The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain from the night before. Reiji made his way to school at a steady pace, his usual calm expression in place.
Despite his composed exterior, his mind was anything but quiet.
Yesterday had been… odd.
Sena's hesitation before leaving the clubroom. The way she didn't throw a sharp remark at him like she usually did.
It was subtle. Almost insignificant.
And yet, for some reason, it stuck with him.
Reiji exhaled through his nose.
It wasn't important.
He had more important things to focus on.
—
When he arrived at school, Kaito was already waiting by the shoe lockers, casually leaning against the wall.
"Yo."
Reiji gave a small nod in greeting. "Morning."
Kaito stretched, letting out a loud yawn. "Man, I barely got any sleep. Yuna kept me up all night texting about some drama in her friend group."
Reiji smirked. "Sounds exhausting."
Kaito sighed dramatically. "You have no idea. I love her, but sometimes, I feel like I'm dating her whole friend group too."
Reiji shook his head. "And yet, you wouldn't have it any other way."
Kaito grinned. "Damn right."
They started walking toward the classroom together, Kaito lazily stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Oh yeah," Kaito suddenly said. "You're still helping out in that club, right?"
Reiji nodded. "Yeah."
Kaito hummed. "And the atmosphere? Still as hostile as ever?"
Reiji knew what he was referring to.
"…More or less," he admitted.
Kaito let out a small chuckle. "Damn, you and that girl really don't get along, huh?"
Reiji didn't respond immediately.
The answer should've been simple—*Yes, we don't get along.*
And yet, something held him back from saying it outright.
Instead, he simply said, "It's manageable."
Kaito smirked. "That bad, huh?"
Reiji clicked his tongue but didn't argue.
They reached the classroom, and the moment they stepped inside, Kaito immediately went over to his desk, pulling out his phone.
"Gotta reply to Yuna before she thinks I died," he muttered.
Reiji shook his head slightly before heading to his own seat.
—
Classes went by as usual—lectures, notes, and the occasional conversation here and there.
But by lunchtime, Reiji found himself in an unusual predicament.
He had forgotten to bring his lunch.
He realized it when he opened his bag and found nothing but his notebooks inside.
Reiji sighed. He wasn't in the mood to go all the way to the cafeteria, but skipping lunch wasn't ideal either.
As he contemplated his next move, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"You forgot your lunch, didn't you?"
He turned his head slightly.
Aoi stood beside him, holding her own lunch in one hand while looking at him with mild amusement.
Reiji exhaled through his nose. "Unfortunately."
Aoi tilted her head slightly. "Want some of mine?"
Reiji blinked.
It wasn't unusual for Aoi to offer things—she was naturally kind. But for some reason, it caught him off guard.
"…Are you sure?" he asked.
Aoi nodded, already opening her lunchbox. "I packed extra, anyway."
Reiji hesitated for only a moment before accepting. "Thanks."
As he took a piece of the food she offered, Kaito—who had apparently been listening—let out a low whistle from his seat.
"Well, well, well," he teased. "Aoi sharing her lunch with you? That's some high-level privilege right there."
Aoi chuckled. "Don't make it weird."
Reiji rolled his eyes but didn't comment.
The food was good. Lightly seasoned, well-balanced. It was clear that Aoi put effort into it.
As he ate, he caught Aoi watching him.
She smiled. "Is it good?"
Reiji gave a small nod. "Yeah. Thanks again."
Aoi's expression softened. "I'm glad."
It was a simple exchange. Nothing particularly dramatic.
And yet, for some reason, it left a lingering warmth in his chest.
—
After lunch, the rest of the day passed without incident.
By the time club activities rolled around, Reiji made his way to the clubroom, expecting the usual routine.
However, the moment he stepped inside, he was met with an unfamiliar sight.
Sena was already there—but she wasn't alone.
A group of students surrounded her, seemingly engaged in conversation.
Reiji recognized a few of them. They were from other clubs, holding papers and notebooks, discussing something with Sena in a serious manner.
Curious but not particularly interested, he took his seat and waited for the conversation to die down.
Eventually, the group left, and Sena finally noticed him.
She clicked her tongue. "You're late."
Reiji raised an eyebrow. "I'm on time."
Sena narrowed her eyes slightly but didn't argue. Instead, she exhaled and leaned back in her chair.
"They wanted input on their project," she explained, as if he had asked.
Reiji didn't respond immediately. Instead, he observed her carefully.
There was something different about her today.
She looked… tired.
Not physically exhausted, but mentally.
It was subtle—the slight slouch in her posture, the way she rubbed her temple absentmindedly.
Before he could think too much about it, she spoke again.
"Did you bring the edited draft?"
Reiji pulled out the notebook from his bag and handed it over.
She took it, flipping through the pages.
Silence stretched between them, but it wasn't as tense as usual.
Reiji leaned back slightly, watching as she read.
It was in moments like this—when she wasn't throwing insults or acting defensive—that he found himself noticing things about her.
Like how focused she was when she worked.
How her brows furrowed slightly when she concentrated.
How, despite being his biggest annoyance, she was undeniably—
Reiji blinked and looked away.
*What the hell am I thinking?*
Sena suddenly closed the notebook, bringing him back to reality.
"Decent," she muttered. "At least you fixed the phrasing."
Reiji exhaled through his nose. "High praise."
Sena scoffed but didn't retort.
The rest of the meeting proceeded as usual—brief discussions, individual work, the occasional sharp remark.
But as they wrapped up for the day, Reiji noticed something again.
That same hesitation from yesterday.
The brief pause before Sena grabbed her bag.
Like she wanted to say something but changed her mind.
And just like before, she left without another word.
Reiji sat there for a moment, staring at the door.
Something was definitely different.
And for the first time, he found himself actually curious about what it was.
—
That night, as he lay in bed, his thoughts drifted once more.
Aoi's kindness. Sena's strange hesitation.
His own reactions.
*It doesn't mean anything.*
That's what he told himself.
But for some reason, he wasn't entirely convinced.
—