The late afternoon sun filtered through the windows of Class 3A, casting long golden stripes across the desks. Nagi Yamanashi sat in his usual seat at the back by the window, chin resting on his hand. He stared outside at the quiet school grounds. Another ordinary day. The final bell had rung a while ago, and most students had already gone home, but Nagi liked sitting here a little longer before leaving.
The classroom door slid open with a loud sound.
"Hey bro!"
Haruto rushed in, grinning widely. He dropped his bag on the desk next to Nagi's and leaned forward with excitement.
"You know what happened today?" Haruto asked.
Nagi looked at him. "What?"
"I finally talked to Yuki!"
Nagi gave a small nod. "Oh, good. Tell me about it."
Haruto sat backwards on the chair, arms on the backrest. "After morning practice, I saw her by the shoe lockers. She was alone. My heart was beating so fast, but I went up and said hello."
Nagi waited. Haruto kept smiling.
"And then?" Nagi asked.
"That's it."
Nagi stared at him. "What? Only hello?"
Haruto laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah… She smiled and said hello back. Her voice is really nice. I felt like I was floating."
Nagi sighed and leaned back in his seat. "You've liked her for six months. You finally talk to her and that's all you said? That's rough."
"I know! But she's so pretty and kind. What if I say something dumb and she hates me?"
The classroom was almost empty. A soft breeze came through the open windows. In the distance, the baseball team was still practicing on the field.
Nagi looked at his friend. "You should tell her how you feel."
Haruto's eyes went wide. "Right now? No way!"
"Not today, but soon," Nagi said calmly. "We're in our last semester. After graduation, everyone goes their own ways. You can't keep watching her from far away forever."
Haruto groaned and put his head down on the desk. "But what if she rejects me? I'll have to see her every day until March. It'll be so awkward. I'll want to disappear."
Nagi shrugged. "Then what? You stay quiet and keep wondering? If she says no, it hurts for a while, but at least you know. It's better than never trying at all."
Haruto peeked up at him. "You make it sound easy. Have you confessed to anyone before?"
Nagi thought for a moment. "Not lately. But I'm not the one who's been crushing for half a year."
"True…" Haruto muttered. He sat up straight again. "Okay. Maybe tomorrow I'll try talking to her more. Ask about the homework or something. Take it slow."
Nagi nodded. "Good plan. Just don't wait another six months for the next hello."
They both laughed. Haruto then started complaining about the math homework due tomorrow. Nagi pulled out his notebook so they could check answers together. The sunlight slowly turned orange as they talked about classes and the upcoming tests.
A soft voice came from near the door.
"Um… excuse me?"
Nagi and Haruto looked up. Sora Takahashi stood there, holding her bag. She had shoulder-length black hair and a gentle expression.
"I left my umbrella here this morning," she said. "It's blue with white polka dots. Did either of you see it?"
Haruto shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't notice."
Nagi glanced around quickly. "I think someone put one by the teacher's desk earlier. You can check there."
Sora walked over and found it. "Thank you, Yamanashi-kun! I was worried I lost it."
"No problem," Nagi replied.
She smiled. "Are you two staying late today?"
"Just talking," Nagi said. "We'll head out soon."
Sora nodded. "Okay. See you tomorrow then. Don't stay too late!"
She gave a small wave and left the classroom. The door closed quietly behind her.
Haruto looked at Nagi. "Sora seems nice. She always says hi to everyone."
"Yeah," Nagi said simply. He didn't think much about it.
Haruto grinned. "Anyway, I should go home. Mom's making curry tonight. Want to come over?"
"Maybe next time. I have some things to finish."
Haruto grabbed his bag and stood up. "Alright. Thanks for listening, bro. Wish me luck with Yuki tomorrow."
"Good luck. Don't chicken out this time."
After Haruto left, the classroom became very quiet. Only a couple of students remained, packing their bags slowly. Nagi stayed in his seat for a while longer, looking out at the orange sky. He thought about his friend's situation. Haruto always got too nervous about these things. Nagi preferred to stay out of that kind of drama. He was fine just focusing on his own life finishing high school, figuring out what to do after graduation.
He finally stood up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked out of Class 3A. The hallway was almost empty, his footsteps echoing softly. Tomorrow would be another normal day. Maybe Haruto would actually talk to Yuki properly this time.
Nagi walked home along the quiet street. The sky had turned dark blue and streetlights were turning on. His bag felt heavy on his shoulder. He kept thinking about what Haruto said earlier.
What does love even mean?* he thought. Is it that nervous feeling? Or something else?
He kicked a small stone on the sidewalk and kept walking. After fifteen minutes, he reached the old apartment building. He went up the stairs to the second floor and opened the door.
"I'm home," he said.
A soft voice answered right away.
"Welcome home, Nagi."
Rikka Yamamoto came out from the small kitchen area. She had long light-brown hair and wore an oversized shirt. Her cheeks looked a little red.
Nagi closed the door. "Rikka? Why did you come out? You're sick. You should stay in bed."
Rikka smiled weakly. "I can move around a little now. I didn't want to stay in bed all day."
Nagi sighed. "You still look tired. Go back to bed. I'll make dinner."
"Okay," Rikka said softly and went back to the bedroom.
Nagi went into the kitchen and started cooking. He made rice, miso soup, and grilled fish. While he cooked, he thought about their situation. Rikka had lived with him for four years. They were childhood friends. Their parents died in the same plane crash. After that, they decided not to live with any relatives. They moved into this apartment together. They both did part-time jobs on weekends to pay for rent and food.
They were just friends. But they had been sleeping in the same bed for years. It started because they were scared to be alone. Now it just felt normal. They never talked about changing it.
"Food is ready," Nagi called out.
He brought two plates to the small table. Rikka came out and sat down. They ate quietly.
"Are you feeling better?" Nagi asked.
Rikka nodded. "I am. The fever went down. I think I can go to school tomorrow."
Nagi looked at her. "We'll check in the morning. If you still have a fever, you stay home. Don't push yourself."
Rikka smiled a little. "You always worry."
After dinner they cleaned up together. Then they went to the bedroom. It was a small room with one bed. Nagi turned off the light. Only a little light came in from the street outside.
He lay down on his side of the bed. Rikka was already lying on her side facing him. Nagi reached out and gently touched her forehead.
"You feel a bit cooler now," he said.
Rikka closed her eyes. "See? I'm good. I can go to school tomorrow."
Nagi kept his hand there for a moment. "We'll see tomorrow. Just rest."
The room was quiet. Nagi lay on his back and looked at the ceiling. Rikka breathed softly beside him. She looked peaceful while sleeping.
Sometimes Nagi thought she felt like a wife, not just a childhood friend. They lived together, took care of each other, and slept side by side every night. It was confusing. He wondered if Rikka ever thought of him as a husband. But they were just friends. Yes, just friends.
Still, he didn't understand why they had kept sleeping like this for years. Like a husband and wife who didn't need words.
Nagi turned his head slightly to look at her sleeping face. He let out a quiet breath and closed his eyes. He listened to her breathing until he fell asleep too.