The late afternoon sun painted the school courtyard in shades of gold and orange.
Light passed through the branches of the trees behind the main building, casting long shadows across the concrete ground. A slow breeze moved through the leaves, carrying the faint smell of grass and damp earth.
Near the side wall of the school, Shinohara was standing.
She looked like she had been running.
Her chest rose and fell quickly.
Her eyes were fixed on Takeo.
Takeo tilted his head slightly.
"Is something wrong, Shinohara?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but it took a few seconds before the words came out.
"Y-you..."
She took a deep breath.
"I wanted to go out... with you... one day."
Takeo blinked.
"...What?"
He pointed at himself.
"Go out with me?"
Shinohara stayed silent. The wind gently moved the ribbon on her uniform.
Takeo scratched his head.
"You could've just talked to me normally about that, you know?"
She took another deep breath, trying to calm herself.
"I-I think you didn't understand, Fujimoto-kun..."
"Well, then tell me," he replied, quickly glancing at his watch. "We have rehearsal today, remember?"
Shinohara clenched her hands.
"I need to tell you that—"
Bzzz.
Takeo's phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out.
It was a message.
Aoi:
"Are you already dating someone now? Hehe."
Takeo let out a small sigh and smiled a little.
Shinohara tilted her head.
"Hm? Why did you laugh?"
"It's just that Aoi-chan sent me a message and—"
Suddenly, he froze.
A thought crossed his mind like a shock.
Wait...
Now that I think about it...
This totally looks like a confession scene.
A meeting.
An isolated place.
She's nervous.
He's alone.
Takeo started to sweat.
Shinohara noticed.
"A-Aoi? Sakamoto-chan? What about her?"
Takeo laughed nervously.
"It's nothing."
Shinohara carefully watched him scratch his head.
"What is your relationship with Sakamoto-chan?"
Takeo opened his mouth to answer, but then he noticed something.
Shinohara was completely focused on him.
Eyes fixed.
Hands clenched.
Waiting for his answer.
He swallowed.
"Aoi-chan is... a childhood friend."
He lightly kicked the ground as he spoke.
"Our parents were best friends since high school. So we grew up seeing each other sometimes."
Shinohara slowly closed her eyes.
"And you..."
Her voice became quieter.
"D-do you like her?"
Takeo's eyes widened.
"What?!"
He laughed.
"Hahaha, no. Of course not."
He sighed.
"We used to play video games together all the time."
He looked at the orange sky.
"Nowadays she's more feminine... but..."
He smiled.
"She feels more like a little sister to me. That's how I see her."
Shinohara opened her eyes wider than usual.
"Really?"
She took a small step forward.
"Is that true?"
"Yeah," he replied.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Takeo noticed.
"Shinohara..."
He started walking toward her.
One step.
Another step.
She turned completely red.
"W-wait... why are you so close?"
Takeo took a deep breath.
"I need to take this seriously."
He looked carefully at her face.
"I need to look at you properly."
Shinohara turned even redder. Her eyes moved from side to side, and her lips trembled slightly.
Takeo finally stopped.
"Alright. I think I can answer properly now."
Shinohara took a deep breath.
"Fujimoto-kun..."
Her voice almost failed.
"Do you want to go out with me?"
The wind blew.
Silence.
Takeo closed his eyes for a moment.
"Before... I thought you saw me as a rival in the play."
He crossed his arms.
"You always treated me kind of badly. Sometimes you even left me talking alone. I used to get frustrated with you."
Shinohara swallowed but kept looking at him.
"Since when did you start liking me?" he asked.
She answered quietly:
"S-since we performed together... in the second year."
Takeo slowly nodded.
"Ah... that makes sense."
He raised one finger.
"That was around the time you stopped being mean to me."
She lowered her gaze.
"I-I'm sorry, Takeo... I... I didn't know."
Takeo laughed.
"Hahaha, it's fine."
He put his hand in his pocket and looked at the sky again.
"You know... during the entire first year, I liked you."
Shinohara froze.
"What?"
"I didn't look like this back then," he said, running his hand through his hair. "I was very proper. Even my hair was always neatly combed."
He laughed.
"But you never even noticed I existed."
A heavy silence fell between them.
Takeo continued:
"Aoi-chan... she always treated me the same. Before and now."
Shinohara lowered her head.
Takeo sighed.
"In memory of the old me... and because I saw that you changed a lot in the theater club..."
He gave a small smile.
"I think we can try."
Shinohara lifted her face. Her eyes were trembling.
"T-Takeo... I'm really sorry... back then I—"
Takeo raised his hand.
"It's okay. We both changed."
He looked at the school building.
"That's why I also want to try."
She let out a small emotional laugh.
"We look like two strangers..."
"We really do," he replied.
E os dois começaram a caminhar de volta em direção ao prédio da escola.
O corredor externo estava quase vazio.
Enquanto caminhavam, um menino vinha na direção oposta, andando devagar, quase arrastando os pés.
Takeo franziu a testa.
"Ei, você. Você está bem?"
O menino ergueu os olhos. Abriu a boca, mas nenhum som saiu por alguns segundos.
Shinohara inclinou a cabeça.
"Você quer ir para a enfermaria?"
"Não... obrigado. Estou bem", respondeu ele em voz baixa.
Ele passou entre eles, olhando para o chão.
Takeo virou o corpo.
"Eu sou Fujimoto Takeo, da turma 3-A. Quem é você?"
O menino respondeu sem parar:
"Fujimoto? Eu sou Yamada Riku... da turma 2-B."
Ele desapareceu na esquina do prédio.
Shinohara perguntou:
"Por que você perguntou isso?"
Takeo permaneceu em silêncio por um momento.
"Ele me lembra alguém."
Ele suspirou.
"Ele está na mesma turma que a Aoi-chan."
Shinohara olhou para ele.
"Falando em Aoi... ela não sente nada por você?"
Takeo permaneceu em silêncio por alguns segundos.
"Eu não acho."
Ele olhou para a frente.
"Aoi se isolou de muitas coisas depois de seu pai..."
Ele parou.
Fez uma careta.
"Esquece. Não gosto de me lembrar disso."
Eles continuaram caminhando.
Ao chegarem perto do clube de teatro, viram alguém saindo da sala do clube de literatura.
Mio.
Ela olhou para cima... e congelou.
Ah...
O que é isso?
Os dois alunos mais populares da escola... juntos?
Takeo levantou a mão.
"Olá, Kanzaki-chan."
"A-ah!" ela fez uma leve reverência. "Olá, Fujimoto-senpai... Shinohara-senpai."
Shinohara inclinou a cabeça.
"Olá."
Ela olhou para Takeo.
"Você a conhece?"
"Ela é amiga da Aoi", respondeu ele.
"Ah", disse Shinohara. "Então você provavelmente deveria me chamar pelo meu primeiro nome."
Ela corou levemente, mas percebeu que Mio estava observando e mudou de assunto.
"Bem... até mais, Kanzaki."
"Até logo", disse Mio.
Takeo também acenou.
"Até mais."
Mio respirou fundo.
"S-senpai... preciso te contar uma coisa... eu—"
Takeo levantou a mão.
"Kanzaki. Posso te pedir que guarde um segredo?"
Ela piscou.
"Um segredo?"
"Eu e Shinohara estamos namorando."
Ele sorriu.
"Mas ainda não contamos para ninguém."
Ele começou a andar.
"Até logo, Kanzaki."
Ao passar por ela, ele pensou:
Talvez essa seja a melhor maneira.
Dizer isso sem magoá-la.
Desculpe... Aoi-chan.
Antes de entrar no clube de teatro, ele olhou para trás.
Mio continuava parada no mesmo lugar.
De costas para ele.
Cabeça baixa.
Takeo respirou fundo e entrou na sala.
Em seu rosto, um sorriso ensaiado.
Mas em sua mente, havia apenas um pensamento:
Não posso me distrair agora.
Preciso me concentrar na peça.