The first morning back on campus hit with a cold snap that made me pull my jacket tighter around my neck. The winter air was sharp, fresh, the kind that cleared the mind and somehow whispered about new beginnings. I moved through the familiar halls, feeling the weight of the break still lingering, but also something lighter, a quiet confidence I had not felt before.
Maybe it was the break itself, or maybe it was Sae, but something inside me had shifted. I was not just drifting anymore. I was starting to belong.
At the entrance to the lecture hall, Tanaka and Minato were already there, waiting. Their easy smiles were like an anchor in a sea of faces. It felt good, grounding.
"Nakamura," Tanaka greeted with a nod as I approached. "Ready for another semester?"
Minato's wave was quick and bright, his energy always infectious. "We've got a lot ahead. Study sessions, projects, and no slacking."
I smiled, rare as it was these days. "Would not dream of it."
We walked together toward the classroom, the rhythm of our friendship making the maze of campus feel smaller, less intimidating. The chatter around us was lively, conversations about the break, about the new classes, about plans yet to be made. But for once, I did not feel like I was standing outside looking in. I was part of it. Part of something.
As we reached the main courtyard, the air was alive with returning students, their laughter and voices swirling like a fresh wind. Then I heard it, my first name, spoken clear and steady.
"Kenji!"
I turned, and there she was, Sae. Wrapped in her winter coat and scarf, her green eyes sparkling with that same calm warmth I had come to depend on. She gave a small wave and fell into step beside me as naturally as breathing.
Tanaka raised an eyebrow at me. "Kenji, huh?"
Minato leaned closer, his voice low and teasing. "That's new. I did not even know you let people call you that."
Sae smiled knowingly. "Oh? Should I not?"
I shrugged, trying to keep my face neutral. "It's fine."
They exchanged a look, that unspoken question hanging between them. But neither pushed it. For once, the teasing did not come. Maybe they saw something different in me, something I was only just starting to notice myself.
As we walked toward the lecture building, I felt it. A subtle shift in the air, in the way I held myself. For the first time in a long time, I was not walking behind. I was right there in the middle.
Maybe I belonged.
The first week back was still settling in, but already whispers were swirling. Half-smirks in the hallway. Glances that lingered longer than necessary. I felt eyes on me more often, not just looking, but noticing.
By Wednesday afternoon, Minato caught me by the library steps, his eyes narrowed in mock suspicion.
"Hey Nakamura," he said slowly, like tasting the name. "You and Sae, you two a thing?"
I blinked. "What?"
Minato grinned like he had cracked some code. "We heard some second-years talking near the lounge. Said you were spotted at the station together during break. Alone."
"I was with her," I said, voice flat. "It's not a big deal."
"Yeah, but you don't do that with just anyone," Tanaka added, coming up behind him with a melon soda in hand. "And she calls you Kenji. She doesn't even call me by my first name."
Minato whistled, eyes wide. "That's practically marriage in university terms."
I rolled my eyes, but a warmth crept up my neck. "You two are ridiculous."
The next day the rumors were louder.
"Did you hear Sae Takahashi and Kenji Nakamura are dating?"
"No way. That quiet guy?"
"He's kind of hot in a mysterious way though."
"I thought she had a thing with that third-year guy from music theory."
Walking into class felt different. I could feel the weight of their eyes. More than usual. I ignored it like always, but part of me, the old part that had been invisible for so long, felt raw, exposed.
During lunch, I found Sae under the tree behind the lecture hall. She sat down wordlessly and handed me a steamed bun.
"You heard the rumors?" she asked, biting into hers.
"I'm not deaf."
A small smirk. "You mad?"
"Not really. Just tired."
She looked at me with those steady green eyes. "We can ignore it. Or deny it. Up to you."
I stared at the steam curling from the bun.
"I'm not ashamed to be seen with you," I said quietly.
She turned her face slightly, just enough for me to catch the faintest blush on her cheeks.
"I wasn't asking you to be."
For a moment, the noise of the campus felt far away.
Then she added, "But if anyone gives you trouble over it, I'll fight them."
I chuckled under my breath. "Please don't."
She shrugged, amused. "No promises."
After a while, things started to shift more clearly. A look that lasted too long in the hallway. A shoulder bump that felt less accidental. A smirk thrown across the courtyard during break.
I noticed all of it.
But I did not act. Not yet.
The upperclassman causing the tension was Renji Sakamoto. Third-year, arts department. Known for playing guitar at campus events and for his smooth confidence. Sae had mentioned him once or twice. Said he had asked her out, twice. Apparently, rejection did not sit well.
After literature seminar on Thursday, I found Renji waiting by the classroom door. He leaned against the wall like he owned the space, arms crossed, watching me with an unreadable look.
"Nakamura," he said smoothly, "can we talk?"
I tensed, stepping closer.
"I'm listening."
Renji's gaze was sharp. "You're close with Sae Takahashi."
I said nothing.
His voice dropped low, dangerous. "I have seen you two. And honestly, it is hard to believe she would be into someone like you."
"Someone like me?" I echoed.
He smirked. "Don't play dumb. You keep your head down. You do not talk to anyone. Suddenly, you are with her."
My voice was calm, but my heart pounded. "You sound insecure."
That seemed to hit him harder than I expected. His jaw twitched and his hand shoved me back a step.
"Watch it."
Just then Tanaka and Minato turned the corner. They froze, eyes wide. Before they could say anything, Sae appeared behind me. She looked furious.
"What the hell is this?"
Renji spun to face her, like he had been waiting for the moment.
"I am just trying to understand why you are wasting your time with someone like him."
Sae's eyes narrowed. She stepped between us without hesitation.
"You do not get to decide that, Sakamoto-senpai."
Her voice was sharp, clear. Students nearby had stopped to watch. Renji opened his mouth, but Sae cut him off.
"Kenji is the one who actually listens. The one who actually sees people. Not like you, all charm until someone says no."
Renji flinched. His pride was bruised. The smirk was gone. He muttered something barely audible and walked off without looking back.
Silence hung over the hallway.
Sae turned to me, her voice softening.
"You okay, Kenji?"
I nodded. "Are you?"
She held my eyes for a long moment.
"Let's go. I do not want to be here."
We walked to the canal, the cold wind tugging at our coats and scarves. The world was quieter than usual.
She stopped, not looking at me.
"I meant what I said," she murmured.
I glanced at her.
"I know."
She took a breath and then asked casually, "If someone asked me, if we were together, what would you want me to say?"
I paused.
Then I stepped in front of her, voice quiet but sure.
"I want you to say yes. If that is what you want, too."
She did not smile. Not right away.
Then she stepped closer.
"I do."
We did not kiss. Not yet.
But her hand found mine, fingers brushing first, then linking with quiet certainty.
I did not flinch. I did not step back.
For once, I was not the shadow in the room.
I was exactly where I belonged.