That morning, the atmosphere in the classroom felt calmer than usual. Some students were busy reviewing their notes, trying to memorize key points for the quiz that would begin shortly. In the corner of the class near the window, Alya sat quietly in her seat, staring at the open notebook on her desk. Banri, sitting to her right, occasionally glanced her way, trying to gauge if she looked nervous.
"Alya, are you ready?" Banri asked softly.
Alya nodded, though her eyes reflected a hint of doubt. "I've studied, but there are still a few topics that confuse me."
Banri scooted his chair closer, offering his help. "If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me. Maybe I can help."
Meanwhile, Arata, who was seated directly in front of Alya, turned around with a slight smile. "If you're confused, Alya, I can explain too. We're studying from the same book, after all," he said casually.
Alya simply nodded, offering a polite smile. "Thank you, Arata. If I have questions, I'll be sure to ask."
Their conversation made Banri feel slightly uneasy, but he tried to stay calm. "Just make sure to review the graphs and tables. The teacher loves to include questions from there," he added, subtly redirecting Alya's focus away from Arata.
The bell signaling the start of the quiz echoed through the classroom, breaking the tense silence. The teacher handed out the question sheets, walking slowly down each row of desks. Alya stared at the paper now lying on her desk, taking a deep breath as if trying to calm the storm within her.
Next to her, Banri gripped his pencil tightly. For a moment, he glanced at Alya, checking if she was doing alright. She seemed composed, but from the slight tremble in her hand as she held her pencil, Banri knew she was trying to suppress her nerves.
"Focus, Banri," he reminded himself, then began reading the questions.
Arata, seated directly in front of Alya, appeared far more relaxed. He tilted his head slightly, reading the questions with a confident expression. Even in the midst of the tense silence, he leaned back in his chair briefly, like someone who already knew the answers before writing them down.
Meanwhile, Alya furrowed her brows, her lips moving slightly as she read question after question. She paused on some, staring at them longer. Banri, occasionally stealing glances from the corner of his eye, wished he could whisper words of encouragement to her. But he knew this was a moment where they all had to stand on their own.
Time passed slowly. The classroom felt increasingly stifling—not because of the temperature, but due to the tension hanging in the air. Banri tried to focus on his own questions, but his thoughts kept drifting to Alya and Arata. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt like he was competing—not just for the quiz scores, but for something much bigger.
When the teacher finally announced, "Five minutes remaining," Banri hurriedly finished his last question. He glanced at Alya one more time. She was still busy writing, her face showing deep concentration. He felt a small sense of relief seeing her so focused in the final moments.
As the bell signaling the end of the quiz rang, all the students handed in their answer sheets. Alya put down her pencil and exhaled deeply, while Arata casually submitted his paper without any rush. Banri let out a long breath, feeling the weight on his shoulders slightly lifted.
"How was it, Alya? Did it go well?" Banri asked quietly as they began packing up.
Alya nodded slightly, her cheeks flushing a bit. "It wasn't as bad as I thought. But... there were a few questions that confused me."
"You said it wasn't that bad, but still confusing," Shun suddenly chimed in from behind them, making Alya smile faintly. "Classic Alya."
Arata, now standing with his arms crossed, smiled as well. "If Alya found it confusing, I'm sure the questions were too difficult, not her fault."
The comment left Banri momentarily silent, though he tried not to show it. "Maybe the questions were just tricky," he said quickly, joining the conversation while slinging his bag over his shoulder.
Alya smiled at both of them. "We'll just have to wait and see the results," she said lightly, though there was a trace of relief in her tone.
As they stepped out of the classroom, the corridor felt more relaxed. Other students were discussing the quiz, some complaining about its difficulty, while others bragged about their answers.
Banri walked beside Alya, with Shun and Fumiya trailing behind. Arata, as usual, strode ahead with his usual calm demeanor, seemingly unaffected by the atmosphere.
"I think the last question was a trap," Shun suddenly remarked, breaking the silence. "All the answer choices were too similar. I bet a lot of people got it wrong."
Fumiya chimed in casually, "Who cares? The important thing is, I answered everything. If I got it wrong, at least I won't be alone."
Alya chuckled softly at Fumiya's joke, while Banri managed a faint smile. Hearing Alya laugh made him happy, even though he still harbored a vague unease deep inside that he couldn't quite understand.
"What do you guys think about your test results?" Alya asked, trying to change the topic. She turned to Banri, waiting for an answer.
Banri shrugged. "It's just okay. I don't think it'll be too bad, but I'm not sure I'll get a perfect score either."
Alya nodded and then looked at Arata, who was now walking ahead of them. "What about you, Arata?"
Arata stopped for a moment, turned around, and gave a small smile. "I think it went well. But we'll see when the results come out."
That short answer left Banri silent once again. He knew Arata didn't mean to sound boastful, but there was something in his tone that made Banri feel even smaller.
When they finally arrived at the school gate, Shun stretched his arms and sighed. "Man, today was exhausting. Hey, Banri, how about we head to your place again? We can keep playing."
Fumiya nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Banri. I need to blow off some steam after that test."
Banri nodded, even though he actually wanted to go home alone. But seeing Shun and Fumiya's enthusiastic faces, he couldn't bring himself to say no. "Alright, let's go. But this time, you guys have to bring the snacks. I'm all out at home."
"Deal!" Shun replied, laughing.
Alya, who was standing beside Banri, smiled softly. "You guys are so lively. I'm a bit envious," she said quietly.
"Do you want to join us, Alya?" Banri asked without thinking, making Shun and Fumiya turn to him with surprised expressions.
Alya looked a little startled by the offer. "Ah, no need. Thank you. I've got some things to take care of at home," she replied politely.
After saying their goodbyes, they parted ways. Banri, Shun, and Fumiya headed toward Banri's house, while Alya and Arata took a different path. Even though Banri tried to distract himself with light conversations with Shun and Fumiya, the image of Alya and Arata walking together lingered in his mind.
"Hey, Banri!" Shun called, snapping Banri out of his thoughts. "Stop zoning out. You're overthinking things. Relax, man!"
Banri chuckled softly, though his laugh sounded hollow. "Yeah, yeah. I'm listening."
But deep down, he knew his mind would never truly be at ease.
As Banri, Shun, and Fumiya walked away, they heard hurried footsteps behind them. A girl with a ponytail was jogging toward Alya. It was Karin, Alya's close friend from another class.
"Alya! Wait for me!" Karin called, trying to catch her breath. Alya stopped and turned back, smiling when she saw her friend approaching.
"Karin, why are you in such a hurry? You're not usually late to go home," Alya asked, slightly puzzled.
"I was helping clean up our group project in class. Then I saw you leaving and thought I might as well catch up so we could walk home together," Karin explained, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She then glanced at Arata, who stood quietly not far from Alya. "Oh, you're with Arata?"
Alya gave a brief smile. "Yeah, we were just talking about some assignments. But I think Arata's going in another direction, right?" she asked, glancing at Arata.
Arata nodded slightly, seemingly understanding the situation. "Yeah, I'm taking a different route. See you tomorrow, Alya." With that, Arata turned and walked away.
Karin watched Arata's retreating figure with a curious look. "He's so mysterious. But… kinda handsome," Karin said with a giggle.
Alya chuckled softly, trying to mask her slight awkwardness. "Don't start, Karin."
The two of them began walking together, leaving the school. Karin kept talking, chatting about light topics like the TV shows she recently watched and the growing pile of homework. Alya listened, occasionally responding, though her mind wandered a bit.
Meanwhile, on the other path, Banri, Shun, and Fumiya continued their journey. Banri glanced back a few times, as if hoping to see Alya again. But all he could see were faint shadows of his friends walking further away.
Shun noticed Banri's behavior and nudged his arm with a mischievous grin. "Banri, what's up with you? You've been distracted all this time. Don't tell me you're thinking about Alya?"
Fumiya, walking beside Shun, chuckled softly. "Oh no, this is a sign someone's catching feelings. Just admit it, Banri. We're your friends. We won't tease you… too much."
Banri just scoffed, trying to change the topic. "There's nothing going on. I'm just tired. You guys should focus on tomorrow's test. Have you even studied seriously?"
Shun laughed, shrugging nonchalantly. "Study? That's what you're here for, Banri. If I don't understand something, I'll just ask you."
Fumiya nodded in agreement, adding, "Yeah, you're the brainiac here. I just need to bring snacks, and you'll explain everything. Easy."
Banri shook his head but secretly felt relieved to laugh along with them. Even though his mind was still occupied by thoughts of Alya, moments like these helped him forget the complexity of his feelings, if only for a while.
When they reached Banri's house, they stopped briefly to chat. Shun leaned against the gate, while Fumiya was busy checking his phone. "Hey, Banri," Shun began, "are you seriously saying there's nothing going on with Alya? Because your face today looked like you were deep in thought about something."
Banri hesitated for a moment, searching for the right response. "Alya is... just a friend. That's all. You guys are overthinking things."
Fumiya chuckled lightly. "Really? If she's just a friend, then why did you keep glancing at her during class earlier?"
Banri opened his mouth to respond but ended up letting out a long sigh instead. "Enough already. It's not important. Let's just go in and play games. I need something to clear my mind."
Shun and Fumiya exchanged knowing smiles but didn't push Banri further. They entered the house and spent the evening playing games as usual. However, between the laughter and the games, Banri couldn't completely shake off thoughts of Alya and how his feelings had begun to change.
After a few rounds, Shun leaned back on the sofa, stretching. "Man, I lost again. Fumiya, you totally cheated. I'm sure of it."
Fumiya laughed, eyes glued to his phone. "Cheated? You're just slow. I just used a good strategy, that's all."
Banri smiled faintly at their banter, though his mind still wandered. Occasionally, he glanced at his phone, hoping for a message from Alya. But the screen remained blank. He let out a quiet sigh, trying to refocus on the game.
"Hey, Banri," Shun called suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What's up with you? You're not playing like your usual self. Normally, you'd be super competitive when losing."
"Ah, it's nothing," Banri replied briefly. "I'm just thinking about tomorrow's test. There's so much to memorize."
Fumiya gave him a scrutinizing look. "Thinking about the test, or thinking about someone? You seem... different, Banri."
Shun laughed, agreeing with Fumiya's observation. "Yeah, I feel the same. Banri, you've been out of it lately. If there's something on your mind, just tell us. We're your friends, you know."
Banri just shook his head with a faint smile. "There's really nothing. You guys are just making things up."
But deep down, Banri knew Fumiya and Shun weren't entirely wrong. He was thinking about Alya, and he wasn't sure how to handle the growing complexity of his emotions.
After the gaming session, Shun and Fumiya finally said their goodbyes. Banri walked them to the door before returning to his room. He glanced at his phone lying on the desk, hesitating before picking it up.
"Alya..." he murmured softly, as if struggling with the storm inside his heart. He wanted to reach out, but he was afraid. Afraid of being too obvious, afraid of changing whatever dynamic they currently had.
That night, Banri decided not to do anything. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the dark ceiling. "Maybe I'm overthinking things," he whispered, trying to calm himself. But he knew the feeling wouldn't disappear so easily.
As the night wore on, Banri's thoughts kept circling. Outside, the faint sound of crickets filled the quiet night. He lay down on his bed, trying to close his eyes. Yet Alya's face kept surfacing in his mind, making him feel restless.
"Why am I like this?" he muttered softly. He turned to face the other side, glancing at his phone still resting on the nightstand. He wanted to text her, just to ask how she was doing or talk about the test tomorrow. But something held him back—the fear of getting a response he wasn't ready for.
In the end, Banri took a deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing himself to sleep. Deep inside, he promised himself to focus on more important things, at least for now. Tomorrow's test was just around the corner, and he didn't want his thoughts to be a mess because of feelings that might not even be mutual.
But deep in his heart, Banri knew this wasn't the end of his struggle. It was only the beginning of something bigger—something he wasn't yet ready to face.
The night sky outside remained calm, as if silently witnessing the confusion he was experiencing. And though the night ended with unease, Banri hoped that tomorrow would bring a bit of clarity—for both his heart and his life.