Some hours later, the college day was finally over.
One by one, the students left the building, their voices fading down the hallways.
Among them were Akaza and Daiki.
Kazuma, however, was still sitting alone on the bench inside the now-empty classroom.
Akaza was on his way to propose to Akari, with Daiki tagging along for support. They had tried to convince Kazuma to come with them, but he refused, saying he needed to head home early.
Yet, even though it had already been fourty minutes since class ended, Kazuma hadn't moved an inch.
He sat there, hunched over, a quiet conflict lingering in his heart. He didn't even understand why he was thinking about it so much—it should've been something normal. But for some reason, the thought kept circling his mind again and again.
Suddenly, I clenched my fist and slammed it against the bench.
— "Ugh, what the hell am I thinking so much for?"
I let out a long sigh and glance up at the clock.
— "It's already been half an hour since Akaza left. He probably proposed to Akari by now. He's probably gotten rejected too."
I smirk to myself as I muttered those words, but the moment was short-lived. Suddenly, I remember something Daiki had said earlier:
"Girls usually fall for guys who are more popular or have more money."
My chest tightened as those words echoed in inside my mind. I shook my head quickly, trying to push it away.
— "Akari isn't like that. She would never fall for a guy just because he has a pretty face. She alw—"
I froze mid-thought.
Wait… she changed, right? She changed a lot since childhood. Maybe… maybe it wouldn't be that surprising if she accepted.
Like, who am I to feel bad about it? In a few months, she'll be a stranger to me again, just like she became six years ago.
Maybe I shouldn't even worry about things like this.
The only reason I wanted to get close to her was to spend these six months peacefully… to get to know her better before we part ways again. That's it. That's all it was.
Right? That's just it. I didn't do it for any other reason.
Wait—
But I would've never cared to know any random girl. The only reason I wanted to know why she changed… was because she was my childhood crush.
…Is it because I still like her?
Suddenly I stood up from the bench, shaking my head violently.
No, no, no… I don't like her anymore. My childhood crush is long gone.
This girl isn't her.
But just then, all the memories of our days as roommates until now came flooding into
my mind.
His chest tightened even more.
Because deep down, even if she had changed… that girl was still the same Akari he once fell for.
I shook my head, denying all the thoughts swirling in my heart. With both hands, I slapped my face lightly, trying to pull myself together.
Maybe I need some rest… I should just head out already.
I slung the bag over my shoulder and stepped out of the classroom. The hallways were quiet now, empty except for the faint echoes of his footsteps. That's when it hit me, I had wasted so much time just sitting there, lost in my own head over a situation I couldn't even control.
As I made my way down to the lockers, something caught my eye. Akari's locker door was slightly open. Inside, tucked neatly, was a small folded note.
A note? Who would leave something in her locker…?
My curiosity spiked immediately.
Should I check it? I mean… I kinda want to. But would it be okay? It's still her locker. Maybe I shouldn't…
I hesitated, staring at the paper, then clicked my tongue.
— "Whatever. No one's gonna know anyway."
Without wasting another second, I quickly grabbed the note and unfolded it.
My eyes widened.
It said:
"Well, I still want to be friends with you."
Kazuma froze.
Who wrote this?
It couldn't have been Akaza. He had been so confident earlier—he wouldn't slip a note like some middle schooler. Maybe it was some other guy crushing on her… But even then, it didn't read like an invitation. It felt more like… an answer.
— "What the hell does this even mean?" he muttered, frowning at the paper.
30 minutes earlier, in the third-floor hallway…
Akaza and Daiki got out of the classroom, followed by the crowd that had gathered to see Akaza leave.
Akaza glanced behind them.
— "Not more for today, guys. I already told you—treat me like a normal student," he said, raising his voice.
The crowd hesitated and took a small step back.
From the crowd, someone spoke up.
— "Yes, he's right. We should give the guy some space and stop being jerks."
Akaza scanned the crowd, his expression calm but assertive.
— "Hey, hey, don't be so hard on yourselves. I get it—you're excited. But here, I'm just a student, just like you. I want to get to know all of you too. We're all classmates, right?"
The crowd smiled, relaxed. Slowly, they dispersed, leaving Akaza and Daiki some space.
As they started walking, Daiki said,
— "You do know how to control a crowd, don't you?" He nudged Akaza slightly.
— "Been doing this since I was a kid," Akaza replied, keeping his face straight.
— "So, all of that stuff you said… was it real or just an act?" Daiki asked, eyes curious.
— "Who knows?" Akaza replied sarcastically, smirking.
Daiki rolled his eyes.
— "You're such a mystery."
After a few steps, Akaza asked,
— "So, where can I find Akari right now?"
— "She should be at the lockers, as far as I know," Daiki replied, shrugging slightly.
— "Lead the way then," Akaza said, smiling.
Daiki looked unsure.
— "Are you seriously going to propose to Akari?"
— "Hell no! Do I look like an idiot?" Akaza said, flicking his hair back.
Daiki raised an eyebrow, confused.
— "Weren't you saying you were going to? Why'd you say that?"
— "I did it to see if Kazuma likes Akari," Akaza explained, shrugging.
— "Wait, what? Why do you think Kazuma likes Akari?" Daiki asked.
— "Easy. I noticed he got uneasy when I talked about liking Akari. So I figured something's up. I said I'd propose to her in front of Kazuma just to see his reaction… and he did react," Akaza said, pacing a little.
— "When?" Daiki asked.
— "At the cafeteria. I wasn't actually going to propose—I just wanted to see if Kazuma would stop me. And he did. He stopped me from proposing," Akaza said, his tone calm.
— "He just didn't want a scene in the cafeteria," Daiki said defensively.
— "Why would someone do that for a stranger? Someone they don't even know? Doesn't that strike you as odd?" Akaza's voice was low, measured.
— "So, what if he told you he liked her back then?" Daiki asked.
— "Then I would've stopped chasing her right there. Never looked her way again. But he didn't," Akaza said, shaking his head slightly.
— "So now you're sure he likes her, right? He did stop you," Daiki pressed.
— "I'm not 100% sure. But it doesn't matter right now. I asked him not once, but twice, and he denied it. That's what we'll believe," Akaza replied, staring straight ahead.
Daiki sighed.
— "You said you weren't going to propose. Then why are you looking for Akari now?"
Akaza paused, frowning in thought.
— "I don't know… maybe I just want to talk," he said softly.
— "Talk?" Daiki raised an eyebrow.
— "Yeah," Akaza said, almost whispering.
Daiki exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
— "Come on, then. Let's head to the lockers before we're too late," he said.
They started walking toward the locker area where Akari was supposed to be.
As they walked, Akaza's mind wandered.
This was the first time someone hadn't noticed me at all. I was used to being the center of attention, yet she didn't even glanced my way.
She was different. That was why I liked her. I wanted to know her.
Even surrounded by crowds, people with wealth and popularity, I wasn't nervous.
So why the hell I was so nervous to talk
to a girl?
After walking for a while, they finally came across the locker area.
As they entered, Daiki said,
— "Here we are, you can find Akari right here."
Akaza glanced at him,
— "Hope so."
As they both stepped into the area, they stumbled right in front of Akari, who was getting her stuff out of her locker.
Akaza froze the moment their eyes met.
Akari also looked up, her gaze locking with his.
For the first time, Akaza felt his chest tighten with nerves. He had never felt this way before. Usually, people lost their composure around him, girls especially. They would be blushing, fidgeting, or stumbling over their words. But this girl—she was calm, composed, unshaken. That unfamiliarity made him nervous in return.
He stared at her, unable to make his mouth move.
Before he could speak, Akari said,
— "You need something?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Her voice snapped him out of his trance. Akaza shook off his nervousness, cleared his throat, and said,
— "Um, no, nothing. We were just heading out."
He felt a little more at ease now.
Daiki stood behind him, silently watching, curious about what Akaza would do next.
— "Ohh, bye then," Akari said casually, turning her attention back to her locker.
Akaza stayed rooted in place. He didn't know what to say anymore—but it was the first time someone brushed him off so bluntly. Strangely, he liked it. Someone was finally treating him like a normal person. Especially a girl. That feeling tugged at him, and he wanted to keep talking.
Daiki nudged him in the back with his elbow and whispered,
— "Maybe we should leave, I don't think she's in the mood to talk right now."
Akaza tilted his head slightly, whispering back without taking his eyes off Akari,
— "Hold on. I have to talk."
His tone was serious. He took a quiet breath before stepping forward again.
— "By the way, I'm Akaza Shinomiya. You know me, of course."
Akari glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.
— "Yeah, I do. You're the new student."
Akaza smirked, tilting his head.
— "So you just know me as the new student?"
— "Well, yeah," she replied, still composed.
— "I mean, you didn't know me before I was the new student?" he pressed.
— "I was never a social media creep, so yeah. I just got to know you today." She spoke with confidence, her tone sharp but casual.
Akaza smiled at her, his eyes fixed on her. She noticed and raised an eyebrow.
— "Why are you looking so happy?" Akari asked.
He brushed his hair back, still smiling.
— "Oh no, it's nothing. Just that you're so different from every other girl. Most girls would've been snowing over me, and that wouldn't be a nice conversation."
The smile lingered on his face.
Akari smirked slightly before replying,
— "That's because I don't have any intr—"
Before she could finish, Akaza stepped closer, his eyes locked on hers. His tone softened but carried weight.
— "That's what makes you really special."
Akari's eyes widened at his words. Her cheeks flushed before she could control herself. She wasn't sure how to respond.
— "Umm… Huh?" she managed, barely able to speak.
— "Yes, you're not like other people. When I first saw you, you weren't even looking at me. Even now, while I'm talking with you, you're treating me no different than just another person—and I like it. I want to be treated as one of you. That's what makes you special to me."
His eyes stayed fixed on her, unwavering. Akari tried to maintain her composure, but it was hard when he was being so blunt.
Meanwhile, Daiki leaned against a nearby locker, arms crossed, watching everything unfold. He almost smirked to himself. The way Akaza spoke, anyone else would have fallen for those words instantly. But this was Akari. He knew she wasn't like "anyone else."
— "Why are you even telling me this?" Akari asked, frowning slightly.
— "Because I want to be friends with you," Akaza replied without hesitation.
Akari blinked in shock, raising her eyebrows.
— "Friends?"
— "Yes. I wanna be friends with you," he repeated, confirming that he was serious.
Akari froze for a moment, her thoughts racing.
Why me, of all people? There are plenty of girls who ignored him when he came. I remember the classroom—every girl was practically snowing over him. Even Hana was trying to act composed. Okay, maybe not as much, but still. So why me?
Her jaw clenched slightly as her inner voice grew sharper.
This is that idiot's fault. He told me to try being nicer to people sometimes. Why did I even listen? If I had just rejected him before he had a chance to talk, I wouldn't be stuck in this situation right now. I can't just be friends with someone I don't know. And yet… why does rejecting him suddenly feel so damn hard? What is happening to me?
— "So are you going to be friends with me?" Akaza asked again, his voice softer this time.
Akari snapped out of her thoughts, exhaling slowly. She looked at him, her expression steady.
— "I'm sorry… but it just isn't possible."
Akaza's eyes widened in shock. His chest tightened, his heart almost breaking into pieces at her reply. A rejection—something he had never faced before. His voice shook, but he still managed to speak.
— "Why? Why not?"
Akari bit her lip before answering.
— "I can't trust anyone. It's to the point where I don't even trust my own family. I'm sorry, but this is the only reason I can't be friends with you."
— "You can't trust anyone?" Akaza asked, confused.
Akari shook her head, shutting her locker firmly.
— "Forget everything I said. I'm sorry I even brought that up. I'll take my leave. Bye."
She turned quickly and walked out of the locker area, her footsteps echoing down the hall.
Akaza just stood there, frozen, replaying what had just happened in his head. He wasn't thinking about the rejection itself—his mind was stuck on her words.
Daiki walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.
— "Chill out. It's just one rejection. Let's go get a drink. There's a soda shop in front of the college. My treat."
Akaza lowered his head, his voice quieter than usual.
— "Why did she reject me?"
— "Chill out. There's no reason—she just doesn't want to be friends with you," Daiki said firmly.
Akaza shook his head and pushed Daiki's hand off his shoulder.
— "There's gotta be a reason. Why did she say she can't trust anyone?" His voice was low, but heavy.
— "Hey, snap out of it. You don't even know her. Don't overthink it. Let's go."
— "I need to know why she can't trust anyone. I need to know more about her." This time, his voice rose, full of determination.
Daiki frowned. — "Why are you so persistent about her?"
Akaza kept his gaze lowered for a moment. Slowly, he lifted his head, his eyes burning with conviction.
— "Because she's different."
Daiki's eyes widened slightly. He realized Akaza hadn't been bluffing earlier in front of Akari. He really meant it. He truly liked her because she treated him differently.
— "I don't know if I'll ever find anyone like her. So yeah… I'll be persistent. I want her."
Daiki stared at him for a few seconds, reading the honesty in his voice. He let out a long sigh.
— "What do you wanna do now, then?"
— "Give me a piece of paper."
— "Wait a minute…" Daiki pulled out one of his notes and handed it over. — "What are you gonna do?"
Akaza smirked faintly. — "Watch me."
A few moments later, Daiki sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck as he saw Akaza slip the folded note into Akari's locker.
— "Are you really going to put this note there after she rejected being friends with you?"
— "I know it's embarrassing, but I like her. So I don't mind trying as hard as I can. I finally fell in love with someone—I won't give up without trying."
Daiki shook his head. — "You're so stuck up. Anyway, let's go."
Back to the present time.
Kazuma still had the note in his hands, confused about who could have written it.
— "Now this also feels a little nostalgic for some reason, reminds of the days she used to get notes in her locker back in elementary."
A faint smile crept across his face as the memory resurfaced.
— "And my girl used to reject all of them."
I caught myself grinning, but then froze as I realized what I had just said—Akari my girl. Shaking my head quickly, I muttered:
— "What am I even saying? It's getting late, I need to head out."
I tucked the note back inside the locker and turned to leave. But before walking off completely, I glanced back at the locker once more.
— "Should I leave this note here? Probably I should. I already convinced myself I shouldn't overthink on stuff that are none of my business."
With that, I finally headed out of the college dorm. As I made my way toward the main gate, I noticed someone sitting on a chair beside the entrance.
Who the hell is still here this late? I thought. The figure looked like a girl.
As I approached, the outline became clearer. My eyes narrowed in recognition—it was Akari. She sat there, posture straight but with a restless air, as if she was waiting for someone.
Why is she still here? Is she waiting for someone? Did Akaza really propose to her? Is she waiting for him? I shook my head, annoyed at myself. Why the hell am I overthinking? This doesn't concern me.
Still, my steps carried me toward her. She noticed me coming and immediately got up from her seat.
I walked in front of her and started:
— "Oh your still he—"
But she cut me off sharply.
— "What the hell took you so long?" she asked, frustration clear in her tone.
I froze, caught off guard.
— "Um, No I was just—" My voice trailed off. I couldn't exactly say I spent my time overthinking about you. That would've been too embarrassing. Instead, I decided to go with something easier to swallow.
— "I fell asleep."
She blinked, staring at me as if trying to process my words.
— "You seriously fell asleep?"
— "Yup. And when I woke up I saw there was no one in the classroom left." I tried to sound convincing, pushing the lie forward.
She raised her voice, clearly irritated.
— "Your so hopeless, that's what happens when you watch Tv instead of sleeping at Night."
— "Yeah whatever, anyways what are you waiting for? You should've reached the apartment by now." I asked, scratching my head.
She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow at me.
— "You ask what am I waiting for?"
Then she turned her face slightly away, arms crossing in front of her.
— "I was waiting for you, Idiot."
My eyes widened. She… was waiting for me?
— "Why were you waiting for me?" I asked, almost in disbelief.
She sighed and answered bluntly.
— "We came to college together this morning so I thought it would be a little disrespectful to just head out alone. So I was waiting for you. This is just the reason nothing else."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Akari—the same Akari who used to be distant—was now this considerate? Observant? It felt strange… but also made me glad. She was changing. This time, for the better.
With a teasing smirk I replied,
— "I didn't knew you had this much sense of humor."
— "Of course I have. I'm not an idiot like you," she shot back, looking away.
— "Anyways let's head out then"
— "Took you long enough to say that, let's go."
We got into a taxi together, bringing the long day of college to an end.
But there was someone who was watching them from afar. 2nd floor of the main building His eyes were tracking there every single move
It was none other than Akaza.
His gaze burned as he watched us step into the taxi. He couldn't believe what he was seeing—Kazuma and Akari, together, leaving in the same car. His fists tightened.
Well I did figured something was going on between Kazuma and Akari but this is way far,
Getting in the same taxi? No Theres more to it.
Somethings definitely going on and I need to know what that is.
His voice echoed in his head, bitter and sharp:
What is your relationship with Akari, cousin?