The sound of laughter still clung to the walls of the art room the next afternoon.Paint brushes sat like sentinels in jars, dried streaks of color marking the victories and disasters of yesterday's practice.
Ryuzí arrived first, sleeves rolled up, carrying two cans of iced coffee. He placed one on Suki's desk before sitting down, scanning the whiteboard scribbled with lines from their script.It already looked more like chaos than art.
Suki came bouncing in a minute later, hair messy, grin in full bloom. "You're early! Trying to impress me again?"
"I'm trying to make sure you don't burn the school down," Ryuzí said, not looking up.
Suki gasped, clutching his chest. "You wound me."
"Not yet," Ryuzí muttered, taking a sip of coffee.
Suki leaned against the desk, eyes soft. "You bought me coffee."
"It was on sale," Ryuzí said flatly.
Suki grinned wider. "You love me."
Ryuzí nearly choked. "I—what—"
Suki winked. "Got you."
Before Ryuzí could retort, the door opened again. Kenji and Miyako entered together, their chatter fading as soon as they spotted the two at the front. Kenji raised an eyebrow. "We interrupt your morning flirting?"
"Yes," Ryuzí said.
"No," Suki said at the same time.
Aoi arrived right on cue, clipboard under one arm, trailed by Haruto carrying a stack of artboards taller than his torso.
"Good," she said briskly. "Everyone's here. Let's get started. We're two weeks out from the presentation and still only halfway rehearsed."
Kenji slumped dramatically. "We're halfway awesome though."
Aoi didn't even look at him. "You're halfway conscious. Let's fix that."
Haruto quietly set up the projector and plugged in his laptop. The screen flickered to life—soft pastel colors swirling into the opening shot of their short animation: the paper airplane soaring over watercolor rooftops.
The group collectively sighed. Even Aoi allowed herself a small smile.
"It's beautiful," Miyako murmured.
Haruto ducked his head, fiddling with the volume controls. "Still needs work."
Aoi shook her head. "It's perfect."
He froze mid-adjustment, his fingers lingering near the keyboard. His mouth moved like he wanted to thank her, but the words never made it out.
They ran the first act again.Suki forgot his cue, Kenji ad-libbed, Aoi muttered corrections, and Ryuzí stood like a stone pillar of patience through it all.
When Miyako read her narration, though—soft, calm, clear—it pulled everything back into rhythm. Her voice smoothed out the chaos, a melody that stitched everyone together.
"See?" Kenji said, after her last line. "You could be a voice actor."
Miyako's lips quirked. "And you could be quiet."
Kenji grinned. "Never."
Suki leaned toward Ryuzí, whispering, "They're flirting."
Ryuzí whispered back, "So are we, apparently."
Suki smirked. "Then I'm winning."
"You're delusional," Ryuzí said.
"Adorable," Suki corrected.
By late afternoon, the room had descended into what Aoi called 'creative entropy'.Props littered every table, Haruto's sketches hung crookedly on the wall, and Kenji had somehow acquired a headband reading "Director."
"Kenji," Aoi said sharply, "why does your head say director?"
"Because I'm born for greatness," Kenji said solemnly. "And also, because Suki made it."
"It's true!" Suki called, waving scissors. "He bribed me with snacks."
Miyako sighed but her eyes were smiling. "I expected chaos. I didn't expect musical chaos."
Kenji struck a pose. "Innovation."
Ryuzí groaned. "Insanity."
After two full hours, Aoi finally called break. Everyone collapsed where they stood.
Suki sprawled across the floor beside Ryuzí, using his lap as a pillow.Ryuzí stiffened immediately. "What are you doing?"
"Resting. My brain's tired from all the acting."
"You improvised half your lines."
"Exactly," Suki said, peering up at him. "Do you know how hard it is to be this charming on command?"
Ryuzí looked down at him, lips twitching despite himself. "You're impossible."
"And you love me," Suki said softly.
Ryuzí didn't answer. His hand just found its way to Suki's hair, fingers brushing lightly through the strands. "You're ridiculous."
"That's a yes," Suki murmured, closing his eyes.
Across the room, Kenji watched them and chuckled quietly. "Couple goals."
Miyako glanced up from her notebook. "Focus on your lines."
Kenji smiled faintly. "You like bossing me around."
"Someone has to," she replied without missing a beat.
Kenji leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Then keep doing it."
Her pen froze mid-sentence. She turned her head, eyes flicking to his, unreadable for a heartbeat. Then she muttered, "You're incorrigible," but there was color in her cheeks when she said it.
Aoi stood near the back of the room, quietly observing. Her gaze drifted to Haruto, who was crouched over a drawing, completely absorbed.He looked so peaceful like that—focused, soft, edges blurring into the golden light that fell through the window.
"Haruto," she said.
He looked up quickly, blinking. "Y-yes?"
She pointed at his sketchpad. "Is that the new backdrop?"
He nodded. "The second act. It's supposed to feel warmer."
"It does," she said quietly.
He looked at her again, eyes wide behind his glasses. "Thank you."
There was something in his voice—gentle but trembling. Like gratitude mixed with disbelief. Aoi felt her chest tighten, and for once, she looked away first.
As evening settled, rehearsal wound down.The group stayed to clean up, sweeping glitter, gathering props, stacking chairs in uneven rows. The comfortable chatter filled the silence.
Suki hummed while collecting paper scraps, his voice off-key but cheerful. Ryuzí followed behind, shaking his head. "You sing worse than you act."
"That's rude," Suki said, grinning. "But accurate."
Kenji and Miyako worked quietly at the whiteboard, erasing notes. Every time their hands brushed, Kenji's jokes got worse.By the third accidental touch, Miyako laughed. "You're hopeless."
He looked at her then, expression softer than his usual grin. "Maybe. But I'm trying."
Her smile faltered—something unreadable flickering in her eyes—then returned. "You're doing fine."
Haruto lingered near the projector, unplugging cables. Aoi came up behind him. "Good work today," she said.
He startled slightly. "You too."
"You don't have to sound so shocked."
"N-no, I just… no one usually says that," he admitted.
She tilted her head. "Get used to it, then."
His lips twitched. "Yes, ma'am."
Aoi blinked. "Did you just tease me?"
He smiled, shy but undeniable. "Maybe."
She laughed quietly, unexpected even to herself. "You're braver than I thought."
They left the building together when the sky had turned dusky violet, the faint hum of cicadas marking the season's edge.
Suki skipped a step ahead, arms stretched wide. "We're going to ace this project. I can feel it."
Kenji yawned. "You said that yesterday. Right before we almost broke the projector."
"It was a creative explosion," Suki said.
"Literal smoke," Ryuzí muttered.
Aoi walked beside Haruto, scrolling through notes on her phone. "We still need to finalize the lighting sequence."
"I can stay late tomorrow," Haruto offered.
She looked up, catching his eyes, then smiled faintly. "I'll stay too."
Kenji wiggled his eyebrows. "Ooh, late-night planning. Suspicious."
Aoi's glare was instant. "Kenji."
He threw up his hands. "I'm just saying teamwork is romantic!"
"Then maybe you should try teamwork first," Miyako said dryly.
Kenji turned to her, mock hurt. "You wound me."
"I'll wound you again if you keep talking," she replied, but she was smiling when she said it.
At the school gates, they lingered. The air smelled faintly of rain, the sky clouding over.
Suki tugged Ryuzí's sleeve. "Hey."
Ryuzí turned. "What?"
"Let's go out this weekend," Suki said suddenly.
Ryuzí blinked. "Out?"
"Like… a date," Suki said, cheeks pink now. "Away from scripts and glitter. Just us."
Ryuzí hesitated for a beat, then exhaled a soft laugh. "You make it sound like a secret mission."
"Then call me Agent Suki," he said proudly. "And your mission is to have fun."
Ryuzí's lips curved. "I'll accept. But only if you promise not to embarrass me."
"No promises," Suki grinned.
Kenji overheard and groaned dramatically. "You two going on a date while we rehearse? Unfair."
Miyako crossed her arms. "You're free to plan your own."
Kenji's grin softened. "Maybe I already did."
She blinked, caught off guard, but before she could respond, he winked and jogged ahead.
Aoi glanced sideways at Haruto, who was still walking quietly beside her. "You okay with staying after hours tomorrow?"
He nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah. I like being here."
"Me too," she said softly.
The words surprised them both.