The morning bell had already rung twice when the classroom door swung open abruptly.
Tatsunami Makoto hurried inside, cheeks flushed from the quick walk. He slipped off his shoes quietly and slid into the seat beside Haruki, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow.
"Makoto, why are you late?" Haruki asked, half amused, half concerned.
Makoto sighed, dropping his bag. "I stayed up too late reading that manga you gave me. Couldn't stop."
Haruki laughed. "Seriously? You should've just told me. Reina was wondering where you were."
Mori Reina glanced over from her seat nearby, eyes curious. "I was worried. You don't usually come in late. Everything okay?"
Haruki smirked, nudging Reina. "Why are you worried about him anyway? You don't even talk much with Tatsunami. Are you interested?"
Reina's cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she quickly looked away. "I'm not! I just don't want him to get into trouble."
Makoto kept his head down, trying not to attract attention.
The classroom quieted as Takeda-sensei entered promptly.
"Good morning, Class 2-B. Let's begin with Physics," he said, voice firm but calm. "Open your textbooks to page 50. We'll start with questions one through five."
Books opened, pens clicked. The day officially started.
Haruki leaned slightly toward Makoto. "So, what do you think of that manga?"
Makoto blinked, then answered quietly, "It's different. More than pictures. It talks about feelings I don't really understand."
Haruki nodded thoughtfully. "That's the power of manga. Makes you see things in new ways."
After the morning classes ended, the halls buzzed with students rushing to lunch.
Makoto and Haruki headed up to the rooftop, their usual quiet spot away from the noise.
Sitting side by side, Makoto pulled out the manga volume and flipped it open.
"This story," he said quietly, "it's interesting. The way it talks about emotions... it's new to me."
Haruki smiled. "Like what?"
Makoto grinned faintly, almost amused. "Like doki-doki. What's that even mean? Sounds funny—heart beating fast?"
Haruki chuckled. "Yeah, it's how manga shows nervousness or excitement. Basically, the feeling of love."
Makoto stared out at the sky, expression unreadable.
"Is love really that interesting?" he asked.
Haruki looked at him calmly. "Love's interesting. And you'll find it someday. Maybe when you least expect it."
Makoto didn't respond. Those words hung in the air quietly.
Thursday's classes passed in their usual rhythm.
After school, classroom duty awaited.
Mori-san and Tatsunami were assigned to clean the hallway after lunch.
As they worked side by side, the usual quiet between them remained. Neither spoke much, but the task passed without awkwardness.
Tatsunami spoke softly, "Thanks for working with me, Mori-san."
She nodded politely. "Of course, Tatsunami-kun. If you need help with anything, just say."
Tatsunami gave a brief nod in return and continued cleaning.
Friday arrived with the steady rhythm of lessons.
Classes passed without incident.
During the last period, Haruki and Tatsunami exchanged plans for the weekend.
The school emptied quickly after the final bell.
Haruki grinned, "See you Monday, Makoto."
Tatsunami simply nodded.
The weekend stretched ahead, quiet and unchanged.