Haruki stared at the phone like it had just grown legs and started tap dancing.
"Ayla... Hanami?" he said, voice cracking like bad Wi-Fi.
"Yes," came the reply, calm as a glacier. "I got your number from the file you dropped. I didn't mean to snoop, but your notes were... interesting."
Interesting? That was one word for "half a page of chemical equations followed by a doodle of a cat wearing lab goggles and riding a rocket."
He sat up straight in the cafeteria, knocking over his drink. Kenta yanked his tray back just in time.
"She's calling you?" Kenta hissed, eyes huge.
Haruki nodded, mouthing, Help me.
Ayla continued, "Are you free right now? I was hoping we could meet. I have an idea. About your notes."
My-uh-sure! I'm very free. Like, emotionally and academically. Mostly academically."
Kenta slapped his forehead.
They met in an old study lounge that smelled faintly of expired hand sanitizer and stress.
Haruki, in his infinite wisdom, had decided to get there ten minutes early to look cool. Which gave him ten extra minutes to panic.
He tried leaning against a chair-fell.
Tried crossing his legs-tripped on his own foot.
Tried fixing his hair-accidentally poked himself in the eye.
When Ayla walked in, Haruki was crouched behind the table, picking up papers he had somehow already dropped again.
"Twice in one day?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Should I start bringing extra folders for you?"
"I-it's a chemical reaction," he muttered, banging his head on the table as he stood up. "A... personal experiment. In gravity."
Ayla smiled and sat across from him, pulling out a thin folder. "You sure you're studying chemistry? Or are you double majoring in physical comedy?"
"Minor in humiliation," he said weakly.
She opened the folder. "I wasn't joking earlier. Your combustion notes-they're actually impressive. Like... potentially dangerous, but impressive."
"You make it sound like I'm a terrorist."
"I mean, if you are, you're the most awkward one I've met."
He blinked. "...You've met others?"
She smirked but didn't answer.
"I was just... messing around," Haruki said quickly. "I wasn't planning anything. I mean-definitely not illegal. That would be... crazy. Right?"
Ayla leaned in slightly. "Relax. I'm not turning you in."
"That's exactly what someone would say before turning me in."
"I wanted to ask if you'd help me with something. I'm working on a side project-virology related-but it's a little... unconventional. Your notes gave me an idea."
Haruki narrowed his eyes. "What kind of idea?"
"The kind that might need goggles. And maybe a fire extinguisher."
He felt his heart do a double beat. Whether it was fear or excitement-he wasn't sure. But either way...
He was in.
Just as Haruki was about to answer Ayla, he felt a chill. Like someone-or ten someones-were staring at the back of his neck with murderous intent.
He casually glanced over Ayla's shoulder.
Correction: thirty someones.
Every guy in the cafeteria window facing the study lounge was glaring at him like he had just stolen Christmas. And their crush.
Because he had. Accidentally.
Ayla Hanami-the girl who floated through campus like she was made of light and glitter-was sitting across from him. Laughing. At his jokes.
"Are you okay?" Ayla asked, tilting her head.
"Me? Oh yeah, totally. I just feel like I'm about to get publicly executed in the quad."
She blinked. "What?"
"Nothing. Continue."
Unbeknownst to Haruki, behind a nearby bookshelf, Kenta was crouched like a dollar-store ninja. He was wearing a hoodie three sizes too big, holding his phone sideways, filming with all the steadiness of a drunk squirrel.
"Oh my god, they're talking science," Kenta whispered. "It's happening. He's bonding with a girl using combustion formulas."
A guy next to him whispered, "Bro, how is he talking to her?"
Another one added, "Wasn't she dating that senior who plays guitar and looks like he eats salad voluntarily?"
"Not anymore," said someone else grimly. "He got dumped after two weeks. This nerd might actually have a chance."
Back at the table, Haruki forced a laugh at something Ayla said, trying to sound charming. Instead, it came out as a honk.
"Oh no," he muttered. "My anxiety just made a goose noise."
Ayla chuckled. "You're interesting."
Interesting, Haruki thought. That's either a compliment or a scientific diagnosis.
Haruki tried to focus on Ayla's words, but every few seconds, he'd catch motion in the corner of his eye.
A hood.
A sneaker.
A broom slowly inching closer from behind a vending machine.
His eye twitched. "Sorry, is it just me or is... someone sweeping the floor way too aggressively behind us?"
Ayla looked around. "Hmm? I don't see anyone."
That's because Kenta was now belly-crawling across the floor behind a trash bin, whispering into his phone like a secret agent.
"Operation Simping Spectacle: Day One," he said. "Target Haruki has successfully attracted Queen Ayla. Suspected use of pheromones or advanced witchcraft."
From his left, a fellow student whispered, "Bro, I skipped class for this. Don't let me down."
From his right, someone added, "If he touches her hair, we riot."
Back at the table...
"So," Ayla said, tilting her head, "do you always carry around explosive chemical notes, or was that just for me?"
Haruki panicked. "I-uh-usually carry snacks. Notes just happened to explode out of my bag. It's organized chaos. Mostly chaos."
Ayla laughed. "I like that."
She likes chaos, Haruki's brain screamed. I AM chaos.
Outside the glass wall, one guy slowly slid down the window dramatically like a defeated anime protagonist.
"He's winning," he whispered.
A girl passed by and muttered, "Honestly, I ship it."
Kenta turned to the group behind him and held up a whiteboard with a graph. "Observe the Haruki Curve-as anxiety increases, romantic probability somehow goes up. We're witnessing peak nerd-to-girl conversion rates."
Back inside, Haruki accidentally knocked over his water bottle while trying to look smooth.
It rolled across the table, bounced off Ayla's elbow, and landed perfectly upright in her lap.
"...Nice throw," she said, deadpan.
"Thanks," he said. "I practice being a complete embarrassment every morning."
She smiled. "You're doing great."
Haruki's brain had completely checked out at this point. If you cracked his skull open, you'd find a hamster screaming and setting off fireworks.
Then the glass door creaked open.
It was the janitor.
With Kenta hanging from the man's arm like a sack of potatoes.
"I found this one hiding in the mop bucket."
Kenta grinned sheepishly. "Sup."
Haruki slapped his forehead. Ayla just blinked.
"...Is he yours?" she asked.
Haruki didn't know if she meant friend, brother, or stray cat.
"Yes," he sighed. "But not on purpose."
Kenta's being dragged out but still yelling
"Haruki! Don't forget! If she likes explosions-tell her about the rice cooker incident!"
Haruki froze.
Ayla turned slowly. "Rice cooker?"
"I-uh-it's a long story. And also legally sealed."
She smirked. "You're very mysterious."
He wiped his forehead. "That's just sweat and guilt."
A moment of silence settled between them-not long enough to be awkward, but just enough to feel something.
Then Ayla stood up.
"Well," she said casually, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "I'd love to stay, but I've got a class to attend. Just meet me at the lab around 4:00 PM, alrightyy?"
"Wait-today? What time? Where exactly??" Haruki blurted, sounding like a complete idiot who's never heard of the concept of active listening.
Ayla didn't even bother to answer. She just turned and walked off.
"Waittt!!" Haruki scrambled to follow, but she was already gone-blending effortlessly into the sea of students flowing through the hallway.
He sighed and sank back into his chair.
"Did she just say... she loves me?"
He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but the words echoed across the quiet study room anyway. Heads turned. Not just the guys-girls, too.
A chill crawled down Haruki's spine.
It was faint at first, the feeling of being watched. But now... oh, it was obvious.
Glares. Stares. Judging eyes.
"What's with these people?" he muttered, shrinking into his seat. "Never mind. I'll just meet Ayla later..."
Too late.
Now everyone was staring at him.