It looks like I underestimated her.
Miyako.
She's not just diligent—she seems to be living on a schedule that doesn't even pause for a breath.
Everything she does is perfect, neat, as if she's afraid of ruining the world around her.
And yet she is... Damn cute.
Yes, I thought of that.
Seriously?
Yes.
In literature, she not only took notes of her own, but also sometimes nudged the page with her elbow when I forgot to write down a quote.
In math, she handed me a spare pencil when mine broke. Without words. I just put it on the edge of my desk.
I said, "Thank you."
She nodded, and... that was it.
And then... She got sick.
A day without her
It was like that in class... empty.
I sat in my seat and caught myself thinking that the usual "rivalry" had become a habit.
Everything seemed fine without her... quiet.
Takao was trying to entertain me, of course, but I was acting like an idiot. He answered briefly, listlessly.
On the third day of her absence, I didn't even notice how I asked the class teacher:
"Is Miyako okay?"
The teacher smiled:
"Got a bit of a cold." He'll be back tomorrow, don't worry.
Don't worry?
Was I worried?
Return
The next day she came. Her face was a little paler than usual. Lips — pursed. But still with the same neat expression.
I noticed that she didn't have breakfast.
I didn't have breakfast either. But... He took out his bun and placed it in front of her.
— Take it. I don't eat sweets anyway.
She looked at me for a second or two.
"Thank you," he said softly, but this time with a real, warm smile.
And at that moment, something inside me... trembled.
After lessons
I was about to leave when she came over.
— Kurume... She looked away a little. "You.".. Are you free after school?
—Um... yeah, sort of.
— Do you want to go to a cafe? I would... I wanted to talk.
I froze. Miyako? Calling? In a cafe?
— Okay. Why not," I replied, trying not to sound surprised. Or joy.
Although I could already hear Takao's voice inside:
"That's how it started."