Currently, Shiki was hiding by the door, peeking inside to see what the two of them were up to.
—Just as I thought… they're having lunch together, looking all happy and close.
His chest tightened at the sight, but he kept his cool, determined to follow through with the plan. Slowly, he slipped into his seat nearby, making sure not to draw their attention.
—Alright… I just need to wait for Hoshino-san to leave, and then I'll make my move.
He waited, assuming Hanabi would go wash her hands after lunch.
But ten minutes passed, and she still hadn't left. In fact, they seemed even closer than before.
—Ugh, why hasn't she moved yet?!
He fidgeted, frustrated and anxious. Checking his phone, he saw it was already 1:25 PM — just five minutes before afternoon classes started.
—Come on, hurry up or I won't get the chance!
Finally, Hanabi stood up, apparently heading to wash her hands.
—Yes! There she goes—
But he had overlooked one crucial detail: Hikari would go too. Of course she would — they'd go together.
His body slumped as if all strength left him. He let out a deep, heavy sigh.
—What a waste of time… But—
Hope returned. He remembered she usually walked home with him.
…Or at least, she used to. Now there was a real chance she'd walk home with Hanabi instead.
Trying to stay proactive, he pulled out his phone and sent a message before the bell rang.
> "Hey Amami-chan, want to walk home together later?"
Just as he hit send, he heard her message notification go off — from inside her bag.
Right. Of course. She didn't bring her phone with her into the girls' restroom.
—Crap! She won't even see this until we leave…
Frustrated by his own slowness, Shiki resigned himself to asking her directly after school.
---
During class, Hikari stole a glance at Shiki, who was diligently taking notes.
Her eyes lingered on him — his focused expression, his seriousness in class.
Her cheeks flushed a soft pink.
He really was… handsome.
But then—
"Amami-chan! What are you staring at instead of paying attention?"
"I-I wasn't staring at anything! I just got distracted… I'm sorry, sensei!"
She quickly turned her eyes to the front, stood up, and bowed in apology.
"Good. Focus."
"Y-yes, ma'am…"
As she sat back down, her cheeks still burned with embarrassment.
Shiki, meanwhile, had noticed her earlier gaze and felt uneasy.
Her blushing reminded him of how she looked when she talked to Hanabi.
—What was she distracted by?
…Was she staring at Hanabi?
Hanabi sat in the same row as Shiki, just one desk apart.
And when Hikari was scolded, it did seem like she'd been looking in that direction.
That thought made his stomach churn.
He looked up… only to see Hanabi glancing down at him from a desk away, smirking with an air of playful mischief.
—Tch. You little—
Just you wait, I will take her back.
Clenching his fists, he closed his eyes and raised one in quiet resolve.
"Kanzaki-kun!!"
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
Snapped out of his inner monologue, he stood up—only to realize it had been a trap.
Hanabi's gaze had lured him into letting his guard down.
—Damn it… She's no pushover, that's for sure.
After getting reprimanded, everyone focused back on the lesson.
---
After school. It was now 5:00 PM. Shiki was about to approach Hikari when he noticed her checking her phone.
—Ah, here we go.
He clasped his hands together on the desk, pressing his forehead against them like he was praying.
Please say yes…
After reading the message, Hikari looked over at him—concerned, slightly flustered. His odd praying posture made her nervous.
Then, turning back to her phone, she typed a simple reply:
> "Sure."
---
At the school gates, Shiki waited for her.
Soon, she appeared… but not alone.
She was with Hanabi.
Before parting ways, Hanabi planted a soft kiss on Hikari's cheek.
Hikari did the same in return.
So natural. So affectionate.
Shiki froze. His heart sank.
He turned his head away, trying to hide the storm of emotions swirling across his face.
"K-Kanzaki-kun…"
Her voice came from behind him.
He shivered slightly, turned around slowly — forcing a smile to cover the pain.
"A-Amami-chan. Shall we go?"
"Y-yeah… Are you okay, Kanzaki-kun? You look pale."
She noticed something was off.
"Ah… I'm fine. Just a little tired."
—Totally not fine. I feel awful…
Outwardly, he smiled. Inside, he was breaking.
"O-okay, let's go… so you can rest early."
Her cheeks turned a bit pink as she gently nudged him forward, clearly worried.
"Y-yeah… let's go."
---
On the way home, they barely spoke.
They talked about the day's lessons — that was it. The air between them felt heavy.
Then Shiki remembered Aiko's advice.
He decided to try it.
"A-Amami-chan…"
"Y-yes?"
"I-I think…"
Of course, it wouldn't go well. Shiki was inexperienced, awkward, and blushing hard.
"Y-you think what…?"
Hikari's face reddened too. She averted her eyes.
"I-I think… you're in lo—"
At the word "love", her whole body reacted. Her eyes went wide, cheeks burning, and her lips parted in shock.
"L-love…?"
Just as he was about to finish the sentence, they reached her house.
"I think you're in lo—"
"Ah! We're here. Bye now! See you tomorrow!"
She cut him off and bolted toward the door, slipped inside, and shut it before he could even process what happened.
"H-hey, I wasn't done talking…"
Shiki sighed, flustered and overheated.
—I just wanted to ask, "Are you in love with Hoshino-san?"
But from her reaction… maybe she really was.
He stared up at the golden-red sky of sunset, confused and overwhelmed.
—Still… how did she know what I was about to ask?
---
Elsewhere, Hikari sat with her back against the door, face flushed, hands covering her cheeks. Her eyes glistened.
"You want me to admit it…? In front of you, Shiki-chan?"
She whispered to herself, caught between fear and anticipation.
Then… smiled softly.
"I will…
When the time is right."
---