Ryo couldn't help but feel like things were spiraling out of his control. As he sat through his next class, his mind was far from the lecture. Thoughts about the student council, his growing group of friends, and Kazaki's friendly rivalry kept swirling around in his head. He never asked for all this attention, but it seemed like the more he tried to avoid it, the more it found him.
After the encounter with Takashi at the café, Ryo had hoped things would settle down. He had made it clear he wasn't interested in joining the student council, but Takashi's words lingered in his mind: "The attention you're getting could be put to good use." Ryo didn't care about that. He just wanted to be left alone.
The bell rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. As the class began to disperse, Hana appeared at his desk, her usual energy on full display.
"Ryo! Don't forget, we're all meeting up after school to hang out at the arcade," she said with a grin. "You're coming, right?"
Before Ryo could respond, Saki appeared behind Hana, leaning over Ryo's desk with her teasing smile. "Of course he's coming. He can't say no to us."
Ryo sighed, already feeling outnumbered. "Do I have a choice?"
"Nope!" Hana beamed, and without waiting for Ryo's response, she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his seat. "C'mon, it'll be fun! Mei's coming too."
As they walked down the hallway, Ryo couldn't help but notice how much his life had changed in such a short amount of time. A few months ago, he would have been walking alone, going straight home after class. Now, he had Hana, Saki, Mei, and even Yuto to keep him constantly on his toes.
When they reached the entrance, Mei was already waiting for them, standing quietly with her hands clasped in front of her. She smiled softly when she saw them approaching.
"Ready?" Mei asked, her voice gentle as always.
"Yeah, let's go!" Hana replied, leading the way out of the school.
The arcade was bustling with students from various schools, and it didn't take long for the group to dive into the games. Hana and Saki immediately ran off to play the racing games, leaving Ryo with Mei. The quiet girl didn't seem too interested in the louder games, and Ryo found himself grateful for the momentary calm.
"So," Ryo began, trying to make conversation. "Do you come to the arcade often?"
Mei shook her head, her soft smile never leaving her face. "Not really. I prefer quieter places, but Hana insisted we all come today."
Ryo nodded, understanding all too well how persuasive Hana could be. "Yeah, she's hard to say no to."
Mei chuckled quietly. "That's true. But... I don't mind. It's nice to spend time together."
Ryo glanced at Mei, surprised by how open she was being. She was usually so reserved, but lately, she had been making an effort to speak up more. It was one of the reasons he had grown to appreciate her company—she never forced anything, always content to just be there, quietly observing.
Their conversation was interrupted when Yuto appeared out of nowhere, slapping Ryo on the back with a wide grin. "Ryo! Didn't think I'd run into you here. Let's go play that shooting game—you owe me a rematch after last time."
Ryo groaned. "You know I'm terrible at those games."
"Exactly! That's why it's fun!" Yuto laughed, dragging Ryo toward the row of arcade machines.
As they played, Ryo found himself slowly relaxing. Despite the attention and the chaos, moments like this reminded him that not everything had changed. He still had his friends, and even though they were growing in number, they were all good people. Even Yuto, with his endless teasing, had a way of making things feel normal.
But the peace was short-lived.
In the middle of the game, Ryo felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see none other than Takashi, the student council president, standing behind him with a serious expression.
"We need to talk again," Takashi said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Yuto raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Uh-oh, looks like you're in trouble, Ryo."
Ryo shot Yuto a glare before turning back to Takashi. "What now? I already told you, I'm not joining the student council."
"I know," Takashi replied, his gaze unwavering. "But this isn't about that. It's about Kazaki."
Ryo blinked, surprised to hear Kazaki's name. "What about him?"
Takashi glanced around, making sure no one else was listening before continuing. "He's been causing some trouble lately—nothing serious, but he's been getting more... aggressive with his popularity stunts. The student council has been keeping an eye on him, and I thought you should know."
Ryo frowned. Kazaki had always been competitive, but he had never done anything to hurt anyone. "Kazaki's not a bad guy. He just likes attention."
Takashi nodded. "That's what we thought too, but lately he's been trying to pull off bigger stunts to get noticed. He's not hurting anyone, but if he keeps pushing himself, it might get out of hand. I figured, since you're the one he's focused on, you might be able to talk some sense into him."
Ryo sighed. "So now I'm supposed to be responsible for him?"
"You don't have to do anything if you don't want to," Takashi said calmly. "But if you do care about him, maybe a conversation wouldn't hurt."
Ryo rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the weight of the situation settling on his shoulders. He wasn't sure what he could say to Kazaki, but he knew one thing: he didn't want things to get worse between them. They might not be friends, but they weren't enemies either.
"I'll talk to him," Ryo finally said.
Takashi nodded, satisfied. "Thanks. Let me know if anything changes."
As Takashi walked away, Ryo couldn't help but wonder when his life had gotten so complicated. He used to fly under the radar, but now it felt like he was at the center of everything. And it wasn't just the girls who were paying attention—everyone was, including Kazaki and the student council.
"Man, you've really got your hands full," Yuto said, shaking his head. "First the girls, now the student council, and now Kazaki? You're like a magnet for drama."
Ryo groaned. "Don't remind me."
Yuto laughed, slapping Ryo on the back again. "Hey, look on the bright side—you're never bored."
Ryo sighed, glancing over at Hana, Saki, and Mei, who were all still engrossed in their games. Despite everything, he couldn't deny that life had gotten more interesting. Whether that was a good thing or not, he still wasn't sure.