The classroom was buzzing with noise as pairs and groups shuffled together for a new assignment. Desks scraped across the floor, papers shuffled, and the teacher's voice barely cut through the chatter.
"Pair up in groups of three," she called. "You'll be working on this for the next two weeks."
Suki bounced toward Ryuzí immediately. "Obviously we're—"
But before he could finish, a cheerful voice cut in.
"Takeda-kun! Be in our group!"
A girl with bright ribbons in her hair leaned over Ryuzí's desk, her smile wide. Another girl giggled behind her, already pulling a chair closer.
Ryuzí stiffened. "...I already have a partner."
"Then it'll be us three!" she chirped, ignoring his tone completely. "Come on, it'll be fun."
Suki froze mid-step, his grin faltering. Us three?
The girls dragged their chairs over, chattering about the project. Ryuzí, clearly uncomfortable, muttered short replies but didn't push them away — not in front of the teacher, not with the classroom so noisy.
From his desk, Suki's stomach twisted. His hands clenched at his sides as he watched the girl lean too close, pointing at Ryuzí's notebook, laughing at something he said.
Why does it bother me so much?
At lunch, Suki sat on the rooftop alone, poking his rice with chopsticks. His usual grin was nowhere to be found.
"Why didn't you go up with him?" Kenji asked, appearing with bread in his mouth.
Suki shrugged, forcing a laugh. "He's busy. Got his new fan club now, right?"
Aoi raised a brow. "Ohhh. You're jealous."
Suki choked. "Wha—NO! I'm not!"
Kenji grinned wickedly. "Sure you're not."
Suki groaned, burying his face in his arms. Okay, maybe I am.
After school, Ryuzí walked home with his usual unreadable expression. But his mind wasn't calm at all.
He kept replaying lunch — the empty rooftop where Suki usually sat beside him, the way he avoided eye contact in class afterward, his forced smile.
Ryuzí's fists clenched. He saw.
He remembered the girl leaning in, laughing too loud. He remembered not brushing her off quickly enough. And he remembered the flash of something in Suki's eyes before he looked away.
It burned in Ryuzí's chest, heavy and unfamiliar.
The next day, the group gathered again in class.
"Takeda-kun, can you help me with this?" the ribbon-haired girl asked sweetly, sliding her worksheet toward him.
Before Ryuzí could answer, Suki slammed his hands on the desk. "He's busy. With me."
The class went silent.
Ryuzí blinked, stunned. Suki's face was red, but his eyes were blazing. "He's my partner. Got it?"
The girl's smile faltered. "...O-oh. Okay."
She shuffled back to her seat, whispering with her friend.
The class buzzed again, but quieter this time.
Ryuzí stared at Suki, who was glaring at his notebook like it had personally wronged him. "...What was that."
Suki puffed his cheeks. "Nothing."
"...That was definitely not nothing."
Suki groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Fine! I got jealous, okay?! Happy now?"
Ryuzí's chest squeezed. "...Jealous?"
"Yes!" Suki blurted, his ears bright red. "You were smiling at her! And talking! And I—" He cut himself off, burying his face deeper. "...I didn't like it."
The words hit Ryuzí like a punch. His throat went dry. He was jealous. Of me.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say. Then, softly: "...Idiot."
Suki peeked through his fingers. "...You're smiling."
Ryuzí froze, realizing his lips had curved without permission. He turned sharply away, ears scarlet. "...Shut up."
But his chest was warm, unbearably warm. And for the first time, the thought that someone cared enough to get jealous over him... didn't feel like a burden. It felt terrifyingly good.
That night, Ryuzí sat by his window, staring at the city lights. His reflection stared back — the faintest smile tugging at his lips.
"...He really got jealous."
His heart pounded, and for once, he didn't call Suki an idiot in anger. He whispered it softly, almost fondly.
"Idiot."