The next morning, Kazuki stared at his reflection in the mirror, toothbrush in hand.
"…Why did she smile like that yesterday?"
He shook his head. "Tch. Not my problem."
But his heart thumped faster than usual.
As he walked to school, he heard light footsteps approaching. Of course, it was her.
"Good morning, Kazuki!" Aira greeted with a bright grin, holding a can of warm cocoa.
"What now?"
"Here," she handed him the drink.
"…Why?"
"No reason. Just felt like it. You don't have to take it if you're gonna be tsundere about it," she teased.
Kazuki took it without saying anything.
"See? You do like me!"
"I like warm cocoa. Not you."
Aira just giggled.
At school, rumors began to spread. People had started whispering:
"Did you see Kazuki and Aira walking together yesterday?"
"I heard a bear fell from the sky and she said it was romantic—wait, was he the 'surprise'?"
Kazuki tried to ignore it all, but when lunch break came, Aira sat beside him without asking.
"Yo, lunch buddy!"
Kazuki sighed. "Why do you keep sitting with me?"
Aira leaned in and whispered, "Because I like watching you pretend you don't care."
"…Tch."
But then—just as she opened her lunchbox, she pulled out an extra homemade onigiri.
"…You made that for me?"
"Don't flatter yourself," she smirked. "I made too many."
Kazuki took it without a word. After a long pause, he muttered:
"…Thanks."
Aira blinked. "Did you just thank me?!"
"Shut up and eat."
She grinned again.
And maybe, just maybe…
Kazuki's heart was beginning to shift—one smile, one cocoa, one onigiri at a time.