As soon as he disappeared down the corridor, the collective illusion was shattered. Held breaths turned to stifled gasps. Gazes, once firm, fell into shared embarrassment. But it didn't last. -Did you see that? What eyebrows! -Odette blurted out, holding her hands to her cheeks as if she had touched the face of a saint. -And how he held the spoon with only three fingers... three. Exactly," Misaki added, ecstatic. -And the frown. Gods, the frown. How could anyone look so... adorable... when complaining about a cup? -Iria plopped down on a chair, still holding the teapot, which was now dripping. Koharu didn't answer. Her notebook rested on her lap like a sleeping animal. But inside, she was still making incessant mental notes.
"Reactions" "Behaviours" "Weaknesses" "Weaknesses" "Reactions" "Behaviours" "Weaknesses" "Weaknesses"
Sumire Kanzaki leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. -We can't let the others ruin it. You heard Lisette last night, didn't you? She said that if anyone would get a smile out of her, it would be her. Odette laughed half-heartedly. -Lisette can sit and wait. We were the first. The initial impression is indelible. -Not if they get involved. You know how they are... Lisette, Saki, Hanabira... always so... theatrical," said Iria, pursing her lips. Koharu raised his head as he heard new footsteps in the hallway. More rhythmic. More synchronised. And then they came in. The five of the second group. Perfect uniforms. Freshly redone hairstyles. Faces with soft but piercing smiles. At their centre, Lisette. Wavy hair, held at the sides by two black clips that resembled butterfly wings. With a faint fragrance of jasmine tea. And on her lips, that damned smile of hers, always condescending. As if all the others were girls playing at being servants, and she was the only one who really understood the "grace of serving". -Good morning, 'pioneers'," Lisette said, in a fluty voice, as if reciting a rehearsed line.
-Have you had breakfast too? - asked Saki, with mock concern.
The others chuckled under their breath. Misaki wanted to respond, but Koharu stepped forward.
-Yes. And so did he. But he's gone. -Silence. Lisette paused. -And how was it? As terrible as you thought? As demanding as you thought it was? -Much worse," Koharu answered without blinking. There were a couple of complicit chuckles from the second group. But Lisette didn't flinch. She walked over to the table still set, and turned the cup Iria had left behind. It was perfectly oriented. -Ah... this is what caused the frown, isn't it? -she whispered. Koharu clutched the notebook. She hadn't written it down, but that word - puckered - no longer belonged to them alone.
She hated that Lisette had used it. She hated even more that she had guessed it. -There's nothing to brag about," said Sumire Kanzaki, crossing her arms. The second shift just inherits the scene. We were the main act. Lisette looked at her from sideways, smiling. -What about a standing ovation? Didn't I hear any applause? Strange... Koharu stood up. -We've already met him. And we've written down what we need to. You do what you want. -Did you write down? -asked Hanabira with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Koharu didn't answer. He just passed between them as if they didn't exist. But before he left, he turned slightly. With a barely touchy look, as if only Lisette would notice it. -And if you look at him with that smile, don't expect him to give you anything back. It's not your reflection. The five of the first group left in silence. The dining room was left behind, leaving only the echo of that sentence.
Koharu walked down the corridor towards the rest wing. His steps were the same as they had been in the early morning, but his shadow was longer. His heart, heavier. It was not envy he felt. No, envy was a vulgar sin. It was something sharper, more structured. It was insecurity. It was... annoyance. He had noticed the cup. But not on her. Not yet. And that, for a girl like Koharu... was unacceptable. He opened his notebook again. New page.
Time limit "5" days "Second interaction" Objective: "get direct feedback." Preference: "no witnesses." And underneath, in larger letters, he drew a simple symbol: "☐"An empty box. The game was just beginning. -She said to herself.