Chapter 69: Something has changed

Aya: Did you sleep well?
Rina: Yeah, I slept well. You…?
Aya: Yes.

“Oh no… what is this atmosphere?!” I inwardly groaned, checking my LINE messages first thing in the morning. We’d exchanged those brief greetings, then… silence. The memory of yesterday’s almost-kiss, my impulsive peck on her cheek, her stunned reaction, and then my near-miss with her almost-kiss… my mind went blank, my heart pounding.

‘Aya was definitely holding back…’ Just the thought made my heart race. Could I even face her today?

****

On the way to school. We weren’t walking side-by-side, chatting, like usual.

‘Aaaaagh!’ I maintained a careful distance from Aya, my gaze glued to the ground, terrified of accidental eye contact.

Aya was doing the same, walking a step ahead of me, silent, her ears tinged with pink. I felt like I should say something… ‘Should I wait for Aya to initiate, or…?’

But Aya remained silent, and we walked, trapped in an awkward silence, the unspoken tension a heavy weight between us, until…

“Oh~ Aya-ring~ Rina-ring~?” A familiar voice called out. Mizuki, our savior and inquisitor, appearing out of nowhere. ‘This is bad. Mizuki can’t find out…!’

But Mizuki, observing us with a knowing smile, asked, “Did something happen between you two?”

“…!!” ‘Busted…’ My face flamed as I looked down, and Aya, also avoiding Mizuki’s gaze, pressed her lips together in a thin line.

“Ooh~? Eeh~? Look at their reactions~”

“I-It’s nothing!”

“Yeah, nothing happened,” Aya said, her voice calm and even. But her ears were bright red. Mizuki grinned.

“Hee~? These reactions totally say otherwise~”

“…”
“…” Aya and I remained silent, our faces burning, and Mizuki, crossing her arms, let out a triumphant chuckle. “Hee hee~ I’ll definitely be asking you about this later!”

I groaned inwardly. If Mizuki got ahold of this… We walked to school, the awkwardness lingering, but Mizuki’s presence eased the tension slightly. And then…

“Oh, right! It’s Friday!” Mizuki chirped. “The weekend~! Let’s hang out again this weekend, Rina-ring~ Aya-ring~! Any ideas~?”

Her cheerful words did little to lift my spirits. “…Okay…” Aya replied weakly.

‘Can I even… handle seeing Aya again this weekend…?’

The awkward atmosphere lingered in the classroom. I sat at my desk, face buried in my textbook.

‘I wish yesterday was just a dream…’ But the frantic beating of my heart was a constant, undeniable reminder.

Ding-dong— The bell rang, and the usual classroom chatter subsided as class began.

****

Later that morning… the classroom door burst open, and the student on duty announced, “Guys, it’s free period for P.E. today!”

The announcement was met with excited cheers.

P.E…? Already? I’d brought my gym bag, still slightly dazed from lack of sleep, but I’d forgotten about P.E. Time was moving too fast. I grabbed my bag and headed towards the locker room, a wave of anxiety washing over me.

“Let’s play dodgeball! We have to de-stress after those exams!” One of the more energetic girls in our class yelled, her enthusiasm infectious. I glanced at Aya.

‘…Eye contact!’ She was looking at me, then quickly looked away. The awkwardness between us was almost palpable. “Rina-ring, dodgeball?” Mizuki asked, walking over and nudging my shoulder.

“Actually… I think I’ll sit this one out.” It was true; I still wasn’t feeling well. And yesterday’s incident with Aya…

“Hmm~?” Mizuki didn’t pry, just glanced at Aya, a knowing smile on her face. …What did that smile mean?

Did she suspect something? I quickly turned away and entered the locker room, needing to escape her knowing gaze. I’d change and find somewhere to rest. As I started to undress… our eyes met.

“…Oh.”
“…Ah.” We froze, speechless. Yesterday’s events, the lingering tension between us… I quickly covered myself with my gym shirt, my face burning. And then, my foot slipped, and I stumbled.

“Careful, Rina,” Aya said, catching me before I fell, and I froze, her touch sending a wave of warmth through me. We were close, too close, our bodies almost touching.

Yesterday’s near-kiss, the feel of her hand on my chin, the warmth of her breath against my lips… It was all too much. I pulled away, my face burning even hotter.

“Th-Thanks,” I stammered.

Aya stepped back. “You’re welcome.” We stood there, silent, our faces flushed, the air thick with unspoken tension.

‘Aaaaaaaaagh!!!’ I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t break the silence.

“What’s going on? Did you two have a fight?” Mizuki asked, her voice laced with concern as she looked at us, and I was grateful for the interruption. Mizuki was a lifesaver. But her question…

“N-No! It’s nothing!”

“Yeah. Nothing happened,” Aya said, her voice calm, her expression carefully neutral.

But Mizuki’s eyes were sparkling with suspicion, a knowing glint that made me nervous. “Hmm~?” She looked at us intently.

“Really, nothing happened!” I insisted, my voice a bit too high-pitched, but Mizuki just crossed her arms, a playful smile on her face.

“Hmm~ okay, okay, nothing happened.”

“…It didn’t.”

“That’s good~”. But her tone… it was teasing, as if she knew exactly what had happened.

****

I sat on the sidelines, watching my classmates play dodgeball, my mind still in a daze, my gaze unfocused.

“Okay~! Take your positions~!” Mizuki’s cheerful voice echoed through the gym as the game began. I sat with my knees drawn up to my chest, watching them play. Aya, as always, was effortlessly graceful, her movements precise, her aim perfect, her expression unchanging.

“Ayaaaaa…! Not again!”

“Asakura! Get Yukikawa!”

Mizuki, on the opposing team, glared at Aya playfully. They always ended up on opposite teams. I watched them, mesmerized. Especially Aya… Her long silver hair swaying as she ran… ‘…Why am I like this?’ My heart pounded. The ball she threw whizzed through the air, hitting Mizuki squarely in the back.

“Ow! I’m out!”

“Too bad~ Mizuki’s out!”

“Well, I’m a spectator now~ time for a break.”

“Sure~” And with that, Mizuki walked over and sat down beside me, her gaze intense. She was sweating, despite the cool air conditioning in the dome. She’d clearly been playing hard. “Rina-ring.”

“…Yes?”

“Are you sure nothing happened between you two?” she asked, her face unusually serious. “I’ve never seen Aya like this.” Her tone was playful, but her eyes… they held a hint of concern.

I bit my lip, remembering yesterday, this morning, the awkward encounter in the locker room… Mizuki, always perceptive, must have noticed something. So, I decided to tell her. “Well… yesterday…”

And then, the shrill sound of a whistle cut me off, another class calling for a time-out. But Mizuki, looking at me, her head tilted slightly, a knowing glint in her eyes, simply said, “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. I’m happy for you either way.”

Her words echoed in my mind. I looked at her. Her expression, though still playful, was… gentle, her eyes filled with a warmth that made my chest ache.

I glanced back at the dodgeball game, where Aya, her face calm and composed, continued to play, effortlessly dodging and throwing.