The late afternoon sun streamed in through the tall glass windows of the humanities faculty building, casting long, amber-tinted shadows across the worn wooden floors and concrete lecture seats. The university campus outside buzzed with life—students spilling out of lecture halls, laughter echoing off the tall brick buildings, the scent of roasted coffee wafting in from a nearby café kiosk.
Kaito sat alone at the back of the empty seminar hall, one leg pulled up on the bench, his back gently resting against the cool wall. A half-empty bottle of water sat beside him, and his eyes were locked outside the window where students milled around the library square. Despite everything that had happened—the media frenzy, the attention, the whispers—he looked calm.
Maybe too calm.
Sayaka stood just beyond the entrance to the hall, leaning against the steel doorway. She'd been watching him for a while. Not in a creepy way. At least, she told herself it wasn't. It was observational. Curious. Academic. Like a psychology student studying the rare case of a handsome, introverted, emotionally unreadable boy who just happened to be her childhood friend.
He had grown since high school—taller, quieter, prettier. The kind of pretty that made girls turn their heads twice, then pretend they didn't. His skin always seemed to catch the light, and his posture—still slightly hunched from years of social avoidance—made him seem like he was perpetually trying to shrink into himself.
And now he was a campus legend.
Because of what he did for Yuuki.
Because of what he stood up for.
Because, for the first time, the quiet boy in the back of the class had changed the conversation.
Sayaka crossed her arms.
"What are you doing?" she muttered to herself. "Just go in. Talk. It's not like you haven't known him since you were six."
But something about this version of Kaito made her heartbeat stammer. The same boy who once got a nosebleed after running five minutes in P.E. now had a campus following. People posted quotes from his speech on forums. There were actual threads with photos taken of him in class, labeled *"Silent King Energy"* or *"Introvert with a Sword"*.
And it made her sick.
Because she'd always seen him. Way before the world did.
She stepped into the room and coughed.
Kaito turned slightly, his gaze softening.
"Oh. Sayaka."
Just that.
Just her name.
Her brain short-circuited for a second. Why does he have to say it like that? With that stupid soft voice. Ugh.
"You're really out here hiding from the world, huh?" she said, trying to sound annoyed.
Kaito blinked. "Not hiding. Just... resting."
She made her way over and dumped a bento box in front of him. It had a bunny sticker on it. The same bunny sticker she used in high school. The same one she swore she'd never use again.
"What's this?" he asked, blinking.
"A peace offering."
He raised a brow. "Are we at war?"
Sayaka rolled her eyes. "Don't get cute."
"I'm not."
"Well, you look it. So stop."
His lips twitched, barely a smile.
God, she wanted to punch him.
But also maybe cradle his head in her arms.
Kaito opened the box slowly. Steam curled out, and the scent of sweet soy and teriyaki filled the air. He blinked again. "You made this?"
She turned away, arms crossed.
"I had extra. Don't get weird."
"You always make enough for two?"
"Shut up."
He took a bite. Then another. Then his eyes lit up, just slightly.
"This is really good."
"I know."
Silence stretched between them. Not awkward silence—but the kind of silence that only exists between two people who know each other too well. She sat beside him, their shoulders not quite touching.
"I saw the campus blog," she muttered. "You're, like, famous now."
Kaito visibly flinched. "Please don't remind me."
"There's a Reddit thread titled *'Kaito-kun can crush my depression with his awkward stare.'*"
He covered his face.
Sayaka smirked. "You're a meme."
"This is the worst timeline."
She nudged him with her elbow. "Hey. It's not all bad. You're finally getting noticed."
"That's the problem."
"Why?"
He looked at her—really looked at her. His eyes always held a shade of loneliness, even when he smiled.
"Because I didn't do any of it to be noticed. I just... couldn't watch someone get destroyed and stay quiet."
Sayaka stared at him.
And the world blurred for a second.
That was Kaito. That had always been him. Quietly watching, quietly hurting, and when it truly mattered—quietly protecting.
She leaned her head back against the wall and sighed. "You've always been like this."
"Like what?"
"Frustrating. Dorky. Brave."
A small pause.
He didn't say anything.
"...And cute," she whispered under her breath.
"What?"
"Nothing!"
He stared at her.
She stared at the ceiling.
"Sayaka," he said softly.
"What?"
"Thanks. For this. For being here."
Her heart thudded.
Then leapt.
Then did that thing where it flipped inside out and started crawling up her throat.
She swallowed hard. "You're welcome, dummy."
A group of students passed by outside, talking loudly. The hum of campus life never really faded doors slamming, announcements over speakers, professors shuffling past with coffee cups and messy notes. The university moved like a giant beast, alive and ever-changing.
But in that moment—in that quiet little corner of the humanities building—Sayaka felt something still.
She looked at Kaito again.
He was staring at the bento like it was sacred.
And then he mumbled something under his breath.
"What did you say?" she asked, squinting.
"I said..." he looked away, cheeks faintly flushed, "...you used to do this in middle school too."
She blinked.
"You remembered?"
"Of course I did. You always put too much sesame in the rice."
Sayaka covered her face with both hands.
"He remembers my seasoning flaws?!"
Kaito laughed.
And the sound of it—the ease, the warmth—it was everything she didn't know she missed.
Her hands dropped slowly.
"Kaito."
"Yeah?"
"If you ever get a girlfriend," she muttered, "I'll kill her."
He turned, startled.
She turned away, flushed red.
"Playful hate," she clarified quickly. "Obviously."
"Right."
He smiled again.
And this time it stayed.
They sat together for a while longer, the distant murmur of university life wrapping around them like a soundtrack. Outside, leaves danced in the breeze, and the day slowly tipped toward dusk.
Sayaka looked at Kaito once more, heart fluttering.
He's so cute my heart wants to bust.