Chapter 58: Trinity study group (2)

Aya’s mind, still replaying the events of last night, returned to the present. Rina, across from her, was still diligently working through the problems in her workbook.

“I finally understand this problem! Thanks, Aya!” Rina said, looking up with a triumphant grin. Aya’s gaze was drawn to the promise ring on Rina’s left ring finger.

“…”

Cute. Adorable. She loved those slender fingers, the way Rina’s face scrunched up in concentration.

‘Wait…’ Why was she thinking like this? Aya forced herself to look away, focusing on her own textbook, trying to dispel the strange warmth spreading through her chest. But the image of Rina’s hand lingered in her mind.

She closed her textbook with a soft thud, her gaze shifting towards Mizuki, her childhood friend and rival.

Mizuki always ranked second in the class, ready to take the top spot if Aya ever faltered. Aya, with her competitive spirit, had once accused Mizuki of deliberately missing a question on a test, of not trying her best.

But Mizuki had been genuinely offended, insisting that she wasn’t throwing the competition, that Aya was simply better. Aya knew Mizuki had deliberately missed her last shot at the shooting game during the festival, which had made her suspicious… but Mizuki had denied it, so…

Mizuki was her oldest friend, someone she trusted implicitly. And, at the same time, her rival. Mizuki always acted cheerful and carefree…

“Ugh~ I hate studying~” she groaned, but her hand, flipping through the pages of her workbook, was steady and rhythmic.

‘She’s actually studying really hard.’ Mizuki was like that. She pretended to be nonchalant, but she always put in the effort, matching Aya’s level of preparation when exams approached. Maintaining that air of effortless ease was Mizuki’s style.

‘But I’m not losing this time.’ This was their first exam since starting high school. The rivalry between Aya and Mizuki had been fierce throughout middle school, the two of them consistently at the top of the class, an insurmountable gap between them and the rest of the students. That was why they’d been so surprised by Rina, the “transfer student,” ranking third, her score close to Mizuki’s.

****

As the quiet stillness of the library began to feel oppressive, Mizuki closed her workbook and stretched dramatically. “Ugh~! This silence is making me sleepy!” She crept towards Rina, a mischievous grin on her face. “Rina-ring~ whatcha working on~?”

“Eek?!” Startled, Rina flinched, almost dropping her workbook.

“Hee hee, so~ Aya-ring is tutoring you so kindly~ and your heart is going doki-doki~! That’s why you’re so jumpy, right~?”

“N-No, it’s not like that!!” Rina waved her hands frantically, then glanced at Aya.

And their eyes met.

“…!” Rina’s breath hitched. This was different from just seeing Aya across the table. Aya’s gaze, while calm, held a depth, an intensity that made Rina look away, flustered, her heart pounding.

‘Ugh, I’m so self-conscious!’

Two beautiful girls vying for my attention…! I felt like the protagonist of a romantic comedy. I picked up my pen, pretending to solve a problem, but the equations blurred before my eyes.

Mizuki, enjoying Rina’s flustered reaction, turned to Aya, a playful glint in her eyes. “Aya-ring, don’t you think Rina is paying a lot of attention to you?”

“…” Aya said nothing, her gaze fixed on Rina and Mizuki, her expression unreadable.

This was unusual. Normally, she’d just laugh off Mizuki’s teasing. I desperately tried to focus on my workbook, but a quiet voice startled me.

“Rina.”

“…Yes?!” I looked up. Aya was looking at me, her voice soft, but firm.

“Give me your hand.”

“…” …What? My mind went blank.

‘Wait, what is she…?’

As I hesitated, Aya sighed softly and took my hand, turning it over and gently stroking my left ring finger, where the promise ring shimmered.

“A-Aya…? We’re in a library…!” I whispered, flustered, but Aya simply said, “It’s okay. No one cares.”

“It’s not that no one cares, it’s that I care!” I hissed, trying to pull my hand away, but Aya’s grip tightened, her fingers intertwining with mine, and Mizuki, watching us, her eyes sparkling with amusement, said, “Ooh~ this is like a scene from a drama~!”

“Mizuki, be quiet!!” I glared at her, mortified, but she just shrugged and giggled.

But the real problem was… Aya wasn’t teasing. She was looking at my hand intently, then she brought it to her lips… no, wait, Aya, don’t…!

“Rina.”

“…Yes?”

“Cute.”

“…!!” I’d thought she was going to kiss my hand! But she was just… admiring the ring. Even that simple gesture was enough to make my heart race, my lips tremble.

‘Ugh…’ Normally, I’d have protested, telling her to stop teasing me, but Aya’s gaze was too intense, too sincere. I couldn’t say anything, so I just looked down at my workbook, trying to act nonchalant. “Let’s… study.”

Aya looked at me for a moment, then smiled softly, releasing my hand and turning back to her book. “Okay.”

Mizuki nudged my shoulder. “Rina-ring, your face is so red~”

“Sh-Shut up!” I tried to ignore her teasing, focusing on my workbook. There was nowhere else to hide. But the words wouldn’t register.

‘Aya, if you’re going to be like this too… how am I supposed to study…!’

Mizuki giggled. “So, should we head out? Convenience store?”

“Sure,” Aya replied.

“Huh…? Already?”

“It’s already sunset~” Mizuki said, and I looked up, surprised. She was right. The sky outside was painted in hues of orange and pink. And the other students around us had left. It was almost dinner time… time had flown by.

****

As we left the library, the setting sun cast a warm, rosy glow on everything. Mizuki, as we walked across the school grounds, suggested, “Let’s grab dinner at the convenience store.”

“Sure,” Aya replied without hesitation, and I stopped walking.

Dinner at the convenience store? Aya and Mizuki, from prestigious families, eating instant ramen? It felt so… normal, so casual, that I wondered if I was the strange one.

“Uh… are you sure…?”

‘Is this really okay…? Even if they do enjoy commoner food, convenience store dinner…?’

But having been to Aya’s house yesterday, I understood. Her mother had been… a bit intimidating… and while everything had seemed fine on the surface, both Reina-senpai and Aya’s mother… And Mizuki, despite her playful demeanor…

‘It must be stifling at home.’

Lost in these thoughts, we arrived at the convenience store. Aya, as usual, grabbed a bottle of iced tea. Mizuki, instead of heading for the chocolate aisle, went straight for the instant ramen.

‘Instant ramen…!’ I followed her and, spotting the Korean ramen section, grabbed a cup of P-ramen, the familiar packaging a comforting sight. There was even Buldak Bokkeum Myun, but P-ramen was my go-to comfort food.

“Rina-ring~ can you handle that?” Mizuki asked, glancing at my choice. I nodded confidently. “This is nothing. I eat this all the time.”

“Ooh~ our Rina-ring can handle spicy food?” she said, grinning mischievously.

“This isn’t even spicy.” Was it? A flicker of unease, a premonition of… something… made me pause. But I brushed it aside. It would be fine. Probably. Aya and Mizuki had chosen milder flavors.

We added hot water to our ramen cups and headed towards the park, carrying our instant dinner and drinks, the setting sun casting long shadows behind us.

“Hee hee, it should be perfectly cooked by now. Let’s eat~” Mizuki tore open her chopsticks and slurped her noodles noisily. “Itadakimasu.”

Aya and I also opened our chopsticks. “Itadakimasu.”

And then… I regretted my choice. The first bite, a burst of spicy flavor, the pungent aroma of chili powder filling my nostrils…

“Aaaaaaaaaah!!!” My mouth was on fire. I’d forgotten… I used to eat spicy food in my past life, in my Korean body.

Now… I was Kurosawa Rina, a Japanese high school girl.