The classroom was filled with the usual noise of lunchtime.
Chairs scraping against the floor.Bento lids popping open with soft clicks.Chopsticks tapping lightly against metal containers.
The midday sun streamed through the large second-floor windows, casting slanted lines of light across the desks.
In the middle of it all, Aoi ate slowly.
But she wasn't really eating.She chewed without tasting anything.
Every now and then, her eyes drifted toward the classroom door.
No sign of Souma.No sign of Misaki.
Her finger absentmindedly stirred the rice in her bento.
Beside her, Hina watched quietly.Across the table, Mio ate calmly, occasionally checking her phone.
Aoi's silence was starting to become… noticeable.
Then Hina spoke.
"—Hanae-san…"
Hanae looked up gracefully.
"Yes?"
She sat with perfect posture, her chopsticks neatly placed on the bento lid.
Hina scratched the back of her neck.
"Thanks for everything you've been doing… but I keep thinking… don't you feel like Yamamoto has been kind of… distant from us?"
Hanae tilted her head slightly.
"Distant?"
Then she glanced at Aoi.
"Yes.He seems closer to Arai-chan lately."
The name echoed in Aoi's mind.
Arai.Misaki.
Hanae continued calmly:
"And I've also heard he's becoming quite popular on the track team."
At that moment…
Aoi stopped chewing.
Fragments of last night surfaced in her mind.The glow of her phone screen.The short conversation.
"I feel safe.""Good thing we had Madousaki."
And nothing more.
No follow-up.No continuation.
Aoi lowered her gaze to her bento.
The rice suddenly felt tasteless.
Meanwhile, the conversation continued.
Mio spoke without looking up from her phone.
"Aren't you eating with your friends today, Hanae-san?"
"Not today," she replied calmly.
Silence.
Aoi looked up at Hanae.
She was staring at her.
Not aggressively.But… analyzing.
Aoi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"I get the feeling you want to ask something."
Hanae blinked slowly.
"Me?"A faint smile appeared."Ask something?"
Mio finally looked up.
"I think you missed your chance with Yamamoto-kun, class rep."
Hanae's chopsticks lightly hit the table as she let them go.
"W-What are you talking about?"
Mio rested her elbow on the table.
"You know."She shrugged."He barely spoke to you today."
Silence.
Then Hanae said calmly:
"Do you want to talk about yesterday, behind the school?"
For a moment—
the world froze.
Hina stiffened.Aoi blinked slowly.Mio raised her eyes.
Her gaze turned cold.
"Are you trying to provoke me?"
Hanae held her gaze.No smile.No mockery.Just observation.
Then Mio stood up suddenly.
Her chair scraped loudly against the floor.
"You're really going to make things up like that?"
Her voice was sharp.
"You better be ready for the consequences."
Aoi stood up quickly.
"Mio-chan, calm down!"
Hina stood up too.
"Hey—hey! What's going on?!"
Hanae calmly picked up her bento.
"I wanted to eat with you…"She looked directly at Mio."But it seems difficult today."
Then she added:
"Poor Yamada."
And walked out.
The door closed.
Silence filled the room.
Aoi blinked.
"Y-Yamada?"
Hina turned to Mio.
"What was that about, Mio-chan?"
Aoi added:
"Yamada-kun was acting strange today…"
Mio stayed still for a few seconds.
Then she sat down and sighed.
"…Alright."
She held her phone tightly.
"Yamada confessed to me yesterday."
Absolute silence.
Hina and Aoi covered their mouths.
"That was him?!" Hina said."The letter?" Aoi added.
Aoi asked slowly:
"…Did you reject him?"
Mio tightened her grip on her phone.
"I didn't even hear him out."Pause."I ran away before things got complicated."
Hina's eyes widened.
"You… ran away?"
Mio turned her face away.
"Don't judge me."She took a deep breath."I thought it would be… Fujimoto-senpai."
Aoi scratched her head.
"Well… I talked to Takeo-kun about you…"She paused."But when I heard he was going to meet someone…"
Her eyes widened suddenly.
"Ah!"
Mio turned quickly.
"What?"
Aoi smiled nervously.
"Well…"She was sweating slightly."It looks like Takeo already likes someone."
Mio stared at her for a few seconds.
Then simply nodded.
"…Oh.I see."
She looked down at her phone.
"Thanks, Aoi-chan."
Hina sighed.
"If you don't like Yamada, you should at least tell him."
Mio closed her eyes.
"Hina…""I don't want to hurt him."
Hina replied firmly:
"Not saying anything hurts more."
Mio opened her eyes.
"What do you know about men?"She crossed her arms."Prince John isn't even real."
Hina frowned.
"Huh? Why bring that up?"She stood up."And what about your ex? The one who spent more time with other girls than with you?"
Mio stood up instantly.
"Say that again."
Hina stood as well.
"With pleasure."
"—STOP, BOTH OF YOU!"
Aoi shouted.
The room fell silent.
They both looked at her.
Aoi was breathing heavily.Her clenched hands were trembling.
"W-we all have problems…"Her voice shook."But I don't want to see you fighting…"
Silence.
Hina sighed.
"…Sorry."
Mio looked away.
"I went too far."
Hina smiled faintly.
"I'll forgive you… if you play with us."
Mio rolled her eyes.
"I don't like games."
Hina laughed.
"I know."
Mio spoke more quietly:
"…But I like watching."
Hina's face lit up.
"Then come to my house today!"
Mio smiled slightly.
"Not today.I have to go to the hospital."
Aoi looked up.
"How is your mother?"
"Better.She's talking now."
Aoi nodded slowly.
"I see…"
Outside, Yamada sat alone on a bench near the court.
The wind moved gently through the trees.
He stared at nothing.
Memories surfaced.
Mio smiling.Mio walking, her hair swaying.Mio waiting in front of the hospital.And him… beside her.
Yamada sighed.
"What am I even doing…"
He stood up.
"I need to go back."
He walked slowly.
Then stopped in the hallway.
Held his head.
"Kanzaki must be tired…""Her mother is in the hospital…"
He closed his eyes.
"What did I do…"
After a few seconds, he returned to the classroom.
When he opened the door—
Aoi, Hina, Mio, and Matsuda looked at him.
Behind him, in the hallway—
Souma and Misaki were laughing.
Yamada went to his seat.
Mio glanced at him.
Aoi and Matsuda looked directly at Souma and Misaki.
They returned to their desks.
The teacher entered.
"Let's continue the lesson…"
Aoi kept shifting her gaze between Souma and Misaki.
Hina touched her arm.
"Are you okay, Aoi?"
Aoi turned.
Her expression was… completely serious.
"I'm fine, Hina-chan."
But Hina wasn't convinced.
After class, Mio stood up quickly.
"I'm going to see my mother after club."She put on her bag."Maybe I'll stop by your house later, Hina."
Hina's eyes lit up.
"You will?!"
"I plan to."
She started walking away.
Aoi asked:
"But… what about your father?"
Mio stopped.
Without turning.
She gripped her bag tightly.
After a few seconds, she said:
"That… doesn't matter."
And left.
Yamada kept staring at his desk.
"Yamada-kun?" Hina called.
Silence.
"Yamada-kun!"
He startled.
"Ah?!"
Matsuda said without looking up:
"You awake, man?"
Hina sighed.
"…Never mind."
"What is it, Takase-chan?" Yamada asked.
Hina turned away.
"Nothing…Sorry for bothering you."
She grabbed Aoi's arm.
"Let's go, Aoi-chan."
They left.
But Aoi kept looking back.
Souma was standing.
Walking toward Misaki.
Smiling.
Side by side.
In the hallway, Hina suddenly stopped.
"S-sorry…"
"For what?" Aoi asked.
Hina raised her hand to her eyes.
"I didn't want to be alone."
Aoi's expression softened.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Hina took a deep breath.
"This reminds me of Masato Kiriyama…"
Aoi blinked.
"…Ah.Yamada reminded you of him?"
Hina shook her head.
Aoi placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hina…"
"I didn't want to remember him…"
Aoi smiled gently.
"That was when you met Prince John in the game, right?"
Hina gave a small laugh.
"Yeah…He's way too perfect."
Then she looked toward the classroom door.
"But seeing Yamada like that…"
Aoi nodded slowly.
"I understand."
At that moment, the door opened.
Souma came out.
Misaki beside him.
Laughing.
The four of them faced each other.
Misaki spoke first.
"Hi, Aoi-san. Hina-san."
Souma raised his hand.
"Hey."
Hina looked at Aoi.Then at Misaki.
"Misaki, come with me."
She grabbed her hand.
"I need to tell you something important about the game."
Misaki blinked.
"Huh? We can talk here—"
"Just come!"
She pulled her toward the girls' restroom.
Now—
Only two remained.
Aoi.And Souma.
The silence felt heavy.
The air itself seemed to tremble.
Aoi spoke first.
"Y-Yamamoto-kun…"
Souma replied:
"W-what is it…"
He hesitated.
"…Sakamoto?"
And for some reason—
her heart started beating faster.