Got you. I'll rewrite your whole passage in the style you asked for — direct, emotional, funny in a romcom way, character-focused, simple wording, no banned words, no added scenes.
Here's the cleaned, tightened version with the
I was a little tense, wondering if I'd bump into Yuuto and be forced to talk. But he was already gone.
"You didn't already leave?"
A voice answered from afar.
"Oh, Makabe-sensei!"
"It's a little late to be heading home, isn't it?"
"Yeah. I was hanging out with my frie— classmates. Looks like Yuuto already left. We could have gone home together."
"Together."
"N-no! I mean you live in the same area as him."
"Ah, that makes sense. If you don't mind, I can drop you off."
"No, I'm good. I don't want to trouble you."
"It's no trouble. I'm going to Yuuto's home anyway, and you live nearby."
Yuuto's home?! They don't even look like brothers. Or are they…?
"What are you thinking with that face?" he said with a huge grin.
"Nothing!"
"Alright then, hop in."
"Y-yeah."
I was startled but agreed. Makabe-sensei talked nonstop the whole drive.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Mio Harada."
"Mio… Mio… Oh! Aha, Mio!"
"...?"
"Nothing. Your stop's here."
I had no clue what caused that odd reaction.
He smiled, eyes drifting off like he remembered something. Ahead was a wide garden, grass glowing green, and under a giant tree two kids were playing.
"Oh? Yuu's trying to climb that tree."
I flinched when I saw Yuu slip and drop.
"Are you alright?" A small girl with black hair leaned in, her voice shaking as she stared at his scraped face.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"B-but your nose is bleeding." Tears piled up in her eyes. "Stay here, okay? I'll go get help. Don't move."
"Okay."
Once she left the park, Yuuto broke down crying.
I stepped out from the bushes and walked over. He didn't even look shocked. I think he'd already noticed me there.
I picked him up gently, holding him close without squeezing too tight.
"There, there, Yu. It'll stop hurting in a bit."
He kept crying. That fall must have stung like crazy.
"You know, Yu? You've gotten strong."
"S-strong?"
"Yes. You got hurt, but you didn't cry in front of your sister because you didn't want her more upset."
He quieted a little, so I kept going.
"When you hold it in even when it hurts, it means you're strong. So stop crying before I regret sounding proud. Come on, we'll get ice cream and go home."
When he was in his first year of middle school, I came home and rushed to his room. I banged on his door. "Yuu!"
He was sitting at his desk, painting. He jumped and tried to hide it as I walked in.
"Hey, what's that?"
"N-nothing."
"What's in your hands?"
"N-nothing. It's just a painting."
"Let me see it."
"No!"
He bolted out of the room. I didn't know he could run that fast.
Even though he hid it, I caught a glimpse. He was old enough to have a crush, it seemed. I saw the girl's back and her name on the page. Clear as day.
"Let's see where this goes."
The sun set. Makabe waited on the couch for Yuuto.
"He's still not home?"
A voice behind him answered, "No. Not yet."
Night settled in. A soft wind cut through the dark. Somewhere far off, Yuuto lay on the grass, sipping something warm while bugs sang around him.
Yuu, we're waiting.
Summer break ended, and my second year began. The morning sun slipped through the leaves. Birds kept calling out like it was their job.
Time to start school again and try making real friends this time.
Where's my class?
Ah. Class 2-2.
So this is my class, and that's my desk. I wonder who sits next to me.
Aina walked up.
"Good morning, Mio."
"Good morning."
A loud shout came from the doorway. Shiori walked in with her usual quiet mood. So including me, that made three loners.
I sat and tried to rest. I'd made sixty plans yesterday for how to start fresh, and all sixty were trash. Now I was just done.
"Yeah!"
The shout behind me almost knocked my soul out of my body. It was Haruki Takemura, the blonde guy with endless energy.
"So we're in the same class," he said with a big smile. I didn't think someone like him would ever talk to me so naturally. Maybe I should try talking too.
Except… how?
I wanted a fresh start, but my brain wouldn't stop spinning. I got up to take a walk. On the way out, I noticed the second seat in the first row was empty. Maybe someone hadn't arrived yet. Not my issue.
The door behind me slid open.
Yuuto walked in.
What?!
He just walked past me like I was air. My fists tightened. Great. Mood ruined. I dropped the walk idea and sat again.
I thought about speaking to the girl in front of me, but it was Shiori. She always had that distant look, that quiet warning to stay away. Even so, I gathered everything inside me and managed:
"Good morning, Shiori."
You might think I'm exaggerating, but saying that felt like lifting a car.
It wasn't just a greeting. It was me trying to fight my past.
"It was a struggle to act cheerful. I'd been doing it for years with Nanami and Hinako. No wonder those friendships weren't real."
"Good morning," she replied.
Huh?
She actually answered?
Maybe she wasn't as hard to talk to as she looked. I wanted to keep going, but before I could even say her name, she put in her earphones and opened a novel. Back to the warning signs.
"Alright, alright," I whispered into the hair I was messing with.
Haruki walked over to her. "Last time you said you had no personal relationships. This year, you won't be able to say that. I'm calling it."
I had no idea what he meant, but the class was already getting loud.
"Yuuto Hirota."
"Yuuto Hirota."
"Here."
The teacher's voice was calm. So was his. I blinked around the room, still half-asleep. The day kept moving even though I wasn't ready.
I rubbed my eyes.
"Let's see what this year brings."