After school let out, K was making his way through the school exit, but his mood instantly soured when he spotted the trouble duo—and with them, an unexpected addition.
Amber was waving at him eagerly, while Aurora smiled mischievously. Fiora, however, was hiding behind them, looking uneasy.
"Why are you so late?" Amber complained, waving her hand.
"Maybe we're not in a position to complain," Aurora chuckled hesitantly.
"Why are you still here?" K asked, clearly annoyed.
"Well... we thought it'd be fun to all hang out together. So, let's go!" Amber said cheerfully.
"Yeah, let's go," K replied without rejecting.
"Are you sure?" Aurora asked in surprise.
But before they could get an answer, they all walked through the exit. While the others veered left, K turned right.
"K... we're going this way, you know," Aurora called out.
"I know. That's exactly why I'm going this way. Enjoy your hangout," K said coolly as he started walking.
Amber winked at Aurora. Aurora then pushed Fiora in front of K, using her as a shield.
Fiora just stood there, shocked at the sudden move.
"What are you doing?" K raised his voice.
"Fiora! Your chance!" Aurora whispered urgently.
"Huh?" Fiora was completely confused, glancing at K's annoyed face.
"Just say you want a date," Amber coached from behind.
"Are you stupid?!" K snapped, turning his glare toward Amber, who instantly looked scared.
"Just say it already!" Aurora urged.
K turned to Fiora, and under the pressure, her lips trembled.
"...K... Senpai... P... P..." Her shy voice broke, and tears suddenly spilled down as she wiped them away.
"Look what you did!" Aurora exclaimed.
Amber nodded, "How rude of you, making a girl cry!"
"That's not my... I mean..." K stammered, looking helplessly at Fiora's genuine tears.
"Alright, fine," K gave in. He couldn't bear to see her cry.
"We did it!" Amber clapped happily with Aurora.
Fiora kept crying while they celebrated.
"Don't you think you're forgetting something?" K pointed out, indicating Fiora.
"Ah! Sorry, Fiora!" Aurora apologized quickly.
"Sorry! We should've told you first," Amber added, trying to calm her down.
"Don't you think what you just did counts as bullying?" K added.
Fiora's tears only intensified.
"Hey! We're trying to calm her down!" Aurora protested.
They all started walking through the streets, with Aurora and Amber flanking Fiora while K followed behind.
"Don't you think if this is a date, you two are kinda meddling?" K remarked.
Amber turned sharply, "What? We just planned the date, didn't say who with, so consider this a group date!"
Aurora smirked and teased, "Or... do you want to be alone with Fiora?"
Fiora instantly blushed deep red, hiding behind Aurora.
"Absolutely not!" K said quickly, waving his hands in denial.
Amber grinned playfully and shot a look at K. "Be grateful that the three of us beauties are joining you for a day. You should be happy instead of making that face."
She paused, then lowered her voice devilishly and added, "Well... it's strange that after seeing us,you don't feel anything. Don't tell me you're... gay?"
K slammed his hand on Amber's head, causing her to yelp as he slipped slightly.
"I know someone much prettier than you," his words sliped, glaring at them both but thinking to himself in relief, since they take this as a joke actually he meant her older sister, Airi.
Aurora and Amber exchanged glances but took it as just a joke—while K felt a small victory.
"Then why force me to join?" K snapped.
"Didn't you become Fiora's boyfriend now?" Aurora teased, adding, "We only pressured you because Fiora... well, knowing you, she'd never ask. Plus, she said on the rooftop she wanted to get to know you better."
K looked at Fiora, who was timidly hiding behind Aurora. She mumbled softly:
"Aurora and Amber-senpai forced me too, but... they were worried about me. They said we could have fun together since it's my first time going out with friends."
She paused, clenching her fists and raising her voice slightly:
"And... I want to know about K-senpai too. Maybe he's not as weird as everyone says. You didn't bully me or anything. I was lying—you didn't say a word—so maybe you're not a bad person."
"See?" Amber grinned.
"You should be grateful to the gods for finding someone like Fiora—even if it's just fake," Aurora joked.
"Everything's fine... but tell me one thing," K said, expression still serious, "Who calls me weird? Am I not the most normal person in school?"
"Nope. You're not," Aurora said casually.
An invisible arrow pierced K's heart.
"Yeah, you're the weirdest one," Amber chimed in.
Another arrow struck.
K glanced at Fiora. She looked shocked but added:
"You're not that weird... maybe just a little."
A third arrow stuck.
"Maybe I should just go back," K muttered, defeated.
Their hangout took them everywhere—arcade games, cake shops with endless desserts, mall shopping for clothes, and karaoke sessions.
The three were cheerful except for K, who was just tagging along.
As the sun dipped down, they reached the parting point.
"Today was so much fun!" Amber exclaimed.
"Yeah, we did so many things!" Aurora added.
"For me too! I've never hung out with friends before. Playing games, trying on different dresses, singing karaoke... it was totally different from my usual day," Fiora said cheerfully, her usual quiet voice louder than normal.
They all shot her a glare.
Realizing she'd gotten out of character, Fiora blushed, hiding her face.
Aurora smiled and said, "Maybe we should hang out together more often."
"Don't add me to the hangout group!" K shouted.
"I agree with Aurora! And you too right Fiora? !" Amber said.
Fiora looked at their smiling faces and, with a genuine, heartwarming smile, said, "Yes."
*Doki!*
K turned to find Amber mimicking a manga heart sound effect.
He punched her on the head.
"That hurts!" Amber complained.
As they walked away, Aurora noticed K heading toward Fiora.
"Hey, where are you going?" she called.
"Going where? I'm heading to my part-time job," K replied.
"Oh, right. I forgot," Aurora said, looking at Fiora, whose body language stiffened before softening into a smile.
"Treat her well and don't scare her," Aurora warned.
"I'm not a kid taking care of a kitten! And don't act like a mom, stupid!" K shot back.
They parted ways.
Walking behind K, Fiora glanced at him every now and then.
"Did you want to say something?" K asked.
"You and Aurora-senpai seem close," Fiora whispered.
"Huh? Did you say something?" K replied, annoyed and a little angry.
"Nothing," she said, scared by his glare.
They walked silently until reaching two separate streets.
Fiora bowed.
"This is fine. I can go home from here. Thanks for today," she said.
"What are you saying? My part-time job is just five minutes from here. I am just heading there," K said, refusing to admit he was tagging along.
"Hmm..." She stopped, then gathered courage and said, "Senpai, if it's a burden... you can—"
"Are you stupid or what? I'm doing this until I figure out how to solve what's bugging me. I'm doing this for myself, not for you," K said firmly.
"And about them... they're troublesome, but genuinely worried about you. So if you feel off, talk to them. They'll welcome you with open arms."
K turned away and started walking down the street, his footsteps steady but thoughtful. Behind him, Fiora stood quietly, her eyes following his retreating figure with a mix of hesitation and warmth. Though she remained still, her heart beat a little faster, knowing this simple moment marked a subtle shift—a beginning neither of them fully understood yet.As K's silhouette disappeared into the evening shadows, Fiora whispered softly to herself, "Maybe... this is the start of something real."