Silence.
Steam.
Regret.
That was the mood.
I was standing in the hallway, frozen in place, because the one and only Riko Hanazawa—my childhood friend, my crush since the 3rd grade, the only girl I've ever had feelings for—was at the front door. Holding my lunchbox.
And behind me, inside my room…
Was Yuna.
Naked.
Again.
Riko blinked. Her eyes drifted past my shoulder.
Yuna chose the worst possible time to walk out—wearing only my hoodie, unzipped, yawning like a kitten who just had the best nap of her life.
"Oh," Yuna said, tilting her head. "Is this your girlfriend?"
Riko's smile twitched.
"Girlfriend?" she repeated, voice sharp enough to cut glass.
"No! No, she's not!" I waved my arms like I was directing traffic during a panic attack. "She's just—she's not—I mean—Yuna, go put on pants!!"
"I like the breeze."
She smirked and leaned on my shoulder.
"Besides, you didn't seem to mind earlier when you woke up between my—"
SLAM.
Riko closed the door in my face.
"Riko—wait—it's not what it—RIKO!!"
But she was already gone. Just like my chances with her. Just like my will to live.
---
Five Minutes Later
I turned to Yuna.
"You RUINED my life."
She plopped on my bed, playing with my phone. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"It is a bad thing!"
She shrugged. "Look, if she likes you, one half-naked girl shouldn't change that."
"That's not how normal people work!"
She smiled sweetly. "Then maybe I'm here to make your life abnormal."
I collapsed face-first into my desk.
Why was this happening? What god did I piss off? Is this karma for stealing gum in the second grade?
---
Later, at school…
I made it to class with my soul 60% shattered.
Yuna? Yeah. She followed me.
And sat. Right. Next. To. Me.
"New transfer student," she said proudly, waving at everyone like a celebrity. "I'm Yuna Hoshigawa. I live with Kaito. And I've seen him naked."
The room exploded.
"What?!"
"No way!"
"Kaito you absolute beast!!"
Riko was sitting two rows away.
She didn't say a word.
Didn't look at me.
Just quietly erased me from existence.
I slumped in my chair, defeated.
Yuna leaned in and whispered, "I like this school."
I whispered back, "I hate you."
She giggled. "You'll love me eventually."