The clock on the wall ticked steadily, though inside the quiet office, time felt distorted. Miyazaki sat on the long table across from Jousuke, her hands still fidgeting with the corner of a ledger book that she had grabbed earlier just to look busy. The air was still thick with everything unspoken from the moments before.
Her cheeks burned pink, and she could still feel the lingering warmth of how close they had leaned to each other earlier. Every little sound—the flutter of papers, the hum of the heater, even the rhythm of Jousuke's breathing—made her heart leap in a way that was almost unbearable.
"Kaede..." Jousuke's voice was quiet, hesitant, but it cut through her thoughts.
She looked up, only to realize that he was gazing right at her, a faintly troubled yet gentle expression in his eyes. "You've been staring at that page for a while. It's upside down."
Her eyes darted to the ledger. Sure enough, the numbers and characters were flipped the wrong way.
"U-Uhm!" she quickly turned it around, clutching the book tighter, as if the act could erase her embarrassment. "I-I knew that! I was just... double-checking."
Jousuke chuckled softly. "Right."
Miyazaki pouted, puffing her cheeks slightly. "...Stop laughing."
"I'm not laughing." he replied, though his smile betrayed him.
It was at that exact moment—knock knock knock.
The sharp rapping at the office door jolted Miyazaki to her feet. She instinctively shot a look at Jousuke, panic flashing across her face.
"Wh-What if it's—" she whispered frantically.
"Relax, Kaede." Jousuke reassured her, though he also straightened his posture quickly.
The door slid open gently, and a familiar voice followed.
"Hmm? What are the two of you doing here?"
Standing at the entrance was none other than Aria Poku, the Student Council President. She wore her usual sharp uniform, her long hair neatly tied back. Her eyes scanned the room with casual curiosity, though something about her tone carried a hint of suspicion.
Miyazaki froze. Her brain scrambled for an excuse, any excuse. She forced a smile—stiff, awkward, but the best she could manage.
"U-Uhm... checking the funds. Right, Jousuke?"
The moment she said it, her heart stopped. She had slipped—calling him by his first name without even realizing it.
Aria's eyes narrowed slightly, her head tilting with a mischievous gleam. "Oh? Did I just hear that correctly? Jousuke?"
Miyazaki's entire body went rigid.
Jousuke blinked, startled, as Aria stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She crossed her arms, clearly intrigued. "Interesting. Kaede Miyazaki, calling Daikuhara-kun by his first name so naturally. That's... new."
"Ah—I—uh—that's—" Miyazaki stammered, her face rapidly turning crimson. Her fingers gripped the edge of the table like it was her last anchor.
Aria smirked knowingly. "Well? Care to explain? Or should I start making guesses?"
Jousuke opened his mouth, about to intervene, but Miyazaki reached out and tugged at the sleeve of his blazer, shaking her head firmly. Her hands were trembling, but her eyes, though nervous, held a spark of determination.
"No... I'll say it."
"Kaede—" Jousuke began softly.
But she shook her head again.
Taking a deep breath, Miyazaki turned toward Aria. Her lips quivered, but she pressed on. "It's true. I... I've been calling him by his first name. Because—" She hesitated, her throat tightening. "Because I like him."
The words fell into the air like heavy stones, reverberating in the silence that followed.
Jousuke's eyes widened. Even though he had already known from that night beneath the fireworks, hearing her say it aloud—boldly, without hiding—made his chest swell with warmth.
Aria raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained. "Oh? That's a confession if I've ever heard one. But I feel like this story has a few missing chapters. Care to elaborate?"
Miyazaki bit her lip. For a second, her instincts screamed at her to back away, to hide behind excuses and tsundere bluster like she always did. But then she remembered—New Year's Eve, standing beside Jousuke under the exploding sky, the scarf she had given him, the way her heart had leapt when she kissed him. She had promised herself then that she wouldn't keep running.
So she straightened her back, even if her knees were still shaking.
"On Christmas, I gave him a scarf. I didn't say it then, but it was my way of showing how I felt. On New Year's Eve, we... bumped into each other in front of a café. We watched the fireworks together. And that night… I told him. I confessed that I liked him."
Aria's expression softened as she listened.
Miyazaki's voice grew steadier. "It was clumsy, and I was so embarrassed I thought I'd never be able to look him in the eye again... but I don't regret it. Because I meant it. Every word, every feeling. I like Jousuke. And I don't want to hide it anymore."
Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths as the silence returned.
Jousuke, who had been utterly still, finally spoke, his voice low but filled with emotion. "...Kaede."
She glanced at him nervously, afraid of what he might say—but what she saw in his eyes wasn't hesitation. It was pride.
Jousuke's lips curved into a small smile. "You're amazing."
Her breath caught. "...H-Huh?"
He leaned just slightly closer, his tone gentle yet firm. "I mean it. I'm proud of you. For saying all of that out loud. For being honest about your feelings... even when it's scary."
Her face burned again, but this time, she didn't look away.
Aria exhaled softly, placing a hand on her hip. "Well, well. I came here expecting to catch you two slacking off, but it looks like I walked right into a romance drama instead."
"P-Poku-san!" Miyazaki yelped, flustered.
But instead of teasing further, Aria smiled warmly. "Miyazaki-chan, that took courage. A lot of people spend their whole lives afraid of saying what they feel. But you didn't run away. You should be proud."
Miyazaki blinked, her chest tightening. Praise from the president herself—it felt almost surreal.
Aria glanced at Jousuke. "And you—take care of her feelings, alright? A girl who can be that honest deserves someone who'll respect that honesty."
Jousuke nodded, serious. "Of course. But I didn't give an answer yet, to be honest."
The atmosphere in the room shifted from tense to something softer, warmer. Miyazaki lowered her gaze, but there was a tiny, triumphant smile tugging at her lips. For once, she wasn't just the flustered tsundere hiding behind pride. She had been bold. She had said it aloud.
And Jousuke had accepted it—not with mockery, not with awkward silence, but with admiration.
Aria stretched slightly, then headed toward the door. "Alright, I'll leave you two to your... 'funds checking.' But next time, maybe try to keep it less obvious, hmm?"
"P-Poku-san!!" Miyazaki wailed, covering her face with both hands.
But Aria only laughed softly as she exited, the door clicking shut behind her.
The office was quiet again, but this time, the silence wasn't heavy.
Jousuke leaned a little closer, his voice gentle. "...Kaede. Thank you."
She peeked at him from between her fingers. "F-For what?"
"For being brave."
Her face went red again, but she slowly lowered her hands. And then—just for a fleeting second—she smiled, a genuine, unguarded smile that melted away all the walls she usually kept around her heart.