---
Reika laughed, brushing her hair back with a smirk.
"Oh, look at the time! I've got to go," she said, spinning on her heel and strolling out of the clubroom. The door clicked shut behind her.
Kurota let out a long sigh, then turned to the two boys still standing awkwardly inside.
One of them stepped forward and bowed. "Please, Yurei, I need your help."
Yurei folded her arms. "Of course. That's what we do here. So, who's the lucky girl?"
He hesitated, then looked up. "Her name is… Arisa Hoshikawa."
Yurei's expression shifted. She glanced down, then said quietly, "Oh. Her."
"You know her?" Kurota asked.
"Yeah," Yurei muttered, then looked at the boy. "To be honest… she's not right for you."
"I know," the boy admitted. "But… I still want to tell her how I feel. Even if nothing comes of it."
Kurota tilted his head, almost touched by his honesty—but as his head drooped toward his desk, Yurei grabbed his ear and yanked.
"Ow—ow, ow! What was that for?!"
"No napping! If I can't study in peace, then you can't nap. Fair is fair," she snapped.
The boy blinked, confused by the dynamic. "You two… look good together."
Yurei froze, then quickly let go of Kurota's ear. "W-We're not a couple! I don't even like this guy."
"Gee, thanks," Kurota muttered.
"Sorry! My bad!" the boy said, laughing awkwardly. His friend patted him on the shoulder.
"You're in good hands," he said before leaving the room.
Yurei sighed. "Let's get started. What do you like about Arisa?"
The boy rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… her eyes?"
Yurei deadpanned. "That's the oldest cliché in the book."
He laughed nervously.
Kurota shook his head. "So you love her, but you don't even know why?"
"Pretty much."
"You're hopeless."
Yurei pulled out her phone. "Okay. Tomorrow, you're going on a little outing with her. Somewhere casual. You need to get to know her better before you confess."
The boy paled. "By myself?! No way—I can't!"
"Don't worry," Yurei said with a smile. "We'll be there too."
Kurota raised a brow. "We will?"
"Unless you have a problem with that," she said, narrowing her eyes.
He laughed nervously. "W-Well… I had plans."
"Like what?"
"My anime..."
Yurei's expression darkened. "That can wait."
Kurota groaned. "You're just like my sister."
"What did you just say?"
"N-Nothing."
The boy chuckled. "Are you sure you two aren't a couple?"
"NO, WE'RE NOT!"
---
The Next Day...
Kurota trudged home after school and dropped his bag on the couch. His sister looked up from the TV.
"Hey, Shinrai. How was school? Did you make some friends?"
He threw himself onto the couch with a groan. "I hate you."
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Because of you, I can't watch the new anime episode. I have to help some guy confess to a girl."
His sister laughed. "You? Romance advice? Please."
"I learned from the best—anime!" he shouted, storming into his room.
That night, he rewatched I Want to Eat Your Pancreas and The Garden of Words. By the time the sun peeked through the window, he had passed out on his bed.
---
The Day of the Date
"Wake up!" his sister shouted from the living room.
Kurota bolted upright, checked the time, and screamed. "I'm late!"
He dashed out the door, still half-dressed.
When he arrived at the mall, he stopped to catch his breath.
"You're late," Yurei said, tapping her foot.
"I know. I'm sorry."
He looked up—Yurei was wearing a light blue dress. For a second, he couldn't look away.
"Stop staring," she muttered, flustered.
He turned his head quickly. "Sorry…"
Across the plaza, the boy stood nervously beside Arisa. She was checking her phone, looking mildly bored.
"So… uh, what's your favorite color?" the boy asked with a shaky laugh.
From behind a clothing rack, Kurota whispered, "That's a dumb question…"
Yurei peered through the clothes. Arisa barely acknowledged him and pointed at a pair of cat pajamas.
"So cute!" she said, ignoring the boy entirely.
He laughed nervously again, tears practically forming in his eyes.
"Let's go eat," she said, already walking away.
The boy rushed to follow her.
---
At the fast-food place, Arisa looked around with disdain.
"This place is cheap. Are you poor?"
The boy froze. His smile wavered.
"Yikes…" Kurota muttered from the next table.
"She's spoiled," Yurei sighed.
---
Later That Night
Under the night sky, fireworks lit up above the lake. The boy stood next to Arisa, shaking with nerves.
"I… I…" he stuttered, trying to force the words out.
Kurota couldn't take it anymore. He stepped forward.
"I love you!" he shouted.
Everyone turned.
Even Yurei's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?!"
Arisa blinked. "Sorry. I have a boyfriend."
She walked away like nothing had happened.
The boy stood frozen.
Kurota turned to him. "Well… there's your answer."
Tears filled the boy's eyes. "Even if she had someone… I still wanted to say how I felt."
He ran.
Kurota stood still, watching the fading sparks of the fireworks. Love hurts. Sometimes, even when you know it won't work, your heart still hopes. Like fire trying to hold hands with water…
Yurei stepped up beside him. "You knew she was lying, didn't you?"
"Yeah," he said. "She just didn't want to hurt him."
Yurei sighed. "You're something else."
Kurota gave her a sheepish grin. "I might've checked her Facebook. She posted that she only likes girls."
"You really do your research."
Yurei walked past him, shaking her head.
"In this world," she said softly, "we hide the truth… just because we're scared of being judged."
---