Sayu couldn't believe what her best friend had just said.
"D-Do what?!" she asked Rin, half hoping she'd misheard.
But no—her ears worked just fine. Rin had actually dared her to ask out one of the most popular guys on campus.
"You heard me," Rin confirmed with a smirk. "Come on, Sayu, go ask him out~!"
Kanna immediately chimed in to support the absurd dare, and even Mio, though silent, didn't object.
Ask someone out? She'd just had an unofficial breakup less than half a day ago! And now her friends were pushing her into this? It wasn't her style—especially not with a guy like him. Did Rin secretly hate her or something?
"Rin, you've gotta be kidding me!" she snapped. "How can I just go ask him out like that?!"
"It's just for fun~ You'll get rejected, and we'll all laugh it off," Rin replied breezily. "That's college life—dumb confessions and fun with friends! Besides, it's not like he'll say yes… probably."
Sayu tried to reason with them, but they were determined. With no escape route in sight, she reluctantly agreed.
What could go wrong? She'd ask, get rejected, maybe humiliated a little, and then get her revenge on Rin later.
Standing up and walking out of the venue, she made her way to the tree where Hayato was on the phone.
Meanwhile, from behind, her friends crouched between the bushes with their phones out—ready to record the "historic" moment for entertainment purposes.
Halfway there, Sayu halted mid-step, questioning her life choices. Maybe she should go back?
Ding!
A message lit up on her phone.
[Rin]: We're watching. No takebacks!
[Kanna]: Go get him, girl!
[Mio]: Good luck!
Sayu sighed deeply and glanced toward the bushes.
No room for retreat now.
Hayato had just ended his call and was staring at his screen when he noticed someone approaching. It was the girl he bumped into earlier.
Curious, he turned to face her.
Sayu nervously stepped forward, hands gripping the sleeves of her hoodie.
"U-Um… I-I…" she stammered, then leaned in slightly and whispered, "Do you see those girls hiding over there?"
She subtly pointed behind her.
Hayato followed her gesture with mild amusement, spotting the huddle of girls barely concealed behind bushes.
Another one of those stunts, he guessed. It wasn't the first time this happened.
Realizing he understood, Sayu continued whispering.
"I lost a bet… so just please reject me, okay? I'll be out of your hair in a second," she pleaded, eyes desperate.
"Sure," Hayato replied casually.
Relieved that this part was working out, Sayu took a breath and prepared her 'defeated confession.'
***
A few meters away, Rin, Kanna, and Mio squatted behind a thick patch of greenery, cameras aimed and anticipation building.
"She's whispering!" Rin whispered herself. "Why's she taking so long?"
Just then, Hayato looked towards their direction, causing them to shriek and return to their hideout.
"Do you think he saw us?" Kanna asked nervously.
"Of course, not… probably," Rin muttered.
"She might be nervous…" Mio began, worried. She was just about to propose cancelling the dare when she got cut off.
And then pointing at the direction where Sayu was standing, Kanna gasped, "Look! She's about to say it!"
All eyes zeroed in.
This was it.
Their best friend was about to ask out Hayato Arisaka—one of the top three campus heartthrobs.
Oh, Sayu was definitely going to murder them for this later.
***
"Will you…?" Sayu started, her voice shaking.
She looked at him with a nervous flush in her cheeks and then quickly raised her voice—just enough for her friends to hear from their hiding spot.
"WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?!"
The question startled Hayato slightly, but he quickly recovered his usual calm.
Sayu bowed deeply, praying he'd just get it over with and say no.
'Just reject me already…' she shouted inwardly, as the tension was about to kill her.
Hayato looked at her… and then finally replied:
"Yes."
"…What?"
Sayu blinked. What did he say? Yes?
Maybe he meant yes, I won't? But that made no sense. Just to make sure, and hoping she misheard again, she asked him.
"What… What do you mean, 'yes'?" she asked, voice cracking and focusing hard on the yes part.
Behind her, Rin, Kanna, and even the composed Mio froze mid-recording—mouths wide open in shock. They couldn't believe what they heard.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
"You asked me out," Hayato said calmly. "So I said yes. What's wrong?"
Sayu's eye twitched.
"But I told you—it was a dare! I didn't mean it!"
"So?"
"So?!" she wheezed. "Who just says so to being fake-asked-out?!"
Hayato tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"So… when's our first date?"
Sayu's soul momentarily left her body.
She really needed her zodiac chart checked or something—clearly the universe hated her this week.
"Hello?" Hayato waved his hand a little. "I asked you a question."
"Eh? W-what—" Sayu fumbled, unable to form coherent words.
In the end, she muttered the only sentence her brain could manage:
"No, thanks."
And she stormed off, walking straight past her stunned friends who were just now stepping out of the bushes, still in disbelief.
Before they could say anything, she grabbed them all by the sleeves and pulled them away.
Hayato stood there under the tree, stunned.
"Did I just get… re-rejected?" he muttered, too low for anyone but himself to hear.