The Classroom Was Tense After The Teacher Announced The Groups. The Students Were Chatting With Their Group Mates — After All, They Were Going To Be Working Together On The Project.
As For Miyu, She Was Still Deep In Thought About The Whole Situation. After Some Time, Once She Had Settled Down And Cleared Her Mind, She Began Planning For The Assignment.
Her First Idea Was To Organize A Group Meeting — Something Simple, Just To Get A Basic Sense Of Everyone's Skills And Understand Where They Stood. It Didn't Need To Be Formal, Just A Time And Place To Get Started.
Miyu Pulled Out Her Notebook And Began Scribbling A Rough Checklist While Glancing Around The Classroom.
Chika Was Already Chatting With Kaito In The Back, Both Of Them Laughing At Something He Had Said. Their Energy Felt Easy — A Good Sign.
Then Her Eyes Landed On Ren.
He Hadn't Moved Much Since The Announcement. Still In His Seat, Near The Window, As If The World Outside Held More Of His Attention Than The One Inside.
But His Posture Didn't Seem Cold — Just Distant. Thoughtful, Maybe. A Part Of Her Had Started To Understand That About Him.
She Briefly Reconsidered The Idea Of A Group Meeting. But After A Moment, She Decided To Speak To Them Directly. It Felt More Grounded. More Real. Less Like She Was Hiding Behind A Version Of Herself.
After Gathering Her Things, She Stood And First Approached Chika And Kaito.
"Hey," Miyu Said With A Small Smile. "Do You Both Have Time After School Today? I Thought We Could Meet Somewhere Quiet And Talk Through The Assignment."
"Sure," Chika Replied Almost Instantly. "I Was Just Saying We Should Get Ahead Of It Instead Of Panicking At The Last Minute."
Kaito Gave A Thumbs-Up. "As Long As It's Not During My Nap Window, I'm In."
Miyu Let Out A Short Laugh — Just A Breath. Then, After A Second's Pause, Her Eyes Flicked Toward Ren.
"I'll Ask Him Too."
Chika And Kaito Nodded, Drifting Back Into Their Conversation As Miyu Walked The Few Steps Across The Room.
Ren Hadn't Looked Up. Not Until She Stopped Beside His Desk.
"Hey," She Said Gently.
He Blinked Once, Slowly, And Then Looked At Her. His Gaze Wasn't Startled — Just Quiet, As Always. Waiting.
"We're Planning To Meet After School To Talk About The Project," She Continued. "Are You In?"
He Looked At Her For A Moment Longer, Then Gave A Single Nod. "Alright."
"Cool," Miyu Said. "It Won't Take Long. Just To Figure Out How We Want To Begin."
Ren Didn't Smile, But There Was Something Calm In The Way He Leaned Back Slightly And Replied, "Sounds Manageable."
She Nodded And Turned Back Toward Her Desk — But Not Before Catching The Faintest Flicker In His Expression. Like Something Unspoken Had Settled Between Them Again.
Not Tension. Not Awkwardness.
Just… Something Warm. Something Waiting To Grow.
And For The First Time Since The Groups Were Announced, Miyu Felt A Little More Certain — Not Just About The Assignment, But About The Quiet Rhythm Building Between Her And Ren.
A Rhythm That, Perhaps, Didn't Need Words To Be Understood.
After The Final Bell Rang, The Hallway Filled With The Familiar Buzz Of Conversations And The Shuffling Of Bags. Miyu Waited Near The Door While Chika And Kaito Packed Up, Still Deep In A Conversation That Clearly Had Nothing To Do With Schoolwork.
Ren, As Always, Took His Time. He Moved Without Urgency, Slipping His Notebook Into His Bag And Slinging It Over His Shoulder With Practiced Ease.
He Didn't Look At Anyone. But When He Walked Past Miyu Toward The Door, He Paused—Just For A Second—And Said, Without Turning,
"Library, Right?"
Miyu Blinked, Surprised For A Moment. Then She Nodded, Even Though He Couldn't See It.
"Yeah. Quietest Place We'll Find."
He Didn't Reply, But His Steps Slowed—Just Enough That She Could Fall Into Step Beside Him As They Walked Out Together.
— × —
The Library Wasn't Crowded. Late Afternoon Light Streamed In Through The High Windows, Casting Soft Lines Across The Floor. A Few Students Sat Scattered At Individual Desks, Absorbed In Their Own Silence.
They Chose A Table Near The Corner — Tucked By The Window, Slightly Out Of View But Still Open. Miyu Placed Her Bag Down And Sat On The Far Side Of The Table. Ren, This Time, Didn't Take His Usual Diagonal Seat Across From Her.
Instead, He Sat Beside Her.
Not Close Enough To Brush Shoulders — But Close Enough That She Could Feel His Presence More Clearly Than Usual.
Across From Them, Chika Was Already Pulling Out Her Color-Coded Stationery With Practiced Enthusiasm. Kaito Flopped Into The Seat Beside Her With His Usual Relaxed Grin.
Miyu Wondered If Ren Would Say Something.
To Her Surprise, He Did.
"I Skimmed The Assignment," Ren Said, Flipping Open His Notebook. "It's Not Bad. Just A Presentation And A Visual Breakdown Of The Topic."
Kaito Raised An Eyebrow. "You Already Read It?"
Ren Shrugged. "Didn't Say I Understood It. Just Looked."
Miyu Smiled Quietly To Herself. His Way Of Saying He Definitely Understood It.
"Alright," Chika Said, Uncapping A Pen. "Let's Not Overcomplicate It. We've Got A Week. Let's Divide Things Up."
"I Can Do Research," Kaito Offered Casually, Flipping His Notebook Open. "Just Don't Expect Me To Sound Smart In Front Of The Class."
Chika Laughed. "You Could If You Wanted To."
He Shrugged. "Nah, Too Much Pressure."
They Chuckled, The Mood Slowly Easing Into Something More Natural. Less Formal. More Like A Conversation Between People, Rather Than A Forced School Task.
"Then Who's Going To Present?" Chika Asked, Looking Around The Table.
There Was A Pause — The Kind That Usually Stretches Too Long In Group Work.
"I'll Do It," Ren Said, Almost Too Casually.
Miyu Turned To Him, Eyebrows Lifting Slightly.
He Didn't Look At Her. Just Kept His Gaze On The Page In Front Of Him. "It's Easier To Say Things When I Know What I'm Saying."
Kaito Blinked. "Seriously? I Thought You Hated That Kind Of Stuff."
Ren Didn't Respond Immediately. He Just Turned His Pen Once Between His Fingers And Said, "I Hate Wasting Time More."
Miyu Couldn't Help The Small Smile That Touched Her Lips.
Chika Nodded. "Great. I'll Do The Visuals. Miyu?"
"I'll Structure Everything. Organize It. Put The Pieces Together."
Everyone Agreed Without Fuss. It Came Together Surprisingly Smoothly.
As They Worked, The Natural Flow Between Them Slowly Settled In — Chika's Voice Filling Gaps With Ideas, Kaito Throwing In Commentary That Made Them Laugh, Ren Quietly Jotting Down Key Points As He Listened. Miyu Coordinated, Her Notes Neat And Clean, Her Thoughts Always One Step Ahead.
But Between The Soft Scratch Of Pens And Whispered Planning, Something Else Lingered At The Edge.
A Moment When Miyu Leaned Slightly Over The Table To Point At Something In Chika's Sketch, And Ren Shifted His Chair A Little — Just Enough To Give Her Room, But Without Breaking The Unspoken Closeness Between Them.
A Second When Ren Handed Her His Notebook Without Asking, Already Flipped To The Page She Needed.
And Later, When Miyu Sighed Softly While Staring At The Rough Outline, Ren Nudged A Pencil Toward Her And Said Under His Breath, "You're Doing That Thing Again."
She Looked At Him. "What Thing?"
"Thinking Too Hard."
Her Lips Twitched. "Someone Has To."
He Didn't Smile, But His Voice Softened. "You Don't Always Have To."
There Wasn't An Answer For That — Not Right Away. But She Didn't Look Away From Him Either.
— × —
By The Time The Outline Was Finished And The Roles Were Assigned, The Library Had Grown Quieter. The Golden Light Outside Had Faded Into A Cooler Blue.
Kaito Stood First, Stretching His Arms Above His Head. "Cool. I'll Pull Articles Tonight."
Chika Was Already Packing Up Her Pens. "I'll Mock Up A Sample Slide. Nothing Fancy."
Miyu Reached For Her Notes, Flipping Through Them One Last Time To Make Sure Everything Was In Place. As She Did, Ren Stood Too, Zipping His Bag With Practiced Ease.
He Waited.
When She Finally Looked Up, Their Eyes Met — And For The First Time, She Realized He Wasn't Just Staying Behind Out Of Habit.
He Was Waiting For Her.
She Slung Her Bag Over Her Shoulder And Gave Him A Small Nod. "Thanks."
He Didn't Reply Right Away — Just Walked With Her Toward The Exit.
Only When They Were Just Outside The Door, With Voices And Footsteps Fading Behind Them, Did He Speak.
"You're Good At This," He Said Quietly. "Making Things Work."
She Glanced Sideways At Him. "You Mean Organizing?"
He Shook His Head Slightly. "I Mean... People."
It Was Such An Unexpected Thing To Hear From Him — From Ren — That She Didn't Quite Know What To Say. But She Didn't Need To. Her Expression Must Have Said Enough.
Because Ren Added, Just Before They Reached The Hallway,
"...That's Rare."
Her Reply Came After A Brief Pause — Soft, Honest:
"So Is Someone Who Listens."
They Didn't Say Anything Else After That.
But Somehow, Walking Side By Side, It Didn't Feel Like Silence.
It Felt Like Understanding.
And In Its Own Quiet Way —
That Was Everything.
— × —
They Agreed To Meet Again The Next Afternoon — Same Spot In The Library, Same Quiet Corner.
The Sun Was A Little Harsher That Day, Slanting Through The Windows In Golden Streaks That Warmed The Edge Of The Table. Chika Arrived First, Somehow Balancing A Drink, Three Folders, And Her Phone All In One Hand. Kaito Trailed Behind Her, Holding Absolutely Nothing — Except A Single Piece Of Gum, Which He Immediately Offered To Ren Like It Was Currency.
"You're Late," Chika Said, Not Looking At Him.
"I'm Not. You're Just Early."
She Gave Him A Side Glance. "You're Always Late. I Used To Have To Drag You Out Of Bed In Middle School."
Kaito Flinched. "Wha—"
Miyu Looked Up From Her Notes. "You Two Know Each Other From Middle School?"
"Kindergarten, Actually," Chika Said With A Mock Sigh, Dropping Her Bag Onto Her Chair.
Kaito Grinned. "She Used To Boss Me Around Back Then Too."
"Someone Had To Make Sure You Didn't Accidentally Eat Glue."
Ren Raised An Eyebrow, Amused. "Did You?"
"Only Once," Kaito Said Proudly.
They All Laughed — Even Ren, In That Quiet Way Of His, With Just A Small Breath Of Amusement And A Softer Look In His Eyes.
The Conversation Shifted Naturally After That. They Reviewed The Outline, Added Notes, And Discussed Slide Transitions With Mild Interest. As The Planning Wrapped Up And The Atmosphere Mellowed Into A Comfortable Rhythm, Miyu Glanced Toward Her Notes, Then At Ren Beside Her.
"We Should Probably Exchange Contact Info," She Said Casually, Flipping To A Blank Page To Note The Next Steps. "For Project Updates."
Ren Didn't Hesitate. He Pulled Out His Phone And Unlocked It, Holding It Out Toward Her. "Here."
Their Fingers Brushed — Just Barely — As She Took It. She Typed In Her Number And Returned It, Eyes Still On Her Notes As If It Wasn't Anything Significant.
But Ren, For Once, Glanced At The Screen A Little Longer Than Necessary After Saving Her Contact.
Miyu's Phone Buzzed A Second Later With A Simple Message:
[Ren]: For The Project.
She Looked At It For A Moment. Just The Words. Plain, Efficient — Very Ren.
Still, Something About It Made Her Lips Tilt Upward.
She Sent Back A Quiet Reply:
[Miyu]: Noted. Try Not To Ghost Us.
She Didn't Look At Him — Not Right Away. But She Caught The Corner Of His Mouth Twitching Like He Might've Smiled. Maybe.
— × —
After Kaito And Chika Left Early To Grab Snacks — The Latter Muttering Something About "Not Letting Kaito Choose Anything With Fake Cheese Again" — Miyu And Ren Lingered At The Table, Still Sorting Through The Last Bits Of Their Plan.
For A While, There Was Only The Sound Of Shuffling Pages And Low Murmurs From Nearby Students.
Then, Softly, Ren Spoke Without Looking Up.
"You're Different When You're Around Them."
Miyu Paused, Glancing At Him. "Different How?"
"Lighter," He Said Simply.
She Looked Down At Her Notebook, Then At Her Fingers.
"Maybe That's Because I Don't Have To Be The Perfect Version Of Myself Around Them."
Ren Tapped His Pencil Once Against The Edge Of The Table, Thinking. "Then I'm Glad I'm Not The Only One Who Noticed."
She Smiled Faintly. "And You? You're Different Too."
He Looked At Her Then — Just For A Moment.
"Maybe."
"You're… Quieter Around Others. But When It's Just Us — Like This — You're Not Hiding."
He Didn't Respond Right Away. He Just Watched Her With A Gaze That Felt Steadier Than Usual.
"You Make It Easy Not To Hide."
The Silence That Followed Wasn't Heavy.
It Felt Like A Pause Between Breaths. Like Something Important Had Been Said — Even If Neither Of Them Fully Understood What.
Eventually, She Gathered Her Notes. "Same Time Tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
They Stood, Side By Side, And Walked Toward The Exit Again — Like A Habit Slowly Forming Without Effort.
And This Time, When They Reached The Door, Miyu Spoke First.
"Thanks For Today."
Ren Looked At Her — Really Looked.
"...You Too."
They Didn't Part Immediately. They Lingered In The Hallway, Just Slightly Apart From The Noise Of Others.
No Words Were Needed. Just A Shared Glance. A Small Nod.
And That Strange, Quiet Sense Of Something Beginning.
— × —
Later That Night, As Miyu Was Just Finishing Her Work, Her Phone Buzzed. It Was A Message From Ren.
[Ren]: Layout Scans. Let Me Know If You Need Edits.
She Stared At The Screen For A Moment.
And For The First Time, She Saved A Contact Under "Favorites."
To Be Continued....