be friends in the first place. I'd never treat you any differently when we're together. It's just... I guess I feel a little nervous around you, and for that, I'm sorry. But from now on, I'll make sure to treat you the same as I do her."
A brief silence filled the room before she finally spoke.
"Then… can you call me by my name too? Call me Yuka."
Eh? Was she bothered by that all this time? I shifted my gaze to the side, feeling a bit flustered.
"Y-Yuka," I managed to say, my voice slightly unsteady.
Without a word, she suddenly wrapped her arms around me, catching me completely off guard. My body stiffened at the unexpected embrace.
"I like the sound of that, Hayato." she murmured, her voice carrying a hint of happiness. Though I couldn't see her face in the dimly lit room, I could tell she was smiling.
This situation… isn't good for me. I need to do something before it escalate to something else. Then, an idea struck me.
"R-Right," I stammered, trying to regain my composure. "I was planning to treat Misaki to something, and I actually wanted to invite you too, but I didn't get the chance. How about it? Will you come with us? You could use this as an opportunity to get to know her too, maybe even become friends?"
After a few seconds of contemplation, she finally nodded. "Alright, thank you for the invitation. I would also like to get to know her."
Okay, that's good. Problem solved. But… why does something feel off about the way she said that?
Before I could dwell on it further, she added, "Oh, and one more thing—don't forget that I love you. Seeing you so chummy with another woman… makes me jealous."
Alright. Something is definitely wrong here!
And this—this is exactly why I feel nervous around her.
…Anyway, everything will be fine, right?
"You're finally back? Huh? Takahashi?"
Misaki was waiting for me at the school gate, just as I had asked her to. She spoke the moment she saw me returning from the school building, but the moment her gaze landed on Yuka behind me, her tone shifted to confusion.
"I also invited her to come with us. It's fine with you, right?" I asked, gesturing toward Yuka, who responded with a slight bow.
"Of course! I've always wanted to get along with her," Misaki said with a bright smile, her excitement evident.
That was a relief. At least things weren't getting awkward right from the start. Now, I just had to hope that these two actually got along.