The bell rang, its shrill tone bouncing off the classroom walls. Homeroom ended, and the usual chatter exploded instantly. Chairs scraped, laughter spilled, and groups formed the way they always did.
"Haruto," Miyuki called, her voice soft but clear.
I looked up. She was standing by my desk, her hands folded behind her back like she'd been waiting for me. For a moment, it almost felt normal like before.
"Wanna walk?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said, keeping my tone light.
We slipped into the corridor together. Students passed by, their conversations fading into background noise. For a few minutes, it was just her and me, side by side.
"You really surprised me," she said, glancing at me with a shy smile. "When you walked in earlier… I couldn't believe it was you."
I chuckled. "That bad before, huh?"
Her eyes widened. "No! I didn't mean it like that. It's just… you've changed. You look… cool."
The way she hesitated on the last word almost sounded like guilt trying to dress itself as a compliment.
I smiled anyway. "Guess the countryside worked some magic."
She laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. For a moment, the warmth between us felt real again.
Then a voice cut in.
"Haruto!"
We turned. Yui was walking quickly toward us, her eyes bright.
"You're really back," she said, a wide smile on her face. "I wanted to see you earlier but wow, you really look different!"
I rubbed the back of my neck, feigning embarrassment. "Everyone keeps saying that."
"Because it's true," Yui said firmly. "You look good."
Miyuki's expression flickered. Her smile stayed, but her eyes turned away.
"I should… go get something from my locker," she said suddenly. "I'll see you in class, Haruto."
Before I could respond, she walked off down the corridor.
I turned back to Yui, exchanging a few casual words, but my attention was already drifting. Something in Miyuki's voice had cracked.
So I followed quietly.
Corridor
Miyuki's footsteps echoed softly against the wooden floor. She walked with her head down, clutching her notebook a little too tightly.
Then a hand shot out from an open door and grabbed her wrist.
She gasped. "Souta"
Before she could finish, his lips were on hers.
Her eyes widened. She shoved him back, her palm smacking across his cheek. The sound snapped in the empty corridor.
"What are you doing?" she hissed, her chest heaving.
"Kissing you," Souta said casually, rubbing his cheek with a grin that never faltered.
Her hands trembled. "Why? Haruto's back. He's… he's more different than before. More… cool. And he's my boyfriend. Whatever happened between usit's over. Please, just forget it."
Souta's eyes narrowed. He caught her wrists, holding them firmly.
"Forget it?" His voice dropped lower. "After everything we did? After the way you clung to me?"
Miyuki shook her head, tears threatening to rise. "Stop it. Please."
Souta leaned closer, his voice a whisper. "Come to the classroom after 5:30. Alone."
Her eyes widened. "Why?"
"There's something you have to do." His tone left no room for refusal.
Miyuki hesitated. Her lips parted, then closed. Finally, she gave a tiny nod.
Satisfied, Souta released her wrists and walked away like nothing had happened.
She stood frozen in the corridor, her breath uneven.
And from behind the corner, I stood still, every word sinking deep into me.
So this is it. Their first time in the classroom.
My hand brushed against the old phone in my pocket. A plan was already forming.
Better to have proof. Better to let their own hands bind them.
Evening – Haruto's POV
The campus was nearly silent by the time the sun dipped low. Shadows stretched across the empty hallways, the light outside tinged orange.
I sat hidden near the stairwell, my notebook closed beside me, my new phone in my pocket, and the old one carefully hidden earlier inside the classroom. Its camera pointed directly at my desk the same desk where Miyuki used to sit close and smile.
Now it would become a stage.
At 5:10, I checked the time. The corridors were dead quiet. Only the faint hum of the building remained.
Through the gap, I saw her.
Miyuki.
She slipped into the classroom slowly, her hands clutched against her skirt. She sat down near the window, her legs shifting nervously.
Minutes passed like hours. She kept glancing at the door, chewing her lip.
Then it opened.
Souta stepped in, casual as ever, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.
The lock slid.
I felt my pulse steady. The camera's red light was hidden well.
"Why did you ask me here?" Miyuki whispered, her voice shaking.
Instead of answering, Souta walked forward and pressed her back against my desk. The very desk where my books used to sit.
Her eyes widened. "Souta, stop"
His lips cut her off. His hands slid against her chest. She struggled for a moment, pushing at him.
But seconds later, her hands faltered. Her legs wrapped around his waist.
And then she kissed him back.
I watched from the hall, unseen, every sound searing into me. The faint moans, the shuffle of feet, the creak of the desk.
Fifteen minutes stretched like eternity.
When it ended, Souta adjusted his shirt casually, while Miyuki straightened her skirt with trembling fingers.
"Remember," she whispered, her voice hoarse, "Haruto is still my boyfriend. No matter what we do."
Souta smirked. "What if you get pregnant with my child?"
Her head dropped. "Then… Haruto will take care of us. Because he's too kind. That's why I love him."
Souta laughed quietly. "You're cruel, Miyuki."
They left together, stepping into the hallway.
I stayed hidden until they passed, their footsteps fading. Then I moved.
The classroom was empty again. The air still smelled faintly of them.
I walked to my desk slowly, my hand steady.
My old phone lay hidden where I'd placed it. I picked it up, unlocked it, and pressed play.
The video rolled, clear enough. Every word. Every movement. Every betrayal caught in cold digital truth.
I smiled faintly.
As I slipped the phone into my pocket, I whispered into the silence:
"Miyuki. Souta. Your popularity, your status, everything you built it's going to crumble. And you'll never even see the blade coming."