Lunch break. Rooftop. Same spot.
Haru was mid-rant about how cafeteria curry should be declared a national treasure when Aki suddenly paused mid-bite and looked toward the stairwell.
"Huh?" Haru said, turning around. "What're you looking a—"
Footsteps.
And then, a voice.
"Yoshino?"
Aki blinked. The rice in his mouth felt dry now.
The boy standing in front of them was tall, lean, with perfectly ironed sleeves and a face that made teachers forgive late homework. His name left a strange taste in Aki's mouth.
Kaito Sera.
An old classmate.
Someone from before.
Aki stood slowly. "Kaito?"
The boy smiled. "It is you. I didn't believe it when I saw your name on the attendance list."
Kaito walked up like they were long-lost friends. "Man… you look the same. Still quiet. Still serious."
Haru stood too now, a step behind Aki. His smile had dropped.
"You two know each other?" Haru asked, trying to sound casual.
Aki gave a small nod. "We went to the same middle school."
"Same class for two years," Kaito added, grinning. "Yoshino helped me pass math. And nearly murdered me in dodgeball once."
Aki gave the faintest chuckle. Haru noticed.
Kaito turned to him. "I'm Sera Kaito. You are?"
"Takamine Haru," Haru said quickly. "Aki's partner. For a lot of things."
Kaito raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
---
The conversation went on for ten more minutes.
Kaito reminisced.
Aki listened.
Haru… watched.
Watched the way Aki actually responded.
Watched the way his eyes didn't shut down like they usually did.
Watched the way he smiled — soft, like it belonged to someone else.
And it bothered him.
---
Later that day, Haru didn't show up for their usual after-class snack.
Aki found him behind the gym, sitting on the crate, kicking a soda can.
"You're late," Aki said.
Haru shrugged.
"Something wrong?"
Haru glanced at him. "No. I just didn't feel like being a third wheel today."
Aki blinked. "Third…?"
"You and that Kaito guy," Haru muttered. "You seemed happy to see him."
Aki stared. Then, slowly, said, "You're jealous?"
Haru's eyes widened. "W-What? No. I'm not—shut up."
Aki almost smiled.
But instead, he sat beside him and said quietly, "I smiled because I was surprised. Not because I missed him."
Haru stayed quiet.
Then, Aki added without looking at him, "You're still the one I eat lunch with."
That shut Haru up for real.
He didn't say anything else.
But he smiled into his shoulder.
---
That night, Aki wrote in his journal:
> "Kaito remembered who I was.
Haru reminded me who I've become.
I don't know why…
But his jealousy made me feel something warm."
And in binary, written smaller than usual:
> 01001001 00100000 01110111 01100001 01101110 01110100 00100000 01101000 01101001 01101101 00101110