Lunch was over.
And Kazama was still trying to process what had happened.
Did Aira actually say he liked her? Or was that just another one of her brainless jokes? The girl treated flirting like breathing — unconscious and unstoppable.
"Yo, Kazama."
A voice snapped him back to earth. It was Riku, one of his classmates. Loud, sporty, and completely incapable of reading the room.
"You and Vellione getting serious or what?"
Kazama blinked. "What?"
"I mean, you guys have been inseparable lately. Everyone's talking."
Kazama frowned. "There's nothing going on."
"Oh, come on. The bento-stealing thing? Classic romcom move."
He didn't answer.
Because deep down, he wasn't sure anymore.
Meanwhile, Aira was humming down the hallway, skipping slightly as she walked.
She didn't know what possessed her to say that during lunch. Maybe it was the way Kazama looked when he was caught off guard — flustered, eyes wide, unsure of what to say.
She liked that look.
Scratch that.
She loved it.
He was always so calm, so cold, so untouchable.
But today, for just a second, she saw something crack.
And it made her heart flutter.
Class resumed.
And Aira, being Aira, didn't even pretend to pay attention. Her seat was beside Kazama's, and she kept doodling in the margins of her notebook — silly things. A chibi version of him glaring. Another one blushing. A chicken leg with his face.
Kazama glanced over once.
"You're not even trying to be subtle."
"I never do," she whispered back.
"Stop drawing me."
"Make me."
His eyes narrowed. "You're such a pain."
"But you still look."
He looked away quickly. Her smile widened.
After school, things got worse.
She waited for him by the school gate, pretending to scroll through her phone like she wasn't obviously waiting. When he finally walked out, she perked up like a dog spotting its owner.
"Going home?" she asked, casually walking beside him.
"Obviously."
"Can I come with?"
"Why?"
"Because your cold aura balances my chaotic one. Yin and yang, baby."
"…I don't remember agreeing to this friendship."
"Too late. We're already in the middle of a slow-burn romance."
He stopped walking. "What did you just say?"
She stopped too. Looked him straight in the eyes. "A slow-burn romance, duh. Haven't you noticed?"
Kazama stared. She didn't flinch. Not even a twitch of sarcasm in her face.
And then she smirked.
Or maybe it was sarcasm.
He couldn't tell anymore.
"You're insane," he muttered, walking ahead.
"Yep. And you're stuck with me."
They walked in silence for a bit, until—
"Hey, Kazama."
"What."
"What would you do if I actually confessed to you?"
He stopped.
Aira didn't smile this time. Her voice was quiet. Calm.
For the first time all day… she sounded serious.
Kazama turned to look at her.
"I'd probably think it's a joke."
She tilted her head. "Even if it wasn't?"
"…Then I'd probably say I'm not ready."
Aira didn't react right away.
Then she nodded slowly. "Okay."
Kazama thought that would be the end of it. But then—
"That means I still have time, right?"
His chest tightened.
This girl…
She was dangerous.
Too bright. Too unpredictable. Too real.
And maybe… too close to breaking through the walls he swore he'd keep up forever.
Siap bro! Berikut Chapter 28 versi panjang dan full English, dengan bumbu romcom yang makin nempel:
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It was supposed to be just another normal day.
Keyword: supposed to.
"You're late!" Aira pouted, arms crossed, standing in front of the school gate like a chibi boss with attitude.
"I'm literally five minutes early," Rei muttered, adjusting his bag. "You said 7:30. It's 7:25."
"But I felt like you were late!" she fired back, stomping lightly. "Which means you're guilty."
"And you felt wrong. Case closed."
Aira puffed her cheeks in defeat, glaring like a hamster on the verge of a tantrum. "Hmph. You're so cold sometimes."
Rei shrugged. "And you're so… fluffy, sometimes."
"Eh?! W-What does that even mean?!"
He walked past her, smirking. "Exactly what you think it means."
That morning had started as a typical Rei-and-Aira banter fest, but things escalated faster than either of them expected.
By lunch break, rumors had spread—wild rumors. Apparently, Aira had accidentally let it slip that Rei would be coming over to her house after school. To study. Alone. With her. Until night.
It didn't matter that it was innocent. It didn't matter that her parents were out of town. In romcom logic, everything mattered.
"Wh-Why is everyone staring at me like that?" Rei asked, stiff as a board in the cafeteria.
"You're the main character of the day," Ishigami said, sipping his juice like an oracle. "You have unknowingly walked into a route-triggering event."
"A what?"
"Aira route. Event flag. Max affection boost. Possibly even—"
"Shut up."
After school, Rei actually did end up at her house.
He stood awkwardly in the genkan, shoes neatly aligned, heart pounding against his ribs like it was trying to run away. Aira appeared from behind the hallway in an oversized hoodie, hair slightly wet from a rushed shower.
"Y-You came," she said, cheeks dusted pink.
"You invited me," he replied, trying very hard not to look like a character who realized the heroine was cute.
They sat in the living room. Studied a little. Argued a little. Laughed more than they admitted.
At some point, the rain started pouring outside. Loud. Unforgiving.
"Looks like you're stuck here for a while," Aira whispered, hugging her knees on the couch.
"...Yeah." Rei scratched the back of his neck. "I should probably message my mom."
"Already did," she said quickly. "...I mean, I told her you might get stuck."
"...How long have you planned this?"
Her eyes darted away. "...No comment."
Minutes turned to hours. They watched a movie together. Halfway through, Aira fell asleep on Rei's shoulder, breathing soft, warm, and way too close.
Rei didn't move. Couldn't move. His heart was going full anime sound effect.
He whispered, "I'm so dead if Ishigami finds out."
The rain didn't stop until morning.
And neither did the way his heart kept skipping whenever he looked at her sleeping face.
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