The sound of the door slamming against the wall shattered the silence of the classroom.
It was as if a glass heart had broken… that romantic atmosphere had vanished in an instant.
Saki and Hiroki froze, eyes locked.
That sweet tension, that warm ambiance — all of it evaporated in a heartbeat.
And then…
Miyuki entered through the door.
Her bag in hand, she looked ready to leave school, but the expression on her face changed in an instant.
She had smiled at first.
But when she saw Saki and Hiroki so close,
that smile vanished in an instant.
Her eyes narrowed, lips pressed together, face growing cold.
Clearly, Miyuki was trying to suppress the jealousy bubbling inside her.
"Let's go to that dinner you promised me after school,"
Miyuki said, her tone serious.
Saki was taken aback.
Dinner? What dinner?
Her heart fluttered with confusion at the unexpected words.
Hiroki noticed the tension rising—but his smile didn't fade.
Because this… was part of his plan.
"Actually, Miyuki, we have a surprise guest with us today,"
he said calmly.
"And that person… is Saki."
Miyuki's eyebrows immediately furrowed.
But to avoid hurting Saki, she lowered her voice:
"Alright… but why?"
Hiroki put his hand in his pocket, smiling, speaking with casual ease.
"Because I had her choose the club I wanted her to join. In return, I promised her a dinner."
Saki's eyes widened.
When did he promise me dinner!?
She wanted to shout in protest, but she didn't want to ruin Hiroki's plan.
Miyuki took a deep breath, trying to understand:
"Then why did you choose Saki's club?"
"The Travel Club… I made her join it like a spy,"
Hiroki said, crossing his arms, looking like a master strategist.
Miyuki's eyes widened further.
She placed her hands below her waist, forming a triangle of tension.
"What? You call that 'spying'!?"
Hiroki continued smiling.
"This way, the city where the Music Club will perform will be the one we want,"
he said, as if he had just revealed a perfect plan.
Miyuki's anger was about to explode.
"What you're doing is wrong, Hiroki! You can't make decisions for other people!
You always do this, always!"
Hiroki's smile faded slightly, though he secretly enjoyed the tension.
Then, leaning close to Saki's ear, his voice soft as a whisper:
"Your next task is to come with us to dinner."
Saki's eyebrows immediately furrowed.
A pang of discomfort ran through her—I feel like Hiroki's servant, she thought.
But deep in her heart, another voice whispered:
If I want to reach my special song… I must endure…
Saki took a deep breath, then whispered in the same tone:
"Alright, I accept… but don't push your luck too far."
Miyuki was still muttering:
"Saki can make her own choices—you can't just use her!"
Hiroki smiled, raising his hand and snapping his fingers together.
"Very well then!" he said with excitement.
"Let's get going."
He started walking toward the door.
Saki followed behind, feeling compelled to keep pace.
Her steps were light, but her heart felt heavy.
They walked side by side in the corridor—
Hiroki in the middle, Saki to his right, Miyuki to his left.
Silence…
Yet this silence was filled with jealousy and suppressed emotions.
Miyuki's steps were firm, her arms crossed over her stomach.
Her eyes squinted, thoughts running wild:
Is Saki doing this on purpose?
Saki, meanwhile, had her hands clasped in front of her legs, head bowed as she walked.
Her cheeks were flushed.
She was nervous. Scared. But also… happy.
These complicated emotions…
Am I getting one step closer to Hiroki's special song? Or… am I losing my heart?
Miyuki, just outside the school, noticed Yusuke playing with his phone.
Her eyes glinted with cunning—she had figured out how to sabotage Saki's plan.
She had seen Yusuke approaching Saki during the performance, and she was certain that Saki had noticed it too.
If Yusuke got involved, Hiroki's plan would fall apart.
This was Miyuki's chance—she had to make her move before the stage was set.
As she passed Yusuke, she suddenly stopped.
It was as if time had slowed; her eyes locked onto his.
Then she called out loudly:
"Hey, Yusuke!"
Yusuke flinched, almost dropping his phone.
He looked up, stunned, his heart racing.
Miyuki approached confidently, a sweet yet calculated smile on her face.
"Haven't you left school yet?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her voice casual but alluring.
Those around them were stunned.
Everyone exchanged glances, curious about Miyuki's unexpected behavior.
Hiroki watched from a distance.
What is this girl doing? he thought, frowning.
Miyuki didn't stop.
Suddenly, she placed her arm over Yusuke's shoulder.
Yusuke froze—he had no idea how to respond to this sudden closeness.
"Are you free after school?" Miyuki asked, maintaining her smile, her eyes sparkling.
Yusuke was bewildered.
Why was she being so familiar all of a sudden?
Saki and Hiroki, however, immediately understood Miyuki's intention.
This wasn't just an invitation… it was a move in a larger game.
Yusuke stammered,
"Y-yes… actually, I was just about to head home," he said, slightly breathless.
"Good! We're going to dinner, and you're coming with us," Miyuki said, laughing lightly, her eyes still glinting mischievously at Saki.
"At least you'll eat something nice for the first time in a while, right?"
Hiroki gave Yusuke a meaningful look and quickly intervened:
"Miyuki, don't push Yusuke so hard. Maybe he has something he can't tell us," he said, his voice serious but slightly teasing.
Saki remained silent.
She was watching everything—
but her emotions were unreadable.
She understood Miyuki's scheme, but for now, she chose to stay quiet.
Yusuke's eyes darted from Miyuki, to Hiroki, then to Saki.
He was conflicted.
He had to say something…
But he didn't know which words to choose.
And in that moment, Miyuki stepped back slightly, though her eyes still gleamed with determination to disrupt Hiroki's plan.
Every move she made seemed designed to test Hiroki's patience and strategy.
Yusuke revealed his answer.