All eyes locked onto Daichi as he strode past Rui and her friends, paying them no heed.
Rui's disbelief radiated as she observed his determined stride. The area buzzed with collective astonishment as Daichi halted right before Mahiru, leaving both her and Rose visibly stunned.
Daichi made a deliberate move, taking off his glasses before asking, "Why are all the students gathering outside?" His words broke through the tense silence.
Mahiru, initially stunned into silence, felt a gentle nudge from Rose, urging her to speak up. "We're waiting outside because they're cleaning our classroom," she explained softly.
Rose gestured, "Feel free to take a seat here." Daichi, perplexed, turned to Rose before shifting his gaze to Mahiru, asking, "Who is she?"
"She's my friend, Rose," Mahiru responded calmly.
Suddenly, Daichi reached out, taking Mahiru's hand. "You're coming with me," he declared decisively.
With unwavering resolve, Daichi took Mahiru's hand and led her away, leaving everyone in utter disbelief.
Rui's jaw dropped in astonishment, disbelief evident in every onlooker's eyes. Rose stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what she was witnessing. Mahiru, seemingly lost in thought, walked alongside him in a daze…..
They arrived at the rear of the school and stopped near a bench, Daichi releasing her hand with a gentle touch. "Please, take a seat," he instructed firmly. Mahiru still reeling from the surprise, Mahiru obeyed without a word.
As Mahiru sat on the bench, her confusion persisted. Daichi settled in beside her, took out his phone, and immediately immersed himself in its screen.
Minutes slipped away, Mahiru's perplexed silence filling the air. Eventually, she broke it, saying, "I need to go. Rose might be looking for me."
As Mahiru stood up and started to move forward, she was abruptly halted by Daichi's firm grip enveloping her hand, sending a jolt of anticipation through her.
Glancing at Daichi, deeply engrossed in his phone.
"Sit down," Daichi commanded.
"But I—" Her protest was cut short as Daichi effortlessly pulled her back onto the bench, leaving her in stunned silence.
Minutes ticked by until the announcement indicating the start of classes was finally made.
Daichi pocketed his phone, stood up, took Mahiru's hand, and guided her purposefully towards their classroom…..
In the settled classroom, all eyes were on the empty seats reserved for Daichi and Mahiru, anticipation humming in the air. Then, in a dramatic entrance, Daichi and Mahiru strode hand in hand, a palpable wave of astonishment rippling through their classmates like a gust of wind.
The classroom buzzed with chatter and gossip about them. Rui, with a downward gaze, exuded a sense of frustration and anger.
As they settled into their seats, Mahiru couldn't resist stealing glances at Daichi, who remained focused on the front of the room, seemingly unaffected by the attention they were receiving.
"Hey Mahiru, what's going on between you two?" Rose asked, her tone laced with playful teasing.
"Nothing, really," Mahiru responded, her tone tinged with uncertainty. "He just took me to a bench and we sat together. But he didn't say anything, just stayed glued to his phone the whole time."
"What?" Rose exclaimed, her confusion mirroring Mahiru's.
Their conversation halted as the teacher entered the classroom, signaling the start of the lesson...
During the lunch break, as students unpacked their lunch boxes, Mahiru observed Daichi sitting quietly without one. Anxious thoughts raced through her mind. "Did he forget his lunch again? What should I do? Should I offer him mine once more?"
As Mahiru hesitated, slowly reaching for her lunch box to offer him, she glanced over and noticed another girl already standing before Daichi, holding out a lunch box.
"Hey Daichi, did you forget your lunch?" that girl inquired, her voice filled with concern.
Daichi didn't bother to meet her gaze, simply admitting, "Yeah, I forgot."
Unfazed by his nonchalant response, the girl offered him her lunch box. "Here, you can have mine. It's the same sandwich you had earlier, made with the exact ingredients. I hope you like it."
All their classmates' eyes were fixed on the exchange, each one waiting for Daichi's response.
"I think Daichi will accept her lunch," a girl whispered to Rui, her voice filled with anticipation.
Daichi's gaze shifted between the girl and her sandwiches, his expression unreadable.
Meanwhile, Mahiru's eyes remained fixed on the ground, a knot of nervousness forming in her stomach.
"No, I don't want it," Daichi coldly declined, his response shattering the silence.
Stunned, the girl remained in place, disbelief spreading through the room.
A girl leaned closer to Rui, her voice betraying confusion. "But why? Why didn't he accept it?" Rui also seemed stunned.
Mahiru's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Daichi, but he didn't return her gaze. Lost in his own thoughts, he appeared indifferent to the attention directed towards him.
Despite the girl persistently holding her lunch out to Daichi, his disinterest was palpable. All eyes were fixed on him, curious to understand his unexpected refusal.
Suddenly, Mahiru slowly lifted her lunch box and extended it towards Daichi.
All attention focused on Mahiru, the girl's face twisting with a mix of anger and disbelief as she fixed her gaze on Mahiru.
Rose's eyes widened as the scene played out, while Mahiru stayed silent, her actions conveying a silent narrative.
Daichi glanced at Mahiru and then at her lunch box, which revealed a serving of ramen, a silent invitation hanging in the air between them.
When Daichi caught sight of the ramen, his gaze swiftly returned to Mahiru before he reached for her lunch box.
Meanwhile, the girl, still grappling with disbelief, found it hard to make sense of what was happening.
The room was engulfed in confusion as Rui, Taku, and Rose watched the scene with bewildered expressions, while Mahiru kept her gaze fixed on Daichi.
As Daichi savored the first mouthful of ramen, his eyes met Mahiru's, and he commented, "This is delicious. I'll have more tomorrow."
A palpable sense of disbelief filled the room, each student visibly stunned.
Rui found herself lost in a whirlwind of questions. "What could possibly be going through Daichi's mind? Why is he only eating from her lunch box?" Her thoughts raced silently, echoing in the hushed atmosphere.
As Daichi savored each bite of ramen, that girl watched him with a blend of fascination and frustration. Finally, Daichi's blunt tone shattered the tension. "You can go now," he stated dismissively.
The girl returned to her seat, brow furrowed, her mind a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. As she sat down, anger simmered within her.
Mahiru's smile remained unwavering as she watched Daichi savoring the ramen, evidently relishing each bite.
Then, to everyone's surprise, Daichi extended half of the meal back to Mahiru. "Here, have some," he said, his unexpected gesture taking Mahiru by surprise.
"You go ahead and eat," Mahiru insisted, pushing the lunch box back towards Daichi. "I'll have something from Rose's lunch box."
Daichi shook his head. "No need for that. Enjoy the ramen," he reassured her, gently returning the lunch box to her hands.
With a warm smile, Mahiru accepted and started eating…..
Later on, As the final bell chimed, marking the end of classes, Rose got ready to leave with Mahiru.
Mahiru and Rose rose to their feet and began to walk, but their departure was halted when Daichi unexpectedly took Mahiru's hand, stopping her in her tracks.
Rose turned around glancing at Daichi, her face registering a mix of confusion and shock.
Daichi met her gaze. "We have plans together," he declared, his eyes fixed on Rose.
Mahiru stood still, visibly stunned, as she took in her surroundings. She noticed her classmates glaring at her with evident anger.
"Okay, you can take her wherever you want," Rose's voice cut through the tension.
Daichi wordlessly led Mahiru along, hand in hand, as they walked together.
Suddenly, They were halted in their tracks as Rui stepped into their path, her gaze locked onto Daichi with a serious expression.
Daichi mirrored her seriousness with his own.
"As the class representative," Rui started with a serious tone "I need to ask: have you decided about joining a club?" .
"I've decided to join the basketball club," Daichi announced decisively.
With those words Daichi walked past Rui and exited the classroom, with Mahiru trailing beside him.
As they walked outside the school together, Mahiru couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?" Daichi stayed silent, guiding her to his car where he opened the door and gestured for her to get in.
Mahiru hesitated, feeling a mix of confusion and apprehension, before stating firmly, "I won't sit down until you tell me where we're going."
Glancing at his watch. "Just sit." Daichi reassured her.
Despite his words, Mahiru remained resolute. "No, I'm not going with you," she stated firmly.
As Mahiru turned to leave, Daichi reached out, gripping her hand and pulling her closer, lifting her off the ground.
"Let me go!" Mahiru exclaimed, startled. "What are you doing? Everyone's looking at us!" she tried to break herself free.
"You brought this upon yourself," Daichi remarked, ignoring her protests as he gently guided her into his car, closed the door, and took the driver's seat...
As Daichi drove, Mahiru sat beside him, visibly nervous.
"Please, Daichi, I need to go home" Mahiru pleaded "My mom will be worried about me. Please, let me go."
Keeping his eyes on the road, Daichi handed his phone to her, "Call her. Let her know you'll be late." he said firmly.
"No, please, try to understand," Mahiru persisted. "Just let me go. Why are you doing this to me?"
With a composed demeanor, Daichi placed the phone within her reach, "The phone's unlocked. You can call anytime. But I won't allow you to leave."
Becoming more confused and anxious, Mahiru observed Daichi's stoic expression, struggling to understand his intentions as he stayed impassive.