"Hey, are you sure they aren't dating yet? They're even so comfortable in using each other's first names now."
"How is that possible? It's only been three months since Wakana transferred..!"
"Heh, don't underestimate Marin's charms. Gojo-kun is most likely totally smitten by our girl!"
"What are you talking about? Kitagawa is obviously the one smitten by him, look at the way she looks at him!"
Triggered by their exchange of words, Nowa Sugaya and Kensei Morita both glared at each other, with sparks flying from their eyes.
"Can you two be quiet? What if they catch us peeking?"
Shiki Kashigawa side-eyed them both and continued to peek through the class doorway with Rune and Daia.
Inside the classroom they were peeking at was none other than Wakana Gojo and Kitagawa Marin, who had remained in the classroom after class to talk about some matters.
Curious about what the two were up to, Shiki and Kensei, along with the three girls, Nowa, Daia, and Rune, decided to spy on them, wanting to get some juicy details on the uncertain relationship between them.
...
"How is your modeling job going, Marin?"
Wakana, leaning by the window with the afternoon sun behind him as a backdrop, gazed at the blonde girl sitting on the seat in front of him.
"It's been going great, Wakana! Rinko-san has been showing me around and teaching me, and your tips have been pretty useful as well," she smiled with her eyes turning crescent-shaped. "Although it's a bit tiring, my dad has been supportive of me, and it will help me pay for our next cosplay."
Wakana nodded appreciatively. "Mr. Kitagawa, huh? Speaking of him, it seems like he's quite busy, even though I haven't met him yet."
"Jeez, my dad hasn't even come home in more than two months now; if he didn't call me every day, I would think something happened to him already."
Even though she was already used to it, Marin still couldn't help but complain.
Two months have indeed flown by since the day Wakana slept over at Marin's place.
That night had opened up their hearts to each other, making their relationship skyrocket.
After that, the two of them had gotten more natural with each other, although still getting embarrassed by certain things, they had long stopped referring to each other by their last names, and were now using each other's first names all the time.
There was only one stage left for the two of them to overcome.
However, Wakana Gojo still wanted to wait for the perfect opportunity.
"Ahaha..." Wakana could only helplessly laugh. "Don't worry, when I finish my commissions, I'll come visit you at work."
"Okay~!" Marin didn't shy away and immediately agreed happily. "Speaking of which, Wakana-kun, how are our Riko Amanai and Satoru Gojo cosplays going?"
Wakana adjusted the bag on his shoulder. "Ah, those. They're going very well. I'm already in the final stages. The sewing itself is mostly complete now. I just need to attach the intricate details around the collars and do the final clean-up on some areas."
He tapped a finger to his chin, calculating quickly. "With the pace I've been keeping, everything should be done by the end of this week, perhaps even a final fitting on Sunday. It will be just in time for the event next weekend."
Marin's eyes went wide, and she slammed her hands on the desk in excitement. "Awesome! You're a genius, Wakana-kun! Just in time for the big day! I can't wait to see them and, of course, wear them!"
"I should've finished it sooner, but I didn't expect to suddenly get a large amount of commissions." Wakana shrugged.
"That just means everybody knows how good you are!"
...
The group of spies huddled back against the wall, digesting the latest intel.
"Did you hear that?" Daia whispered, her voice tight with excitement. "Next weekend! Another event! And Marin is practically glowing just talking about their plans! Who talks about work like that if they aren't totally in love?"
Nowa, a dedicated Marin friend and now fangirl, thumped her fist quietly against the wall. "See? Gojo-kun was supposed to prioritize their costumes. And the way he said, "When I finish my commissions, I'll come visit you at work," that's boyfriend talk! He's prioritizing her!"
Kensei rolled his eyes. "Nonsense. He's a professional. He's prioritizing his friend, who just happens to be the girl he's been sticking with nonstop. Kitagawa-san is the one who's clearly done for. Did you see her slam the desk? The sheer, unrestrained joy in her voice? Sounds like she's more excited to spend time with him."
"Wait a minute," Shiki interrupted, his voice seemingly calculating something.
Shiki was the self-appointed mission leader, prioritizing facts over romantic theories despite never having had a girlfriend before.
"Let's summarize. Fact one: They are now exclusively using first names."
"Fact two: Gojo is making the new costumes for both of them, and he's clearly prioritizing her."
"Fact three: They have a joint 'next weekend' plan. They are operating like a couple planning a weekend trip."
Rune, who had been silent and thoughtful, adjusted her hair and finally spoke.
Unlike the others, Rune looked at the situation with the cool, analytical eye of a seasoned shoujo manga reader.
She was always searching for the perfect romantic trope.
"Although it seems they're super close, it almost feels like there's still something missing," Rune stated softly, drawing all eyes to her. "From their conversations these past couple of months, they've covered everything together."
"Cosplay, spending money together, sharing food, even the first names. But we didn't hear a single direct indication that couples would usually say to each other, right?"
The whole group froze.
"The Confession Barrier," Shiki exhaled, rubbing his chin. "Rune's right. They've built a whole house, but they haven't put up the official sign yet."
"So they're in a pre-relationship holding pattern," Daia concluded, dramatically sighing. "Otherwise, I don't think Marin would hide it from us if they ever became a couple."
Nowa's expression soured. "So we're still stuck in the 'Will They or Will They Not?' chapter? Ugh! What does it take for Gojo-kun to just ask her out?"
"If he truly has feelings for her," commented Kouki Murakami, who had come from out of nowhere and listened in on their conversation, quickly earning the dagger-like glares from the 'Marin and Wakana Fanclub,' sending shivers down his spine.
"So you guys are discussing Gojo-kun and Marin-chan, huuuh?" Just like Kouki, another familiar girl, Seira Kasai appeared beside the group, crouching down beside them with her shirt tucked in between her legs.
Behind the two of them appeared two more familiar faces, Takeru Koga and Karen Otsuka, who had also overheard their discussion.
"You know," Karen spoke, crossing her arms. "You should probably let them develop things by themselves."
Takeru nodded in agreement. "What if Wakana already has his own plans? If you guys come in and suddenly make your own, you might just ruin it."
Shiki, fueled by the excitement of intelligence gathering, leaned forward to summarize his new strategy. "The final fitting is this Sunday, likely at Gojo's house. That's a highly secure location. We cannot breach it, so we need a highly coordinated operation focusing on public communications and—"
"Stop right there, Shiki," Takeru interjected, cutting him off with a firm but relaxed voice.
He stepped away from the wall, looking directly at the group of 'spies.' "You're talking about surveilling a guy's house."
Shiki blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in tone. "It's not surveillance! It's… It's a strategic observation to gauge the success of the relationship! We need to know if the Confession Barrier is finally broken!"
"That is exactly the problem," Takeru countered. "You guys are treating their relationship like a research project or a video game to be beaten. It's not. They're our friends with a massive shared passion. Kitagawa's final fitting isn't a strategy meeting; it's a private moment with Wakana. He's clearly pouring his heart into their costume."
Karen stepped beside Takeru. "Think about how Marin would feel if she knew you guys were waiting outside her potential boyfriend's house, ready to pounce the second she left."
"She'd be mortified. You'd risk turning a beautiful moment into an embarrassing incident. You have to respect their boundaries."
Rune, who had been listening with a thoughtful expression, nodded slowly.
"Takeru is correct. The goal isn't to force the plot or gather data; it's to support the main characters."
"We must trust in the natural progression. If we try to intervene or gather specific information, we will only create tension in the wrong places. We must respect the narrative arc."
The group fell silent.
Nowa deflated, dropping her fist.
Shiki adjusted his glasses and admitted, "You have a point. The utility gained from infringing on their privacy is far outweighed by the moral cost and the potential for a catastrophic social failure."
Shiki let out a long exhale, his planning high collapsing.
He recognized the truth in Takeru's critique.
He wanted to help Wakana, but he certainly didn't want to make him feel stalked.
"Mission canceled," Shiki announced, running a hand through his hair. "No surveillance. No targeting the workshop. No public communication monitoring, either. It's too much."
He looked at the others, his expression now one of defeat mixed with acceptance. "I guess we'll just wait for progress, like normal friends. If something happens, they'll tell us, or it will be impossible to miss."
Takeru offered a small, knowing smile. "Good call, Shiki. Sometimes, the best way to help is to just back off and let the magic happen on its own."
Just as they finished their conversation, a familiar voice suddenly sounded out from behind them, making all of them jump in shock.
"Hey, what are all of you still doing here?" Wakana held a confused expression, staring at his large group of friends all huddled up together, as if discussing something secretive.
"You guys still haven't gone home?" Beside him, Marin tilted her head in a similar confused manner as the former.
"Hahaha... We just happened to all meet each other outside, so we decided to wait for you both, and maybe get out of school all together..!" Kensei immediately made a quick excuse, although one that didn't sound very convincing.
Entirely unaware that nine of his classmates had just debated the ethics of staking out his home, Wakana could only hide his suspicion and slowly nod.
"Alright then... how about we all go to a cafe? My treat."
"Really?! Let's go!!!"
"You're the best, Wakana!"
"Free drinks? Count me in."
Staring at her rowdy group of friends and Wakana with a signature helpless smile, Marin couldn't help but giggle.
'I'm so happy you entered my life, Wakana!'