At lunch, Emiko was staring at Yuri, who was sitting with Ryu and speaking a lot, but Ryu didn't seem interested. Noticing Emiko's slightly irritated expression, Yui spoke up, "Why do you hate Yuri that much?" she asked, sensing the tension.
Emiko looked at Yui, then back at her plate, and replied, "It's not like I hate her, but she's fake. I don't want any fake people around him."
Yui looked confused, and Emiko, understanding her confusion, smiled and said, "Don't think too much about it."
Yui nodded, and they both focused on their meal. Suddenly, Emiko asked Yui, "Which extracurricular activity are you going to apply for?"
Yui thought for a while before responding, "I don't know yet. I'm not good at anything, and swimming, cooking, and etiquette are compulsory, so I don't have any other options."
Emiko seemed lost in thought, then looked at Yui and thought to herself, "If Ryu likes her , then I should help you two get closer."
She looked at Yui with a thoughtful expression and suggested, "What about ballroom dance?"
Yui exclaimed, "No way!" Emiko looked disappointed, and Yui explained, "I'm not that into dancing, and I don't know anything about ballroom dance."
Emiko tried to convince Yui, saying, "Hey, it's not that tough! If you try, you'll be great at it."
Yui couldn't resist Emiko's persuasive expression, which reminded her of an innocent child trying to convince their mother to buy them candy. Finally, Yui agreed, "Okay, I'll think about it."
Emiko's face lit up with excitement as she exclaimed, "Yes!"
Emiko spoke again, "I want to ask you something." Her face turned bright red as she spoke, and Yui noticed the change. "Are you having a fever?" Yui asked, concerned.
Emiko denied it, "No, it's... it's just... I... I... I asked..." She spoke slowly, hesitating. Yui's eyes sparkled with mischief as she completed Emiko's sentence, "You asked someone out?"
Emiko's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and Yui knew she was right. "What's his name?" Yui asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
Emiko's response shocked Yui, "I don't know." Yui's eyes widened in disbelief, "You're saying you asked someone out and don't even know who he is?"
Emiko nodded, "Yes." Yui parted her lips to say something, but Emiko's voice came again, "Two months ago, I went to a camp, but then I got lost and fell from a cliff. He saved me."
Yui's expression changed as she looked at Emiko's face. There was a feeling in Emiko's eyes that Yui didn't understand.
Emiko fell silent after speaking, her mind drifting back in time to the camp. She was laying at the bottom of the cliff, her vision blurring as her eyes slowly closed. Her head was bleeding heavily.
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of the silent night, rushing to her side. His face was not clear, but Emiko remembered it vividly. The last thing she knew was his face and voice.
Yui looked at Emiko, whose eyes were filled with unreadable feelings, but her face was calm with a small smile. "For me, he's my savior, the person who gave me a second life. He took me to a nearby hospital, but before I regained consciousness, my father transferred me to City Hospital."
Yui looked at Emiko, understanding her feelings. "So, you found him and asked him out?"
Emiko's face softened. "Not yet. I searched everywhere and found his email. I don't even know why I want to meet him, but since that day, there's been a feeling I don't understand. I don't know whether it's love or gratitude for saving me. Therefore, I want to meet him so I can be sure about what I feel. But I haven't yet decided where to meet."
A playful smirk came onto Yui's face. "This all sounds like a romance fantasy. By the way, if you don't mind, I can suggest a place."
Emiko's face lit up. "Why would I mind? Tell me."
Yui exhaled. "Star Cafe. It's the same place I work at."
"Nice," Emiko said. "I'll tell him to come there on Sunday."
Emiko was overjoyed, and Yui had never seen her this happy in the past three days. She couldn't help but smile at Emiko.
"Hey Yui," a voice said. Emiko and Yui both looked at the person who spoke. It was Kira. Seeing him, Yui's smile vanished. Emiko noticed Yui's expression and looked at Kira. "Who are you?" she asked.
Kira chuckled. "Oh, Yui, didn't you tell your friend about me?" He looked at Emiko. "I'm Kira Yamato, a second-year student." Then he looked at Yui. "Yui and I were in the same middle school."
Emiko smiled slightly. "Is that so?"
On the other side of the cafeteria, Yuri was clinging to Ryu, who was barely paying attention to what she was saying. Suddenly, her eyes fell on where Yui was, and she noticed Yui's expression.
Kira suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned back, and it was Yuri. She put on her usual smile and began to speak.
"Hey, if I'm not wrong, then you're my senior, right? I'm Yuri, Yuri Tachibana."
Hearing her name, Kira's expression changed. He had heard of the Tachibana family, and seeing Yuri Tachibana herself approaching him, he put on a smile and parted his lips to speak. But Yuri clung to his arm.
"Let's go somewhere else. I want to ask you something about school. Why don't you take me on a school tour?"
Kira nodded, and they walked towards the exit. Emiko turned to Yui and asked, "Are you okay?"
Yui nodded and exhaled. Yuri, in the doorway, turned to her and gave a small but warm smile. Her face appeared, and Ryu watched from a distance, observing everything with his usual unreadable expression.
Later That afternoon, Yui entered her house. "I'm back," she said, putting her shoes in the rack. She moved to her room and changed into her usual outfit before leaving for the cafe. She then moved to the dining table to have some snacks and saw Jin there. A smirk came onto her face.
"So, didn't you go to university today?" she asked, taking a seat near him.
Jin leaned back in his chair. "My last lecture was free, so I came here before going to the library."
Yui then moved to a cabinet, taking out a cup of noodles. "Where's Mom?" she asked, pouring hot water into the cup.
Jin looked at her. "She left for a delivery."
Yui sighed and sat near Jin as she ate. She noticed a change in Jin's expression as he read something on his phone.
"What happened?" she asked.
Jin rubbed the back of his head. "Umm, ah, remember that camp two months ago? Actually, that's where I saved a girl, and now somehow she got my email asking to meet at the same cafe where you work to thank me."
Yui, who was eating noodles, stopped mid-bite as she heard what he said. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind.
"Could it be?"
Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening around her.