Chapter5: Challenge
I had reluctantly agreed to meet her after school. I always took pride in being a man of my word, and I wasn't about to start flaking now. After that whole running-from-men-in-black situation with Hinata, it felt way too late to still be keeping promises—but hey, maybe Mizuki had gotten tired of waiting and gone home. That would've been great.
My backpack was starting to dig into my shoulders like it had a personal grudge, and sweat was dripping down my forehead like I'd just finished a marathon. I dragged my feet toward the school gate, half-hoping to find nothing but empty air.
Nope. Mizuki was there.
The moment she spotted me, she raised a hand like she was waving… then hesitated… then put it down… then awkwardly lifted it again. It was like watching someone try to reboot mid-wave. But what really threw me off? Her usual fan club—gone. No crowd. No drama. Just her.
And for the first time, Mizuki looked… genuine?
I approached her with the caution of someone trying to pet a wild raccoon.
"You wanted to talk, right?" I asked.
Mizuki nodded and took a step closer, lowering her voice like we were plotting a secret heist. "Takashi, I owe you an apology. For everything. I really didn't have to be such a jerk."
She looked at me for a second, then added, "Also… where are you coming from? You look like you haven't slept in a century. And what's with all that sweat? Oh—forget I said that. I totally didn't say that."
I blinked. I was a mess, and pretending I hadn't heard that was going to be a challenge. "Where I was doesn't matter. Not important. Did you say… apology?"
"Let's go with 'never mind'," she said with a near-whisper. "It was childish and mean. But… things have changed. I realized I never gave you a real chance. I judged you based on rumors and how you looked, and… I'm sorry for that."
I hadn't seen that coming. Honestly, I'd prepared myself for some snarky one-liner or even another round of her signature mockery. But this? This was weird.
I looked into her eyes, trying to see if this was just some elaborate prank—but her expression seemed too sincere. Suspiciously sincere.
"So now what?" I asked, still on alert. "What do you want from me?"
Mizuki hesitated like she was stepping onto thin ice. "I just… want to do things right this time. I don't expect us to be friends right away, but maybe we can start over. At least… let me show you who I really am. Not the person I was before."
I stared at her, thinking. Mizuki had always been Miss Confidence—queen of composure and sass. Seeing her this exposed, this open, was borderline uncomfortable. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else behind her sudden personality patch update.
"I… don't really know what to say," I admitted. "But… I'll think about it."
Mizuki gave a small, hesitant smile. "That's all I'm asking."
She walked away, and I was left standing there, surrounded by thoughts that had clearly skipped their bedtime. This was not the Mizuki I knew. A big part of me couldn't help but wonder—what the hell had triggered this? Was she really sorry, or was this some long-con chess game I didn't know the rules to?
The apology, the sudden attention, the mood shift—it all felt like I'd been swept into a drama I didn't audition for. The inheritance hadn't just brought money; it brought eyeballs. Attention I never asked for. And now, Mizuki's words were the latest in a string of "Wait, what?" moments.
That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling like it owed me answers. My phone buzzed— a message from Hinata.
"Are you okay, Takashi? "
I stared at the message, thumbs frozen mid-air. Part of me wanted to dump the whole mental circus onto her—Mizuki's dramatic plot twist, the suspiciously timed apology, and my own Oscar-worthy meltdown. But then another part of me—the rational one, probably hiding under the bed—whispered: What if she's just being polite? But we were talking about Mizuki here. Being polite would be weird for her without any reason.
But… Hinata. She didn't feel fake. When she spoke, there was a kind of honesty in her eyes—like she actually saw me. Not the weird kid with the sweat-soaked shirt and trust issues, but me.
That thought alone was enough to make my chest do a weird little jump. Not a full-on romantic leap, more like a hiccup… but still.
I took a deep breath, trying not to overthink it like a total dork, and typed:
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking."
Sent.
The phone buzzed again, soft and familiar, like a cat nuzzling your leg when you're trying to act cool. In the thick silence of my room, it was the only thing that felt real.
Change had come crashing in, uninvited and without knocking. Mizuki's unexpected apology had been the appetizer, but Hinata's message? That was the thing lingering in my head.
I didn't know what was coming next. But maybe, just maybe, I was hoping it had more to do with her.