The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the school as Reiji walked to the clubroom.
His thoughts were heavy.
Lately, things had been… different.
Sena, especially.
She had always been sharp-tongued and dismissive toward him, but there was something new in her eyes lately. Something closer to frustration.
When he arrived, she was already inside, flipping through her notes.
She didn't acknowledge him.
Reiji sat down, setting his bag beside him. Silence stretched between them.
Then, without looking up, Sena spoke.
"Why do you keep looking at Aoi?"
Reiji blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question.
Sena finally turned to face him, her gaze sharp. "You think I don't notice? The way you always glance at her? The way your mood changes when she's around?"
Reiji exhaled. He could've ignored it, brushed it off, but something in the way she said it made him answer honestly.
"I like her."
The words slipped out naturally, without hesitation.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Sena scoffed, her grip on her notebook tightening. "Are you serious?"
Reiji didn't reply. He had already said what he needed to.
Sena shut her notebook with a sharp snap and stood up. "You're an idiot," she muttered before storming out of the room.
The door slammed behind her.
Reiji sighed, leaning back in his chair.
He had expected that.
But even so… something about her reaction unsettled him.
—
The next few days passed in strained silence.
Sena avoided him.
Not in an obvious way—she was still in the club, still talking to Aoi like normal—but she never spoke to him. Never even looked his way.
Reiji didn't push it.
He had been honest. That was enough.
Or so he thought.
—
It wasn't until later that week that things shifted again.
Reiji was leaving the school when he noticed a commotion near the gate.
A few guys from another school were surrounding someone, their voices low but aggressive.
Reiji's eyes narrowed when he saw who it was.
Sena.
She stood her ground, arms crossed, glaring up at the tallest of them.
"You're in my way," she said coldly.
One of the guys laughed. "Come on, no need to be so cold. We're just talking."
Sena's expression darkened. "I'm not interested. Move."
The tallest guy stepped closer, clearly enjoying the reaction. "Don't be like that. We just wanna have a talk."
Before Sena could respond, a voice cut through the air.
"She said move."
The group turned, and Reiji met their gazes evenly.
His tone wasn't loud, but there was an edge to it.
One of the guys scoffed. "And who the hell are you?"
Reiji didn't answer. He just stepped forward, placing himself beside Sena.
She glanced at him, her expression unreadable.
The tallest guy clicked his tongue. "Tch. Relax, man. We were just leaving."
With that, the group backed off, muttering under their breath as they walked away.
Sena exhaled sharply, brushing her hair back.
She didn't say thank you. She didn't even look at him.
But as she turned to leave, she paused.
"...You didn't have to do that," she muttered.
Reiji sighed.
She was quiet for a moment. Then, without another word, she walked away.
Reiji watched her go, an odd feeling settling in his chest.
For the first time in days, she had acknowledged him again.
And somehow… it didn't feel like the end of their conversation.