"Good morning," Kaori said, her voice light as she settled beside me.
"Good morning."
I glanced at her as she placed her bag neatly on the desk. The sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a soft glow across the classroom. Kaori looked as effortless as always—composed, like she belonged wherever she stood.
"You're early again," she remarked.
"The new semester starts today," I replied, stretching slightly. "I've been waking up early to exercise."
Since that last awkward incident—the one that should've thrown us off balance—something had shifted between us. Not in a bad way. The tension, the hesitation, the weight of unsaid words—they had all disappeared.
I still liked her, maybe more than before.
But there was still something about Kaori I didn't fully understand.
We had agreed to continue, to honor the contract. She was still my part-time girlfriend. That hadn't changed.
