Yuuto walked toward the school, earbuds in. No music, though—just the soft hum of nothing. It was his barrier. His hands stayed deep in his hoodie pockets. The sunlight flickered over his face. For once, the day didn't seem too hard.
Then—
"Yuuutooo~!"
He froze. His heart skipped, just a little. That voice. That name.
He looked up—and there she was. Hikari Amamiya, standing right there, waving one hand with half a melon pan in the other. Her blonde hair shimmered under the sun like something out of a commercial. No teasing grin today. Just her.
"You're early," she said, grinning anyway.
"I always am," he muttered, eyes shifting away.
"I know," she smiled. "Been keeping track."
He glanced at her sideways. "…You wait for me?"
She nudged a pebble with her shoe. "Maybe."
He didn't say anything, but thinks,
"Why would she do that? That's… kind of nice."
His steps slowed, so they walked side by side. The silence that followed wasn't awkward. It was... something else. Like an inside joke neither of them had to explain.
They were almost at the school gates when someone called out.
"Yo, Yuuto!"
He turned. Ren jogged up, his guitar case bouncing behind him. He stopped short when he saw Hikari next to Yuuto.
"Oh. Am I interrupting something?" Ren smirked.
"Yes," Hikari replied, deadpan.
Yuuto blinked. "No."
She shot him a look. Sharp, unreadable. Was she annoyed? Pouting? He couldn't tell.
"This is Hikari Amamiya," Yuuto said, clearing his throat. "M-My…"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "My what?"
His throat dried. He thought to himself. "Say it. Say it and maybe it'll start to feel real."
"…My girlfriend," Yuuto managed.
Hikari blinked. Her heart gave a little kick.
Then thinks, "Why did that word hit harder than I expected?It was just part of the game… wasn't it?"
Ren looked between them. "This girlfriend?"
Yuuto shrugged, like it was no big deal. "Yeah."
Hikari leaned in, smiling like she owned the moment. "Problem?"
Ren snorted. "You? A girlfriend? You skipped right past 'hello' and landed on 'dating'?"
Yuuto didn't answer.
Ren turned to Hikari, squinting. "You sure about this? This guy doesn't even talk to people."
Hikari crossed her arms. "And yet, I talk to him."
Ren just laughed and walked off, clearly not convinced.
The first period was over, and P.E. came
The class was split into dodgeball teams. Yuuto stood near the back like always, hoping to avoid attention. But his eyes wandered—he couldn't help it. Hikari was across the court, glancing at him now and then.
When their eyes met, she winked.
"C'mon, boyfriend," she called out. "Show me you're not just a brooding look!"
Yuuto sighed. Ren leaned in, whispering, "Still playing this act?"
Yuuto didn't respond.
Then Ren tossed him the ball. "Your move, Romeo."
Yuuto threw it—and bam, one kid out.
Gasps from the class.
"That's my boyfriend!" Hikari shouted, pumping a fist.
More gasps.
Yuuto felt his heart thud hard in his chest. When he tried another throw, it missed by a mile.
Hikari laughed. "You peaked already?"
He rolled his eyes. "You're unpredictable."
"I'm just getting started," she said, shooting Ren a look.
Yuuto smiled. Just a little.
Ren, watching the two of them, frowned.
The bell rang. Lunch. Yuuto's feet moved to the Rooftop.
Yuuto sat with his back to the railing, unwrapping a sandwich. The rooftop was quiet. Usually, it calmed him. Today it felt... off.
The door creaked. Hikari stepped out, holding two drinks. She tossed one his way.
He caught it.
"Yuzu soda. Your favorite."
He looked at her. "You remembered?"
"Obviously. I am your girlfriend."
He didn't reply, thought to himself, "No one ever remembered. Not things like this," but there was a tiny smile, barely there.
They sat in silence for a while.
Then—
"Shimuzu-kun's been staring at us all morning," Hikari said.
Yuuto snorted. "Thinks we're faking it."
She turned to him. "Are we?"
Her voice was quiet. Not teasing this time. Something deeper hung in the air.
He shrugged, looking at the sky. "Does it matter?"
Hikari stared at him. "Does it matter to you?"
He looked back. Her expression wasn't playful this time. Just... searching.
"I guess not." But the way his chest tightened… yeah, maybe it did.
She leaned her head back against the railing. "You're weird, Yuuto. Sometimes you're a total wall. Other times, you say stuff like that."
He glanced at her. "What kind of stuff?"
She smirked. "Stuff that makes me overthink."
"Like people expect me to always smile, you know? Like if I stop, something's wrong."
She says it quickly, then brushes it off—but I noticed. Before he could answer, the door flew open.
"Alright, enough romance novel material," Ren said, waving a hand. "I'm keeping my eyes on you."
Hikari didn't even turn. "You're wasting your time."
Ren stayed there a second too long before finally leaving.
Yuuto didn't say anything. Neither did Hikari.
But the sun felt warm on their skin, and neither of them moved.
Later, in the library
Yuuto sketched in his notebook, ignoring the whispers of the other students. The library was his spot. Quiet. No one bothered him here.
"Found you," a voice said.
He looked up, hiding his notebook. Hikari again. Same grin.
She said, "Are you making manga. Why are you hiding it?"
"I wasn't hiding," he said.
"Liar."
She sat across from him, chin in hand.
"Why don't you talk to anyone else?" she asked quietly.
He looked down at his hands. "They want something. Always do."
She didn't answer right away. Just looked at him, softer this time.
End of the day.
Yuuto stayed back to finish a quick errand for the teacher. When he walked into the classroom again, it was mostly empty, except for Hikari by the window, staring out.
"You're still here?"
"I was waiting."
He blinked. "Why?"
She walked up to him, pulled something out of her bag—a small pink sticky note.
She handed it to him. "Here. My LINE ID. For when you want to talk.
He stared at the note. Her handwriting was round, kind of cute. A tiny cat and a heart doodled at the bottom.
He looked up. He didn't even think. The word slipped out, soft and new.
"Hikari."
He hadn't meant to say it. But saying her name felt… right. Maybe he didn't want this to be fake anymore.
She blinked. "That's the first time you've said my name."
He looked away, flustered.
She smiled. "Say it again sometime."
She turned, touching her cheek. It was warm.
Why am I blushing? she wondered.
It's just a name. So why did it feel like everything?
To be continued…