I stared at Sora, my frustration just beneath the surface. The quiet atmosphere I had hoped for, the peaceful study session where only the sound of pages turning and the occasional whispered word would fill the air, was now shattered.
Why did he have to invite them?
The three extra people, loud and full of energy, had already claimed their seats around the table, and my peaceful corner had been invaded. I wanted to shout at Sora, to tell him to send them away, but I didn't. Instead, I gave him a look. A look that I hoped carried all the weight of my thoughts, of my annoyance.
I didn't hate them, not really. They were fine, in their own way. But I couldn't help zoning out whenever they were around. It was like they had this force, an energy that filled the space, demanding your attention. And I never knew how to act when they were there.
How was I supposed to be myself when I had to match their loudness, their enthusiasm? It was exhausting. Talking to them felt like pretending, forcing myself into a state that won't feel like myself.
But with Sora, it was different. He didn't demand anything of me. With him, it was easy to just exist. Why was it that everyone else made me feel like I had to be someone else? What made Sora so different?
As the moments stretched on and the others introduced themselves to Sora, I slowly came to terms with the reality of the situation. This was it. There was no escaping it. I was going to have to sit through the rest of this dinner with these people.
I sighed inwardly. Fine. I'd just stay quiet and let them talk until this was all over. The less I interacted, the better. At least I could keep my energy intact.
But, of course, just as I was beginning to accept my fate, Anika suddenly turned the spotlight on me.
"Hey, Yui! How did you and Sora meet?" Her voice was bright, like she was genuinely curious.
I froze for a moment. AAA, how tiring. I didn't want to be part of this conversation, but there was no way out now. I forced a smile, doing my best to keep it short.
"We just sat next to each other on the first day and happened to talk to each other."
"Oh, is that so?" Anika said with a teasing grin, her eyes twinkling. "I can really smell the chemistry between you two though."
Saku joined in, his voice light and amused. "Yeah, there's definitely something between you two." Emi and Anika nodded along with him, their faces full of knowing smiles.
I blinked, taken aback by their words. Chemistry? Between Sora and me? I hadn't thought of it that way at all. But it made me wonder, what did Sora think of me? What was it that made being around him so much easier than with anyone else? I didn't need to put on any kind of mask when I was with him. There was something peaceful about it, almost like I could be myself without any pressure.
But then, Emi spoke up, breaking my train of thoughts. "Come to think of it, Yui didn't talk much during high school. I was kind of surprised to see her talking to someone with a smile, and much rather with a guy, too." Her voice was shy, almost as if she were embarrassed to have brought it up.
I felt my face heat up, and I quickly turned my gaze to my plate, wishing the earth would swallow me whole. Did she really have to say that?
"W-w-well, I guess I'm just starting to change in college. Who knows." I defended myself.
"Okay, no need to get so flustered. We'll settle with that answer for now." Anika said.
Time passed by in a blur as the conversation flowed. The others seemed to have an endless list of questions for Sora asking where he'd lived before moving here, what he liked to do, all those little details that came with getting to know someone. Meanwhile, they were sharing stories of our high school days, recounting the things we used to do, and explaining why they had chosen psychology as a major. I listened intently, surprised at how much I didn't know about them. I had never once thought that these three would end up in the same major as I did.
Anika spoke up, her voice enthusiastic. "Well, I've always been intrigued by how people work, honestly. But for me specifically, what intrigued me the most is relationship science. Just how different relationship attachment styles work. I guess you could say that I'm fascinated by how people think while they're in a relationship."
Now, that was a surprise.
Sora raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "Have you not been in a relationship yet?"
"Well, Anika might look all outgoing and fun, but she's never been in a relationship... ever," Saku teased with a mischievous grin.
"Don't rub it in, Saku," Anika shot back, though her tone was more playful than offended. "But yeah, it's true. Doesn't really matter, though. I don't need to be in one to study it. There's always science to prove it, regardless of my personal experience."
Emi, who had been listening quietly, spoke up with a thoughtful expression. "Quite the contrary, Anika. I think experiencing an event or phenomenon firsthand can definitely help with analyzing the facts better."
Anika raised an eyebrow. "Then that would be a rather biased take, don't you think?"
Saku waved a hand in mock defeat. "Okay, okay, enough of that. We can save those debates for later." He shifted a little, his tone softening. "For me, though, I took psychology to help people struggling with mental health."
"That's nice, Saku. You're a kind-hearted guy," Sora said with a warm smile.
Saku shrugged, his expression turning a little more distant. "Not really. I guess I'm just doing this to save myself."
The words hung in the air, heavier than expected. The atmosphere in the room shifted as we all processed what he had just said. It was a quiet moment, one that lingered longer than anyone intended. I couldn't quite put my finger on why, but something about Saku's words felt like more than just a passing comment.
The silence was finally broken when Saku cleared his throat. "You guys want to go karaoke after eating?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Karaoke? My heart sank. Just when I thought this dinner was winding down, now we were supposed to go sing in front of each other? No way! All I wanted was some quiet time, just me and Sora.
Wait. What did I just think? Just me and Sora?
I froze mid-thought. Why did I even think about wanting alone time with Sora? I wasn't even attracted to him. Was I? I couldn't be, right? It had only been two days since we met.
AAA, what was going on in my head? What was he doing to my brain?