"Alright, everyone!" the teacher clapped her hands. "For next week's Literature class, you'll be working in groups of three to present scenes from a classic play."
The class groaned.
She continued, unfazed. "I've already made the groups."
Now came the real pain.
I held my breath as she read from the list.
> "Group Four Kuroyuki Kenyu… Shinbou Rysei… and Aizawa Rei."
I died inside.
Actually. Died.
---
I turned slowly, like a horror movie character hearing footsteps behind them.
Rei raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
Shinbou stared down at his desk like the wood was his therapist.
Hinata, from the next group, mouthed: "I'm living for this."
---
Later, we met in the empty classroom during lunch break for our first "meeting."
No one spoke for a full minute.
Rei finally broke the silence. "Well. This is going to be… efficient."
I cleared my throat. "Okay. We need to pick a scene."
"Let's do something dramatic," Rei said.
"No thanks," Shinbou replied immediately.
"You afraid you'll catch feelings?"
"I'm afraid I'll say something real."
I blinked. "Okay! Um, let's not start like that."
---
We settled on a scene from a romantic play where two characters argue and one silently watches.
I volunteered to be the neutral one.
Because emotional neutrality was all I had left.
---
Rehearsals were… painful.
Rei was flawlessly dramatic.
Shinbou was quiet but intense.
And I was just trying to survive without becoming a meme.
During a line about heartbreak, Rei leaned forward and said:
> "It's not about forgetting. It's about pretending you never remembered."
And he looked straight at me when he said it.
Shinbou's fist clenched by his side.
---
When the teacher walked in to check our progress, she smiled.
"You three have really good chemistry."
Oh.
If only she knew.
---
After rehearsal, Rei offered to walk me home.
I hesitated.
Then I saw Shinbou already walking out, earbuds in, not even glancing back.
"…Okay," I said.
---
As we walked, Rei didn't say much. For once.
Then suddenly, he said, "Are you still thinking about that truth-or-dare night?"
I nodded slowly. "A little."
"I meant it, by the way."
I looked up.
He smiled but it wasn't teasing this time.
"I like you, Yuki. I'm not good at hiding it. And I won't pretend I don't notice when you look at him instead."
My heart stumbled.
"I don't know what I feel right now," I admitted.
"That's okay," he said. "I'll wait. I'm patient."
Then he added with a small laugh, "Well, sort of."
---
And somewhere, walking alone with music in his ears and a storm in his chest...
Shinbou thought of things he didn't understand yet.
Memories he didn't have.
And feelings he couldn't explain.