The Dining Hall Was Already Buzzing With Energy When They Walked In. Wooden Tables Stretched Across The Room, Each Claimed By Clusters Of Students. The Smell Of Warm Rice, Soup, And Something Fried Hung In The Air.
Chika Waved Both Arms Wildly, Pulling The Others Toward An Empty Table Near The Middle. "Here! Best Spot. We Can See Everyone And Everyone Can See Us."
Ren Muttered, "Unfortunately."
They Sat Down In A Tangle Of Chairs And Backpacks. Trays Were Passed Along, Dishes Clattered, And Soon The Table Looked Like A Feast Set For Chaos.
It Didn't Take Long.
"So, Ren," Vicky Began Loudly, "Tell Us How It Feels To Have Miyu Defend You In Public. That Was Basically A Love Confession."
Ren Nearly Dropped His Chopsticks. "It Wasn't."
"Oh, It Was," Mahito Jumped In, Pointing His Spoon For Emphasis. "Her Exact Words Were, 'He's Right.' That's Basically, 'I'll Stand By Him No Matter What.'"
Chika Gasped Dramatically. "Oh My God, It's True. We Witnessed It."
Miyu Tried To Keep A Straight Face, But Her Shoulders Gave Away A Quiet Laugh. "You're All Reading Too Much Into It."
"Exactly What Someone In Denial Would Say!" Kaito Shouted, Slamming His Hand On The Table.
The Sound Made Nearby Students Turn. That Only Encouraged Them.
"Face It," Mahito Said, Grinning At Ren. "You've Gone From Background Character To Main Lead In One Trip."
"I Didn't Ask For The Role," Ren Replied Dryly.
Chika Leaned Over The Table Toward Miyu. "Do You Approve Of Your Co-Star?"
Miyu Met Ren's Eyes For A Second Before Answering, Calmly, "He's… Fine."
The Table Exploded.
"Fine?! That's Basically A Wedding Proposal!"
"Print The Invitations!"
"Book The Hall!"
Ren Covered His Face With One Hand. "I Hate All Of You."
The Laughter Got So Loud That A Teacher Finally Walked Over, Arms Crossed. "Keep It Down, Please. Other Tables Are Trying To Eat."
"Yes, Ma'am," They All Chimed Together, Heads Bowed Like Guilty Kids.
The Teacher Walked Away.
And Immediately, Vicky Whisper-Shouted, "Fine. We'll Just Tease Quietly."
"Ren," Mahito Hissed In A Fake Whisper Loud Enough To Carry, "Do You Want Us To Save Cake For Your Honeymoon?"
The Table Burst Again.
Ren Considered Dumping His Soup On Him.
Miyu, Trying And Failing To Hide Her Smile, Shook Her Head. "They're Impossible."
Ren's Reply Was Soft, Almost Hidden Beneath The Chaos. "Yeah. But You're Laughing."
And She Was.
—
The Noise Didn't Die Down—If Anything, It Multiplied. Their Table Became A Magnet For Attention, Like A Bad Comedy Show No One Asked For But Everyone Heard Anyway.
Kaito Stabbed His Fork Into A Dumpling And Pointed It At Ren. "Be Honest—Did You Two Hold Hands On The Walk Over Here?"
Ren Choked On His Drink. "What? No!"
"Suspicious!" Chika Shouted Immediately, Slamming The Table Like A Judge. "That's Exactly How Someone Guilty Responds."
Miyu Tried To Step In, Calm But Not Very Convincing With The Smile Pressed Against Her Hand. "We Didn't."
"See!" Mahito Yelled. "They Even Deny Things In Sync. Couple Energy!"
The Whole Table Howled, And A Student From Another Table Actually Turned To Shush Them.
That Only Fueled Vicky. He Leaned Back, Arms Spread Like A Ringmaster. "Ladies And Gentlemen, We're Witnessing History. Ren—Our Beloved Wallflower—Finally Blooming."
Ren Muttered, "I'll Wither Right Now If You Don't Stop."
"Too Late!" Kaito Shouted. "The Bloom Is Eternal!"
Chika Snorted So Hard She Nearly Dropped Her Spoon. "Eternal Bloom! That's Your Couple Nickname Now!"
"Sounds Like A Soap Opera," Mahito Added. "Coming Soon—Eternal Bloom: The Forbidden School Trip Love Story."
By Now, Half The Nearby Tables Were Watching.
The Teacher From Before Stormed Back Over, Eyes Narrowed. "I Said Keep It Down."
Everyone Froze.
"Yes, Ma'am," They Chorused Again, Looking Like Saints For The Briefest Moment.
The Teacher Walked Away Slowly, Suspicious.
Silence Hung For Three Seconds.
Then Chika Whispered, Loud Enough For Everyone, "Eternal Bloom Episode One—They're Caught By The Teacher."
The Table Exploded Again, Ren Groaning Into His Bowl While Miyu Finally Gave Up And Laughed Openly.
Even As More Students Looked Their Way, The Group Couldn't Stop. Every Joke Stacked On The Last, Every Tease Louder And Wilder, Until Their Table Became A Hurricane Of Noise In A Hall Otherwise Filled With Ordinary Chatter.
—
The Noise Was Already High When Ren Finally Lowered His Chopsticks, Eyes Narrowed. "You Four Really Have Nothing Better To Do, Huh?"
"Of Course Not," Vicky Said Proudly. "This Is Our Purpose."
"Exactly," Mahito Added. "Our Duty Is To Make Sure Your Love Story Doesn't Die In Silence."
"Duty Fulfilled!" Chika Declared.
Kaito Raised His Glass Dramatically. "To Eternal Bloom!"
They All Clinked Their Cups Together In A Fake Toast.
Ren Glanced At Miyu Beside Him. She Met His Look For A Second, Her Smile Quiet But Sharp. And Just Like That, Something Passed Between Them—Unspoken, But Clear.
It Was Time To Fight Back.
Ren Set His Cup Down Slowly. "You Know, For People Who Talk About Me Having A Love Story… None Of You Have Any."
Silence Fell For Half A Beat.
Then Miyu Stepped In Smoothly, Her Voice Calm As Always. "He's Right. You're All Very… Single."
The Table Erupted—But This Time In Shock.
"Wha—Hey!" Mahito Nearly Dropped His Spoon.
"Excuse Me?!" Chika Gasped, Pointing At Herself.
"Ruthless!" Kaito Shouted, Clutching His Chest.
"Cold-Blooded!" Vicky Added, But His Laugh Cracked Midway.
Ren Leaned Back, Smirking. "Strange How The Loudest Ones Are Always The Loneliest."
"Hey—"
"And," Miyu Continued, Her Smile Growing Just A Touch, "If You Put Half As Much Effort Into Your Own Lives As You Do Teasing Us… Maybe Someone Would Actually Like You."
"Whoa!" The Four Yelled At Once, Almost Knocking The Table Over.
Kaito Slammed His Hand Down. "Unfair! You Two Teaming Up Is Illegal!"
"They've Evolved!" Chika Shouted.
"Dangerous," Mahito Declared, Pointing At Them Like They Were Monsters. "Two Quiet Students—When They Join Forces—They're A Menace!"
Vicky Shook His Head, Pretending To Wipe A Tear. "This Is The End. We Created Them… And Now They've Destroyed Us."
Ren And Miyu Shared A Small Look, Their Composure Unbroken While The Other Four Dramatically Collapsed Around The Table.
For Once, The Teasing War Belonged To Them.
And Quietly—Beneath The Roaring Chaos—Ren Found Himself Thinking He Didn't Mind Fighting Like This At All. Not When Miyu Was By His Side.
—
The Group Was Still Pretending To Collapse In Tragedy When Ren Casually Picked Up His Spoon. "You Know," He Said Flatly, "Looking At You Four… It's Almost Impressive How Consistently Unattractive You Manage To Be."
The Table Exploded.
"WHAT?!" Mahito Nearly Fell Off His Chair.
"You Did Not Just Say That!" Chika Clutched Her Chest Like She'd Been Shot.
"Traitor!" Kaito Screamed. "You Were Supposed To Be The Quiet One!"
Miyu Tilted Her Head, Her Voice Calm But Cutting. "Honestly, If Teasing Us Was An Olympic Sport, You'd Win Gold. But In Real Life… Bronze At Best."
Vicky Dropped His Chopsticks Dramatically. "I've Been Personally Attacked!"
Ren Added Without Blinking, "No, You've Just Been Accurately Described."
The Four Shouted All At Once—A Mix Of "HOW DARE YOU!" And "UNFAIR!"—But Their Voices Were Drowned Out By Miyu's Final Blow.
She Sat Back Gracefully, Smiling Like She'd Just Delivered A Polite Compliment. "Don't Worry. If You Ever Need Help Finding Someone, Ren And I Could Give Tips. Clearly We Know Something You Don't."
It Was Over.
The Four Practically Collapsed Against The Table, Beaten.
"Unstoppable…" Kaito Mumbled.
"Two Quiet Kids…" Chika Whispered.
"Never Let Them Team Up Again…" Vicky Groaned.
"Too Much Power…" Mahito Added Weakly.
The Laughter Around Their Table Had Reached Such A Peak That Heads Were Turning Again. Just As The Noise Hit Maximum Chaos, The Teacher Returned—Her Face A Mix Of Tired And Stern.
The Table Froze Instantly. Everyone Straightened, Pretending To Eat Quietly, Chopsticks Hovering Like Innocent Statues.
The Teacher Stood There, Watching.
For A Long Moment, It Seemed Like She Might Yell.
Then—Deadpan—She Said, "If You Four Keep Screaming About Eternal Bloom, Maybe You'll Actually Scare Love Away For Good."
Silence.
Then The Entire Table Exploded Again—But This Time Even Louder.
Kaito Slammed His Forehead On The Table. "Teacher, Not You Too!"
Chika Covered Her Mouth, Crying With Laughter.
Mahito Shouted, "She's On Their Side Now!"
Vicky Held Up His Tray In Defeat. "We're Finished. Even The Adults Have Joined The Attack."
Ren Nearly Choked Trying To Hold His Laughter In, While Miyu Quietly Covered Her Face With Her Hand, Shoulders Shaking.
The Teacher Shook Her Head, Half-Smirking, And Walked Away. "Eat. And Try Not To Bring The Roof Down."
They Tried. They Really Did.
But Even After She Left, The Table Was Still Buzzing With Barely Contained Laughter—The Kind That Burst Out Again Every Few Seconds Like Sparks Refusing To Die.
—
The Group Had Barely Regained Breath When Ren Leaned Slightly Toward Miyu, A Quiet Smirk On His Face.
"You Know," He Whispered, "I Think They're Forgetting Who Really Runs This Table."
Miyu Arched One Eyebrow, Her Smile Small But Sharp. "And Who Might That Be?"
He Grinned. "The Quiet Ones, Apparently."
She Tilted Her Head, Leaning Close. "Maybe We Should Remind Them."
It Took Only A Few Seconds.
Ren Dropped A Dry Comment About Mahito's Dramatic Stirring Of His Soup.
Miyu Immediately Followed, Pointing Out Vicky's Overly Precise Napkin Folding.
Then, Without Warning, They Both Let Loose—A Stream Of Jokes, Teasing, And Tiny Sarcastic Remarks, Each Perfectly Timing The Other.
"Careful, Mahito. One More Chopstick Slip And We'll Frame It As Modern Art," Ren Said.
"Or You Could Just Build A Monument To Your Clumsiness, Right Next To Your Ego," Miyu Added.
Chika Almost Spit Out Her Water, Giggling So Hard She Nearly Fell.
Kaito Collapsed Against The Chair, Hands Over Face.
Vicky Whined, "Two Quiet Students Are Dangerous!"
Ren Smirked. "We've Been Training For Years."
Miyu Leaned Back, Mock-Serious. "Silent Observation, Lethal Execution."
The Teacher Returned For A Brief Check—Hoping Silence Had Returned—Only To Hear Ren And Miyu Deliver Another Perfectly Synced Punchline.
"Honestly," Ren Said, "If You Wanted Peace, Maybe Try Folding Your Ego Into A Smaller Size."
"And Sprinkle Some Reality On Top," Miyu Finished.
The Four Could Do Nothing But Groan And Laugh Simultaneously.
Chika Threw Her Napkin On The Table. "I Give Up. You Win. All Of You."
Kaito Wiped Tears From His Eyes. "Quiet… My Ass!"
Mahito Shouted, "We're Defeated By Two People?!"
Vicky Nodded Gravely. "They're Quiet, But Lethal."
Ren And Miyu Exchanged A Tiny, Almost Secret Smile. Just A Glimmer Between Them.
No Words. No Glances Needed. Their Humor Had Spoken.
The Teacher, Finally, Could Only Shake Her Head, Smiling Slightly. "Alright, Alright. You May Have Won Tonight… But Try Not To Destroy The Dining Hall, Yes?"
They Tried. Mostly. The Laughter Eased. The Group Collapsed In Exhausted, Happy Chaos.
Ren Leaned Back, Finally Taking A Breath. Miyu Squeezed Her Spoon Slightly, Still Smiling.
"This Was Dangerous," Kaito Whispered.
"Two Quiet Students Are Cataclysmic," Chika Agreed.
"Never. Again," Vicky Said.
"Maybe Tomorrow," Mahito Added.
Ren Glanced At Miyu. "Think We Went Too Far?"
Miyu Smirked. "Never Far Enough."
And With That, The Group Gathered Their Things, Still Whispering Snippets Of Teasing, Still Laughing Quietly, As They Made Their Way Back Toward Their Lodge Rooms.
—
The Laughter Still Echoed Faintly In Their Chests As They Left The Dining Hall, But By The Time They Reached The Lodge, The Noise Of Dinner Had Faded Into The Humming Quiet Of Evening.
The Boys' Room Was Its Own Kind Of Chaos. Kaito Fell Onto His Futon Immediately, Groaning. "I've Never Been So Brutally Humiliated In My Life."
Mahito Poked His Side. "That's Because You've Never Been On The Receiving End Of Miyu Before."
"Or Ren," Vicky Added Darkly, Pulling At His Blanket. "He's Been Saving All Those Comebacks For Years."
Ren Only Shrugged, Setting His Bag By The Corner. "You Asked For It."
They Groaned In Unison, Rolling Around Like Defeated Soldiers. He Almost Smiled.
—
On The Girls' Side, Chika Was Still Giggling As She Tried To Brush Her Hair. "I Swear, You Two Were Like Snipers Tonight. Bam—One-Liner. Bam—Another. I Couldn't Even Breathe."
One Of Their Roommates Covered Her Face With A Pillow. "If You'd Kept Going, The Teacher Would've Actually Banned You From Dinner Forever."
Miyu Smiled Faintly, Folding Her Uniform For The Next Day. "We Didn't Go That Far."
"Yes, You Did," The Other Girl Said Flatly.
Chika Pointed Her Brush At Miyu, Still Laughing. "Quiet Assassin. That's What You Are."
Miyu Tried To Keep Her Composure, But A Tiny Laugh Escaped Anyway.
—
Later, With The Lights Dimmed, The Buzz From Dinner Still Lingered Like An Aftertaste.
Ren Pulled His Blanket Over His Head, Phone In Hand.
A New Message Lit Up.
[Riko] : Brother, Are You Sleeping Yet?
[Ren] : Not Really. Why?
[Riko]: Because It's Too Quiet Here. The House Feels Weird Without You.
[Ren] : That's Supposed To Be A Good Thing.
[Riko]: It's Not. Who Do I Annoy At Night Now?
[Ren] : Annoy Yourself.
[Riko] : Tried. Boring. Come Back Soon, Okay?
Ren Stared At That Last Line For A Moment Before Typing Back.
[Ren] : I Will.
—
Meanwhile, Miyu's Phone Buzzed.
[Yui] : Sis, Did You Sleep?
[Miyu] : Not Yet. Why?
[Yui] : Just Checking. You Always Pretend You're Fine, But You Look Tired Sometimes.
[Miyu] : You Sound Like The Older Sister.
[Yui] : Someone Has To Be.
[Yui] : Anyway, Don't Work Too Hard Tomorrow Either. Okay?
Miyu Smiled Softly At The Screen.
[Miyu] : Okay.
A Second Message Appeared—This Time From A Contact Saved As Idiot — It Was, Of Course, Her Older Brother. She'd Named Him That Long Ago After One Of His Endless Teasing Sessions.
[Idiot] : Hey, You. Don't Forget To Rest. You're Not Allowed To Be Serious All The Time.
[Miyu] : …I'm Not Always Serious.
[Idiot] : Please. Even Your "…" Is Serious.
[Miyu] : …
[Idiot] : See? Exactly Like That. Lighten Up, Miyu. Laugh At Something Stupid. Trip's For That Too.
She Shook Her Head Slowly, But A Small Laugh Escaped Into The Quiet.
[Miyu] : You're Impossible.
[Idiot] : And You're Too Easy To Tease. Goodnight.
Miyu Set The Phone Down Beside Her Pillow, The Smile Lingering Even After The Screen Dimmed.
—
Not Long After, Ren And Miyu Exchanged A Few More Messages—Simple Ones.
[Ren] : Tomorrow's Activities Start Earlier, Right?
[Miyu] : Yes. Breakfast At Seven. You'll Survive.
[Ren] : Debatable.
[Miyu] : I'll Save You A Seat.
He Read That Twice Before Replying, A Small Smile Pulling At His Lips.
[Ren] : Then Maybe I Will Survive.
—
The Rooms Grew Quieter. Blanket Rustles, A Few Leftover Giggles, Then The Slow Drift Toward Sleep.
And As Silence Settled Over The Lodge, Ren Found Himself Drifting Off With The Memory Of Her Smile At Dinner, Still Bright In His Mind.
Miyu, Too, Closed Her Eyes With A Small, Lingering Warmth—The Kind That Didn't Fade Easily, No Matter How Chaotic The Day Had Been.
The Day Was Over. The Laughter Had Faded. But The Warmth Stayed.
— × —
To Be Continued....