Yuki curled tighter beneath his blanket, still facing the wall. The room was quiet now—only the faint hum of the night outside his window and the ticking of the clock above his desk filled the space. His body still buzzed faintly with emotion, but his eyes were heavy.
He squeezed the edge of his pillow and pressed it closer to his face, letting his cheek sink into the soft fabric.
Shin's voice echoed in his mind again.
"Would you want to go out tomorrow?"
He inhaled slowly.
In his imagination, it wasn't just Shin's voice anymore—it was his scent too. That faint, clean, comforting scent he caught when Shin leaned over him once in the classroom. A mix of warm cotton and soap and something boyish he couldn't describe. It lingered in Yuki's memory like a warm breeze, just like Shin's laugh.
It felt like being hugged.
Yuki pressed his face deeper into the pillow, imagining for just a second that Shin was beside him.
"…Idiot," he whispered.
His eyelids fluttered. The warmth of the blanket and the exhaustion tugged at him, but his mind kept turning over the same thought.
I have nothing to wear.
The anxiety hit again. His heart skipped.
What if I look weird? What if he thinks I'm trying too hard?
He sat up, then flopped right back down.
"No, no, no, I can't stress over this the whole night!"
He grabbed his phone again, stared at it for a long moment, then hesitantly opened his contacts.
His thumb hovered.
Then he tapped.
Aiko-san.
They weren't exactly friends, not in the usual sense—but after round twenty of the chaos-fueled competition, something shifted. After tag-teaming against Shin, screaming like lunatics, then dragging his unconscious body out of the gym, they'd limped to a nearby café together. Still in uniform. Still out of breath. Laughing like idiots.
They'd talked a lot. About Shin. About everything. She was intense, confident, and weirdly fun. And before they parted ways, she'd looked him straight in the eye and said:
"You're a lot cooler than you think, princess."
And she made him add her number.
Now, staring at her name on the screen, Yuki hesitated. It was almost midnight.
Should I? Is it too late?
But… if anyone could help him survive tomorrow, it might be her.
He hit the call button.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
Click.
"Ara~? Calling so late, are we?" Aiko's voice purred through the speaker, immediately smug. "Did you miss me that much already, Yuki-chan?"
Yuki sat up in bed like he'd been electrocuted. "N-not that! I—I mean—!"
"Oh, now I'm curious." She yawned dramatically. "Don't tell me… you're calling about a boy?"
Yuki choked. "Wha—?! How did you—?! I mean no! That's not—!"
A pause.
"…Is it about Shin?"
He paused.
Then whispered, "...Maybe."
A devilish giggle exploded on the other end. "Ooooohhhhohoho~! I KNEW it!"
Yuki held the phone away from his ear. "Stop laughing!! It's not what you think!!"
"Mmhm. Sooo, what is it then, sweet Yuki-chan? Gonna confess to him? Planning a smooch? Going to show him your cutest panties?"
"I—!! I—I DON'T WEAR PANTIES!!" he screeched, red-faced and clinging to his blanket for dear life.
Aiko's laughter grew louder. "Oh you're adorable. But seriously, what's going on?"
Yuki swallowed. "I… he asked me to hang out. Tomorrow. Just the two of us. Not a date!! Just… making up for today…"
"Uh-huh."
"It's not a date!!"
"Sounds like a date."
"It's NOT!!"
Aiko snorted. "Fine, fine. 'Not a date.' So, what do you need from your favorite fashion goddess slash wingwoman?"
"…I don't know what to wear," Yuki admitted in the tiniest voice.
There was silence.
Then:
"Oh. My. God."
"D-don't make it weird!"
"I'm not! I swear!" she said, trying to hold back a cackle. "It's just—you called me, for fashion advice. I'm honored. Truly."
"You're the only one I know who won't make it worse!"
"Sweetie, I'll definitely make it worse. But I'll also make you fabulous."
Yuki rolled on his bed and let out a groan. "This was a mistake…"
Aiko's voice softened just a little. "Hey… I got your back. And if he doesn't fall for you tomorrow, I'll personally kick him in the crotch."
Yuki snorted despite himself. "Violence isn't the answer."
"No, but it's fun."
He smiled a little.
"I'll send you some looks," Aiko said. "And tomorrow, we'll make him speechless."
"…Thank you," Yuki murmured, voice small.
"And Yuki?"
"…Yeah?"
"Even if it's not a date," she said, "You're allowed to want it to be."
Yuki's eyes widened.
He opened his mouth.
But he didn't say anything.
Just clutched the phone tighter as his heart thudded painfully in his chest.
Yuki bolted upright in bed, his blanket flying off like a cape behind him as he practically screamed into the phone, "IT'S NOT LIKE I LIKE HIM OR ANYTHING!!"
Aiko let out a loud snort on the other end, completely unfazed. "There it is—the full tsundere eruption. I was waiting for that!"
"I—!! He's a guy!! I'm a guy!! We're both guys!!" Yuki continued, his voice rising with every word as he tugged at his hair. "It doesn't even make sense! It's not even—! I mean—! Why would I—?!"
"You tell me, Yuki-chan~," Aiko purred. "You're the one calling me at midnight, squirming in bed, thinking about what to wear for a not-date with a guy who makes your heart flutter and your knees go weak."
"I'm NOT fluttering!! My knees are FINE!!" Yuki shrieked.
"Oh? So you weren't just rolling around in bed moaning about his voice and scent like some shy anime waifu?"
"I—!! You—!! SHUT UP!!" he practically exploded, burying his face into his pillow again. "This is all Shin's fault!! Stupid, dumb, muscle-head Shin!! Why did he ask me out?!"
"Because he probably likes you, dummy."
Yuki went still.
His grip on the phone tightened, and his throat felt dry.
"…Don't say that."
Aiko's tone softened a little. "Why not?"
"Because…" Yuki mumbled, his voice barely audible through the pillow. "Because if he did, I… I don't know what to do…"
"You just do what you've already been doing," Aiko said gently. "Being yourself. You're cute, you're honest—even if you act like a grumpy cat—and you make him laugh. That's more than any girl ever got out of Shin."
Yuki didn't answer right away.
His heart thudded painfully, like it was struggling to believe that could even be true.
"…I don't get it," he muttered finally. "He can have anyone he wants. He's handsome, strong, charming. Girls literally throw themselves at him. And me? I'm just…"
"You."
He blinked.
"Just Yuki," Aiko continued. "A cute, snarky, tsundere trap with big eyes, pretty lips, and a butt people would sell their soul for."
"WHAT—?!" Yuki yelped, face exploding red. "Stop saying weird stuff!!"
"I mean it," she giggled. "Trust me, Yuki. You're more irresistible than you think. Shin's already caught."
Yuki fell silent again.
His hand slid over his chest, where his heart was still hammering.
"…Just don't call it a date," he said quietly, almost like a plea.
"Fine, fine. I'll call it a strategic bonding excursion between emotionally repressed cuties."
"...I hate you."
"No you don't~"
Yuki let out a tiny huff and fell back onto his bed again, his cheeks still pink and the ache in his chest a little lighter.
"Goodnight, Yuki-chan," Aiko said warmly. "Sleep tight. Tomorrow's a big day."
"…Goodnight," he whispered.
As the call ended and the screen dimmed, Yuki stared up at the ceiling. He was still confused, still anxious… but beneath all that, there was a soft thrum of something warm.
He buried his face into his pillow again, trying to hide from it.
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END OF CHAPTER : 32 : HELP ME!
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