The next day at school was anything but calm. The moment Ryo entered the school gates, he could feel the eyes on him. It wasn't just the usual curious glances he'd grown accustomed to from being surrounded by Hana, Saki, and Mei. This time, there was a buzz in the air. Whispers and low conversations seemed to follow him down every hallway.
He didn't have to wonder why. Word had gotten around fast—Takashi, the student council president, had personally approached him yesterday at the arcade, and it had sparked all sorts of rumors.
"Hey, isn't that the guy Takashi was talking to?"
"Do you think he's joining the student council?"
"Wow, Ryo's really getting involved in everything these days, huh?"
The rumors ranged from half-truths to outright fabrications. Some students believed Ryo had already agreed to join the council, while others thought it had something to do with Kazaki, his rival. It didn't help that Kazaki had been pulling bigger and bolder stunts lately to increase his popularity, making Ryo's connection to him a hot topic.
As Ryo walked into the classroom, he barely had time to sit down before Hana and Saki appeared at his desk, their contrasting personalities on full display.
Hana leaned forward, excitement radiating from her like the sun. "Ryo! I heard about Takashi talking to you yesterday! What's going on? Are you joining the student council?"
Ryo sighed, already tired of the question. "No, I'm not joining the council. Takashi just wanted to talk about Kazaki."
Saki, ever the teasing one, slid into the conversation with her usual smirk. "Ooh, is this about your rivalry with Kazaki? Sounds juicy. Maybe they want you to take him down or something."
Ryo shook his head, trying to dispel the rumors. "It's not like that. Takashi's just worried Kazaki's stunts are getting out of hand. He asked me to talk to him, but I don't know if that'll do anything."
Hana, always the optimist, smiled brightly and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll figure it out! You're good at this kind of stuff, Ryo."
Ryo shot her a skeptical look. "Good at what? Getting dragged into things I don't want to be part of?"
Hana laughed, her carefree attitude as infectious as ever. "Exactly!"
Before Ryo could respond, Mei quietly approached from behind, her soft voice barely audible over the chatter in the room. "Do you think Kazaki will listen to you?"
Ryo turned to her, surprised that Mei had spoken up. She was usually so quiet, preferring to observe from the sidelines rather than engage in the conversation. It wasn't that she was shy, but Mei had always been more reserved compared to the loud personalities of Hana and Saki.
"I'm not sure," Ryo admitted, running a hand through his hair. "Kazaki's stubborn, and he loves the attention. But... I'll give it a shot. If I don't, who knows what he'll do next."
Saki leaned in, clearly enjoying the gossip. "Maybe he'll try to one-up you in some ridiculous way. I'd pay to see that."
"Yeah, well, let's hope it doesn't come to that," Ryo said, already dreading the conversation he'd have to have with Kazaki.
---
The rest of the school day passed in a blur. Everywhere Ryo went, it felt like someone was watching him, whispering about him, or asking questions. By lunchtime, he was exhausted from trying to dodge the attention. Even Yuto, his best friend, couldn't resist poking fun at him.
"Man, you're like a celebrity around here," Yuto said with a grin as they sat down for lunch. "The rumors are wild. I even heard someone say you're planning to run for student council president. Can you imagine?"
Ryo groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Please don't even joke about that. I've had enough attention to last me a lifetime."
Yuto laughed, clearly enjoying Ryo's suffering. "Hey, it's not my fault you've become the school's new star. Maybe you should just embrace it."
"Absolutely not," Ryo muttered, pushing his lunch around with his chopsticks. "I want things to go back to normal."
As they ate, Yuto suddenly nudged Ryo with his elbow, nodding toward the cafeteria entrance. "Looks like your 'rival' is here."
Ryo glanced up to see Kazaki striding into the cafeteria, his usual air of confidence surrounding him like a spotlight. A few girls giggled and whispered as he walked by, clearly impressed by his latest attempt to grab attention. Today, it seemed Kazaki had dyed his hair a lighter shade—probably to stand out even more.
"Great," Ryo muttered. "Just what I needed."
Yuto raised an eyebrow. "You gonna talk to him now?"
Ryo hesitated. He hadn't really thought about how he was going to approach Kazaki. They weren't exactly friends, but they weren't enemies either. It was more of a competitive rivalry, with Kazaki constantly trying to one-up Ryo in everything from sports to popularity.
"I guess I don't have a choice," Ryo said, standing up. "Might as well get it over with."
Yuto grinned, clearly enjoying the drama. "Good luck, man. I'll be watching."
Ryo shot him a glare before making his way toward Kazaki, who was now surrounded by a small group of admirers. As Ryo approached, Kazaki noticed him and raised an eyebrow, clearly curious.
"Well, well, if it isn't Ryo," Kazaki said, his tone half-amused, half-mocking. "What brings you to my little circle of admirers? Jealous?"
Ryo crossed his arms, trying to stay calm. "I need to talk to you. It's important."
Kazaki smirked, clearly enjoying the attention. "Oh? What's this? Are you here to admit defeat?"
Ryo rolled his eyes. "No. Look, I'm not here to compete with you. This is about the stunts you've been pulling lately. The student council is keeping an eye on you, and if you keep pushing things, it's going to get out of hand."
Kazaki's smirk faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered. "Oh, so now you're working for the student council, huh? How noble of you."
"I'm not working for them," Ryo said, his patience wearing thin. "But I don't want to see you get in trouble over something stupid. Just... tone it down, okay?"
For a moment, Kazaki seemed to consider Ryo's words. Then, with a dramatic sigh, he shrugged. "Alright, fine. I'll back off. But only because I'm bored of these small-time stunts anyway. I need something bigger to keep things interesting."
Ryo frowned, not entirely convinced. "Kazaki—"
"Relax, Ryo," Kazaki interrupted, his smirk returning. "I'm not going to do anything reckless. I've got it under control."
Before Ryo could say anything else, Kazaki turned and walked away, leaving Ryo standing there with a mixture of frustration and relief. It seemed like Kazaki was willing to back off for now, but Ryo couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the end of it.
"Well, that went better than I expected," Yuto said as Ryo returned to their table.
"I guess," Ryo muttered, sinking into his seat. "But something tells me this isn't over."
Yuto grinned. "Of course it's not. This is Kazaki we're talking about."
---
Later that day, Ryo found himself sitting outside on a bench, trying to clear his head. The day had been exhausting, and he still wasn't sure how he felt about his conversation with Kazaki. On the one hand, Kazaki had agreed to back off. But on the other hand, Ryo knew his rival well enough to know that he wouldn't stay quiet for long.
"Ryo?"
Ryo looked up to see Hana, Saki, and Mei approaching him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern.
"You okay?" Hana asked, sitting down next to him. "You seemed a little off today."
Ryo sighed, leaning back against the bench. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... a lot on my mind."
Saki smirked, sitting on his other side. "Is this about Kazaki? I heard you two had a little chat in the cafeteria."
Ryo groaned. "Of course you heard. Nothing stays quiet around here."
Mei stood in front of them, her quiet presence offering a sense of calm. "What did he say?"
Ryo hesitated for a moment before answering. "He said he'd back off... for now. But I don't know if I believe him."
Hana patted him on the back, her smile reassuring. "Well, no matter what happens, we've got your back, Ryo. Right, Saki? Mei?"
Saki grinned, her teasing smile softening. "Of course. You're not getting rid of us that easily."
Mei nodded, her soft voice full of sincerity. "We're here for you."
Ryo couldn't help but smile, despite everything. No matter how complicated his life had become, he knew