A deep silence settled in the corridor.
Yusuke didn't know what to say; the sudden offer had completely shocked him. His heart was racing, and his hands instinctively went into his pockets.
Just as he was about to refuse the offer, an idea came to him. If he could impress Saki while she was with Hiroki… maybe Saki would finally choose him. Silently, he thought, "Hmmm…"
Determined, Yusuke smiled faintly and said,
"Alright… I'll come then!"
Hiroki's face immediately fell at that. For a moment, it was as if his breath had been stolen.
Saki, on the other hand, felt a mix of emotions deep in her heart. She started imagining the tension that would arise between the two, part curiosity, part worry. Her cheeks flushed, and she clasped her hands in front of her legs.
Miyuki, confident that Yusuke wouldn't refuse, said with authority,
"Come on, let's go before it gets late!"
The three of them left the school and began walking. The cool air brushed against their faces, and the atmosphere was tense yet filled with excitement.
Looking at Miyuki, Yusuke smiled slightly,
"Your music performance was really great. Congratulations."
Miyuki grinned with excitement and mimed hitting the drums with her hands as if she were performing again:
"Thank you! I gave it my all with the drums!"
Yusuke nodded slightly,
"Yes… you were really impressive."
Saki intervened with a shy smile,
"I think the others did really well too."
Miyuki glanced at Saki with a teasing tone,
"Were you able to watch the others too while looking at Hiroki?"
Saki's face flushed. She hadn't expected that question.
Hiroki smiled at Saki and replied,
"Relax, Miyuki… she was focused on the star of the stage. Don't push it too far."
He continued with a proud smile.
Yusuke turned to Hiroki and said softly,
"You were in the performance too, right? Congratulations."
Hiroki immediately responded with a confident smile,
"Thank you! I wish you had been on stage too; I could have congratulated you as well."
Yusuke's expression fell. Not knowing what to say, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind:
"This year, I'm in the Travel Club… I'll choose the place where you'll perform."
Hiroki's mood sank as he realized Yusuke was also in the Travel Club. Quietly, he thought, "I wish Saki hadn't joined the club Yusuke is in…"
Miyuki, slightly surprised, asked,
"You're in the Travel Club too, Yusuke?"
"Yes, I'm also in the Travel Club this year," Yusuke replied, a faintly playful glint in his eyes.
Saki immediately intervened in a gentle, sincere tone,
"He chose the club that required the least effort so he wouldn't feel embarrassed around me."
The others started laughing. The atmosphere lightened slightly, yet beneath it all, the tension and jealousy remained palpable.
Miyuki raised her eyebrows slightly and turned to Yusuke,
"So, did you choose a club too, Saki?"
Yusuke quickly jumped in,
"Yes, she chose the Travel Club too," he said, looking at Saki with a small smile.
Miyuki, astonished, asked,
"How do you know that?"
Yusuke, with a faintly proud attitude, said,
"You chose it because you're in the Travel Club, right, Saki?"
Hiroki silently chuckled to himself, knowing the real reason Saki had chosen the Travel Club was because of him.
Saki didn't know what to say. She didn't want to admit that the real reason was Hiroki, but she had to explain herself somehow:
"I-I… chose the Travel Club because I wanted to," she said shyly.
Miyuki and Hiroki laughed; a warm, playful air filled the space.
Yusuke, however, looked slightly sad and remained silent. Another quiet moment fell, but it was far from comfortable.
Saki's stomach began to growl. She silently wondered how much longer it would take to reach the restaurant, seeking relief for her hunger.
Miyuki, seizing the opportunity, spoke,
"The restaurant we're going to… is one of Japan's spiciest."
Saki's heart raced. She didn't like spicy food at all.
"I'm actually not very good with spicy food," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Miyuki put on a sly smile. Folding her arms under her chest, she took on a challenging stance:
"You'll have to eat it, Saki. Otherwise, you might go hungry."
Hiroki quickly intervened to foil Miyuki's plan,
"Don't worry, Saki. There are dishes you can eat that aren't too spicy, the ones Miyuki meant for the spice contest," he said.
Saki silently relaxed. At least today, she would get to eat.
But Miyuki was not ready to give up. Her sharp mind sparked with a new idea. A mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes:
"There's a contest. If we win, the meal will be free. By the way, Hiroki and Saki should enter the contest too. At least if one of you wins, the food will be free."
Hearing this, Yusuke got excited. Silently, he thought he had found a chance to impress Saki.
"Yes, I agree, let's enter the contest. What do you say, Hiroki?" Yusuke asked, lightly challenging him.
Hiroki paused for a moment, looking at Yusuke with a thoughtful expression. A spark ignited inside him; this wasn't just a simple game.
Saki held her breath, watching Hiroki's reaction. Her eyes were locked on him, her heart racing with anticipation.
Miyuki approached Hiroki with a slightly teasing smile,
"Scared, Hiroki?"
Everything depended on whether Hiroki would accept this challenge or not. The silence lingered around the three of them as if time itself had slowed.
Every step, every glance, was a prelude to the next move. And deep in Saki's heart, she silently wondered:
Am I getting one step closer to the special song… or will this new game completely turn my heart upside down?