The afternoon sun painted the schoolyard golden, but Yuki felt like the air around her was heavy with weirdness.
On one side of the courtyard, Hinata was standing with Itsuki, her hands nervously tucked behind her back. They looked… comfortable together. Almost too comfortable. Yuki could see the way Hinata leaned in when Itsuki spoke, the shy tilt of her smile, the sparkle in her eyes.
"Those two are basically a manga panel waiting to happen," Yuki muttered, resting her chin on her hands.
"Who?"
Yuki jumped at Shinbou's voice. He had leaned over her desk without warning.
"Hinata and Itsuki," she said, pointing out the window. "Don't they look… suspiciously cute together?"
Shinbou followed her gaze. He didn't say anything for a while, just watched. Then he smirked.
"They do. Looks like Hinata found her type."
"Her type?!" Yuki exclaimed, half-joking, half-offended. "Excuse me, what is my type then?"
Shinbou tilted his head as if actually thinking about it. "…Probably someone who annoys you every day but somehow doesn't get thrown off a building by you."
Yuki's mouth opened and closed. "That's… oddly specific."
Before Shinbou could tease her more, the classroom door slid open. Rei walked in. He didn't greet anyone, didn't make eye contact. His bandaged hand was shoved in his pocket, his expression unreadable.
The atmosphere shifted instantly — girls whispered in the back row, eyes following him like magnets. But Rei brushed them off. Instead of heading to his desk, he stopped in the middle of the classroom, looked straight ahead… then turned his back to Yuki.
Yuki frowned. Again? He's ignoring me like I stepped on his cat or something.
What she didn't see was Shinbou's expression hardening ever so slightly. He wasn't sure why, but every time Rei acted cold toward Yuki — or worse, every time Rei had previously called her "Yuki" so casually — something inside Shinbou twisted uncomfortably.
Later that day, Hinata came bouncing up to Yuki, practically glowing.
"Yuki! Itsuki said he wants to walk home with me today. What do I do?!"
Yuki grabbed her friend's shoulders. "You say yes! Don't think about it, just go! This is literally the kind of moment shoujo manga was invented for!"
Hinata squealed, covering her face. Yuki laughed with her, but when she glanced back, she caught sight of Rei heading down the hallway alone, earbuds in, shoulders stiff.
And for the briefest second… she wondered what kind of strings were pulling everyone closer, tangling them all together.