As soon as they were stopped, Shouko noticed from the corner of her eye that the boy's ears were burning red, and in his hands was a pink envelope.
Well… anyone with half an eye could see what was happening. He was here to confess.
Over the past three years, she had indeed received a handful of anonymous love letters slipped into her desk drawer, but she had always treated them as pranks and tossed them away.
This was different.
As the boy's halting words left his mouth, both Takagi and Ayumi instinctively turned their heads toward Akira, who was standing behind Shouko. But when they saw his expression—calm and completely unreadable—they quickly looked away.
Still, it took guts. To openly confess in front of Miyamura Akira was practically like courting death.
"Looking for me…?" Shouko tilted her head, slightly surprised. Come to think of it, this was the first time in three years that someone had confessed to her face.
Around them, whispers began to stir.
"Who's that guy?"
"Not sure. Looks like he's from Class 3. I think he's confessing to Nishimiya."
"So bold? Right in front of Miyamura?"
"What are you saying? They aren't even dating. How can you call that stealing?"
"…True. Then does that mean I still have a chance if I confess to Miyamura right now?"
"If you're fast enough, yeah. While Nishimiya is distracted, you could sneak it in."
"Right, right, right. She might kill you afterward, but at least he'd never forget you."
The boy clearly felt the stares and the muttering around him, but instead of retreating, he only straightened his back.
"Let's talk somewhere less crowded—" Shouko began, wanting to reject him politely.
But before she could finish, the boy stepped forward, bowed at a sharp angle, held out the pink envelope with trembling hands, and shouted,
"Nishimiya! I like you! Please go out with me!"
"..."
The chatter immediately grew louder.
Akira and Takagi exchanged a glance, both equally exasperated. Shouko had just been trying to move the conversation somewhere private to let him down gently, but he had taken the crowd's whispers as encouragement and doubled down.
Still, it wasn't entirely irrational. Exams were only days away. If you didn't seize the chance now, would you ever get another?
Unlike the two of them, Ayumi was practically bouncing with excitement. To her, this was exactly the kind of scene that belonged in a graduation ceremony—taking advantage of the moment to finally voice the feelings buried for years.
"I'm sorry," Shouko began softly. "We don't know each other, and I don't want to accept a confession from a stranger, and…"
She hesitated, then suddenly glanced back toward Akira.
Akira's heart sank. Oh no.
"…and I already have a boyfriend!"
Her voice was firm and clear. Before the gasps could even die down, she turned, walked straight to Akira, and boldly linked her arm through his. Her lips curled into a playful wink in his direction.
Ayumi nearly choked. "Th-this…!"
In an instant, Shouko had cut off not only this boy's confession, but also any other confessions aimed at Akira or herself.
"I don't believe it!" The boy's voice cracked, his emotions running high. "I've been paying attention to you quietly for three years! Miyamura is just your childhood friend—when did you become a couple?!"
The crowd buzzed louder, but Class 2 students weren't surprised. They had spent three years watching Akira and Shouko together. To call them just friends was ridiculous.
Shouko, meanwhile, was already full of determination. She decided to prove it—both to this boy and to the crowd.
She tilted toward Akira, intent on kissing him.
But Akira's reflexes were faster. He quickly raised a hand, covering her lips before they could touch his cheek.
"Shouko already rejected you with her first sentence," he told the boy firmly.
Shouko puffed out her cheeks at being stopped, but he flicked her lightly on the forehead with a bent finger, and she reluctantly backed off with a pitiful look.
Instead, she stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said with gentle sincerity,
"Thank you for gathering the courage to tell me your feelings. But I'm sorry—I cannot accept them. And whether Akira and I are a couple doesn't need to be proven to outsiders."
The boy's hand trembled as he lowered the envelope. Meeting her soft gaze, he nodded weakly, turned, and pushed through the crowd, disappearing.
Even after he left, the discussions buzzed on. Shouko, unfazed, immediately grabbed Sana and Ayumi's hands with a bright smile.
"Come on, let's get out of here too."
Akira followed silently as the three girls pushed past the onlookers.
The rest of the afternoon was spent under cherry blossoms and school corridors, snapping pictures and making memories, the awkward scene already fading into the background.
But when they returned to class, the chatter hadn't died. More confessions had followed that boy's lead, it seemed.
"Miyamura, where were you guys? I couldn't find you anywhere!" Nishikata complained as they came back.
Akira shrugged, massaging his legs. "We were just wandering around, taking pictures."
Before Nishikata could continue, Nobe entered, clapping her hands. "Alright, quiet down. The sooner I finish, the sooner you can all leave."
That magic phrase worked immediately—silence fell over the room.
"Dismissed. I hope everyone does well on the exams," Nobita smiled.
One by one, students lined up to thank her and take commemorative photos. Nobe didn't refuse, her usual sternness softened into a smile for once.
Of course, Akira, Shouko, and their friends weren't left out. The five of them gathered with Nobe in the middle, capturing three years of laughter, hardship, and memories in one simple photograph.
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