The classroom was filled with the usual morning chatter by the time Reiji took his seat.
Kaito, who had arrived a little before him, leaned back in his chair and sighed dramatically.
"Man, Yuna kept me on the phone for an hour last night," he said. "Not that I mind, of course. My girlfriend's voice is a blessing to my ears."
Reiji didn't even look up from his notebook. "And yet you're the one complaining."
Kaito chuckled. "I'm just saying, the life of a man in love isn't easy."
Reiji gave him a side glance. "Sounds exhausting."
"Nah, it's fulfilling," Kaito said with a smug grin. "You wouldn't understand, Reiji. Not yet, at least."
Reiji chose not to respond.
Before Kaito could tease him any further, the bell rang, signaling the start of the first period.
—
Lunch break arrived faster than expected, and Reiji made his way to the rooftop, preferring the quiet over the noise of the cafeteria.
However, his moment of peace didn't last long.
"Why are you here?"
The sharp voice made him pause mid-step.
He turned to see Sena standing near the fence, arms crossed, an annoyed expression on her face.
Reiji exhaled quietly. "I could ask you the same thing."
Sena scoffed. "I've been coming here since the first year. This is my spot."
Reiji wasn't particularly interested in arguing over territory. "I'll leave, then."
Before he could turn around, Sena clicked her tongue. "Tch. Whatever. Do what you want."
She turned away, seemingly uninterested in him now.
Reiji considered just leaving, but something about her reaction made him pause. She wasn't just annoyed—there was something else beneath it.
Instead of leaving, he walked over to the opposite side of the rooftop and sat down, unwrapping his lunch in silence.
Minutes passed without either of them speaking. The only sounds were the occasional breeze and the faint voices of students below.
Sena glanced at him once but didn't say anything.
Neither of them acknowledged each other, but for some reason, neither of them left either.
—
The afternoon classes passed uneventfully.
But as the last period ended, the teacher made an announcement.
"We're short on members for the student activity clubs this semester. If you haven't joined one yet, I strongly encourage you to sign up."
Reiji hadn't thought about clubs at all. He preferred not to be involved in unnecessary things.
But fate had other plans.
Because when he went to check the list later, his name was already written under a club he didn't remember signing up for.
And right next to his name… was Sena's.
Reiji stared at the paper, unamused.
It seemed like his life was about to get a lot more complicated.
—