The day started like any other...boring, predictable, and entirely forgettable. I'd already resigned myself to being the quiet guy who kept to himself, keeping my head low and avoiding any interactions that could be considered remotely interesting.
School was a blur of sounds and faces, but none of it really mattered to me. I had my routine, and it was a simple one: survive the day without standing out. Easy, right?
As usual, people nodded at me in passing, some offered the occasional "Hi," and I reciprocated with a wave, making sure not to engage too deeply in anything. It wasn't that I didn't want to, it's just that there was no room for me in the chaotic rush of high school life. That's just how it was, and I preferred it that way.
Then I saw her.
Miyuki.
She was sitting at her desk, bent over a piece of paper, scribbling furiously as if the fate of the world rested on her pen. I don't know why I never noticed before how intense she could get when she was solving problems. Maybe it was because I always saw her as this unflappable, composed person. But there she was, her forehead wrinkling in concentration, eyes darting back and forth between her work and her phone. She was biting her lip, looking like she was about to solve a math problem that could save humanity.
I don't know why I found that so... cute. It wasn't that she was doing anything spectacular. In fact, she looked like she was on the verge of pulling her hair out. But there was something about how seriously she took everything that made her seem... real. Not the perfect, untouchable Miyuki everyone else seemed to see, but just someone who was... well, human.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, everyone started shuffling out, packing up their things, and rushing to the next period. But not Miyuki. She didn't even notice the chaos around her. She was still there, staring at her phone with wide eyes, the panic creeping into her expression.
I was about to head out when I overheard her muttering under her breath, completely unaware I was within earshot.
"Ugh... this stupid coupon expires at 5 p.m. But I need to go help with the student council... What do I do?" she hissed, rubbing her temples in frustration. She glanced at her phone one more time, probably praying that time would slow down.
I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. She looked like she had a million things on her plate and no way to handle any of them. I hesitated for a second, wondering if I should just leave her to figure it out on her own. But... I don't know. Maybe it was the way she was biting her lip, or the way her frustration seemed to radiate through her, but something made me step up.
"Hey, Takahashi... You look troubled," I said, trying to sound casual as I stood beside her desk.
She jumped at the sound of my voice, looking up with wide eyes. It took her a moment to recognize me, and when she did, she sighed in relief. "Oh, it's you, Satou... I'm just... well, you know... trying to figure out how to make it all work. But I'm in a bit of a bind."
I raised an eyebrow, trying to make sense of what she was talking about. "Bind? What happened?"
She looked down at her phone, her eyes narrowing. "I have this coupon for a huge discount at the grocery store, but it expires at 5 p.m. and I need to help out with the student council. But I can't do both. I just... I don't know what to do."
I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. I was getting the sense that this wasn't just a simple "I forgot my lunch" problem. No, this sounded like a full-on, 5-alarm disaster.
"You're in a rush, huh?" I asked, my brain scrambling to come up with a plan.
She tapped her foot impatiently, looking like she was about to explode. "Yeah, and I really need to use this coupon. It's the only chance I have to get some stuff for the house... but I don't want to ditch the student council either."
I thought for a moment, then—without really thinking about it....said, "Well... I could help you out. I could go get the groceries for you."
She blinked at me. "Wait, really? You'd do that?"
I could already feel the awkwardness creeping in. What had I just volunteered for? I was supposed to be the guy who stayed out of things, not the guy who did errands for the student council president. But for some reason, the words just came out.
"Yeah, sure," I said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I don't have anything else to do. I mean, it's not like it'd hurt to help out."
She stared at me for a moment, clearly taken aback by my offer. I could see her running the math in her head...should she trust the quiet, socially awkward guy who she barely knew? Probably not. But she was running out of options, so she just sighed and handed me the coupon.
"Okay, fine. But you better not mess this up. It's on the other side of town, and I really need to get the right stuff."
I took the coupon from her, glancing at it. "It expires in thirty minutes?!" I blurted out, panic seizing me.
Her face paled slightly. "Yeah, I totally forgot. Hurry!"
I took one last look at her, then bolted. The hallway became a blur as I rushed through the crowd, hoping I didn't bump into anyone. I'm sure I looked like an idiot, running like my life depended on it. Teachers gave me disapproving looks, but I wasn't stopping for anyone.
By the time I got outside, I was already sweating bullets. But there was no time to worry about that. I had to get that coupon used before it expired.
I didn't take the normal route. That would be too slow. No, I took a shortcut...
the most ridiculous, reckless shortcut I could think of. I climbed up to the school's rooftop and jumped off the edge, grabbing the top of the fence to swing myself over. My shoes barely caught on the edge, and for a moment, I thought I was going to face-plant into the dirt. I was sure some of the students nearby thought I had lost my mind, but I didn't have time to worry about that. I had groceries to buy.
Suddenly, I heard someone shout,
"EXCUSE ME!!"
I whipped around and saw Kyouka, the vice president of the student council, staring at me like I was some kind of insane lunatic.
"What... the... heck?!" she muttered,
blinking several times as if trying to process what she had just witnessed.
"Sorry!" I called over my shoulder, not stopping for anything.
I'm sure that conversation was the talk of the student council for the rest of the day. But I couldn't afford to care. I had a mission.
Somehow, I managed to get to the store in record time. I grabbed everything Miyuki needed.....dashing through the aisles like a man on a mission. I wasn't even thinking anymore. I was just... moving.
Finally, I arrived at her house, breathless and dripping with sweat. I had made it. The coupon was still good, and I was still alive.
Just barely.
Miyuki was in the kitchen when I stumbled through the door, clutching the bags like they were my last hope.
"I... I got it..."
I panted, collapsing into a chair.
Her eyes widened when she saw me, looking even more surprised than I felt. "You actually... did it?"
"Yeah, I... I got it," I said, still trying to catch my breath. "The coupon's still valid... barely."
She inspected everything I'd bought, clearly impressed. "Wow... Satou, you really came through. Thank you."
I waved it off. "It was nothing."
Ren, who had been watching the whole time, jumped up excitedly. "Big Sis, look! Big Bro Satou is a hero!" He grinned at me like I had just singlehandedly defeated a dragon or something.
Miyuki laughed softly, shaking her head.
"You really like him, huh?"
Ren beamed. "Of course! He's awesome!"
I could feel my cheeks turning red, but I just awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck. "I'm not that great. Just doing what I said I would."
As the evening wore on, I found myself reflecting on how different things were now. I wasn't just the quiet guy anymore. Somehow, I had become someone who could actually make a difference—even if it was just by running errands for Miyuki.
The next day, rumors began to spread like wildfire.
"Did you hear? Satou and Takahashi are always together now. I bet they're dating," one voice whispered as I passed by.
Miyuki, however, didn't seem to care. When a girl in class asked her, "Are you and Satou dating?" Miyuki shrugged, completely unfazed. "Yeah, so what? We're friends. Is there something wrong with that?"
The girl blinked in surprise. "You're actually friends with him?"
Miyuki just nodded. "Yeah. So what?"
I watched the exchange from across the room, trying to stay out of the conversation. To my surprise, her words shut everything down. The whispers stopped, and for the first time, I felt a little lighter. The rumors didn't bother me. In fact, they didn't seem to bother her either.
As the day went on, I realized something. No matter what anyone said, I was part of something now. And I was okay with that.
As the rumors about me and Miyuki spread across the school like wildfire, the whole thing was just so absurd, I couldn't even get upset. It was like watching a bad soap opera unfold around me, except everyone was in on it, and I was just the unsuspecting "main character" caught in the middle.
Miyuki, of course, wasn't having any of it. She was unbothered as ever, shooting down the ridiculous rumors with the kind of effortless grace that only she could pull off. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she addressed the crowd with a casual flick of her hand.
"Listen up, everyone," she said, her tone calm but firm. "It's not what you think. Kiyoshi and I are just friends. That's it. Nothing more."
I couldn't help but admire how cool and collected she was about the whole thing. She was practically glowing with the energy of someone who'd just solved a math problem in a way that made everyone else feel like idiots. Meanwhile, I was standing there like a deer in headlights, trying to process how my life had suddenly turned into a giant rumor mill.
And then, out of nowhere...because apparently, the universe hadn't delivered enough chaos that day...rhere was that voice. That loud, unmistakable, and somehow always at the most inopportune times voice.
"KIIIIYYYOOOOSSSHHHIII!!!"
Before I even had a chance to react, I felt a sharp pain...no, scratch that.... A hilarious, ridiculously over-the-top smack right to the back of my head. It was like someone had thrown a brick at me, but not just any brick. This brick was wrapped in melodrama and betrayal.
I turned to see Haruto, looking like he'd just seen the end of the world. He was practically clutching his chest like a character in one of those old, tragic Shakespearean plays. His face was a mess of exaggerated heartbreak, and tears welled up in his eyes like he was about to deliver a soliloquy about the loss of his true love.
"KIYOSHI! IS IT TRUE?!" he wailed
dramatically, his voice cracking like a soap opera star caught in a plot twist.
"Are you and Miyuki ARE YOU TWO DATING?!"
I blinked, unsure whether to laugh or try and explain myself. But Haruto wasn't stopping. He was now grabbing my shoulders, shaking me like I was a guilty prisoner about to confess to an unspeakable crime.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!"
Haruto sobbed, falling to his knees in a gesture so exaggerated that I half expected him to yell,
"I AM BUT A BROKEN MAN!" He flailed his arms around, clearly auditioning for an Oscar in the process. "You're taking my PRECIOUS MIYUKI away from me! I thought we were best friends?! HOW COULD YOU—"
I swear, if he had fallen down dramatically and made a swooning motion, I wouldn't have been surprised. The whole scene was like something out of a terrible drama, and I was the unlucky supporting actor who had been thrust into it without any preparation.
Trying to stay calm, I rubbed the back of my head, still trying to process the insanity of it all. "Haruto, calm down," I said, my voice strained. "It's not like that. Seriously, Miyuki and I are just—"
"JUST FRIENDS?!" Haruto screeched, his voice so high-pitched it could've shattered glass. "FRIENDS?! Kiyoshi, my HEART is BREAKING! Do you realize what you've done to me? What you've DONE to our friendship?!"
I couldn't help it. I was beyond done with this whole thing. I reached over and began patting Haruto's head in a futile attempt to calm him down, like he was a kid who'd just had their favorite toy stolen. I couldn't even take him seriously anymore....his face was still drenched in fake tears, his body still shaking with the "grief" of someone who had just been betrayed by their closest friend.
"There, there," I said awkwardly, patting him like I was trying to calm a toddler who'd just been told they couldn't have candy. "It's not that big of a deal, Haruto. We're just friends. Really."
Haruto sniffled loudly, still clutching my shirt like a lifeline. "Just friends..." he muttered dramatically, looking up at me with a betrayed, tear-streaked face. "You're telling me you're NOT planning to marry her?! You're NOT secretly planning to elope, huh?"
I stared at him in complete disbelief, wondering if this was some kind of dream. "Haruto, I'm not marrying her. We're just—"
"JUST FRIENDS!" Haruto wailed again, his voice reaching a level of hysteria that could only be described as pure comedy. "YOU'RE DESTROYING MY SOUL, KIYOSHI. THIS IS THE WORST BETRAYAL EVER."
At this point, I just gave up. I continued to pat his head, feeling like the world's most awkward counselor. "Okay, okay, calm down. Nothing is happening between us. It's just... it's nothing. Really. You're overreacting."
And there he was, still dramatically sniffling as if he had just lost his will to live. I couldn't help but shake my head, trying to hold back a laugh. "You really need to chill out, Haruto."