Sazanami University – 12:35 P.M. – Lunch Break
The cafeteria's buzzing. Plastic trays clatter. Someone's laughing too loud in the corner. Outside, snow floats past the windows, lazy and cold.
Riku stares at his curry rice. Spoon untouched. He's not hungry.
Across from him, Tetsuya slurps his noodles like he's in a speed-eating contest. Hana's half-watching Riku, half-scrolling through her phone.
"You've barely eaten," she says, pointing her chopsticks. "What's wrong with you today? Still shaken from the teacher's quiz threat?"
Riku blinks. "Huh? No—it's nothing. Just... tired."
He forces a smile.
Ping.
His phone buzzes. He slips it from his pocket under the table.
1 New Message (Unknown)
Meet me this evening in the backyard of school.
As Riku watching the text, Hana beside him peeking "Oh little Riku has girlfriend now, it is just your first year and already someone is confessing her love to you"
Flustered Riku "H-Huh? Noo!! It's not like that, probably"
Hana : "Probably, owo You also don't know, do you?"
Riku with all red ears "Ahh I'm not hungry anymore, I'm going bye"
Sazanami University – 6:00 P.M. – Backyard
The sky has turned dark purple.The backyard is empty except for a few flickering lights. Snow softly crunches under Riku's shoes as he walks.
Riku looks around, clutching his phone nervously.
"No one's here yet..."He checks the message again.Yep, backyard, evening.He even came early, just in case.
Heart thudding a little faster, he mutters to himself:
"Maybe... maybe this is actually a confession?"
He grins awkwardly, looking up at the empty backyard.
"Man, what if she's super cute? Like those anime scenes where—"
He stops, shakes his head fast.
"NO! Don't get ahead of yourself, Riku. Calm. Cool."
Minutes pass.Ten minutes.
No one comes.
The cold starts nibbling at his fingers.
He hugs himself, blowing into his hands.
"This feels like I'm the one who's gonna confess at this point," he grumbles.
Then—
A soft sound. Footsteps in snow.
Riku straightens up immediately.
A girl is approaching slowly from the dark end of the backyard.
Long hair.Slender.Head tilted strangely.
It's Mio.
Her face half-hidden in the evening shadow.
But something is... wrong.
Her steps—stiff, jerky.
Her mouth—stretching into a weird, too-wide smile.
Riku, half-excited, half-confused, smiles awkwardly:
"Ah... Mio? You were the one who called me?"
No answer.
She keeps walking.Faster now.
Riku feels something crawl up his spine.His body screams run without him even thinking.
Mio suddenly sprints toward him, arms stretched out unnaturally.
Riku's eyes pop wide open.
"HUHHHHHHH?!?!"
He jumps back so fast he almost trips.
"I-I knew girls were crazy but—HEY SHE'S ABOUT TO KILL ME FOR REAL!!!"
BAAAAAAAA—
He turns on his heel and SPRINTS full speed across the backyard, slipping and sliding on the snow.
Behind him, the sound of fast, uneven footsteps follows.
Riku, gasping:"Confession my ass! This is straight up MURDER!"
As he bolts toward the main building, he yells in his head:
"YUKI, WHY DID YOU SKIP SCHOOL TODAY, YOU USELESS GHOST!!!"