As the day went on, Ryo found himself sinking deeper into his thoughts. How had things gotten this bad? He had always tried to fly under the radar, but now he was the center of attention in a way that made him deeply uncomfortable.
And it wasn't just the rumors. There was something else, something that was starting to nag at the back of his mind.
Hana, Saki, and Mei. Each of them had been acting… differently around him lately. He had chalked it up to coincidence at first, but after what Saki had said at the cafe, he couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it.
Did they really… like him? In that way?
The idea seemed absurd. He wasn't anything special. He was just a regular high school guy who wanted to keep his head down and make it through the school year without any drama.
And yet, here he was, stuck in the middle of something he didn't fully understand.
As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Ryo packed up his things and prepared to make a quick exit. But before he could slip out the door, he felt a hand on his arm.
"Ryo, wait up."
He turned to see Hana standing there, looking uncharacteristically serious.
"Can we talk?" she asked, her usual cheerfulness replaced with something softer, more uncertain.
Ryo hesitated. "Uh, sure. What's up?"
Hana bit her lip, glancing around as if to make sure no one was listening. "I was wondering… if you'd like to go to the festival with me this weekend."
Ryo blinked in surprise. "The festival? You mean the one in town?"
Hana nodded, her face a little red. "Yeah. It's supposed to be really fun, and I thought… maybe we could go together. Just the two of us."
Ryo's brain was scrambling to process her words. Was this… a date? Did she mean it like that?
Before he could respond, Saki's voice cut through the moment.
"Oho, what's this? Hana asking Ryo out on a date?"
Ryo turned to see Saki leaning against the doorframe, her signature smirk firmly in place. "How bold of you, Hana."
Hana's face turned bright red, and she waved her hands frantically. "It's not like that! I just thought it would be fun!"
Ryo, sensing the potential for disaster, quickly tried to change the subject. "Uh, maybe we could all go? Like a group thing?"
Saki chuckled. "Nice save, but no thanks. I've got plans."
Hana shot her a look, but Saki just winked and walked away, leaving the two of them standing there in awkward silence.
Ryo scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to say. "So, uh… the festival, huh?"
Hana nodded, her expression softening. "Yeah. You don't have to go if you don't want to, but… I'd really like it if you did."
Ryo wasn't sure why, but something about the way she said it made his heart skip a beat.