Amikura Mako had been troubled lately.
Ever since Kaoru went on suspension, she had found it increasingly difficult to get any time alone with him. He still returned to school every few days, but Kei and the others usually monopolized him whenever he did, leaving Mako too embarrassed to squeeze herself into the group.
Even now, she stubbornly refused to admit that she was his girlfriend.
She had certainly never told the others.
Instead, she continued insisting that she and Kaoru were perfectly ordinary friends, clinging to that excuse despite the fact that both of them knew exactly how ridiculous it was.
Because of that, Mako could only pretend she didn't notice whenever Kaoru spent time with his girlfriends, silently sulking by herself.
Honami hadn't forgotten about her. She frequently dropped hints that Mako was welcome to join them whenever Kaoru returned, but Mako always pretended not to understand.
After enough failed attempts, Honami eventually seemed to accept that her friend genuinely had no romantic interest in him.
That only made Mako's feelings more complicated.
On one hand, she hated the idea of sharing someone she liked.
On the other, hiding everything from Honami filled her with guilt.
Mako had practically no experience with romance. The closest she had ever come before was a one-sided crush on a boy in middle school, and she hadn't even managed to properly speak with him.
Now the person she liked was Kaoru.
That should have been a good thing.
Unfortunately, one of Kaoru's girlfriends was also her best friend.
Honami liked the same boy Mako liked.
Mako could just barely convince herself that this part was manageable. If necessary, she and Honami could both date Kaoru. Honami clearly didn't mind, after all.
The problem was that Kaoru did not have merely two girlfriends.
He had an entire collection of girlfriends at school.
And then there were all those idols.
The situation had already exceeded Mako's ability to process it. Her brain practically overheated whenever she tried.
By ordinary standards, she should probably have warned Honami to stay away from him. Kaoru looked like an irredeemable womanizer with a frightening number of girlfriends, and by any reasonable definition he was an enormous pervert.
Yet Honami, Kei, and the others behaved so naturally around him that Mako sometimes wondered whether her understanding of common sense was the thing that had broken.
Why weren't they angry?
Why weren't they constantly jealous?
If he had that many girlfriends, shouldn't that count as cheating?
Mako couldn't understand them.
What she wanted was simple.
She liked Kaoru.
Kaoru liked her.
That should have been enough.
Nobody else was supposed to exist between those two facts.
Eventually, she simply gave up trying to reconcile reality with her ideal. As long as she kept her head buried firmly enough in the sand, she and Kaoru were having a perfectly ordinary relationship.
She absolutely could not imagine behaving like Kei and the others, all calmly sharing his attention together as though there was nothing strange about it.
That would be mortifying.
Still...
She really wanted to be alone with him.
The thought had been bothering Mako more and more lately, to the point that even during physical education class she seemed completely listless.
"Mako-chan, are you feeling okay today?"
Honami noticed almost immediately and hurried over with concern.
"I-I'm fine."
Mako forced a smile.
She definitely did not want to explain the real problem.
"I just spaced out for a second."
"The sports festival is almost here, but that's exactly why you shouldn't push yourself too hard."
Honami put on her serious expression.
"You should rest for a little while. Missing a few minutes of practice won't hurt us."
The annual sports festival was approaching, and just like the previous year, everyone was using physical education periods to practice the events they planned to enter.
That was why Honami naturally assumed Mako might simply be exhausted.
Before Mako could object, Honami dragged her off to the side and ordered her to rest.
Several other students were already sitting out there, including Shiranami Chihiro.
Honami soon returned to practice.
They were using the indoor gym today, and this year's sports festival contained even more events than before, including parkour, shooting contests, tennis singles, and mixed doubles.
Every student was required to participate in five events, while anything beyond that was voluntary. Honami therefore wanted to test as many possibilities as possible and identify which events gave their class the best chance of placing.
Mako watched her moving energetically around the gym and felt a quiet stab of envy.
Honami was pretty, had an amazing figure, and was unbelievably kind.
No wonder Kaoru liked her.
But when Mako imagined Honami getting Kaoru entirely to herself, something uncomfortable twisted inside her.
She almost wanted to—
Mako violently shook her head.
'No, no, no.'
She absolutely could not start thinking like that.
"Mako-chan, are you worried about something?"
Chihiro's voice came from beside her.
Mako immediately stiffened.
"D-do I look worried?"
Her gaze darted away.
"A little."
Chihiro spoke quietly.
"And it isn't only today. You've been spacing out a lot lately. It almost feels like... you're waiting for somebody."
Mako suddenly felt as though she had been exposed.
She scrambled mentally for an excuse, but Chihiro didn't continue.
Instead, she drew her knees up and sat quietly on the gym floor, watching Honami in the distance.
'Did Chihiro figure it out?'
Mako's nerves immediately returned.
But Chihiro wasn't saying anything.
How was Mako supposed to ask?
If she suddenly blurted out, 'Did you notice I'm secretly dating Kaoru?' she might as well confess everything herself.
After secretly studying Chihiro's expression for a while, Mako found nothing unusual and finally convinced herself that it had simply been casual conversation.
She pressed her lips together.
Ever since getting involved with Kaoru, she had become far too prone to overthinking everything.
Mako got up, walked toward the storage area where everyone had left their bags, and pulled out her phone.
Then, without thinking too deeply, she typed:
I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.
She sent it.
Then she kept typing.
Sticker after sticker followed, mostly angry girls pouting, kicking things, or glaring at the screen.
This was all Kaoru's fault.
If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have so many ridiculous things to worry about.
Mako knew he probably wouldn't even see the messages immediately. He was busy lately and would most likely reply sometime that evening.
The thought only made her feel more aggrieved.
If this was what dating Kaoru was going to be like, she would probably die of frustration before graduation.
Then the messages suddenly showed as read.
A reply appeared.
What happened?
Mako froze.
Then she puffed out her cheeks and started typing again.
Nothing. I just especially hate you today.
Your Honor, what crime have I committed this time?
Yes.
Can the defendant at least know what law he broke?
I don't know. But you definitely know. I hate you.
Is this because I haven't kissed Mako-chan lately?
Mako's fingers stopped.
N-no!
Then what is it?
Mako stared at the screen.
Then, before she could stop herself, she typed:
I miss you.
The moment she realized what she had sent, Mako hurriedly locked her phone and looked around like a criminal checking for witnesses.
That final message had sounded far too much like she was whining for attention.
Her face grew hot.
She absolutely could not continue this conversation.
Mako returned to practice, hoping physical activity would erase the memory of what she had just written.
Since PE was the final class that afternoon, Honami planned to keep Kanzaki Ryūji, Shibata Sō, and several of their strongest athletes behind afterward so they could continue practicing while discussing their sports-festival strategy.
Mako stayed too.
Her physical ability was relatively good among the girls.
Unfortunately, she quickly started spacing out again.
All she could think about was her message.
She still hadn't seen Kaoru's answer.
'Wait.'
She should have deleted it.
Mako regretted everything.
Honami was still discussing something with Kanzaki, so Mako quietly slipped away to check her phone again.
Nothing.
Read.
No reply.
Mako stared at the screen.
Then indignation rose inside her.
She had expected Kaoru to at least say something!
Instead, she had spent all this time blushing and worrying while he had apparently read the message and ignored her.
'That jerk.'
Mako made a decision.
She was not speaking to him for at least a week.
"Hey, Mako-chan."
Someone greeted her.
Mako spun around with an irritated expression, already prepared to glare at whichever unfortunate person had chosen the worst possible moment to talk to her.
Then she froze.
Kaoru stood near the entrance beside the spectator seating.
"You're still here?"
He glanced toward the gym floor.
"Practicing for the sports festival?"
Kaoru had apparently slipped in through a back entrance, much like the time he had snuck into Class 3-A's PE lesson before.
Mako stared at him.
Her heart didn't even have time to properly flutter before she saw him turning toward Honami, clearly about to greet her.
Her eyes widened.
Without thinking, Mako grabbed Kaoru by the wrist and dragged him toward the secluded corner behind the spectator stands.
Thud!
For the first time in her life, Mako somehow summoned enough strength to shove Kaoru all the way back against the wall.
Kaoru sucked in a breath.
Where had this girl been hiding that kind of strength?
Before he recovered, Mako was already standing close in front of him, her face bright red.
"W-why are you suddenly here?!"
Kaoru was wearing a shirt and trousers rather than his uniform, and although his jacket was nowhere to be seen, he had clearly returned directly from somewhere outside the school.
"I happened to be nearby when I saw your messages."
Kaoru placed his hands lightly around her waist.
"So I came back to see what was wrong."
His expression became teasing.
"I didn't expect Mako-chan to welcome me this enthusiastically."
"Idiot!"
Mako's thoughts completely fell apart.
She had only sent one stupid message, and he had actually come back to school because of it.
Didn't that make her seem ridiculously needy?
Kaoru simply held her for a moment.
Mako was still wearing her gym clothes after practice, and because she had been moving around not long ago, her hair was slightly damp near the forehead.
She gave him a small, embarrassed punch in the chest.
"Don't start getting handsy the second you see me."
Kaoru smiled.
"I haven't kissed Mako-chan in a while."
Then he leaned down.
Mako had intended to resist a little out of principle, but the moment their lips met, the familiar warmth made her resolve collapse almost immediately.
She relaxed into him little by little, eventually rising slightly onto her toes so she could kiss him back properly.
For several moments, all the irritation she had been carrying simply disappeared.
When they separated, Mako remained close enough that her forehead almost touched his.
Kaoru smiled.
"It really has been too long."
"Don't get carried away."
Mako immediately recovered enough stubbornness to complain.
"We're only friends. I'm merely allowing you to kiss me occasionally."
Kaoru stared at her.
"Didn't we already establish that we're dating?"
"No."
Mako denied it without hesitation.
"That never happened."
Then, after a pause, she added much more quietly, "I said you could kiss me sometimes as long as Honami doesn't know."
Her expression became awkward.
Kaoru finally understood why she had practically tackled him the moment he was about to greet Honami.
"Want to go on a date?"
Mako looked up.
Kaoru continued, "Outside the school. You know I can leave campus during my suspension. If we go somewhere else, nobody here has to know we're together."
They were supposedly dating, yet the two of them had never even gone on a proper date.
Kaoru understood enough of Mako's conflict to know that pushing her into the same relationship dynamic as Kei and the others would only make her retreat further.
Mako looked at his clothes, then lightly bit her lip.
Instead of answering, she rose onto her toes again and kissed him herself.
Kaoru wrapped an arm around her waist.
The kiss remained gentle, but Mako clung to him more tightly than before, as though all the frustration from the last several weeks had finally found somewhere to go.
When she eventually pulled away, her face was completely red.
She rested her head against his shoulder.
"Am I horrible?"
Her voice was tiny.
"I know Honami is with you, but I still want you all to myself. It makes me feel like some shameless woman trying to steal her friend's boyfriend."
Kaoru looked at her strangely.
"Wouldn't that make me the one who went after you because I thought you were cute?"
Mako lifted her head.
"If somebody has to be the villain here, I'm pretty sure I qualify more than you do."
"I'm serious!"
Mako angrily bit his ear.
"So am I."
Kaoru laughed and rested his cheek lightly against her hair.
"Mako-chan doesn't need to torment herself over it. I like you, and I'm not treating you as some secret mistake."
Then he added with complete shamelessness, "Besides, I'm probably going to marry you eventually."
"Ah…"
Mako immediately lost momentum.
Kaoru's words were far too casual for something that serious.
Her face became even warmer.
"D-don't say things like that so easily."
"I mean it."
That somehow made it worse.
Mako hid her face against him.
After a moment, Kaoru asked quietly, "What actually bothers you most? That I'm with Honami, or that you feel guilty because you're hiding this from her?"
Mako went still.
The answer was embarrassingly obvious once he asked directly.
"Both."
She hesitated.
"But... I also don't want to share."
Kaoru listened.
Mako tightened her arms around him.
"When I'm with you, I want you looking at me."
Her voice became quieter.
"I don't want Honami standing beside us. I don't want Kei there. I don't want anybody there."
She swallowed.
"I know that sounds selfish."
"It sounds normal."
Mako looked up.
Kaoru continued, "You don't have to enjoy exactly the same kind of relationship they do. If you want time alone with me, tell me."
"That easy?"
"Yes."
"You're the reason it became complicated in the first place."
"That is also true."
Mako almost laughed despite herself.
Kaoru brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.
"You said you missed me."
Mako's face immediately exploded with color.
"I-I was emotionally unstable when I wrote that!"
"So you don't miss me?"
"That isn't what I said!"
Kaoru smiled.
Mako glared at him.
Then she admitted, reluctantly, "I do."
The confession was barely audible.
"I really do."
Kaoru kissed her forehead.
Mako's expression softened.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Kaoru said, "So next time, don't spend two weeks sulking and waiting for me to read your mind."
Mako's eyes narrowed.
"You should come looking for me first."
"Fair enough."
"And when you come back, don't immediately disappear with Kei and the others."
"I'll make time for you."
"Alone."
"Alone."
Only then did Mako seem satisfied.
She leaned into him again, still stubbornly pretending the relationship remained something casual even while holding him like she hadn't seen him in years.
From the gym floor nearby, Honami's voice suddenly carried through the building.
"Eh? Where did Mako-chan go?"
Mako froze.
Kaoru froze with her.
"I swear she was here a minute ago."
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Then Chihiro answered, "Maybe she already went home. It's getting pretty late."
Mako released a silent breath.
Kaoru felt her body gradually relax again.
He looked down at her and whispered, "You're unbelievably nervous about Honami finding out."
Mako glared.
"Whose fault is that?"
"You could tell her."
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Kaoru raised an eyebrow.
Mako tightened her grip on his shirt.
"Not yet."
There was something conflicted in her expression.
Then, after several seconds, she finally said what she had been unwilling to admit even to herself.
"I know I should feel guilty."
Kaoru waited.
"But when it's only us like this, where Honami doesn't know and nobody else can interrupt…"
Mako's face grew redder with every word.
"I kind of like it."
Kaoru blinked.
Mako forced herself to continue.
"I want you to look only at me. Even if it's selfish, even if it's sneaky, I want there to be something between us that belongs only to me."
She buried her face against him immediately afterward.
"I know I'm horrible."
Kaoru stared at her.
He had assumed Mako's problem was simply that she hated sharing him.
Apparently, that was only half the story.
She was conflicted by the secrecy.
She was also enjoying it.
'Honami... what kind of best friend did you make?'
Kaoru almost laughed.
Mako looked up again.
"I like you."
This time, she said it clearly.
"So instead of making me watch you spend all your time with everyone else, I'd rather steal you away sometimes."
Her heart was pounding hard enough that she was sure Kaoru could feel it.
"But you have to come willingly."
Kaoru smiled.
"That sounds suspiciously like a demand from my girlfriend."
"We're not officially dating."
"You just confessed."
"That doesn't count."
"It absolutely counts."
Mako gave him a frustrated look before finally laughing.
"You're annoying."
"And yet you missed me."
"Shut up."
Kaoru kissed her again, briefly this time.
Mako didn't resist.
When they separated, she gave him a suspicious look.
"So... about that date."
"Whenever you want."
"This weekend?"
"Done."
"Outside school."
"Yes."
"Just us."
"Yes, Mako."
She finally smiled.
Then footsteps sounded faintly from the direction of the gym floor.
Mako immediately stepped away as though Kaoru had become radioactive.
"Go!"
Kaoru stared.
"You're throwing me out?"
"If Honami sees you, I'm dead!"
"You just told me you liked secretly stealing her boyfriend."
"That doesn't mean I want to get caught!"
Kaoru had to suppress a laugh as Mako frantically pushed him toward the back exit.
Neither of them noticed Honami standing farther away near the edge of the court.
She had glanced toward the shadowed corner of the spectator stands several times already.
A small smile appeared on her face.
'Honestly, Mako-chan.'
Honami quietly returned her attention to the others.
Apparently her best friend still believed she had successfully hidden everything.
Honami had no intention of ruining that illusion just yet.
If sneaking around helped Mako stop running from her own feelings, then Honami could pretend not to notice for a little longer.
Besides...
A faintly mischievous smile touched her lips.
Kaoru probably deserved to be thoroughly punished for making Mako worry this much.
'Do your best, boyfriend.'
Honami silently cheered him on.
'And make sure you treat my best friend properly.'