There she is.
Mina stands by the rooftop railing, the wind lifting her long purple hair as she looks down at the courtyard where the track splits the school in half.
She hasn't noticed me yet.
Perfect.
I set my lunch tray down quietly—slow, controlled—so quiet not even the plastic makes a sound. Then I close the rooftop door behind me, easing it shut until it clicks softly.
Still nothing.
I crouch low, weight forward, creeping across the rooftop like a stealth mission in an RPG.
Closer…Almost…Just a few more steps—
"Hey… Haru."
I freeze.
Her soft voice cuts through me like a blade.
She didn't even turn around. She just knew.
How the hell—
Slowly, she turns just enough for her red eyes to lock onto mine. Her purple hair shifts in the breeze, her faint smile tightening something in my chest.
Cute.
Way too cute.
I shoot upright immediately, trying to pretend I wasn't sneaking up on her like a gremlin. I scratch the back of my head, looking anywhere but at her.
Smooth. Very smooth.
"My sneak attacks usually work… well, on my mom," I mutter.
Her laughter floats in the air—soft, warm, dangerous. She steps toward me, slow and graceful. Her shadow reaches mine, climbing up my shoes all the way to my chest.
She's close. Too close. I have to tilt my head up just to look at her.
Why am I so short?
She tilts her head, eyes narrowing in that sweet, teasing way.
"Just a guess," she says quietly. "We met here before… so I thought you'd come again."
I meet her eyes.
And smile.
Then silence. Thick and awkward.
Say something, Haru. Anything.
But before I can form a single thought, she leans forward over my shoulder just enough to look at the tray behind me.
"You brought lunch," she says.
"Y–Yeah. Did you, uh… want to share?"
Why did I say that? Why did I offer cafeteria food?
She looks at me.
Still smiling.
Still staring.
"Oh… um… sure," she says.
My heart refuses to beat normally. Sharing food with a girl? This is advanced difficulty. I'm not ready.
I grab the tray and sit near the door. She sits beside me, close enough that her shoulder brushes mine.
Too close.
Her scent—sweet, warm, soft—hits my nose, and my brain shuts off.
I stare at the curry. Prison food. The onigiri Kurozawa gave me looks way better.
I break it in half, handing her the better-looking piece.
"I… here. Take this."
She giggles and accepts it.
Then—
Her hand tightens around her half.
Just slightly at first.
Then more.
Rice bulges between her fingers.
The seaweed tears.
A few grains fall onto her skirt.
Her expression hasn't changed.
Her eyes stay on me.
"Who made this?"
Her voice is calm. Too calm.
That calm tone someone uses right before committing a felony.
I swallow.
"Oh—uh… the girl from the auditorium. The one I bumped into. She made it for me. To thank me for letting her borrow my math book."
Mostly true.
Silence.
Cold, sharp silence.
The rooftop wind feels heavy, like it's pressing on my chest.
Her grip tightens.
Rice crushes in her palm with a faint, wet sound.
Her red eyes stare right into me—wide, trembling, hollow.
That smile is gone.
What the hell…?
"M–Mina?"
No answer.
She doesn't blink.
The air feels wrong .Like if I move, something bad will happen.
She keeps staring.
Then—
"Oh… wow!" she says suddenly, cheerful again. "She cooks really good!"
The switch is instant. Too instant.
She's smiling.
But I can't unsee the moment before. That blank, empty stare. The crushed onigiri dripping through her fingers.
Something about it crawls inside my chest and stays there.
Ring.
Lunch ends.
I stand quickly, hands shaking. I haven't even touched the curry. Not hungry.
She stays seated.
"I'll see you after school," she says softly, smiling. "Meet me at the entrance."
I nod and walk away, legs unsteady.
The bathroom mirror.
I grip the sink, staring at my reflection.
"What the hell was that…?"
Her expression. That crushing grip. That silence.
That wasn't normal.
No, no… maybe I'm overthinking. Maybe she does that when she tenses up…
Right?
I slap my cheeks.
Focus, Haru.
Arcade date tonight.
Win her something cute.
Good ending unlocked.
"Why am I such a genius," I mutter.
Class.
Another dull lecture. I can't focus.
Kurozawa sits next to me, quiet, occasionally glancing my way. Probably curious why I look like I saw God and lost.
Ring.
School ends.
Game time.
I swap my shoes, take a deep breath, and head outside.
There she is.
Waiting.
Same smile.
"Ready?" I ask, eyes mostly on the ground.
She nods.
We walk side by side, the breeze pushing against us.
"Haru?" she says.
"Hm?"
"Do you think… I could make lunch for you?"
I blink.
Lunch? For me?
Oh. Hell yes.
My charm is working.
"Yeah—of course! I'd love that!"
She giggles.
"I'll try my best," she says softly.
We reach the arcade.
Bright lights. Loud games. The smell of popcorn.
I open the door for her. She giggles again.
I load a token card, lead her to the fighting game cabinet.
"This is my favorite. You take left."
"Okay," she says.
The announcer booms:
"FIGHT!"
I smirk.
I'll go easy on her—
Wait—She's comboing me. Clean combos. Perfect inputs.
No way.
Twenty minutes later—
I lose.
Fifteen times.
Not even one win.
I stare at my hands in betrayal.
"How…?"
I stand.
"I'm gonna… use the bathroom. Then crane games."
She nods happily.
I head toward the hallway—crowded, noisy.
Then—
BAM.
I slam head-first into someone.
I fall back, grabbing my forehead.
A girl stands in front of me.
Silver hair. Purple eyes. Older—college age maybe.
She reaches down to help.
"Oh, are you okay?" she says.
How is she fine? What is she—steel reinforced?
Then she freezes.
Her hand stops mid-air.
Her breath catches.
Her body goes stiff.
Her eyes… widen.
She looks past me.
Over my shoulder.
Her face turns pale.
Then she turns away and walks—no, practically flees.
Fast. No explanation.
My stomach drops.
Why did she—
"Haru… are you okay?"
That voice.
I turn.
It's Mina.
Standing right behind me.