( just prank arc)
Hina was walking to college with her classmates when she noticed someone waiting near the campus gate.
Tsubaki.That could only mean trouble.
The moment he saw her, his lips curled into that crooked, taunting smile.
"Welcome, loser."
Every student around them froze, whispering to one another as the tension rose.Isame stepped forward without hesitation, meeting Tsubaki's gaze head-on."Oh, look who decided to greet us today—the great leader of all the spoiled brats.
Before things could escalate, Hina quickly grabbed Isame's shoulder, trying to hold him back.
"Isame, let's go. People like him aren't worth your time.
But Tsubaki's sharp eyes glinted with malice.
"Yeah? And yet, you don't mind wasting your time with that Haruki kid.
The moment Haruki's name slipped out, Isame froze. Hina, startled, let go of his arm as if bracing for what might come next.
Isame's lips curved into a sly smile.
"Jealous, are we?"
That was exactly what Tsubaki didn't want to show—but his face flushed red with fury anyway. The next second, both of them had grabbed each other by the collar."You always interfere in my business!" Tsubaki roared.
"And you—why do you keep dragging Haruki into everything?!" Isame shot back.
Just then, a teacher appeared, forcing them apart.
"What the hell do you two think you're doing?"
Isame put on his most innocent face and grinned.
"Nothing at all, sir. We were just fixing each other's collars. You know… best friends.
The teacher's eyes narrowed.
"The whole college knows just how friendly you two are. Enough with the act. Get to class. I'll deal with both of you later.
Obeying reluctantly, the two walked off—but their eyes stayed locked, filled with the promise of a fight that wasn't over yet.
Once they settled into class, the heavy mood from earlier melted away. Isame sneaked up behind Souta and wrapped his arm around his neck, squeezing tight."That game you recommended me was absolute trash!" he barked in frustration.
Souta struggled to free himself, coughing. "I thought you'd like it!"
Isame slammed his palm on the desk.
"Like it? I couldn't even figure out where it began or where it ended! I wasted my whole evening on that mess!"
Then, as if his shameless inner self had burst out, he leaned back with a grin and gestured wildly.
"And don't even get me started! Not a single female character had anything going for her. No curves, no shape—front or back. Everyone was flat as a board!"
It didn't take Souta long to realize the kind of "game" Isame wanted. His jaw dropped, and he gave him a wide-eyed look.
"…Next time, I'll get you something that's more your type."
Across the room, Hina and Miko stared at Isame like he was some kind of walking scandal. He noticed and quickly covered his face with his hands.
"Don't look at me like that—it's embarrassing!"
Miko rolled her eyes and muttered, "See? All guys are the same. Perverts.
That pushed Isame over the edge. "I am not a pervert, alright?!" he snapped back.
He turned on Souta again. "And you—keep your crappy games to yourself! You call yourself a gamer? You haven't shown me a single decent one yet!"
Miko jumped at the chance to stir the pot. "That's why I keep telling you—just watch anime instead.
Isame shot her a glare. "Shut it! Keep your advice to yourself!"
Through all the noise, Hina sat quietly, lost in her own thoughts. But their bickering kept tugging at her nerves until finally she snapped.
"Will you all shut up already?"
The entire room froze. Even Miko blinked, stunned by Hina's sudden outburst.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you turning red with anger?" Miko asked, glaring back.
Hina exhaled deeply, realizing she'd scolded them for no real reason.
"…It's nothing, really. Just… forget it.
The silence lingered until Souta awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Anyway… what are you guys doing this weekend?"
Isame stretched his shoulders lazily. "Nothing special. Why? You got plans?"
Souta's eyes lit up, his voice filled with excitement.
"What if we all do a group study session at my place?"
Miko perked up immediately. "Yes! That'll be fun!"
Hina smiled softly. "Can I invite Haruki too?"
The mention of his name instantly soured Miko's mood. "What would he even do with us?" she asked, almost scoffing.
But Hina's voice was gentle, affectionate even.
"He's always working so hard. If he comes with us, maybe he'll finally get to enjoy himself a little.
Isame shrugged. "No problem for me. Just ask Souta if he's cool with it.
But Miko wasn't letting it go. She smirked and looked at Isame.
"Of course you wouldn't mind. You're his secret girlfriend, after all.
The whole group burst out laughing.Isame fought back his grin, forcing himself to sound calm.
"Why would I care? If anything, it'll give me a chance to befriend Haruki too.
Souta chuckled, shaking his head.
Inside the café, Haruki was preparing coffee, but his mind was elsewhere. No matter how hard he tried, all he could think about was Hina.Jin Yun's sharp voice snapped him back to reality.
"Harukiii! What are you doing? If you keep working this slowly, how will the shop survive?"
Haruki straightened immediately, bowing his head."Sorry, sir.
But even as his hands moved, his thoughts wouldn't quiet down.What if Hina says yes to that date? Will that mean she won't want to stay friends with me anymore?
No… even if she chooses someone else, what I want most is for her to be happy. If she ever tells me we can't be friends like before, then I'll say…
He hesitated in his heart, then resolved:
I'll tell her that if she'll at least allow me to watch over her from afar, that will be enough for me. Yes… that's what I'll say.
Lost in his thoughts, Haruki didn't notice his foot slipping. He stumbled, nearly crashing into a coffee table. The cup tumbled but thankfully missed the customer.Still, the man jumped up angrily.
"Where the hell is your attention? What if this ruined my shirt?!"
Haruki bowed again and again, his face pale.
"I'm so sorry. I'll bring you a fresh cup right away.
Something about his soft, apologetic tone seemed to calm the customer down. With a sigh, the man waved it off."Fine. Just be more careful next time.
Haruki quickly brewed a new coffee with steady hands and served it to the table, his expression carefully composed even as his heart still churned inside.
After class ended, Hina was quietly packing her bag when Souta approached her. His steps were hesitant, his voice even more so.
"Hina… are you heading home?"
She looked up with a gentle smile."Yeah. Class is over, so of course I'm going home.
Souta shifted uncomfortably, clutching his strap."If you're free today… maybe… we could go out somewhere? I mean… like a date.
Hina blinked, taken aback."A date? Why would you want to go on a date with me?"
His face flushed, words tumbling nervously."Because… I like you.
Hina's expression softened. Her voice was warm, but firm.
"Souta, you're a really good person. But I see you as a close friend. I… like someone else. I'm sorry.
His voice dropped to almost a whisper.
"Haruki, right?"
Hina's lips curved into a shy smile.
"…Yes. I like Haruki.
Souta lowered his gaze, his hands tightening into fists.
"But he told me himself… that he doesn't like you. He said you're just a friend to him.
The color drained from Hina's face. It felt like someone had dropped a heavy stone on her chest."He… he told you that? When?" Her voice trembled, breaking slightly.
Souta let out a bitter laugh, though it sounded more like pain than amusement.
"A few days ago. I ran into him, and that's exactly what he said…
Souta's eyes widened the moment he spotted him."Haruki…?"
Haruki stopped, looking back at him. His brows furrowed in confusion.
"yeah. But… who are you?" His tone was cautious, guarded.
Souta gave a faint smile."You don't recognize me?"
Haruki scratched the back of his neck nervously."Sorry… I can't seem to recall. Who are you?"
Souta leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.
"No problem. Let me jog your memory. Remember that one time you were late picking Hina up from college? I was walking her home, and we ran into you on the way.
Suddenly, Haruki's face lit up with recognition."Ah—yeah! I remember now!"
"That was me, Souta said, smiling. "My name's Souta. I'm Hina's classmate. And, well… I've heard a lot about you.
Haruki tilted his head, surprise flickering in his eyes."You… know about me? How?"
Souta shrugged casually."Hina talks about you all the time.
A ripple of warmth surged through Haruki's chest, his eyes unconsciously softening. He smiled faintly."Really? And what exactly does she say about me?"
Souta suppressed a laugh, then answered.
"She says you're a good guy. Hardworking, too. But… also a complete idiot sometimes.
Haruki's smile faltered, slowly turning into something more fragile, almost painful.
"She really said that?"
"Yeah. Souta chuckled, nodding.
Silence hung between them for a moment, heavy yet fragile. Then Souta broke it.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead,Haruki replied, trying to sound casual.
"You and Hina… are you two dating?"
Haruki's heart skipped. Panic rushed through him as he stammered,
"N-no, not at all! We're just good friends.
Souta narrowed his eyes, unconvinced.
"You're sure? You two aren't secretly together?"
This time, Haruki took a deep breath. His voice was steadier, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.
"Yeah. We're not. Because I'm not good enough for her. Why would Hina ever date someone like me? Even if we did… I don't think we'd make a good couple.
His face carried a sad smile, the kind that tried to mask the ache inside.Souta studied him carefully. The raw honesty, the self-inflicted wound in Haruki's words—it was written all over his face,"Wow. You're actually serious, Souta muttered. Then, almost too casually, he asked,
"So… if you're not dating Hina… would it be okay if I asked her out?"
Haruki froze. His steps faltered, his entire body stiff as though the ground had chained him in place. He turned sharply, staring at Souta."Why… are you asking me this?"
"Because you're the closest to her,Souta replied bluntly.
Haruki looked away, his voice dropping low.
"Yeah… because I'm her friend. I've helped her, so maybe she's a little more open with me. That's all.
Souta didn't miss the pained expression hiding behind those words. He kept his gaze steady."So… can I ask her out?"
Haruki lowered his head. His voice was soft, almost breaking."…Yeah. You can.
It felt like Souta had reached into his chest and taken something precious. The silence that followed roared in his ears, heavy and suffocating.Souta pulled out his phone.
"Then… mind giving me your number?"
Wordlessly, Haruki handed it over.
What neither of them noticed was Hina—watching from nearby, tears brimming in her eyes. She had heard enough. Her voice trembled when she finally spoke."I'm sorry, Souta. I… I can't go on a date with you.
Souta didn't say much after that. Just one look at Hina's face was enough—he could tell how much pain his words about Haruki had caused her."You don't need to apologize,he said softly. "I was the idiot. Even after knowing everything, I still asked you out. If we can stay friends, that's more than enough for me. Just… one small request.
Hina quickly wiped away her tears.
"What is it?"
A crooked smile tugged at Souta's lips.
"If you ever decide to knock some sense into Haruki… land a couple of punches on my behalf too.
Hina's eyes flared with anger, her voice sharp.
"Don't worry. I'll beat him so badly, he won't forget it for a lifetime.
Souta chuckled faintly, though there was still a trace of sadness in his eyes.
"Best of luck, Hina.
And with that, he walked away, leaving Hina standing there—her heart torn between love and frustration.
Now the question lingered like storm clouds overhead:
Would Hina really confront Haruki?
Would she scold him, or would her bottled-up feelings finally burst out?
One thing was certain—Haruki had no idea what was about to come his way.