A DAY AGO: BEFORE VISITING THE TAKABA'S HOME
The rumors that had plagued Maya lingered like a shadow over the school. Although Kaito had reassured her to ignore the gossip, a part of him couldn't shake the feeling that someone had deliberately started it. He had noticed a few odd things lately—whispers stopping abruptly when he entered a room, and the faint feeling of being watched at times.
Determined to get to the bottom of it, Kaito decided to set a trap.
It was during lunch when Kaito began his plan. He casually turned to his two friends, sota and Riku who were halfway through their rice bowls.
"Hey," Kaito said, lowering his voice. "I need your help with something."
Sota raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"
"Someone's been following me around,for some time now, and it's mostly during school hours" Kaito explained. "And I think they're the one who started those rumors about Maya."
Riku frowned. "Seriously? Why would someone go that far?"
Kaito shrugged. "Who knows? But I'm going to find out. I just need you two to act normal and follow my lead."
The three got close, quickly thinking of an easy way of flushing out the culprit.
---
After lunch, Kaito made sure to be alone as he walked down one of the quieter hallways. He carried a notebook in his hand, flipping through it as though it contained something important. In reality, the notebook was empty, but the goal was to make it look valuable.
As he walked, he deliberately slowed his pace, pausing every so often to glance over his shoulder. Just as he suspected, there was a figure lingering at the far end of the hallway, pretending to check their phone but clearly watching him.
Kaito smirked to himself. Gotcha.
He quickened his pace, heading toward the school library. The figure hesitated for a moment before following at a distance.
---
Inside the library, Kaito navigated the aisles until he reached the farthest corner, where the tall bookshelves cast long shadows. He pretended to browse the books, occasionally glancing over his shoulder. The figure was still there, trying to blend in by pretending to look at books on a nearby shelf.
Kaito pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Riku and Sota, who were waiting outside the library.
Now.
Moments later, Sota entered the library, making a show of calling out, "Kaito! There you are!"
Kaito turned, grinning. "Hey! What's up?"
Riku entered next, loudly complaining, "Man, we've been looking everywhere for you! What's with disappearing all the time?"
The commotion drew the attention of the figure, who shifted nervously, clearly trying to decide whether to stay or leave. Before they could make a move, Riku and Sota positioned themselves near the exits, effectively trapping the person.
Kaito approached the figure with a casual smile, but his eyes were sharp. "Hey, I couldn't help but notice you've been around a lot lately. Anything you want to tell me?"
The figure froze, their face flushing red. It was Rika, the same girl who had apologized to Kaito during the festival.
--
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Rika stammered, backing up slightly.
Kaito tilted his head, his smile never wavering. "Come on, Rika. I'm not mad. I just want to know why."
Her eyes darted between Kaito and his friends, who stood by the library doors, watching silently. Finally, she sighed and slumped against the bookshelf.
"Fine," she muttered. "It was me."
Kaito's expression softened, though his curiosity only deepened. "Why? Maya didn't do anything to you."
Rika hesitated, wringing her hands. "I didn't mean for it to get out of hand. I just... I was jealous, okay?"
"Jealous?" Kaito repeated, genuinely surprised.
"You're always so nice to her," Rika said, her voice trembling. "You never noticed me, no matter how hard I tried. And then you started spending all this time with her..."
Kaito sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Rika, I'm sorry if I made you feel like that. But to be honest we've never really talk we don't have anything in common either way, Starting rumors? That's not the way to handle things."
"I know," she said quietly. "I didn't think it would make you this mad. I just wanted some ..."
Kaito crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. "If you're really sorry, then you need to make it right. Apologize to Maya and help stop the rumors."
Rika looked up at him, her eyes wide. "You think she'd forgive me?"
"I don't know," Kaito admitted. "But you won't know unless you try."
---
Rika reluctantly agreed, and Kaito made her promise to approach Maya. As the three friends left the library, Hiroshi nudged Kaito with a grin.
"That was pretty smooth, man," Sota said. "Didn't know you had it in you."
Kaito laughed, shaking his head. "I just wanted to make sure Maya doesn't have to deal with this anymore."
"Still," Riku added, "you handled that like a pro. Maybe you should be a detective or something."
Kaito chuckled but didn't respond. His mind was already on how to help Maya through the next part.
The next day would bring new challenges, but for now, he felt a sense of accomplishment. The truth was out, and steps were being taken to fix the damage.
---