During math class, after we finished a small quiz, the teacher asked us to swap papers with the person next to us for grading.
Naturally, Ayaka and I paired up.
I picked up her paper and skimmed through it.
Her handwriting was truly beautiful, each stroke soft and precise, like it had been printed.
Not only that, she had answered every question correctly.
I couldn't help but smile and glanced at her.
Ayaka was grading my paper with a serious expression, her lashes gently casting shadows on her cheeks.
Sensing my gaze, she looked up slightly, and our eyes met.
For a brief moment, Ayaka's cheeks flushed a soft pink.
"I… I'm not quite sure about this question you answered..." she said shyly, pointing at a mistake I had made.
I chuckled softly and scratched my head.
"Well... math isn't exactly my strong point," I admitted.
Ayaka let out a small giggle, then carefully circled my mistake with her pen in a delicate motion.
It was just a tiny moment but somehow, the distance between us felt like it had grown a little closer.
---
At lunchtime, as usual, our group gathered in the literature club room.
Ayaka stood in front of the board with a bright, excited smile.
Ren was leaning back in his chair lazily, Mizuki was twirling a pen in her hand, Kaori quietly read her book, and Sumire sat timidly beside me.
Lately, she didn't seem so alone anymore, but she was still very shy around me.
Ayaka clapped her hands lightly to get everyone's attention.
"Today, I want to announce our club's first activity!" she said cheerfully.
The room buzzed with a bit of excitement.
Mizuki tilted her head.
"An activity? Sounds fun!"
Ren asked lazily,
"It's not just reading books all day again, right?"
Kaori didn't say anything, but I noticed a slight sparkle in her eyes. She was probably looking forward to it too.
Ayaka smiled and pulled out a stack of papers from her bag.
"We're going to each write a short story. A week from now, we'll read them aloud to each other."
Sumire nervously fidgeted with the hem of her skirt and asked timidly,
"Is... is there a theme, Ayaka?"
Ayaka nodded.
"There is. The theme is 'A Moment That Makes the Heart Flutter.'"
The room grew quiet for a moment.
Mizuki laughed out loud,
"Whoa~ sounds super cheesy!"
Ren smirked faintly but stayed silent.
Kaori closed her book gently, looking thoughtful.
Sumire lowered her head further, her cheeks turning pink.
And me... my heart skipped a beat.
Writing about a moment that makes your heart flutter, huh...?
I couldn't help but wonder if someone might end up writing about someone else sitting right here in this very room.
Ayaka glanced around at all of us and said warmly:
"Don't feel pressured, okay? Just write from your honest feelings."
Then, she turned her gaze to me and gave a soft smile, so gentle that it made me freeze for a second.
Sumire tugged lightly at my sleeve and whispered:
"Hiro... I'm not very good at this... c-could you maybe give me some ideas...?"
I smiled at her reassuringly.
"Of course. Let's do our best together."
Ayaka clapped her hands again.
"Alright then! In a week, we'll share our stories!"
Mizuki rested her chin on her hand and teased:
"I wonder who's gonna write about who~?"
Her playful remark filled the room with a warm, slightly bashful atmosphere.
After the meeting, everyone relaxed in the clubroom.
I was jotting down a few rough ideas when... I noticed Mizuki again.
She was looking straight at me, her eyes sparkling like stars.
At first, I thought she would quickly look away if she got caught.
But no—
When I met her gaze, Mizuki didn't avert her eyes.
Instead, she smiled brightly, like a ray of morning sunshine, catching me completely off guard.
There was no shyness in her smile—just pure, radiant happiness that made my heart stumble for a moment.
Sumire, sitting beside me, was flipping through pages in her notebook, seemingly searching for inspiration.
Ren had collapsed on the desk, probably already dozing off.
Ayaka was quietly reviewing her documents, the sunlight from the window casting a soft halo around her hair.
Kaori remained silent, scribbling notes in her small notebook, completely absorbed in her own world of books.
And me...
I found myself increasingly distracted by Mizuki's gaze and the innocent smile she kept sending my way, like little sunbeams filtering through the trees.
As I struggled to organize my thoughts, Sumire talk to me.
"I... I thought of a few ideas," she said in a tiny voice, almost like a whisper.
I turned to look at her. Sumire clutched her notebook tightly against her chest, her cheeks tinged pink, her eyes sparkling with nervous excitement.
"Do you... want to discuss them together?"
She asked so gently, as if afraid of bothering me.
I smiled warmly and nodded.
"Of course. What did you come up with, Sumire?"
She fumbled a little, flipping open her notebook, revealing neatly written lines.
"I thought... maybe a story about another world," she began, her voice growing softer with each word,
"...where books are treasures, and everyone has to find their destined book..."
Such a sweet idea,purely Sumire.
I rested my chin in my hand, listening intently, my curiosity piqued.
"That sounds really nice. Have you thought of any more details?"
I asked, leaning in slightly to hear her better.
Sumire seemed flustered for a second, quickly lowering her gaze, but then gathered her courage:
"Maybe... each person can only have one book for their entire life, and that book will guide them to the people who are important to them..."
Her voice was soft, but full of quiet passion.
I smiled gently at her.
"It sounds great and I like your idea too"
Sumire looked up at me, her eyes wide with surprise, before breaking into a small, shy giggle.
The warmth between us grew so palpable I could hear my own heart beating faster.
From across the room, Mizuki stole another glance at us, a playful grin tugging at her lips.
Ayaka, too, looked over quietly, her gaze tender... and, just maybe, a little pensive.
Meanwhile, Ren... was still fast asleep, completely oblivious to the sweet little atmosphere blooming inside the clubroom.