The Next Few Days Fell Into A Pattern That Neither Ren Nor Miyu Acknowledged Out Loud — But Both Began To Expect.
They'd Meet In The Library After Classes, Sitting At Their Usual Spot Near The Window. It Was A Quiet Corner, Half-lit By Soft Sunlight In The Late Afternoon, And Far Enough From The Other Groups That They Could Work Without Distraction.
Kaito And Chika Usually Busied Themselves With Sourcing Visuals Or Joking About Formatting Decisions, Their Energy Filling The Background. But It Was Ren And Miyu Who Ended Up Shaping Most Of The Structure — Silently, Seamlessly.
They Never Really Planned It That Way.
It Just… Happened.
— × —
Project Day 3
Ren Had Arrived At The Table First, A Rare Occurrence. His Notebook Was Already Open, Half-filled With Neat Notes And Topic Outlines.
Miyu Paused Before Sitting Beside Him, Slightly Surprised.
"You're Early Today," She Said, Brushing Her Hair Behind Her Ear.
Ren Gave A Quiet Shrug, Eyes Still On The Page. "Thought I'd Get Ahead While The Library's Quiet."
She Placed Her Bag Down And Smiled Faintly. "You Like The Quiet, Don't You?"
"I Don't Mind It," He Said. Then, Glancing At Her Briefly: "You Don't Talk Much Either, When We Work."
"Does It Bother You?" She Asked.
"No." He Turned Back To The Page. "It's Kind Of… Peaceful."
She Didn't Reply, But The Quiet Hum In Her Chest Felt Warmer Than Before.
— × —
That Night, Ren Was Flipping Through His Notebook When His Phone Buzzed.
[Miyu]: You Looked Strangely Focused Today. I Almost Didn't Recognize You.
Ren Smirked.
[Ren]: Harsh. I Even Used A Ruler. That's Commitment.
[Miyu]: Is This Your Secret Weapon? Straight Lines?
[Ren]: Who Knows? Maybe, Maybe Not.
A Pause, Then:
[Miyu]: Thanks For The Notes, Though. Helped A Lot.
[Ren]: You're Welcome. You Can Repay Me With Snacks Tomorrow.
[Miyu]: You're Very Transaction-based.
[Ren]: I'm Just Practical.
He Leaned Back In His Chair, Thumb Hovering Over The Screen.
[Ren]: Today Wasn't Bad. Working With You Is… Easy.
There Was A Short Pause.
[Miyu]: Yeah. It Is.
Nothing Else Followed.
But Both Smiled To Themselves — Without Quite Knowing Why.
— × —
Project Day 4
Next Day At Classroom Passed Like Any Other Day. But After They Grouped For Meeting In The Library, The Air Shifted Just A Little — Subtle, But There.
Q
Ren Was Already Waiting At One Of The Back Tables, Sleeves Rolled Up, Highlighter Cap Between His Fingers. Miyu Slid Into The Seat Across From Him, Her Bag Making A Soft Thud As She Set It Down.
"Started Without Us?" She Asked, Eyeing The Half-Filled Chart On The Paper Between Them.
He Didn't Look Up. "Only The Boring Part."
She Pulled Out Her Notebook, A Small Smile Forming. "Lucky Me."
A Moment Later, Chika And Kaito Arrived — Chika Already Talking About Timelines And Font Sizes, While Kaito Quietly Unwrapped A Chocolate Bar Behind Her.
They All Leaned In Over The Table, Ideas Scattered Across Post-Its, Paper, And The Occasional Snack Wrapper. But Through It All, Ren And Miyu Found Themselves Drifting Into Their Own Rhythm — Sliding Papers, Checking Outlines, Whispering Short Suggestions While The Others Debated Color Themes.
After Some Time, Chika And Kaito Went Off To Get Some Snacks — Chika Muttering About "Low Blood Sugar Making Her Less Creative," While Kaito Just Quietly Trailed Along With His Usual Calm Nod.
The Library Felt Quieter Without Them. Not Empty, Just... Less Chaotic.
Miyu Shifted In Her Seat, Stretching Her Arms A Little. "They'll Probably Come Back With Three Bags Of Chips And A Pack Of Stickers."
Ren Didn't Look Up From His Notes. "Hopefully Not Stickers Again. Last Time Chika Tried To Rate Everyone's Effort With Star Stickers."
They Were Debating Over Chika When Ren Asked, "Do You Like Group Work?"
Miyu Raised An Eyebrow. "That's Random."
"Just Curious."
She Thought For A Moment. "It Depends. I Don't Like When I Have To Manage Everything Alone, But I Don't Like Being Ignored Either."
He Nodded Slowly. "That Makes Sense."
"What About You?"
Ren Didn't Answer Immediately. Then He Said, "I Like When Things Just… Work. Quietly. Like This."
She Blinked.
Then — Softer Than Usual — "Yeah. Me Too."
— × —
Same Day, Evening.
Dinner Plates Clinked In The Background, And The Group Chat Buzzed To Life Right On Cue.
No New Name Change This Time — Just "Project Team (Actual One)" Glowing Quietly On Everyone's Phones.
Chika Was The First To Stir The Pot.
[Chika] : Reminder: Tomorrow Is The Last Prep Day. Emotionally Prepare Yourselves. Or Just Bring Chocolate.
[Kaito] : Can I Emotionally Prepare With Chips?
[Miyu] : If They're Emotionally Supportive Chips, Sure.
[Kaito] : They Whisper Encouragement Every Crunch.
[Ren] : Mine Just Crunch With Judgment.
[Chika] : Because You Eat Them With That 'Organizing Google Docs' Face.
[Kaito] : Ren Probably Labels His Snack Drawers.
[Ren] : I Do Not.
[Miyu] : ...You Hesitated.
[Ren] : They're Loosely Sorted.
[Chika] : Tomorrow — Library After Lunch. Full Prep. No Slacking.
[Kaito] : Define Slacking.
[Chika] : If I Catch You Trying To Nap Behind The Reference Shelf Again—
[Kaito] : Alleged Nap.
[Miyu] : We Saw Your Shoe.
[Ren] : It Was Sticking Out Like A Crime Scene.
[Kaito] : Even Detectives Need Rest.
They Discussed Timings, Who Would Finalize What, How To Handle Transitions. Chika Claimed She Could "Sense Awkward Pauses From Across The Room." Ren Offered To Keep Backup Slides And Handwritten Notes, "Just In Case." Kaito Called Him Their Unofficial Crisis Plan. No One Disagreed.
Eventually, As Dinner Turned To Dishes And Siblings Hovered Near Phones, The Chat Quieted.
Everyone Drifted Out One By One —
Except Two.
[Private Chat]
[Ren] : Do You Think Kaito's Chips Actually Whisper Encouragement?
[Miyu] : Only If They're Barbecue Flavor. Otherwise They Mock You.
[Ren] : Figures. I Had Sour Cream Ones. They Just Sighed.
[Miyu] : Rookie Mistake.
[Ren] : He Says He's Emotionally Attached To His Vending Machine Now.
[Miyu] : Honestly… Relatable.
[Ren] : You Talk Like You Haven't Threatened To Fight It Before.
[Miyu] : It Ate My Coins. It Deserved It.
Ren Smiled Quietly At The Screen.
[Ren] : Anyway. You Ready For Tomorrow?
[Miyu] : Mostly. You?
[Ren] : Kind Of. I Don't Like Group Work Much, But This One's Been Okay.
[Miyu] : ...Because It's Quiet?
[Ren] : Maybe. Because You Don't Make It Feel Loud.
There Was A Pause.
[Miyu] : That Was Either Poetic Or Sleep-Deprived.
[Ren] : Both.
[Miyu] : Tomorrow's Gonna Be Hectic.
[Ren] : I'll Bring Snacks That Don't Talk.
[Miyu] : And I'll Bring Moral Silence.
A Short Pause — Not Awkward, Just… Settled.
[Ren] : You'll Do Fine.
[Miyu] : You Too. Don't Alphabetize The Water Bottles Again.
[Ren] : That Was Once.
[Miyu] : It Was Impressive. But Weird.
— × —
They Signed Off Not Long After, Quietly — With A Calm "Goodnight."
Another Day Down.
One Last Prep Day To Go.
Still Just Friends. Still Just A Project.
That's What They Believed.
— × —
Project Day 5 — Final Prep Day
The School Day Moved With A Quiet Kind Of Energy — That Calm Before A Storm That Wasn't A Storm At All, Just A Presentation With Too Many Slides.
By The Time The Final Bell Rang, Everyone In The Group Was Already Halfway To The Library.
Kaito Was Carrying A Bag Of Chips He'd Somehow Convinced A Junior To Trade For A Pencil.
Chika Looked Like She Hadn't Slept Since Thursday.
Miyu Had A Folder Neatly Labeled With Color-Coded Tabs.
Ren Had His Usual Notebook — Clean, Precise, And Possibly Calmer Than Everyone In The Room.
— × —
They Found Their Corner Table Again, Laptops Opened With Familiar Clicks, Soft Conversations Bouncing Back And Forth.
"Okay," Chika Said, Standing Over Them Like A Military Commander. "This Is Our Final Run. No Excuses. No Edits After Tonight. If I See Another Comic Sans Font, I'm Leaving This Group."
"I Still Think Comic Sans Is Friendly," Kaito Mumbled.
"It's A War Crime," Ren Replied Without Looking Up.
Miyu Hid Her Smile Behind Her Hand.
— × —
They Ran Through Each Part Of The Presentation, One By One.
Chika Handled The Opening And Flow.
Kaito Somehow Managed To Make The Graphs Interesting By Calling Them "Emotionally Complex."
Ren's Voice Was Even, Steady, Like It Always Was — But Somehow More Confident Than Before.
Miyu Covered The Data Slides And Conclusions, Pausing Only To Make Sure Her Clicker Timing Was Perfect.
At One Point, Kaito Tried To Slip A GIF Into His Slide.
"No," Chika Said Immediately.
"It's A Tasteful One."
"No."
Ren Leaned Over To Miyu. "Was It The Hamster One Again?"
She Nodded. "He's Still Proud Of It."
— × —
They Took A Short Break After A Long Run-Through.
Kaito And Chika Left To Grab Snacks From The Cafeteria, Leaving Ren And Miyu Alone At The Table.
He Looked Up From His Notes After A Minute Of Silence.
"Do You Think We'll Be Okay Tomorrow?"
Miyu Thought For A Second. "Honestly? Yeah. We're Prepared."
He Nodded Slowly.
Then, After A Beat: "You Always Seem Ready."
"I Panic Internally," She Said. "But I Hide It Well."
"Maybe That's A Skill."
"Maybe Yours Is Looking Calm No Matter What."
Ren Gave A Soft Laugh. "Mine's Just Staring Blankly Until People Think I Know What I'm Doing."
"That Works?"
"Surprisingly Often."
— × —
Later, They Finalized Their Order One Last Time.
"Remember," Chika Said, "No Freezing. No Mumbling. And Definitely No Panic-Chugging Water Mid-Slide."
Kaito Raised A Hand. "What If It's A Strategic Sip?"
"No."
— × —
[That Night — Group Chat]
[Chika] : Tomorrow We Conquer. Or Collapse. Either Way, We Present.
[Kaito] : Can I Wear Sunglasses?
[Chika] : Absolutely Not.
[Miyu] : Only If We're Presenting From A Rooftop.
[Ren] : He'd Still Trip On A Cord.
[Kaito] : You People Don't Respect My Vision.
[Chika] : Your Vision Has Sparkle Transitions.
[Miyu] : And Dubstep.
[Ren] : I Still Don't Know Where He Got That Slide.
[Kaito] : Art Cannot Be Explained.
— × —
[Private Chat]
[Ren] : Your Slides Look Good. Seriously.
[Miyu] : Yours Are Cleaner. Mine Look Like They're Trying Too Hard.
[Ren] : That's Just Good Design.
[Miyu] : You're Weirdly Supportive Tonight.
[Ren] : Last-Minute Confidence Boost. It's A Strategy.
[Miyu] : I'll Take It. You Seem Ready Too.
[Ren] : Internally Screaming.
[Miyu] : Loud Or Quiet?
[Ren] : A Respectful Screaming. Like… In Morse Code.
[Miyu] : Mine's Just Elevator Music And A Voice Saying "Don't Mess Up."
[Ren] : Classic. You'll Be Fine.
[Miyu] : You Too. Don't Drop Your Notes Again.
[Ren] : That Was One Time.
[Miyu] : And It Echoed. Through The Whole Library.
[Ren] : …Goodnight.
[Miyu] : Night. Good Luck, Quiet Strategist.
— × —
The Chat Closed. Screens Dimmed. Notes Were Packed.
Tomorrow Was The Big Day.
And Somehow, They Were… Kind Of Ready.
To Be Continued....