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"Kasumigaoka Utaha… Class 3-C. Looks like nothing's really changed from last year."
"You ranked second in the entire grade, Utaha. The school's not about to move you around."
Standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the newly posted class lists, Natsume Leo casually wrapped an arm around Kasumigaoka Utaha's slim waist and glanced at her with a smile.
A faint blush colored her cheeks. Tall and elegant, the cool, mature beauty type, Utaha didn't even react to the intimate gesture. To anyone watching, they looked exactly like a couple.
"Wow!"
"It's Mr. Natsume, number one in the whole school, and Miss Kasumigaoka, number two!"
"They really are dating!"
The whispers drifted in from all directions. Utaha's face flushed a little deeper. No matter how composed she acted, she was still a teenage girl. Of course she'd feel shy.
But a moment later, she straightened. Her tall figure and naturally aloof aura settled over the crowd like frost, and the murmurs gradually died down.
Smack.
"Ah?"
Utaha yelped when Leo flicked her lightly on the forehead. She instinctively covered her head with both hands, eyes shimmering with tears as she glared at him in mock outrage.
"Leo, what was that for?"
"Utaha, if you keep acting like that, you're never going to make any friends." He gently rubbed the spot he'd tapped, his voice soft.
"Ugh…"
"Mr. Leo is so gentle…"
The whispers were getting weirder.
Utaha immediately dropped the moment and went into full writer mode, scanning the list at lightning speed. Within seconds, she grabbed Leo's arm and started dragging him away.
"Let's go. I found your name. Same as me, Class 3-C. Hurry up, hurry."
"Okay, okay."
Leo let himself be pulled along with a helpless smile.
Behind them, the resentful stares from certain fangirls made Utaha shiver. Goosebumps prickled along her skin.
For some reason, even though they hadn't officially defined their relationship, she clung tighter to his arm, almost as if staking a claim.
Leo shook his head with a quiet laugh. Out of habit from years of being polite, he turned and waved at the underclassmen watching them before facing forward again.
Then he leaned closer, teasing her with a grin. "So, great novelist, are you jealous?"
"Jealous? As if! Don't flatter yourself. You're not even my boyfriend. Why would I be jealous? Impossible. Absolutely impossible."
She reacted like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on, instantly denying it at top speed.
Leo's smile softened. A trace of nostalgia flickered in his eyes.
Utaha saw it, and her heart dipped. She'd seen that look before. Was he about to reject her again?
Then he spoke.
"If it's you, Utaha… I'd accept."
She froze mid-breath.
"But once you step into my world, the quiet days might disappear. Are you willing to accept that?"
"What are you— Don't tell me you're rejecting me again—"
Her voice faltered. Slowly, she lifted her head.
He was standing there, serious and steady, waiting for her answer.
"You'll lose your ordinary life. You'll see the truth of this world. Spirits, monsters, a hundred demons marching through the night. Utaha… will you accept it?"
He released her waist and gently removed her arms from around his. They stopped walking. He stepped in front of her and extended one hand.
Utaha stared at it.
Then she laughed softly.
"Spirits and demons, a hundred ghosts in the night…"
"If that's the truth of the world, then I'll go see it with you."
Her smile was sweet and calm, though her eyes shimmered with disbelief at her own courage. She placed her hand into his warm, steady palm.
A gentle breeze brushed past them, lifting their hair and tangling it together. They looked into each other's eyes, unwavering.
Sixteen years of childhood friendship had finally bloomed into something more.
"Ah—!"
Utaha gasped as Leo pulled her into his arms.
Right there, in front of what felt like the entire school, they made it official without saying another word. Somewhere, countless boys' hearts shattered. A few girls probably felt the ground give way beneath them.
But the two of them only felt each other's warmth.
After a long moment, Leo leaned close and whispered into her ear.
"Feel better now? You really do get jealous, little Utaha. Come on, we should head to class. We can't be late on the first day, right?"
"Hmph."
She brushed her hair behind her ear, cheeks burning, but she didn't let go of his arm.
In a soft murmur, she said, "Leo… you're always this gentle. That's why I never had the confidence to take the last step. No matter what the truth of this world is… I've made up my mind."
"Then get ready. I'll show you the truth someday. No regrets."
"I won't regret it."
"Good."
She nodded firmly.
The breeze carried them forward, like a scene straight out of a romance novel.
The novel she'd written based on herself, Love Metronome, had always stalled at the same point. She never knew how to continue it.
Now she did.
Because she had finally found her own love.
When they walked into Class 3-C hand in hand, most of their former classmates from second year stared in shock.
"Class rep…"
"Kasumigaoka…"
"You two are finally together?"
"Applause!"
The classroom erupted in clapping.
They looked at each other and smiled.
These were the classmates who had watched their sixteen-year childhood friendship grow for the past three years. There was no jealousy in their eyes, no bitterness. Only sincere congratulations.
And that was more than enough.
"....."