"See you at lunchtime, Aika."
"Okay."
Kazuki gave a casual wave and parted ways with Aika in the hallway. He entered his classroom, exchanged greetings with his classmates, and settled into his seat.
These days, everything was going smoothly, as if the world had completely changed.
Kazuki's existence had previously been treated like the air, but now that word had spread about his relationship with Aika, the way his classmates looked at him had changed dramatically.
The dazzling badge of honor—being the man who won Aika's heart—seemed to have elevated his social standing.
Of course...
Kazuki himself had actively spread the news about their relationship.
Though rumors had already been circulating, given how often they were seen together—
When classmates asked him directly, Kazuki neither hid nor boasted, but calmly and modestly confirmed the relationship.
Deep down, Kazuki was bursting with pride, but he knew that flaunting his achievements could jeopardize the status he had worked so hard to establish.
He subtly hinted at his relationship with Aika to his classmates, all while maintaining a modest demeanor to project an image of humility.
Thanks in part to this approach, he had become a respected figure even among the "upper-tier" group in class. Both the central guys and the more flashy girls acknowledged his presence—
Or at least, that's what Kazuki believed.
His only real interaction with Ryosuke Shito, the group's de facto leader, was minimal.
Even when their eyes met, Ryosuke seemed to be looking past him, as if maintaining a strange distance. It wasn't like he was deliberately avoiding Kazuki, so he decided not to dwell on it.
As Kazuki's social circle expanded, he stumbled upon unexpected information.
It concerned the harassment he'd been enduring from boys in other classes.
He'd always believed Kirie was the mastermind, but it turned out that was a lie.
"Apparently, they spread those rumors out of spite after Kirizaki chewed them out," a classmate who'd become close to him explained.
"Man, we're sorry we didn't catch on sooner."
"It's alright. You couldn't have known."
During this utterly superficial exchange, Kazuki's thoughts drifted to Kirie.
First, a pang of guilt struck him.
He finally acknowledged the unkind words he'd hurled at her.
But as he recalled her actions, he reached a conclusion.
Why had she tried to stop the bullying? Why hadn't she insisted on the truth when he'd confronted her, instead simply absorbing the insults?
...So that's it. Kirie actually liked me.
It all made sense now.
Her harshness toward Kazuki had been her way of hiding her embarrassment. And because she was weak with love, she couldn't stand up for herself even when he treated her coldly.
Why didn't she just say so?
Kazuki felt a pang of pity for Kirie.
Now, in the classroom, Kirie sat right next to him.
During class, he stole a glance at her profile—the awkward profile of his childhood friend—studying it anew.
Her face isn't as pretty as Aika's, but it's still quite nice.
If she had told me before Aika did, I might have given her a chance...
He let out a barely audible sigh, undetected by anyone, and shifted his gaze to the window outside.
*****
It was the night of the graduation ceremony.
Kirie went out to dinner with her family.
Truthfully, Kirie wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the idea.
Of course, she had no objections to dining out as a family, and the prospect of going to a Korean barbecue restaurant was actually quite appealing.
The problem was that this dinner was going to be a joint meal with Kazuki's family.
It happened to be Kazuki's younger sister's birthday that day.
To fulfill her request, the Kouno family decided to go for Korean barbecue. But instead of just the four of them, they figured they might as well invite their neighbors—the Kirizaki family—for a change, since it had been a while.
The Kirizaki and Kouno families had moved into the newly developed residential area around the same time, which had led to frequent interactions. When Kirie was younger, they used to have dinner gatherings like this several times a year.
The Korean barbecue restaurant they were heading to tonight was one of their old "regular spots."
Not only was the food excellent, but the restaurant itself was clean and well-maintained. All her memories of that place were positive.
(Sigh...)
Even as departure approached, Kirie remained gloomy.
She had no qualms about celebrating Kaho's birthday—Kazuki's younger sister.
Though they hadn't seen much of each other lately, Kirie used to play with Kaho often during the period when she'd frequently visit Kazuki's house.
So, inevitably, what weighed Kirie down was Kazuki's presence.
The Kirie of just a short time ago would have happily joined, albeit with her affection carefully concealed.
But now, facing Kazuki felt like a chore.
(Still...)
Since it was Kaho's birthday celebration, it felt wrong to dismiss the invitation outright.
Moreover...
This week, Kirie sensed a subtle shift in Kazuki's demeanor.
Before, even when seated next to each other, they hadn't exchanged a word.
But now, every morning when Kirie took her seat, Kazuki would greet her with a "Good morning."
Had something changed in his heart?
Recently, Kazuki's interactions with his classmates have visibly increased.
It's good to see him so happy, but I'm bothered by how often Aika, his girlfriend, comes up in conversation.
Things like how Aika behaved on their date, or how deeply they love each other.
He isn't being overtly romantic, but he keeps gushing and sharing more than necessary.
Hearing the details of his lover's romance so close at hand is painful, but at the same time, I feel a twinge of resentment—is it really okay to talk about her like this when she's not even here?
Kazuki...
These conflicting feelings lingered throughout the dinner tonight.
*****
Seven of us crammed into the Kirizaki family's minivan for the trip to the Korean barbecue restaurant. Kirie's mother, who doesn't drink, was the designated driver.
Inside the van, Kirie strategically sat next to Kaho, making sure not to end up beside Kazuki. They passed the time with harmless chatter until we arrived.
Inside the restaurant, Kirie failed to maneuver things smoothly and ended up seated across from Kazuki at the edge of the table.
"Kirie, this is ready to eat now."
"Huh? Oh, right."
For some reason, Kazuki was being unusually kind here too.
He used to refuse to even meet her eyes at one point. What could have caused such a change in his attitude?
"Come on, if you keep spacing out, Kaho and I will eat it all."
Still, he wasn't really the type of person who could manage such subtle attentiveness.
Putting the meat from the wire mesh onto Kirie's plate was fine, but...
"Th-thank you. But I really don't like it undercooked..."
"Wait, is that still a thing?"
It had been years since they last shared a Korean barbecue table, so it was understandable. But Kirie's preferences hadn't changed. Apparently, Kazuki had completely forgotten about the heated debate from that past meal about whether the meat was cooked enough.
That's so like him... but...
With a lingering sense of unease, Kirie finished her meal.
While her parents settled the bill, Kirie went ahead to the parking lot.
Suddenly, Kazuki called out to her from behind.
"Kirie."
"W-what?" Still unsure how to interact with him, Kirie felt flustered.
But Kazuki seemed to misunderstand her nervousness.
"Don't be so tense," he said with a smile. "Actually, I heard from a friend..."
The "friend" he mentioned was apparently one of his classmates he'd been getting closer to recently.
Kirie was startled by the way he brought it up.
He was talking about the bullying incident.
About how Kirie's warning had backfired, leading to false rumors being spread about her.
Kazuki had been told the truth.
"Sorry. I should have noticed sooner."
"Huh? Oh, um... right..."
Normally, having a misunderstanding resolved without any effort on my part should be cause for celebration, but all I felt was a sense of anticlimax.
Kirie seemed bewildered by my casual demeanor.
"Thank you, Kirie."
Then, without warning—really without warning—Kazuki suddenly closed the distance and patted Kirie's head twice.
"Huh...?"
Stunned and frozen, unable to process what had just happened, Kirie stood rooted to the spot. In response, Kazuki narrowed his eyes, smiling as if he were looking at something utterly adorable.
*****
That night, Kirie crawled into bed and began masturbating.
She'd been doing this every night since the day she first learned how.
I should stop, she thought, but as soon as she lay down, her hand began searching her body, and she drowned in pleasure.
Kirie was thinking about Kazuki.
Now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, would their relationship change? With Kazuki grateful for what she'd done, perhaps things could develop differently...
She remembered how he had stroked her hair as she left.
His hand had touched her hair. The sensation.
Normally, she should have been happy about it.
To receive affection, to be touched by the person she'd longed for all this time.
"Mm..."
But the hand touching Kirie now wasn't his.
Even though he's a man too... he's different...
Kazuki's touch had undoubtedly been that of a man, but what Kirie's body vividly remembered wasn't the sensation from tonight.
"..."
A larger, gentler palm stroked Kirie's head. The touch made her body burn from the inside out.
"... Ah..."
Just being stroked like that felt wonderful. She felt so cherished, she wanted to keep acting spoiled forever.
When those hands touched her face, arms, chest, waist... Kirie could no longer remain calm.
Every night, it was the same.
These hands teased her, tormented her, and pampered her.
Though guilt gnawed at her heart, her body craved and hungered for those sensations.
What if...
What if he had been at today's dinner gathering?
What if he had sat across from her, engaging in idle chatter, his cheerful smile and slightly unnerving eyes fixed on her?
"Ah, no... don't..."
What if he had stroked her hair as he left? And what if he had taken her hand and led her somewhere unknown—
"Ah, ah... Ngh..."
She should be happy that she was able to talk to Kazuki. The misunderstanding had been cleared up, their relationship repaired, and they might even become closer in the future—
Childhood unrequited love. Adoration.
Such faint emotions were being erased from the core of Kirie's being.
BURNED by the lewdly flickering flames, Kirie's flesh pulsed with a sweet, syrupy ache. She couldn't stop the overflowing sensation—and she didn't want to.
There was no room in Kirie's mind for thoughts of her childhood sweetheart anymore.
Surrendering to desire, spurred on by his fingers, she hurtled up the slippery slope of pleasure in one wild rush.
"––ngh, ah...!!"
She bit down on the sheets to muffle her stifled moans.
Yet in her mind, she screamed his name over and over, pleading, desperate.
I must never say his name aloud. If I do, I'll be swept away for sure this time...
"...hah...haah..."
Even after the heated, lewd ritual, Kirie's body remained restless, unsatiated.
As if by conditioned reflex, her gaze drifted to the smartphone lying beside her.
"..."
Of course, it wouldn't ring.
She couldn't hear his voice.
He hadn't contacted her since then—
Tomorrow was the start of summer vacation.
They wouldn't be able to see each other anymore.
If they were to meet—
(I need to tell him my answer...)
Kirie took her smartphone and sent a message.
She had to see Ryosuke and tell him.
The crucial answer was still undecided.
But this was the only excuse she had left to see him.