Early in the morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Haruko Akagi rubbed her sleepy eyes and climbed out of bed.
After a quick wash, she changed into the outfit she had carefully prepared the night before. She stood in front of the mirror, checking herself again and again. Only after confirming that everything looked perfect did she finally prepare to leave.
"Haruko? You… why are you up so early?"
Her brother, Takenori Akagi, was standing by the refrigerator holding a glass of milk. Seeing his sister fully dressed this early in the morning, he looked a little surprised.
"Waking up early is good for memorizing vocabulary," Akagi said calmly before glancing at her again. "But what about you? Dressed so neatly this early… are you going out?"
"Uh… I made plans with Fujii and the others."
Although that was technically true, Haruko still felt her cheeks heat up. Fortunately, the lights in the kitchen weren't fully on, so it wasn't obvious.
Akagi didn't think too much about it.
"Be careful on the road," he reminded her. "Come back early, and if anything happens, call me."
"Got it! I'm leaving!"
Haruko quickly put on her shoes, opened the door, and slipped outside.
Her slightly panicked behavior struck Akagi as strange, but there was nothing he could do about it. He simply returned to his room to continue studying, planning to ask her about it later.
Outside the house, Haruko let out a small sigh of relief.
"Good thing Brother didn't ask too many questions…"
She smiled awkwardly before turning toward the girl waiting nearby.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"
Yoko Fujii smiled gently.
"It's fine. I just arrived too. Let's go meet Matsui."
"Okay!"
Originally, today's plan was for four people.
But Haruko felt that such a small group would be too "terrifying," so she earnestly begged Kano to invite more people.
Seeing how shy and nervous Haruko was, Kano finally agreed and asked her to bring along two close friends.
Naturally, Hanamichi Sakuragi also invited Yohei Mito and the rest of the Sakuragi Gang.
Ever since the National Tournament ended, they hadn't had a proper outing together.
This was the perfect chance to gather again.
Everyone agreed to meet at the amusement park entrance.
The first to arrive were Nango and Kano, who rode in on an electric bike.
"Haruko, you look amazing today!"
Kano smiled mischievously. Fujii and Matsui immediately joined in teasing Haruko, making her blush bright red.
But honestly, who could blame them?
Haruko's outfit had clearly been chosen with great care.
Even Nango, despite standing beside his girlfriend, couldn't help sneaking a few extra glances.
She wore a simple white blouse paired with a light pink pleated skirt and white sneakers.
Her hair was tied into two small pigtails, giving her a fresh and innocent look—the perfect image of youthful charm.
She looked like the embodiment of someone's first love.
"Were you just staring?"
Kano narrowed her eyes, her tone low but threatening.
Nango raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean staring? I was openly appreciating."
"Shameless!" Kano rolled her eyes.
Then she checked her watch.
"Why aren't Sakuragi and the others here yet? The park is about to open!"
"Aren't they here now?" Nango said, pointing ahead.
Kano looked over—and immediately froze.
Yohei Mito and the others had arrived…
But the way they arrived was the real problem.
They were all riding one single electric bike.
Five grown guys squeezed onto a tiny vehicle.
The speed was predictably tragic.
Yohei, the unfortunate driver, cried out desperately,
"We're here! We're here! Hurry up and get off!"
Yuji Okusu laughed.
"It's fine, we'll help you park it!"
Nozomi Takamiya nodded enthusiastically.
"Exactly! Exactly!"
Meanwhile, Sakuragi had already jumped off the bike the moment he spotted Haruko.
"Miss Haruko, you look beautiful today!"
He scratched the back of his head, grinning foolishly.
Haruko smiled shyly, unsure how to respond.
Nango and Kano exchanged a glance.
They both had the same thought.
These two were clearly made for each other.
One was shy.
The other was hopelessly straightforward.
Just like two teenagers in love.
When everyone gathered, Nango pulled out a stack of tickets.
"Alright, everyone grab one. The park's about to open. Let's move quickly."
Weekends were always crowded at the amusement park, and popular rides required long waits.
Besides, Shohoku still had basketball practice in the afternoon.
They needed to leave by two o'clock.
So they had to make the most of their time.
"Let's go to the haunted house!" Chuichiro Noma suggested excitedly after hearing screams from inside.
"I want to go!" Okusu immediately raised his hand.
"Me too!" Takamiya added.
"Count me in," Yohei said casually.
Sakuragi also wanted to join and was about to raise his hand—
But then he saw Haruko looking uneasy.
He quietly lowered his hand again.
"Hiss—!"
Nango suddenly inhaled sharply.
Kano had pinched his stomach hard.
How could he not understand such an obvious signal?
"Alright! We're going too!" Nango called out.
Kano tilted her head and brushed her hair back.
Her gaze casually swept over Fujii and Matsui.
The two girls immediately understood.
"Let's go line up together!" they shouted.
The group excitedly ran toward the haunted house.
In the blink of an eye—
Only Sakuragi and Haruko were left behind.
"Was that really necessary?" Nango complained quietly.
A gentle bump would've been enough, but Kano had deliberately pinched him.
Kano waved her hand dismissively.
"What's the big deal? Your skin is thick anyway! Nyah nyah nyah!"
"Fine, fine," Nango surrendered. "I won't look again."
"That's better."
She giggled before changing the topic.
"Do you think those two will make progress today?"
"Who knows?" Nango shrugged. "We created the opportunity. The rest is up to them."
"I think it'll be difficult," Kano said thoughtfully. "They're both too passive."
Nango looked confused.
"Sakuragi is already acting like that. Isn't that active enough?"
"No! No!"
Kano wagged her finger.
"That's not the right kind of initiative. He needs to say it clearly."
"That's true."
Nango sighed.
"Let's see if Sakuragi can figure it out."
Then he asked curiously,
"By the way, why are you so invested in setting them up?"
"For Haruko!" Kano replied immediately.
"She's such a good girl—pure, kind, and pretty. I don't want her getting hurt."
Then she poked Nango's shoulder.
"And you can't just stand there doing nothing. If Sakuragi doesn't know how to confess, you have to remind him."
"Alright, alright, I understand."
Meanwhile, inside the haunted house…
"Can you two slow down a bit?!"
Fujii and Matsui clung tightly to each other, trembling.
From the moment they entered, they had been terrified at every step.
Originally, they were surrounded by the Sakuragi Gang and Nango's group.
But Yohei and the others had rushed ahead like wild horses, leaving them behind.
Now they had no choice but to follow Nango and Kano.
Unfortunately…
This couple was completely absorbed in their own conversation, paying almost no attention to the scary props around them.
"Sorry, we'll slow down," Nango said.
"You two can hold onto Kano."
He held Kano's hand firmly as he guided the three girls slowly forward through the dark corridor.