"…Meeting at the wrong time."
If Yuu didn't have the system now, and Yuigahama confessed her feelings again, he might not overthink his emotions and just accept her. After all, for many guys, love often stems from familiar closeness; the order of knowing body and soul can be reversed.
Thinking about it now is pointless. As a pure-love virgin at heart, Yuu can only look away before Yuigahama notices.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Yuigahama finishes her bento, and lunch break has exactly five minutes left—enough for them to walk back to class from the cafeteria.
The crowd has thinned out. Natsukawa Masuzu's sycophant squad left the cafeteria fifteen minutes ago, their numbers somehow growing as they headed to the courtyard, probably to give her a school tour. But that has nothing to do with Yuu.
After tidying his utensils, he prepares to leave the cafeteria and return to class.
Yuigahama, carrying her empty bento box, quickly follows. Her gaze fixes on Yuu's back, instinctively wanting to tug his sleeve. But Yuu, with ghost-like reflexes, dodges perfectly.
"What's up?" he asks, turning with a puzzled look.
"Eh, n-nothing." Her hand grasps at empty air before quickly hiding behind her back. Yuigahama smiles casually. "It's just… it feels so nostalgic eating and chatting with Yuu-kun like this."
Yuu smiles too: "Don't you usually eat with that Double Pigtail Blonde and the glasses-wearing fujoshi? It can't be that lonely, right?"
"Stop giving my friends random nicknames!" She lightly smacks his shoulder, then Yuigahama looks at the ceiling, swaying slightly, stepping as if playing hopscotch.
"The lonely one's Yuu-kun, right?"
She lowers her head, meeting his eyes, as if speaking through her gaze.
"I know, you know? In first year and second year, if Saika-chan doesn't come find you, you always eat lunch alone, and you don't care even if girls approach you."
Yuu doesn't ask how she knows about his first year. He just looks ahead, his tone flat.
"My only friends at school are you two. I'm not interested in eating with strangers."
"Friends… huh."
Yuigahama chews on the word softly, her smile bittersweet, tinged with pain, but she still says to him with a smiling tone: "Hmm, seems like you're really keeping your promise. Good to know!"
Spotting a vending machine ahead, Yuigahama's eyes light up. She dashes over to buy a can of Max Coffee and returns, her imaginary tail wagging with excitement.
"You like this, right? Hehe, let's toast to our friendship!"
"Nah, it's too sweet. I'm not into it anymore."
"Eh?! Why not…" Yuigahama looks deeply struck, her head drooping as if with floppy ears.
Yuu can't hold back a laugh. He pulls the can's tab and raises it level with her.
"But thanks anyway."
"No big deal, you treated me first!" Yuigahama quickly perks up, clinking her half-drunk strawberry milk against it, her long lashes trembling as she smiles softly:
"Then, to our unchanging friendship~"
She chugs the rest of her milk, tosses the empty carton into the trash, and lets out a long sigh.
A moment later.
As if seizing the momentum to muster courage, Yuigahama suddenly clenches her fists, her face flushing red, and stammers to his back:
"Y-Yuu-kun! Right now, do you have someone you like?"
"I like my sister, does that count?"
"Of course not! I mean a girlfriend!"
Yuu turns and sees Yuigahama, so embarrassed she's covering her face with her arms. Her ears are red, her body trembling slightly.
"Oh, not right now." he replies.
"R-Really? That's good…" Yuigahama visibly relaxes but awkwardly tries to cover it. "Eh… haha, I was just asking, no other meaning! Besides, you said I'm your only girl friend…"
As Yuigahama starts her pointless defense, Yuu sips his coffee and calmly adds:
"But during summer break, there was… my first crush, and my first girlfriend."
"…"
As if a snowball were stuffed down her collar, Yuigahama freezes, her faint smile stuck on her face. She opens her mouth but only manages a choked sound:
"Eh?"
Teen Reality.
Crushing someone's feelings isn't something Yuu does often, but he's skilled at it. Youth isn't a lie or a sin—because at any time, humans need lies to live, and occasionally feel guilty for their actions.
So, for boys and girls, such bleak realities can't be called youth.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
That afternoon, the sun shines warmly, the sky clear without clouds.
The bell rings on schedule, and the mature female teacher at the front announces the end of class. The classroom instantly grows noisy, filled with invitations to hang out.
Yuu packs his bag and glances in a certain direction.
"Yui, wanna go karaoke today?"
"…Sure, sounds good."
"Why so down?"
"Ehehe, it's nothing~"
"Come on… Hayato, no soccer club practice today, right? Join us!"
"Sure. Then, Tobbe…"
The voices behind mix into the commotion, and Yuu looks away, no longer caring. Since that conversation, until school ends, Yuigahama hasn't spoken to him or sent any messages. Just like their middle school graduation day.
But it's probably less severe this time, as she still sneaks glances at him from the crowd, her eyes holding hesitation. Thinking back, in their first year of high school, if Yuigahama saw him from afar in the hallway, she'd find an excuse to turn away, pretending not to see him. Only when unavoidable would she greet him casually.
From start to finish, it seems only she never intended to keep that friendship promise. Yuu feels helpless too. Human relationships aren't ropes; even if tangled, they can't just be cut for convenience. To maintain a good distance, one must always gauge how far to advance or retreat. A slight misstep could mean losing contact entirely or becoming a jerk who strings others along.
So, being popular mostly brings no good—sadly, few in this world understand that.
"Yuu, wanna walk home together?"
Totsuka, the second-cutest person in the world, approaches. His short hair sways, and he smiles while inviting him. By the way, the undisputed cutest is his hikikomori sister. The third-cutest… that mapo tofu-loving underclassman might make the list.
"Sorry, I've got a part-time job today…" Before Yuu finishes, the female teacher who just stepped down from the podium raises a roster and waves at him.
"Tenkuji, come to the office for a bit."
Yuu and Totsuka exchange glances, both confused. After the teacher leaves first, Totsuka looks at him worriedly: "You'll be okay, right? Hiratsuka-sensei suddenly calling you…"
Yuu says nonchalantly: "Relax, do I look like a delinquent who'd get punished by a teacher?"
"True, Yuu-kun's a good student." Relieved, Totsuka blinks. "Then I'll head home first."
"Be careful." Yuu pats his small shoulder, slings his backpack, and leaves the classroom.
As for why Hiratsuka called him, Yuu has no clue, but he's sure it's not bad. Otherwise, when she called him, Hiratsuka wouldn't have been so casual—she'd have raised a fist, glaring with a sharp, cold smile. Class F students know this well: the level of her killing intent shows how much trouble you're in.
At the teacher's office.
Yuu politely says, "Excuse me." then opens the door and enters.