[Hitomi's POV]
The afternoon sun streamed through the large windows of my friends' clubroom, casting a warm glow over the spacious area filled with plush cushions and elegant furnishings. It felt like an inviting oasis, perfect for unwinding. I turned to Mocha-san, my curiosity piqued. "Just to confirm, it's really okay to hang out in the clubroom, right?" I asked, glancing around the recently renovated space that seemed to whisper of luxury.
Mocha-san nodded, her eyes sparkling with a hint of excitement. "Y-yeah. Yukiya-kun and Aria-san said it was okay, so it should be fine," she replied, settling beside me on the soft sofa, its fabric inviting and warm against my skin.
"Speaking of which, where are those two anyway?" I wondered aloud, noticing the absence of Aria-san and Yukiya-kun, the other members of our small SS club. The room felt a bit emptier without them.
Mocha-san glanced down, her voice softening. "They are helping Shiori-senpai with accounting papers and stuff. A-Aria-san is surprisingly good at accounting and math," she said, a sense of pride evident in her tone as if she had just discovered a hidden talent in her friend.
I nodded knowingly. "Well, Aria-san is the daughter of a mega-corporation, so she must have had formal training to succeed her parent's company," I theorized, piecing together the logical steps that led to her skill.
Changing the subject, I leaned closer, lowering my voice conspiratorially. "Anyway, did you take notes on our science class this morning?"
Mocha-san averted her eyes, a flash of guilt crossing her face.
My heart sank slightly as I sighed and muttered in disappointment, "I thought so."With a faint smile, I offered, "You can copy mine," lifting my phone, displaying the neatly organized pictures of my notes like a lifebuoy in a sea of academic chaos.
Her face lit up, eyes sparkling with gratitude. "Really? T-Thank you, Hitomi-san!" she exclaimed, clenching her fist in excitement. I noticed her hand hesitate in the air, as if she was contemplating a hug but didn't quite know how to execute it. It was endearingly awkward.
I couldn't help but grin at her cuteness, relishing in how her shy demeanor made our friendship feel special. "You know, Mocha-san, you should seriously consider being more systematic when it comes to your studies. What would you do when you reach college?" I gently chided her, hoping to convey my concern as a friend who cared.
"Y-Yeah. I'll work on that," she replied awkwardly, her smile a mix of embarrassment and aversion as she accepted my phone from me.
Mocha-san may not have realized it, but she had this endearing habit of averting her gaze whenever she was lying. Observing her reaction, I sensed a lingering hesitation; she probably hadn't given her future much thought yet. After all, we were only first-years. But the idea of attending the same college her someday was not such a bad idea.
As Mocha-san scrolled through the photos in my gallery, she complimented, "Your handwriting is always so organized. It's so easy to understand." Suddenly, an awkward silence hung in the air, her expression shifting from admiration to shock as she accidentally scrolled too far.
Wondering why the conversation had come to a halt, I turned to see what had caught her attention. To my horror, a photo of a boy from our class, one she knew all too well, flashed across the screen of my phone.
In a panic, I instinctively slapped the device from her hands, watching it land with a thunk on the ground between us. We both froze, eyes glued to my phone, which still displayed the incriminating image of the certain boy.
Without thinking, I dove down, shielding the phone with my body, a playful, ominous smile creeping across my lips. "Did you see?" I asked with mock authority, wanting to extract the truth from her.
Averting her gaze, Mocha-san stammered, "N-No. I didn't! I definitely didn't see Yukiya-kun on the screen of your phone!"
I couldn't help but smile awkwardly, realizing *she definitely saw*. Her inability to meet my gaze was clear evidence.
I sighed, a resigned feeling washing over me. "I guess the cat is out of the bag."
It was a careless mistake on my part; I shouldn't have allowed non-members to borrow something so personal as my phone. With a surge of courage bubbling within me, I confessed, "I'm Yukiya Saito's number one fan."
"Eh?" Mocha-san froze, too stunned to speak from my revelation.
"Since when?" Mocha-san asked in surprise, wondering where my admiration was coming from.
"It all started in the first semester of high school..."
[Five months ago, when high school just started]
I came into high school with one thing in mind: "I'm gonna expand my social circle."
That means expanding my network, as connections are crucial for academic success, opening up new opportunities, boosting one's confidence ...and feeling that you belong. Is what I have gathered from my research.
And so I raised my hand, calling for the class representative position. And so I became the class representative of class 1-A.
A few weeks had gone by, and I had made plenty of connections by putting up a front, pretending to be bubbly, conscious of how I looked, and adjusting myself to everyone to play this perfect character that everybody would like.
Along with other strong personalities in class, we created a circle called the *Weekend Hangout Study Group.* As the name suggests, we hang out on weekends, not necessarily studying, but enjoying our youth, having outings every now and then.
All I could say I had a pretty healthy social life. Everyone who mattered liked me, I excelled in academics, and the most popular girl in class.
Who in this world wouldn't like me as I am now? Is what I asked myself, staring at a certain boy, wearing a strange outfit in class, who always seems alone in his corner.
"Saito-kun. I'm collecting assignments from yesterday's math class." I flashed a bright smile and requested, "May you hand me yours?"
He simply glanced at me, then turned his gaze away without a word as he pulled out his homework from under his desk.
*As rude as ever, I see...* I thought to myself, ticked off by his attitude, doing my best not to show my annoyance on my face.
*Who would want to be a friend of a weirdo anyway?* I told myself, rejecting the idea of needing his favor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Early in the morning, I opened my shoe locker to find a letter on top of my shoes.
I sighed and muttered, "Another one?"
Lately, a lot of guys have been confessing to me. So this is likely another love letter sent to me.
I opened the letter, and just like I thought,
"Meet me behind the old school building," a masculine voice muttered behind me.
I turned my gaze towards the voice, only to find Yukiya-kun holding a similar-looking letter.
Our eyes accidentally met. Immediately, I put up my perfectly put smile, "So you got one too. Huh. Haha..." I laugh awkwardly, as I cannot believe the weirdo has genuinely received a love letter. *It's probably from a punishment game,* I thought to myself, looking at the letter he's holding.
Saito-kun grinned at me mockingly, telling me. "Hoho~ I didn't think you would be the type to receive these kinds of letters."
*What do you mean, I don't look the part*
"Y-Yeah. I receive one of these letters every now and then. But I don't have any plans on dating. At least, not yet." I replied, trying my best to hide my annoyance.
"Dating?" He tilted his head, looking puzzled.
*Is he mocking me, thinking I'm not capable of being in a relationship?*
I absolutely can't stand him.