Water streamed down in steady rivulets, hitting the tiles with a muted hiss.Hayato stood under the spray, head tilted back, letting the heat soak into his skin. Droplets slid over his face, tracing the sharp line of his jaw before falling to the floor.
His thoughts were louder than the water.
'Why did I say it like that? Was I too sudden? Should I have waited? She looked at me like I'd lost my mind…'
He ran a hand over his wet hair, shutting his eyes. The memory of her expression replayed over and over, each time hitting him with a faint twist in his gut.
The water felt good, but it couldn't wash away the awkwardness.
* * *
Steam curled out of the bathroom as he stepped into his room, a towel draped around his shoulders. His hair was still dripping, damp strands clinging to his neck. Bare-chested, wearing only black sweatpants, he rubbed the towel over his head in slow, distracted motions.
His phone buzzed faintly on the desk.
Hayato sat on the edge of his bed, picking it up. His thumb hovered over one contact — Mom.
Should I just call her? Tell her I was joking?She'd never let me live it down, but… maybe that's better than dragging this out.
He hesitated, the thought tugging at him — until another vibration cut through his indecision.
[Sayu]: Let's meet.
Hayato froze. His eyes widened, scanning the text twice to be sure he wasn't imagining it.
She… agreed?
His pulse quickened. He typed fast.[Hayato]: When?
The reply came within seconds.[Sayu]: Tomorrow. XX Cafe, around 6.
He leaned back slightly, staring at the screen, a slow grin pulling at the corner of his lips.Alright then… tomorrow.
* * *
The Next Evening...
Sayu stood in front of the small mirror by her desk, tugging at the hem of her blouse to smooth out the wrinkles. The faint scent of fabric softener clung to the fresh laundry, mixing with the faint perfume she'd dabbed on earlier. Her hair was loosely tied, a few strands falling free to frame her face.
Behind her, the sound of shuffling feet and a yawn echoed. Rin trudged in wearing loose pajama bottoms and an oversized hoodie, her hair sticking out in every direction like she'd just rolled out of bed -- which she had.
Rin leaned against the doorframe, rubbing her eyes. "Where are you going at this hour? Don't tell me you've got some secret meeting I don't know about."
Sayu glanced at her through the mirror, hesitating a second before replying.
"…Something like that."
Rin tilted her head. "Something like…? Wait, is this a date?" Her tone was more curious than accusing, though her brows arched in suspicion.
Sayu crouched down to slip on her shoes, pretending not to notice the question. Her fingers tightened the laces just a bit more than necessary.
'How am I even supposed to explain this?' she thought, the memory of Hayato's expression from yesterday still fresh in her mind. 'I can't believe I'm actually going...'
"Uh-huh. You're avoiding the question," Rin mumbled, crossing her arms.
Sayu stood, brushing imaginary dust from her skirt. "It's… a meeting. That's all."
Rin gave her a long look but didn't press further.
Sayu stepped toward the door, her pulse picking up just a little. "No backing out now," she murmured under her breath.
"What was that?" Rin asked, blinking.
"Nothing," Sayu replied quickly, slipping out the door before Rin could say another word.
Rin stood there in the quiet, staring at the closed door. "…Weird," she muttered, before heading back to her room.
* * * * *
The city streets were washed in a soft golden glow as the sun dipped low, the air holding that perfect balance between warmth and the first cool hints of night.
Hayato walked toward XX Cafe, his hands in his pockets, the low hum of traffic around him barely noticed. His mind was already running ahead to the conversation they were about to have.
Would she still think he was joking?
Would she reject him outright?
Or… would she say yes?
He caught sight of the café's familiar sign in the distance, the letters lit faintly against the dimming sky. A couple stepped out laughing, the warm scent of coffee and pastries spilling into the street.
And there — at a table by the window — was Sayu.
Her hair caught the light just enough to frame her face in a soft halo, her gaze lowered as she scrolled through her phone, oblivious to his approach.
Hayato paused at the entrance, drawing in a quiet breath.
'This is it.'
He stepped towards her tables until his eyes locked to hers. She looked up as she saw him, her expression flickering from neutral to something almost uncertain.
"Oh, hey… ehm…" She shifted as if to stand.
He raised a hand quickly. "Eh—no need."
She hesitated before sitting back down. They gave each other small nods, the kind strangers might exchange when meeting for the first time.
Silence followed. Not the comfortable kind, but the heavy, awkward sort where every second seemed longer than it should be. The soft clink of cups from nearby tables filled the gap between them.
Sayu opened her mouth just as Hayato leaned forward.
"About—"
"Regard—"
They both stopped, blinking at each other before giving quick, forced chuckles.
"You should start," Hayato said, motioning slightly with his hand.
"Oh… okay." She glanced down at the table, brushing her fingertips along the rim of her cup. "About what you said yesterday…" She paused, her voice lowering. "You said… you'd help me with my tuition."
Hayato's head tilted slightly, his eyes flickering with surprise. He opened his mouth, then stopped himself, leaning back in his seat. "I—… I'm sorry. I'm sure that must've sounded rude. I wasn't thinking."
She shook her head quickly. "No, it's not that. It's just… unusual, you know? For someone to say something like that so suddenly."
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah… I can see that. Guess I have a bad habit of saying things without thinking them through."
"Mm," she murmured, her gaze still down.
He watched her for a moment, trying to read what was going through her head. "If you don't want to, I understand," he added. "It's not like I'm expecting—"
"Yes."
The word came so quietly at first, he wasn't sure he'd heard it right.
"…What?"
She looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time since he'd sat down. "I said… yes."
For a second, Hayato just sat there, blinking. "Wait... yes as in… yes?"
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Don't make me repeat it again."
He leaned back, still processing, a single word echoing in his head. 'What...?'
Sayu took a slow sip of her drink, her expression unreadable, as if she hadn't just completely thrown him off balance.
Across from her, Hayato's pulse had picked up. Somewhere between confusion and disbelief, a thought slipped into his mind:
'What do you mean 'Yes'?!'