In the hallway, he could hear it, whispers following him like notifications.
"Did you hear? Aoi and Seiji were laughing together."
"I swear I saw her waiting for him after class."
"What about that quiet guy? I thought she was dating him ."
Kenji almost tripped when he heard that last part.
Dating? Him?
He didn't even know what to say to her half the time.
•
•
After school, Kenji and Seiji walked home together. The sun painted the sky a warm orange, the kind of color that made everything feel temporary.
"Hey," Seiji said, kicking a rock down the sidewalk. "You've been quiet."
"I'm always quiet," Kenji muttered.
"Yeah, but this is like… extra quiet. Did Aoi say something weird?"
Kenji hesitated. "No. Just… people are talking."
Kenji's voice came out sharper than he meant.
"Why would you care about what Aoi said anyway?"
Seiji blinked. "What? I don't—"
Kenji looked away quickly. "Forget it."
The silence that followed felt heavier than before.
The next morning, Aoi waved at seiji across the classroom.
The entire room turned to look.
Kenji froze mid-step, staring.
Seiji caught her wave and smiled back, looking pleased.
After a pause, Seiji said quietly,
"It's not what it looks like… we're not together."
Kenji said nothing.
Later at lunch, Aoi joined them, uninvited but welcome. The three of them sat under a cherry tree, sharing snacks.
Aoi leaned closer to Seiji, showing him something on her phone. Their shoulders brushed.
Kenji sat a little apart from them, staring at the grass. He tugged at his sleeve, fingers tightening around the fabric.
Why do they always look so comfortable together? he thought. Like they're in their own little world, and I'm not even part of it.
He glanced at Aoi, her smile, her hand brushing Seiji's arm.
Does she even notice me?
Maybe she likes him. And I… I'm just the quiet guy she forgets about.
The words stung, though they stayed locked in his mind.
It's fine. I'm fine. I'm always fine.