Rain tapped softly against the classroom windows.
The atmosphere felt unusually empty.
Watari leaned back in his chair while spinning a pen between his fingers.
"…You think this is our fault?"
Asuka looked up from her lunch slowly.
"Hm?"
Watari sighed dramatically.
"I mean… we did force them to eat like seven different things at Hoshinami Park."
Asuka immediately pointed at him.
"Correction. You forced them."
"EXCUSE ME? You literally bought them ice cream after noodles."
"That was emotional support."
"That was food poisoning support."
Before Asuka could fight back—
The classroom door slid open.
Their teacher walked inside carrying a stack of papers.
The room quieted instantly.
"Listen carefully," the teacher said while adjusting her glasses.
"You only have two days left for the presentations."
Groans filled the room.
Watari immediately looked toward Ryan and Sana's empty desks.
"Where the heck are they…"
Asuka sighed.
"They probably died."
A few minutes later—
Someone suddenly dropped into the empty seat in front of them.
Lilia.
Holding bubble tea.
Wearing headphones around her neck.
Looking suspiciously energetic for a rainy day.
"Lilia," Asuka frowned immediately. "Why are you here?"
Watari narrowed his eyes dramatically.
"Don't tell me you want your camera destroyed again."
Lilia gasped.
"You still haven't forgiven me for the ferris wheel photos!?"
"You took 47 photos."
"And every single one was art."
Watari groaned.
Lilia leaned closer across the desk.
Lowering her voice dramatically.
"I need information."
Asuka instantly looked tired.
"That's never good."
Lilia pointed toward Ryan and Sana's desks.
"What exactly is happening between those two?"
Watari blinked once.
"...What?"
Lilia slammed both hands onto the desk.
"COME ON."
"You guys are literally their closest friends."
"You HAVE to know something."
Asuka exchanged a glance with Watari.
Then shrugged.
"I think they're just… really close childhood friends."
Watari nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
"Like weirdly close."
"But still normal."
Lilia froze.
"...Really?"
"Yeah?" Asuka replied.
Lilia slowly leaned back in her chair.
Then covered her face dramatically.
"THAT'S SO RELIEVING."
Watari frowned.
"...Relieving?"
Lilia nodded aggressively.
"You don't understand."
"I've been emotionally investing in this relationship for WEEKS."
Asuka nearly choked laughing.
"What does that even mean 😭"
Lilia pointed dramatically toward the empty desks.
"Their vibe is too powerful."
"The tension."
"The eye contact."
"The accidental matching energy."
Watari stared blankly.
"...You sound insane."
"I AM INSANE."
Then suddenly—
Watari slowly looked toward Asuka.
"...Wait."
Asuka narrowed her eyes.
"...What?"
Watari smirked slightly.
"Is this what I think it is?"
Asuka immediately understood.
And slowly grinned back.
"You're damn right."
Meanwhile—
Lilia was too busy imagining fantasy wedding scenarios in her head to notice.
---
Meanwhile…
Back at home—
Ryan sneezed for what felt like the fiftieth time.
"…I'm actually dying."
From the hallway, Daud's voice echoed dramatically.
"HEY RAKUUUUU~"
Ryan instantly frowned.
"Don't call me that."
Daud opened the door with the most annoying grin imaginable.
"Wanna play a game?"
"I have a fever."
"Skill issue."
Ryan threw tissue paper at him weakly.
Daud dodged it easily.
"Too slow."
---
Across the living room—
Sana sat wrapped in a blanket with books spread everywhere around her.
Her nose was slightly red from the cold, yet she was still writing notes with complete focus.
She's seriously still working…?
Ryan stared from the hallway.
Even sick, she looked more productive than the entire class combined.
Daud noticed too.
"You know this is a terrible look for you, right?" Daud said casually.
Ryan blinked.
"What do you mean?"
Daud pointed dramatically toward Sana.
"She's over there finishing the presentation while you rot in your room."
"I'm sick."
"So is she."
"..."
Daud smirked proudly after landing critical emotional damage.
Then left immediately before Ryan could respond.
---
Ryan looked toward the living room again.
…He's annoying.
But he's not wrong.
With a deep sigh, Ryan stood up and dragged himself toward the table.
Sana looked up briefly.
"Oh. You're alive."
"Barely."
She laughed quietly.
Ryan's brain malfunctioned for a second.
Why does she still look calm while sick…
He pulled a chair beside her.
"Hey, Sana… need help?"
"No, I can handle it."
Ryan froze.
…Oh.
She thinks I'm useless.
Before his soul could fully leave his body—
"But," Sana continued while sliding papers toward him, "you can color these drawings for me."
Ryan immediately sat up straight.
"Absolutely. I'm on it."
Sana stared at his sudden motivation.
"...You're weird."
Daud appeared from nowhere again.
"He's trying to impress you."
Ryan almost died.
"GET OUT."
---
A few hours later—
The living room looked like a battlefield.
Markers everywhere.
Books stacked dangerously high.
Half-finished noodles sitting on the table.
Iqra meanwhile was peacefully laying on the couch watching a drama series.
"You people are actually dumb," she said without even looking away from the TV.
Sana sighed while flipping pages.
"It's easy for you to say, sis."
Iqra pointed lazily toward the blankets.
"If I were sick, I'd spend the entire day sleeping."
Ryan slowly nodded.
"I kinda agree with her."
Sana looked up immediately.
"Oh? So now you two are teaming up against me?"
Ryan raised both hands defensively.
"Wait—"
Iqra smirked.
"Scary."
Sana narrowed her eyes slightly.
"We have two days left."
"And you have two lungs," Iqra replied. "Use them to breathe instead of stressing."
Ryan accidentally laughed.
Sana looked at him.
"...You too?"
Ryan immediately straightened up.
"I support your vision completely."
"Fake."
---
The rain outside became heavier.
For a while, nobody talked much.
Just the sound of pencils scratching paper.
TV noises.
Occasional coughing.
And Daud loudly losing a game in another room.
"THAT'S SUCH A SCAM—"
"Lower your voice!" Iqra shouted.
---
Eventually, Sana leaned back against the couch tiredly.
Ryan noticed immediately.
"...You okay?"
"Mhm."
"You don't look okay."
She stared quietly at the papers for a second.
"...I just want this presentation to go well."
Ryan looked at her hands.
She was gripping the pen tighter than usual.
She's stressing too much.
Without thinking, Ryan gently pulled the papers away from her.
"Take a break."
Sana blinked.
"What?"
"You've been working nonstop for hours."
"We don't have time."
"We do."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then—
Iqra slowly lowered the TV volume.
Watching them silently.
Daud peeked from the hallway too.
"...Wait this is actually kinda romantic."
"DAUD."
---
Sana sighed softly before finally leaning back into the couch.
"...Five minute break."
Ryan smiled slightly.
"See? Human behavior."
"I regret listening to you already."
---
A little later—
The power suddenly went out.
Everything became dark.
Silence.
Then—
Daud screamed dramatically.
"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE."
Iqra threw a pillow at him instantly.
"Shut up."
The room burst into laughter.
Even Sana laughed harder this time, covering her face slightly.
Ryan stared at her for a moment.
The candlelight from Iqra's emergency lamp reflected softly in her eyes.
And for some reason—
That small moment felt warmer than the entire rainy evening.
---
Outside, the storm continued.
But inside the apartment…
Things felt strangely peaceful.