The classroom felt… off.
It was Monday again, but this one hit different.
Usually, Rei would stroll in late, drop a witty one-liner, and steal half the room's attention. But today?
He walked in early.
Silent.
Bandages wrapped neatly around his right hand.
I blinked. What happened?
My eyes met his across the room.
I gave him a small wave. "Rei—"
He looked away.
Didn't smile.
Didn't even stop walking.
Just slid into his seat behind me like I was a stranger.
It stung more than I expected.
---
"Is it me, or is he… ignoring me?" I whispered to Hinata during break.
Hinata, chewing on a chocolate stick, glanced over. "He totally is. You probably made him mad."
"I didn't do anything!"
"Exactly. And that's probably the problem."
"Hinata."
"Just saying."
---
Rei didn't talk to me the entire day.
Not during break. Not during lunch. Not even a sarcastic whisper in class.
It was like I was invisible.
And to make things worse...
On my way back from the library that afternoon, I spotted Shinbou outside near the school garden.
He was laughing.
Laughing.
With a girl I didn't know from our class. She had short hair, wore a science club pin, and was standing way too close. Like really close.
Shinbou smiled at her really smiled, the kind of smile he rarely gave anyone.
Definitely not the way he smiled at me.
(Not that he smiled at me often… but still.)
I stood there like an idiot, holding a book I couldn't feel anymore.
"Yuki?" Hinata called from behind me, but I didn't answer.
I just turned and walked away.
---
I didn't talk much the rest of the day. My chest felt tight, like I was angry, but also sad, but also… confused?
Why did it bother me that Rei wasn't talking to me?
Why did I care if Shinbou was talking to someone else?
---
Later that evening, my phone buzzed.
A message from Rei.
REI: "Don't worry about earlier. It's nothing."
Nothing?
NOTHING?!
Now I was mad.
But before I could reply, another message came.
REI: "I'll heal fast."
Still no explanation. Still distant.
And I still had no idea what was going on with him…
Or Shinbou…
Or myself.