It was 9:33 a.m. on a Sunday when Rai finally woke up—with a music sheet pressed against her face.
Still half-asleep, she reached for her phone and squinted at the screen.
Notifications flooded in—far more than usual.
Most were from the group chat Yuki had created yesterday, with a few from Kousaki.
Rai opened the group chat and scrolled through last night's messages.
Yuki: Did you get home safe yesterday?
Shoto: Yeah.
Yuki: I think I caught a cold.
Watabe: That's because you stayed too long.
Shoto: She didn't even want to get out. Her eyes were already turning red.
Watabe: Right? Haha.
Yuki: But bathing there felt so good. I enjoyed it. Who knows when we'll get to go again?
A photo popped up—sent by Watabe.
It showed Yuki in the river, caught at the worst possible moment with a ridiculous expression.
Shoto: She looks like a drowning monkey.
Shoto: HAHAHAHA
Yuki: Hey! That's mean! Delete that, Watabe!
Watabe: My phone's low battery. Good night.
Yuki: HEYYY! Delete that right now!!!
Shoto: He's already offline, hahaha.
Yuki: Just wait until Monday.
Shoto: Scaryyy.
Suzuki: Please take care, Yuki-san.
Yuki: Aww, Suzuki is the only nice one here.
Suzuki: Hehe.
Yuki: Oh, Kousaki is active.
Shoto: Huh? She's here?
Yuki: Yeah. Didn't you see her name?
Shoto: Crap.
Yuki: Kousaki, did you get home safe?
Kousaki: Yes. How about you?
Yuki: Yeah, but I think I caught a cold.
Kousaki: Then take some medicine.
Yuki: Aww, Kousaki too…
Rai stopped scrolling.
She was too lazy to read the rest.
Instead, she opened Kousaki's private messages.
From yesterday:
Kousaki: Rai, did you get home safe?
Kousaki: Did you take a shower?
Kousaki: Sorry for pushing you earlier.
Rai stared at the messages for a moment.
Then a new notification appeared.
Kousaki (Just now): Oh—you're awake.
Kousaki: Sorry for pushing you yesterday. Did you catch a cold?
Rai: No.
Kousaki: Ohhh, thank goodness.
Kousaki: Are you free right now?
Rai: Why?
Kousaki: Umm… I have something to discuss with you. I'm at the mall right now, so if you're free, I'll send you my location.
Rai: I have something to do, so no.
Kousaki: Oh, is that so.
Kousaki was still typing, but Rai shut her phone off, picked up the music sheet, and stepped out of her room.
---
Monday
Classes resumed—but something felt off.
As Rai walked down the hallway with Shoto, Watabe, and Yuki, she noticed it immediately.
Everyone was staring.
Whispers followed them as they passed.
Watabe frowned.
"Why is everyone looking at us?"
Shoto glanced at Yuki.
"Did you do something again?"
Yuki blinked.
"Huh? I didn't—"
Before she could finish, a group of girls suddenly approached Rai.
"Hey, you're the one with Kousaki from the livestream, right?"
"What's your name?"
"What class are you in?"
Rai froze.
"…Ah."
More students gathered around her.
"Whoa—it's really her!"
"She looks even better in person!"
"Can I get your number?"
"Please, can we take a picture with you?"
"It's really her!!"
The crowd quickly grew, surrounding Rai from all sides.
Watabe looked around, confused.
"What's going on here?"
Shoto frowned as more students kept arriving.
"Oi, oi… it's getting too crowded."
In the middle of the noise, Rai stood still.
Then slowly, she turned her head.
Her eyes landed on Yuki—cold and quiet.
A silent request for help.
Yuki immediately understood.
With a sigh, she stepped forward and pushed through the crowd, grabbing Rai's wrist.
"Alright, that's enough," Yuki said firmly. "Give her some space."
Reluctantly, the students stepped back, though whispers still lingered.
Yuki didn't waste time.
"Let's go."
She pulled Rai out of the crowd, with Shoto and Watabe following behind.
They turned a corner and finally escaped the noise.
Rai exhaled softly.
"…Thanks."
Yuki glanced at her.
"You okay?"
Rai frowned slightly.
"What's up with those… things?"
Yuki stopped walking and lightly tapped her head, unimpressed.
"Don't call them 'things.' They're students."
Without another word, they headed toward their classroom.
But the moment they stepped inside—
All eyes turned to Rai.
The room exploded.
"It's Rai!!"
"Look! You're trending online!"
"Can we take a picture?"
"Wait—don't move!"
Several classmates rushed toward her desk before she could take another step.
Others remained in their seats, watching with amusement.
"Whoa… looks like Rai's really popular now."
Watabe raised his hands.
"Hey, hey—give her some space!"
Shoto groaned as he got pushed from behind.
"Oi—stop pushing! We can't even get in!"
Yuki clicked her tongue and stepped forward, her presence immediately shifting the atmosphere.
"Rai doesn't like crowds," she said firmly. "So back off for a bit."
The room quieted slightly.
Yuki crossed her arms.
"If you want pictures or autographs, line up properly."
That worked.
The chaos slowly turned into an organized line, though excited whispers still filled the room.
Rai stood stiffly, clearly uncomfortable.
"…This is ridiculous."
---
Lunch Time
Rai stayed in her seat, her head resting sideways on the desk, unwilling to move.
Yuki glanced at her.
"What's wrong, Rai? You're not going to the cafeteria?"
Shoto stretched.
"Me and Watabe are heading there. You want to come?"
Rai didn't even lift her head.
"Mmm… Watabe, just buy for me."
Watabe sighed.
"What do you want?"
"As usual."
Yuki raised an eyebrow.
"Why don't you just go yourself?"
Rai slowly lifted a finger and pointed toward the door.
"Because… those things are still there."
Everyone looked.
A few students were still peeking inside, trying to catch a glimpse of her.
Yuki let out a small laugh.
"Ah… yeah."
Shoto shrugged.
"We'll be back in a minute."
Yuki added quickly,
"Hey—Shoto, buy me a juice."
"Roger."
Watabe looked uneasy.
"There are so many students outside… how are we supposed to get through?"
Shoto smirked.
"We just walk."
They stepped outside.
"Excuse us… excuse us…"
But the moment they did—
"Eh—?!"
Students grabbed their arms.
"You're Rai's friends, right?"
"Introduce us to her!"
"Please, just once!"
Shoto blinked.
"Eh?"
Watabe looked confused.
"Huh?"
They exchanged a glance.
No words needed.
Then—
They shook off the students and ran.
"HEY!!!"
A few minutes later, they finally reached the cafeteria.
Both stopped near the entrance, bent over and catching their breath.
"…What was that?"
Watabe gasped.
Shoto laughed tiredly.
"We almost got dragged into a cult."
Watabe nodded.
"Being Rai's friend is dangerous…"
Shoto straightened up.
"Let's just eat quickly before they find us again."
Watabe sighed.
"Yeah… no risks today."
---
Meanwhile, inside the classroom—
The noise outside the hallway only seemed to grow louder.
Yuki leaned toward the window, peeking through the curtain gap.
"Whoa… they're multiplying. What is going on with all of them?"
Rai, still resting her head sideways on her desk, didn't even look up.
"Hell if I know."
Yuki blinked at her.
"Wait… I think I heard them mention Kousaki earlier."
At that, Rai's fingers paused slightly.
Kousaki? she repeated in her mind.
Before she could think further, Yuki suddenly grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly.
"Hey, Rai! Do something about them. They keep coming in more and more. Even the class president is struggling—look."
Yuki pointed toward the front of the room.
The "organized line" had already fallen apart.
Students were peeking through the door, others whispering excitedly, and a few even trying to take photos through the windows.
The class president looked completely exhausted, raising his hands in surrender.
"I can't control this anymore…"
Yuki clicked her tongue.
"This is getting worse…"
Rai slowly lifted her head from the desk.
Her expression remained blank, but her eyes sharpened slightly.
"…It's noisy."
Yuki stared at her.
"Come on, do something."
Rai stood up.
Without another word, she walked toward the door.
The room immediately quieted a little.
Behind her, Yuki clenched her fists dramatically.
"Go, go, go—fight!"
Rai stopped in front of the door and looked at the students gathered outside.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then—
"Ahhh—she's here!"
"She's so tall!"
"Hey—can we exchange LINE?"
"Waaah, she's so close!"
"Are you and Kousaki dat—"
Rai let out a quiet sigh.
"…Sorry," she said calmly, her voice low and cold. "But you're all disturbing our class. Could you please go back to your own classrooms?"
A pause.
"…Please?"
The students froze for a second.
Then—
"Y-Yes! If that's what you want!"
"Kyaaa—she talked to us!"
"She's so cool!"
Within moments, the crowd began to disperse, though not without excited whispers and lingering glances.
Rai blinked, a small bead of sweat forming at her temple.
"…Huh."
Just like that, the hallway cleared.
She turned around and walked back to her seat as if nothing had happened.
Yuki stared at her, wide-eyed.
"…What kind of magic did you use?"
Rai sat down.
"Talk no jutsu."
Yuki blinked—then burst out laughing.
"What is that?!"
She stretched in relief.
"Waaa, I'm glad they're already gone."
Then she called out—
"Yoooo, President, you okay?"
"…Yeah, thanks," he sighed.
Yuki grinned.
"Don't sweat it—it's Rai's fault anyway."
---
Back in the cafeteria, Shoto and Watabe had already bought what they needed.
On their way back to the classroom, they moved carefully along the hallway—sticking close to the walls, trying not to be noticed.
Watabe whispered,
"This is so embarrassing… why are we doing this?"
Shoto replied quietly,
"Shh. Just hold your horses."
Watabe sighed and peeked ahead.
The hallway near their classroom… was empty.
He blinked—then lightly tapped Shoto's head.
"Ow—what was that for?" Shoto complained.
"Look," Watabe said, pointing ahead.
"Let's go."
Shoto followed his gaze.
"…Ah. I see."
Just like that, they straightened up and walked normally back to the classroom.
"Ahh—they're back," Yuki said as soon as they entered.
Watabe handed the food over.
"Rai, here."
"…Thanks," Rai replied.
Yuki immediately turned to Shoto.
"Where's my juice?"
Shoto froze.
"…Ahh. I forgot."
A dangerous silence filled the room.
Shoto quickly waved his hands.
"Wait—listen! Earlier, some students grabbed us, so we ran straight to the cafeteria—and when we came back, I just—uh—forgot—"
Yuki grabbed his ear.
"Ow—OW—OUCH—okay, okay, sorry! I'll go buy it now—just let go already—OWWW—"
Yuki released him.
"Faster."
"Yesss, ma'am!"
Shoto dashed out of the room.
Watabe looked around.
"So… why are the students outside suddenly gone?"
Yuki pointed at Rai.
"…She told them to leave."
Watabe blinked.
"…Seriously?"
---
The final bell rang.
Some students were already waiting outside for Rai.
Inside the classroom, Yuki peeked through the window.
"Wooow… looks like they're waiting for you again," she said. "I can't help you later—I still have club activities."
Shoto stretched.
"Me and Watabe too… sorry."
Yuki turned to Watabe.
"Eh? You're staying for the baseball club?"
Watabe scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Coach begged… like, actually knelt in front of me. I couldn't refuse."
Yuki laughed.
"Ehhh? That's kind of amazing though."
Koyomi peeked inside from the hallway.
Yuki grabbed her bag.
"Alright, I'm heading out."
Shoto nodded.
"Yeah, us too."
By then, Rai had already stood up and started walking toward the door.
Yuki blinked.
"Eh? You're leaving already?"
Watabe frowned slightly.
"Are you going to be okay getting out?"
Rai gave a small nod.
"Mm."
She raised a hand in a short wave and walked away.
Yuki watched her go.
"…Is she going to be okay?"
Shoto shrugged.
"Yeah. Don't worry—she'll handle it."
Watabe looked uneasy.
"I hope so…"
The four of them eventually split off, each heading toward their respective clubs.
Rai walked alone down the hallway.
Step by step, she descended the stairs, her expression calm—but her eyes alert.
The moment her shoes touched the first floor, faint voices reached her ears.
"…I heard she's around here."
"Really? Let's find her."
Rai paused for half a second.
Then continued walking.
Quietly.
Casually.
As if she hadn't heard anything.
But the moment she turned the corner—
"Hey—!"
Someone spotted her.
"…!"
More footsteps followed.
"They found her!"
"There—she's there!"
Rai clicked her tongue softly and changed direction, her pace quickening just slightly.
She turned into another hallway, scanning for an exit.
Left.
Blocked.
Right.
Blocked.
Ahead—
More students.
Her path was closing in from every direction.
"…Tch."
She stopped.
For the first time, a faint crease appeared between her brows.
Nowhere to go.
The noise grew louder—closer.
"Rai!!"
"Wait!!"
"Just one picture!"
She exhaled slowly, steadying herself—
Then suddenly—
Someone grabbed her bag.
Rai's eyes sharpened instantly.
"Shhh!"
The voice came in a hurried whisper.
Rai blinked.
"…Kousaki?"
Kousaki peeked from behind the corner, one finger pressed to her lips.
"Be quiet. They're coming."
Footsteps echoed through the hallway—fast, chaotic, getting closer.
Kousaki quickly pulled something from behind her back and held it out.
"Here. Use this."
Rai looked down.
A paper bag.
She stared at it for a second… then slowly looked back at Kousaki, unimpressed.
"…Why would I wear that?"
Without answering, Kousaki stepped forward.
"Just hurry up and wear it."
Bam.
The paper bag was shoved over Rai's head.
"…Seriously?"
But Kousaki had already grabbed her wrist.
"Come on."
Right on cue, a group of students rushed into the hallway.
"Where did she go?!"
"I saw her turn this way!"
"She couldn't have gone far!"
Their voices overlapped, scanning every corner—
Then they froze.
Right in front of them stood Kousaki…
And beside her—
A tall figure.
With a paper bag over her head.
Silence.
The students looked at each other, confused.
"…What is that?"
"…Is that… a person?"
"Why is she wearing a paper bag?"
Kousaki didn't even flinch.
She casually brushed her hair back and spoke in a calm, slightly annoyed tone.
"You're being too loud."
The students immediately straightened.
"S-Sorry, Kousaki-san!"
"Right, are you and Rai dating?"
Kousaki paused.
They already know her name?
"…No."
"Then why were you together at the river? And that livestream?"
"…We had other friends with us. It just happened that her face showed."
They glanced at the "paper bag person."
"…Then… have you seen Rai?"
Kousaki didn't even look at them.
"No."
A pause.
The students exchanged glances, uncertainty flickering across their faces.
Slowly, they began to turn away—
Then—
"…Hey."
Kousaki's voice stopped them.
They froze instantly.
"Y-Yes?!"
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
Her fingers curled slightly at her side, as if the words didn't come easily to her.
"…I know I don't really have the right to say this, but…"
A small pause.
"…Could you all stop crowding her like that?"
The students blinked.
"…It's not that she doesn't like it…"
Kousaki looked away for a moment, searching for the right words.
"…She just doesn't know how to deal with it."
Silence settled over the group.
"…She's not good with crowds," Kousaki added, quieter this time.
"So if you all come at her all at once… she won't say anything, but…"
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"…It bothers her."
The students shifted, their expressions softening.
"…Ah…"
"…We didn't think about that…"
"…We just got excited…"
Kousaki exhaled softly.
"…Yeah. I get it."
Then, more firmly—
"…But still. Give her some space."
A pause.
Then one of them nodded.
"…Okay."
"…Sorry about that…"
"…We'll be more careful…"
Kousaki suddenly tilted her head, as if an idea had just occurred to her.
"Ah, wait. I just remembered something."
The students turned toward her.
"If you want to see Rai, there's actually another way."
"Eh? What is it, Kousaki-san?"
Kousaki smiled slightly.
"Rai plays online games, you know. Especially VALORANT."
The students froze.
"EHHH?! SHE PLAYS VALORANT?!"
"Wait, seriously?!"
"She's a gamer, too?!"
Kousaki nodded.
"Mm-hmm. And apparently, she's pretty famous there."
"WHAT?!"
"She's famous in VALORANT?!"
"Wait, how famous are we talking about?!"
Kousaki laughed awkwardly.
"I'm not really sure about all the details. I only heard that she's really good and that quite a lot of people know her."
The students exchanged excited looks, but Kousaki quickly raised her hand.
"Anyway, please don't bother her about it at school, okay? She's already having a hard time with all the attention."
The students quieted down.
"...Ah, right."
"Sorry, Kousaki-san. We got too excited."
"It's okay. Just give her some space."
One of the students nodded.
"Understood! We'll leave her alone for now."
"Thank you for telling us, Kousaki-san!"
After a few more apologies, the students finally began to leave. Their voices gradually faded as they walked down the hallway, occasionally whispering among themselves about Rai's unexpected gaming reputation.
Kousaki waited until they were completely gone before letting out a relieved sigh.
"...Finally."
Behind her, the paper bag rustled.
Rai slowly removed it from her head and took a deep breath.
"...It's hot."
She dropped onto the floor, fanning herself with one hand. Her hair was messy, and her expression was more exhausted than usual.
Kousaki crouched down in front of her.
"Your hair's a mess."
"Don't come closer. It's hot."
"Stop moving, then."
Ignoring Rai's complaints, Kousaki gently brushed the strands away from her face.
"...There."
She stood up, and Rai followed, brushing off her pants.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Rai turned toward Kousaki.
"...Hey."
"Hm?"
"How do you know about my gaming account?"
Kousaki blinked.
"Eh? Oh, that."
Rai crossed her arms.
"You said I'm famous in VALORANT. Where did you hear that?"
"From a friend of mine."
"Your friend?"
"Mm-hmm. He's practically addicted to online games. Whenever we meet, he always talks about games, tournaments, professional players, and all sorts of things I don't understand."
Kousaki scratched her cheek.
"Sometimes, I think he knows more about games than he knows about real life."
Rai stared at her.
"...That's concerning."
"Right?! I've told him that, too!"
Kousaki laughed before continuing.
"Anyway, he was the one who told me about you. He mentioned a player who was really good at VALORANT, and somehow, your name came up during our conversation."
Rai frowned slightly.
"But…"
She sat down again, looking as though she wanted to say something but couldn't quite find the words.
"Hmm?" Kousaki tilted her head.
"Ahh… Nothing."
Kousaki stared at her for a moment before smiling.
"Hmm… You're weird."
"Weird? Huh?!"
"Ahhh, sorry, sorry!"
Kousaki burst into laughter.
Rai lowered her head, her expression darkening.
"...You're so annoying."
"Ahahaha! I'm sorry!"
Just as Kousaki was laughing with her head lowered, a male voice suddenly came from behind them.
"You're wondering how I know you, right?"
Kousaki immediately turned around.
"Oh, it's you, Koshi!"
She then glanced at Rai and pointed at the boy.
"This is the guy who told me about you!"
"Yo, Kousaki-san!"
Koshi greeted her with a casual wave before turning his attention back to Rai. A mischievous smirk appeared on his face.
Rai stared at him for a moment.
Then she stood up, still holding the paper bag.
"I'm going home."
Koshi blinked.
"Eh?"
Rai turned around and began walking away.
"Eh?! Ah, wait—why are you leaving already? Did I do something bad?"
She didn't answer.
Koshi hurried after her, looking genuinely
confused.
"Hey! Rai!"
Rai continued walking as if she hadn't heard him.
Koshi finally raised his voice.
"IT'S ME, KOSHI! WE'RE ON THE SAME TEAM, REMEMBER?!"
Rai didn't even bother turning around.
"Whatever, yeah, yeah."
"GAAAH!"
Koshi stood there with his mouth hanging open, completely defeated.
He slowly turned toward Kousaki, his expression filled with despair.
"Kousaki-san…"
"Hm?"
"Do you think Rai hates me?"
Kousaki tilted her head, pretending to think carefully.
"Hmmmm…"
Koshi waited anxiously for her answer.
"Yeah."
"GAAAHHHHH!"
Koshi immediately clutched his chest and staggered backward as if he'd just received the most devastating news of his life.
"WHY?! WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT SO CASUALLY?!"
Kousaki burst into laughter.
"Ahahaha! Your reaction is so funny!"
Koshi slowly crouched down, his shoulders trembling with exaggerated sadness.
"Sniff… sniff…"
He wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye.
"You didn't even deny it…"
"Ahahaha! I'm sorry!"
"YOU'RE NOT SORRY AT ALL!"
Kousaki laughed even harder.
Meanwhile, Rai was already far down the hallway, completely unaware—or perhaps simply unconcerned—that her teammate was currently suffering an emotional crisis behind her.
Koshi watched her disappearing figure from a distance.
"...Rai, you heartless woman."
He sniffed dramatically.
"One day, you'll regret treating your precious teammate like this…"
Kousaki patted his shoulder.
"Good luck with that."
Koshi slowly turned toward her.
"...You're not helping, Kousaki-san."
"Ahahaha!"
After finally calming down, Kousaki straightened up and smiled at him.
"Anyway, I'll go after Rai now. See ya!"
Before Koshi could even respond, she hurried away.
"Eh?"
He stared at her retreating figure in disbelief.
"You too?"
After a moment of silence, he let out a long sigh.
"...Unbelievable."
He lowered his head dramatically.
"Everyone's abandoning me today…"
Meanwhile, with Rai...
Rai walked peacefully down the hallway, enjoying the rare moment of silence.
No curious students. No endless questions. No annoying teammates shouting her name.
Just peace and quiet.
Finally.
She adjusted the paper bag in her hand and continued walking, her footsteps echoing softly through the nearly empty corridor.
For once, nothing seemed capable of ruining her mood.
Or so she thought.
Suddenly, she heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind.
"RAI! WAIT!"
Rai immediately recognized the voice.
"...Seriously?"
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, already anticipating the headache that was about to come.
Can't I have five minutes of peace?
"Finally, I caught up with you!" Kousaki said, slightly out of breath.
Rai didn't respond. She simply continued walking as if she hadn't heard her.
"So, you and Koshi are teammates, huh?"
Rai's eyebrow twitched.
She could already feel her patience running thin, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
After a few moments, Rai finally spoke.
"Why are you even here? And why did you follow me?"
Kousaki stared at her in disbelief.
"Is that really how you're going to treat me after I helped you earlier? Besides, this is the way to the exit!"
She crossed her arms and gave Rai an incredulous look.
"You're really a dummy, aren't you, Rai?"
Rai's irritation only grew. She didn't bother replying and simply quickened her pace, hoping to leave Kousaki behind.
"Rai?"
No response.
"Oii, Raiiii! I'm sorryyyyy!"
Still, Rai didn't answer. She kept walking, her expression as cold as ever.
Kousaki frowned, watching Rai's back as she struggled to keep up with her increasingly fast pace.
Seriously? Is she really going to ignore me?
"Rai, come on! I was just kidding!"
Growing desperate, Kousaki suddenly reached forward and grabbed Rai's hand.
"Wait!"
Rai immediately stopped walking.
For a moment, everything seemed to fall silent.
She slowly lowered her gaze to their joined hands before turning her head toward Kousaki.
"...What are you doing?"
Her voice was quiet, but the warning in it was unmistakable.
Kousaki froze.
"Ah..."
Only then did she seem to realize what she'd done.
"I'm... stopping you?"
Rai stared at her.
Kousaki slowly released Rai's hand.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Then Rai looked down at her hand and casually wiped it against her pants, as if trying to get rid of something unpleasant.
Kousaki's smile disappeared.
"...Did you just wipe your hand?"
Rai glanced at her.
"What about it?"
"You wiped your hand right after I let go!"
"So?"
"Think whatever you want."
"RAI!"
Kousaki hurried after her, clearly offended by the gesture.
"Unbelievable! I apologized, you know!"
"Then stop bothering me."
Kousaki fell silent for a moment, her cheeks puffing up in annoyance.
"...You're the worst."
"Good."
"That's not something you should be proud of!"
Rai ignored her and continued toward the exit, her expression as cold as ever. Kousaki followed beside her, still unable to let go of what had just happened.
"And seriously, what was that?" Kousaki
complained, gesturing toward Rai's hand.
"You actually wiped your hand against your pants right after I let go! Who does that?"
Rai didn't answer.
"Are you that disgusted by me touching your hand?" Kousaki continued. "You could've just pulled away! You didn't have to do something so rude!"
"Are you done?" Rai asked flatly.
"...Okay, fine. I shouldn't have grabbed your hand without asking."
She crossed her arms.
"But you still didn't have to wipe yours like that!"
Rai let out a quiet sigh.
"Why are you still talking about it?"
"Because I'm still offended!"
"That's your problem."
"RAI!"
"Oh, it's already noon," Rai remarked, glancing at the time on her phone.
"Don't ignore me, you dum—"
"Huh?"
Kousaki immediately straightened up.
"Sowwy."
Rai sighed and continued walking.
They had already left the university, but Kousaki was still following her. Strangely, the girl who had been complaining nonstop earlier had suddenly gone quiet.
Rai stopped by a music store and browsed through some sheet music. When she left, Kousaki followed.
Next, Rai visited a bookstore, spending some time looking through the shelves. Even as she moved from one section to another, Kousaki remained a few steps behind her without saying a word.
Rai glanced over her shoulder.
Is she following me?
She continued walking, but the thought lingered in her mind.
Why is she so quiet all of a sudden?
Rai remembered how she'd wiped her hand against her pants after Kousaki let go. She hadn't meant to make the girl feel disgusting, but perhaps she'd been unnecessarily harsh.
A faint feeling of guilt settled in her chest.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a convenience store.
Rai turned toward the girl behind her.
"Hey."
Kousaki lifted her head.
"Me?"
"Tch. Who else?" Rai replied.
"Ahh... umm," Kousaki mumbled.
"Wait for me here," Rai said.
"Ah... yeah... sure."
Rai entered the convenience store.
A few minutes later, she returned with two ice creams in her hands.
"Here."
Kousaki blinked.
"Ehh?"
"You don't want it?"
"Of course I want it!"
Kousaki quickly took the ice cream from her hand.
Without saying anything else, Rai resumed walking, and Kousaki followed beside her. They unwrapped their ice creams and continued down the sidewalk, enjoying the cold treat under the midday sun.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Rai suddenly broke the silence.
"...Sorry."
Kousaki turned toward her, startled. Rai was walking slightly ahead of her, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
"What?"
Kousaki stared at her in disbelief.
"I said sorry!"
"Again! Haha!"
Rai's expression immediately darkened.
"Don't push your luck."
Kousaki grinned mischievously before suddenly running ahead of her. She turned around and walked backward, facing Rai with a playful smile.
"So, what are you apologizing for? Hahaha?"
"For—"
"You're really a dummy, Rai!"
Kousaki interrupted, laughing.
She flashed Rai a bright smile before turning around and running ahead.
Rai froze the moment she saw that smile.
It wasn't loud or dramatic, but it stayed with her, quietly unsettling something deep inside her chest.
...What was that?
Before Rai could make sense of her own reaction, a sudden sound interrupted her thoughts.
"Whoa—!"
Kousaki's foot caught against an uneven part of the sidewalk.
She stumbled forward, her arms flailing as she tried to regain her balance, but it was too late.
Thud!
Kousaki fell onto the pavement.
Her ice cream slipped from her hand and landed on the ground.
For a moment, Rai simply stared.
"...Huh?"
Kousaki remained on the ground, frozen in disbelief as she looked at the ruined ice cream beside her.
Then she slowly lifted her head.
"...My ice cream."
Rai blinked.
Seriously?
She quickly approached Kousaki and crouched beside her.
"Are you hurt?"
Kousaki looked at her, her expression caught somewhere between embarrassment and disappointment.
"...My ice cream is gone."
Rai stared at her.
"I'm asking if you're hurt, idiot."
"Oh." Kousaki glanced down at herself, then slowly shook her head. "I don't think so."
Rai was about to respond when she noticed a small streak of blood on Kousaki's knee.
"Your knee."
Kousaki followed her gaze.
"Oh... It's just a scrape. I'm fine."
Rai frowned slightly.
"Can you stand?"
"Yeah."
Kousaki nodded confidently and tried to get up. However, the moment she put weight on her injured leg, her knee buckled.
"Whoa—!"
Before she could fall again, Rai immediately reached out and caught her.
Unfortunately, Rai still had her ice cream in her mouth.
She froze for a moment, one hand holding her ice cream while the other supported Kousaki.
"...My ice cream,"
Kousaki mumbled, glancing sadly at the treat that had fallen onto the pavement.
Rai slowly pulled her own ice cream away from her mouth.
"Are you seriously still thinking about that?"
"But it was delicious..."
"Unbelievable."
Rai sighed and carefully helped Kousaki regain her balance before guiding her toward a nearby bench.
"Sit down."
Kousaki obediently sat on the bench, looking at her injured knee.
Rai stood in front of her and quickly finished eating her remaining ice cream.
"Wait for me here."
Kousaki looked up.
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"Just stay here. And don't try standing up again."
Before Kousaki could ask anything else, Rai turned and hurried back toward the convenience store.
Kousaki watched her disappear through the entrance.
"...She's really leaving me here?"
She lowered her gaze to her knee and let out a small sigh.
A few minutes later, Rai returned, carrying a plastic bag.
Kousaki blinked as Rai approached the bench and placed the bag beside her.
"What's that?"
"Can you stop asking questions for five seconds?"
"...Okay."
Rai opened the plastic bag and took out the things she'd bought: antiseptic wipes, sterile gauze, adhesive bandages, and a small bottle of clean water etc.
Kousaki stared at the supplies, then at Rai.
"Wait... You bought those for me?"
Rai ignored the question and took a seat beside her.
She opened one of the packages before glancing at Kousaki's knee.
"...If you don't mind," Rai said quietly, "I'll clean your wound."
Kousaki froze for a moment.
She hadn't expected Rai to go all the way back to the convenience store just to buy supplies for her.
"...Oh."
Rai looked at her.
"What now?"
"Nothing." Kousaki smiled faintly.
"You can go ahead."
Rai nodded and carefully began cleaning the scrape, making sure to be gentle.
Kousaki flinched slightly at the sting.
"Ow..."
"Hold still."
"I'm trying!"
"Try harder."
Kousaki puffed out her cheeks but stayed still while Rai continued.
For once, she didn't tease Rai or complain about her attitude.
Instead, she quietly watched Rai's focused expression as she tended to the wound.
She's really kind, Kousaki thought.
She just doesn't know how to show it.
A few moments later, Rai finished treating the wound and secured the bandage in place.
"There. Done."
"Ahmm... Thank you."
Rai gathered the remaining supplies and put them back into the plastic bag.
"Try walking. Let's see if you can manage."
"I can!"
Kousaki tried to stand up, but the moment she put weight on her injured knee, she winced and quickly sat back down.
Rai raised an eyebrow.
"Does it still hurt?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"What kind of attitude is that?"
"Look who's talking."
"Tch. No choice."
Kousaki tilted her head.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'll just carry you."
Kousaki stared at her for a moment.
"Ah... No, I can walk."
Rai sighed and lightly touched the area around Kousaki's injured knee.
"Ow!"
Kousaki flinched and pulled her leg away.
Rai flicked her forehead.
"Don't push yourself, idiot."
Kousaki sniffed and glanced at her melted ice cream on the pavement. She sniffed again, looking utterly heartbroken.
Rai followed her gaze and sighed.
Seriously?
She slowly reached into the plastic bag and pulled out another ice cream.
"Here."
Kousaki looked at the ice cream Rai was offering, then lifted her gaze toward Rai. She sniffed once more before slowly accepting it.
Rai stood up, slung the plastic bag over her wrist, and turned her back toward Kousaki. She crouched slightly in front of the bench.
"Get on."
Kousaki looked at her for a moment before understanding what Rai meant.
Without complaining, she carefully wrapped her arms around Rai's shoulders and climbed onto her back, making sure to hold on to her ice cream.
Rai adjusted her grip to support Kousaki's legs before standing up.
"Hold on properly."
Kousaki nodded against her shoulder.
"Okay."
Rai began walking, carrying Kousaki on her back as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
For once, Kousaki remained silent, resting her chin near Rai's shoulder as she enjoyed her ice cream.
Then, she turned her head slightly and looked at Rai's face.
Now that I'm looking at her up close, she really does look like a guy.
From her sharp features and very short, messy dark brown hair to her cold expression, Rai had an almost boyish appearance. Even the way she carried herself made her seem effortlessly cool.
Kousaki continued staring for a moment before suddenly speaking.
"Don't you dare complain about me being heavy, or I'll kick your ass."
Rai simply sighed without saying a word.
Kousaki said nothing more. She just continued looking at Rai, a small smile slowly forming on her lips.