Elara was avoiding Alex.
Alex knew it, and Chiara knew it, but neither of them brought it up.
Elara had been like this since Sunday. Although Alex was at the Summer house, he primarily spent time with Mrs. Summer... As for Elara, perhaps she didn't know what attitude to take toward him, still wrestling with conflicting feelings.
Today, she woke up extra early to get to school, staying put in her classroom, with absolutely no intention of going to see Alex. She usually couldn't wait to walk to school with him. During breaks, she would always seek out Alex or Chiara and the others...
It was noon now. In the past, Elara would eat her bento with Alex and Chiara in the library or on the rooftop, but today she stayed in her classroom with her friend.
"Elara? Elara?"
Misaki called her name twice. Elara, sitting across the joined desks, was holding her chopsticks and mindlessly poking at the rice in her bento box, completely lost in thought, having not heard her friend's voice. Misaki looked helpless.
She reached out a finger and gave her a sharp poke on the cheek.
"Misaki?" Elara snapped out of her daze. "What is it?"
Misaki was a classmate and a member of the girls' basketball club. They both had the same hair color, but unlike Elara, Misaki's red hair was tied into a ponytail, making her a lively, athletic girl. They had become good friends.
"That's what I should be asking you. What's wrong, Elara? You're not eating properly, you won't answer when I call, and you're constantly spacing out."
I'm spacing out?
"Nothing, just thinking about a few things..."
"Thinking things? Is it about a guy?" Misaki rested her face on one hand and took a bite of her rice ball.
"...How did you know?"
Elara was slightly embarrassed, uneasy facing her friend.
"Anyone can guess. You disappear every lunch break, always running toward the first-years' area, and I've seen you bring two lunch boxes several times. There's no other reason besides a boy."
Her friend's words reminded Elara of the past. It was true; she used to constantly look for Alex, Chiara, and Makoto, even making food for him and wanting to be around him all the time.
But all of that was just because of the hypnosis...
This was Elara's core conflict. Although she had been hypnotized, that jerk didn't manipulate her feelings; he merely altered her entire worldview. Now that she was back to normal, Elara couldn't confidently say that the affection she felt was false... nor could she cut ties with Chiara and Makoto, who had become her friends.
She even found herself missing those happy times—eating lunch with Alex and chatting playfully with Chiara and the others.
And yet, she couldn't put aside this emotional hurdle...
Today, she stayed in the classroom to eat lunch with her friend, but her mind had already drifted outside, to Alex and his group. Chiara and the others must be eating lunch with Alex now, right?
Mom made two bento boxes today, too, but I couldn't bring myself to give him his... I wonder what he's having for lunch. Ugh, even without me, Chiara and the others are cooking for Alex. Why am I worried about this? Elara quickly shook her head, glancing at the untouched bento box in her desk drawer, her face shadowed with gloom.
She felt a little discouraged. Even though she was trying to avoid Alex, she couldn't forget him; he was always popping into her thoughts...
"You're spacing out again," Misaki rubbed her temples, frustrated and amused. "Elara, if it's a love problem, talk to me. Maybe I can help."
"No, it's not love," there was no way she could talk about this. Elara shook her head. "Don't overthink it, Misaki. I'm fine."
Having said that, she packed up her lunch box.
"You're not going to eat that?" Misaki was astonished, seeing the food barely touched in the box. "You've only had a few bites of such a hearty meal."
"I don't have much appetite. If you like it, Misaki, you can have it," she smiled, pushing her bento box toward her friend.
"You have club practice this afternoon, you should..."
Seeing Elara flop back down on her desk to zone out, Misaki looked down at the lunch box before her, sighing in resignation. "I'm really curious now. Who is this person who has you so distracted that you've caught a bad case of love sickness?"
Love sickness?
Is this what love sickness feels like? No way...
The tedious, boring lunch break ended. Elara hadn't left the classroom once, and Alex and the others hadn't come to find her, as if they had forgotten she existed. Elara was not happy.
She felt quite upset.
Even though she didn't know what she wanted—avoiding him, yet hoping he would seek her out... As for the boyfriend she had dated for barely two days, she did remember him, but that was all.
The girl didn't plan to look for him; she felt no real affection for him anymore.
The afternoon classes were a blur. Elara didn't even know how she had gotten through the day until the dismissal bell rang. Only then did the girl regain a little bit of energy.
"Let's go, time to play ball. Forget all the unhappy stuff," Misaki pulled Elara, heading toward the indoor gym for their club activities.
Thump—
Thump—
In the girls' basketball club, girls in athletic uniforms were sweating on the court. The sound of the ball hitting the floor was occasionally accompanied by cheers and shouts.
Elara, wearing the number 24 jersey, played the shooting guard position. Her movements and footwork were swift and agile, and her ball control was excellent, fluid and natural. She effortlessly sidestepped her opponent and successfully made a layup.
The girls watching courtside let out another round of cheers.
"Phew—"
Elara adjusted her breathing and returned to the baseline for a defensive run. As she turned, she inadvertently noticed an extra person watching from the sidelines.
Alex stood there, hands in his pockets, smiling as he watched the girls on the court—specifically, watching her. Elara's breathing immediately became ragged.
Her focus was shattered.
H-He, why is he here?
She had brought Alex here once before, so he knew where her club practiced, but...
Thump-thump-thump—
"Elara!"
Distracted, Elara was intercepted by an opponent. Her internal turmoil made her movements sloppy. She tried to dodge her opponent but her legs suddenly went weak during the chase, and a feeling of exhaustion surged through her.
BAM!!
She fell hard to the floor.
"Elara?!"
"Elara, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Elara!!"
The girls rushed over. Elara sat on the ground, clutching her ankle, forcing a weak smile as she shook her head at her teammates. "I'm fine, I'm okay."
However, the pain in her ankle brought sweat to her brow.
How... embarrassing.
She felt miserable, and Alex had seen her in such a pathetic state.
The surrounding noise gradually receded. The crowd parted, and Alex walked in. Elara stared at him blankly, then lowered her head, hiding her face in the shadow. She moved her lips. "Alex..."
"Twisted your ankle?"
"...Yeah."
"You're so careless. I'll help you to the locker room to rest."
"...Okay."
She didn't refuse, nor did she want to.
The pain in her foot seemed to ease slightly. Looking at the boy who had forcefully wrapped an arm around her without asking, Elara hooked her arm around his neck and leaned on his shoulder. The familiar scent brought the girl an overwhelming sense of security.
It turned out he had long become an inseparable part of her daily life, impossible to cut away.