The school corridor was quiet. After the bell rang, the footsteps of the students gradually faded away as Saki arranged her books on her desk. At that moment, the classroom door creaked open slightly.
A long-haired girl with a serious gaze entered. Her confident stride immediately caught Saki's attention.
The girl walked straight to Saki.
"You…" she said in a cold tone. "You're the girl who went on a date with Hiroki, right?"
Saki froze for a moment, staring at the girl in surprise.
Who was this?
Yes, she had indeed gone on a date with Hiroki yesterday, but what did this girl have to do with it?
"Y-Yes… we were together yesterday," Saki said cautiously.
"Then… why does that concern you?"
The girl's eyes narrowed, her lips forming a thin line.
"Alright. Then I don't want you talking to him again."
Saki's eyes widened. She stood up abruptly from her chair.
"Why? Who are you to tell me that?"
The girl took a deep breath, keeping her gaze fixed on Saki.
"I'm Hana Fujimoto… or you might know me as Hiroki's ex-girlfriend."
At that moment, Saki's heart skipped a beat.
Ex-girlfriend…?
Hana stepped closer, her voice growing even sterner.
"I still love Hiroki. So… I don't want you getting close to him again."
Saki's hands trembled, but she didn't step back.
She thought for a moment, then spoke in a calm yet firm voice:
"You can say whatever you want, Hana… but Hiroki loves me too."
Those words angered Hana.
She furrowed her brows, raising her voice:
"Oh really? Then why was your date last night so short, Saki?"
Saki's eyes widened.
"Wait… how do you know that?"
Hana smiled. It was a cold, piercing smile.
"Never mind how I know. But trust me, he did the same thing to me. He's deceiving you too."
Saki took a deep breath and avoided eye contact.
She couldn't say anything.
Slowly, she sat back down, pressing her fingers against the edge of her desk.
What if she's right…?
Silence lingered for a few seconds.
Finally, Saki asked:
"Why are you telling me this?"
Hana's voice softened this time, though jealousy still lingered in it.
"Because… I don't want Hiroki to deceive you too. Also…"
She lowered her gaze.
"I can be the only one to love him."
Saki took a deep breath and then stood up.
Her gaze was determined, though she felt a twinge of hurt inside.
"I'm not going to listen to you, Hana," she said in a calm but firm voice.
Then she grabbed her bag and left the classroom.
She walked quickly down the corridor.
Trying to steady her breathing, she felt a weight on her chest.
Just as she was about to leave the school, she saw Miyuki near the exit.
"Hey, Miyuki!" she called out.
Miyuki turned her head, her face wearing her usual cheerful smile.
"Saki! What's wrong? Where are you rushing off to?"
Saki quickly approached her.
"How are you, Miyuki?" she asked, her voice weary.
Miyuki immediately noticed.
"I'm fine, but you… you don't look good. What happened?"
Saki took a deep breath.
"If you're free, I'll explain… let's walk a bit."
"Sure, I was leaving school anyway," Miyuki said.
They walked out of the school together, the gentle breeze tousling their hair.
As they walked, Miyuki asked curiously:
"So, tell me… what's going on?"
After a brief pause, Saki spoke:
"There's this girl, Hana… she said she's Hiroki's ex. And… she told me not to see him again."
Miyuki's steps faltered for a moment.
Her expression turned serious.
"Hana, you say?"
"Yes…" Saki said anxiously. "Do you know her?"
Miyuki took a deep breath.
"Yes, I know her. Hana… she's obsessed with Hiroki. Sometimes she really behaves strangely."
Saki's heart raced, her voice catching.
"Then… did she and Hiroki ever date?"
Miyuki, noticing Saki's worried expression, gave a faint smile.
"No, don't worry. Hiroki never accepted her. Hana just lives in her own imagination."
Saki felt slightly relieved, the tension in her shoulders easing.
Yet a shadow of doubt still lingered inside her.
Then she changed the subject:
"By the way… I didn't see any of you today. Where were you?"
Miyuki looked surprised.
"I was dealing with some music club stuff today. Hiroki didn't come to school, and I didn't even know Yusuke wasn't there either."
Saki frowned, thinking.
Hiroki didn't come to school…?
Then what about that phone call last night… what really was it?
"Things are getting weird," Saki said in a soft voice.
Miyuki asked curiously:
"Weird how?"
Saki lowered her head, biting her lip.
"Yesterday's date… it felt strange."
Miyuki's face lit up.
"Oh, right! You went on a date, didn't you? I've been so busy lately, I forgot to ask. How was it?"
Saki gave a sad smile.
"It ended a bit early. Hiroki had to leave," she said.
Miyuki was surprised.
"Really? Why?"
Saki shrugged.
"I don't know. He got a call and then left in a hurry."
Miyuki placed her hand on her chin, thinking.
"Strange… he actually seemed to put a lot of effort into that date," she said.
Saki remained silent.
What kind of work could be so important that he would leave me like that?
Miyuki noticed the disappointment on Saki's face.
"Trust me, there's a reason, Saki," she said in a calm voice.
Saki stayed quiet.
Miyuki changed the subject.
"By the way, do you know about the clubs? You were in the Travel Club, right?"
Saki looked surprised.
"No, I didn't… what happened?"
"The club presidents have started to be selected. The president of the Travel Club will decide the travel destinations for the other clubs."
A thought suddenly came to Saki's mind from something Hiroki had said earlier.
Her heart raced.
If I want to be in the same club as Hiroki… I have to become president.
She asked hastily:
"The presidents haven't been chosen yet, right?"
Miyuki found her urgency a little odd but answered calmly:
"No, not yet."
Saki took a deep breath.
So there's still a chance.
But a voice whispered inside her…
"Maybe you shouldn't bother anymore, Saki. Maybe Hiroki never really cared about you. There's no need to put in so much effort."
Saki paused. The wind blew her hair across her face, and her heart thumped with a mix of conflicting emotions.
One side of her resisted, while the other side was afraid.
"But… what if I'm wrong? What if Hiroki really does care about me?"