Quick heads up:
( ) = Kaze's inner monologue
<" "> = Whispers
Note: This is the follow-up story of the previous chapter, you are not recommended to skip Chapter 3 if you want to fully understand the story.
...
"Takuya-kun…"
Itsuki's voice slipped into Kaze's awareness with unnatural precision, as if it had been calibrated specifically to bypass his concentration. He had been staring at the printed kanji on the page in front of him for several seconds without actually reading any of it, his thoughts drifting aimlessly as the lesson progressed. The moment she spoke, however, his spine stiffened, his shoulders tightening almost imperceptibly as he turned toward her.
"H-Huh?" Kaze replied, his voice betraying more nervousness than he would have liked. He didn't know why he felt this way — only that lately, any interaction involving Sato Itsuki carried an unexplainable pressure. "W-What is it?"
"I didn't bring my textbook," Itsuki said calmly, tilting her head just enough to appear earnest. "Can we share one?"
His eyes moved on instinct before his brain could stop them, glancing down toward her desk drawer. It wasn't fully shut. Just enough of the inside was visible for him to clearly see the corner of a blue-covered book tucked within — the exact same shade as the Japanese Language textbook resting open on his desk.
…
(Liar!!! I definitely saw it just now!)
Almost as if she had anticipated this, Itsuki followed his gaze and reacted instantly. With a swift but casual motion, she nudged the drawer shut using the side of her foot, sealing the evidence away as though it had never existed. When she looked back up at him, her expression was perfectly composed, her eyes clear and unwavering.
(I am literally watching you commit this crime in real time. I'm not blind, okay?)
"So…" she continued, her tone soft yet persistent, "are you sharing with me or not?"
Kaze hesitated, the internal battle already lost before it truly began. "I-I guess so… yeah."
He was just about to stand and move his desk when Itsuki acted first. With surprising decisiveness, she pushed her desk instead, the legs scraping quietly against the floor as it connected seamlessly with his. The distance between them vanished in an instant. As she settled into place, she cast a brief glance toward the front of Kaze's seat — her eyes meeting Kazumi's for only a fraction of a second.
It was more than enough.
Izumi-sensei, observing from the podium, raised an eyebrow before smiling knowingly.
"Oh? So Sato-san forgot her textbook?" she teased lightly. "That's fine — just remember to bring it next time, okay? Hehe~"
Before the moment could pass, a hand shot up.
"Sensei!"
The voice was sharp and familiar. Kazumi.
"I forgot to bring my textbook as well."
"Oh?" Izumi-sensei replied without missing a beat. "Then why don't you share with your friend?"
"Yes, Sensei!"
Kazumi stood immediately, raised her shoulder as she walked toward Kaze's seat confidently. Before Kaze could even form a protest, she slid his chair slightly aside and sat down — forcing him to share the same seat.
"W-What the — ?! Kazumi-san?!"
At that exact moment, something tightened around his wrist.
Kaze turned sharply.
Itsuki's hand had locked onto his sleeve, her grip firm and unyielding. Her face remained calm, but her eyes burned with unmistakable intensity.
<"Don't ever call her by her first name… again.">
The whisper was quiet, yet to Kaze, it echoed louder than the bell ever could.
(God… someone please explain what kind of situation I've fallen into.)
Izumi-sensei watched the unfolding chaos, sighed softly, and chose to look the other way.
"Well… if Takuya-kun is fine with it, let's continue the lesson, hehe~"
"I. Am. Definitely. Not. Fine."
"Okay~ Let's continue."
"Hey! Don't just ignore me like that!"
…
Eventually, Kazumi's desk was pushed backward as well, forming a long, awkward chain of three connected desks. Kaze found himself trapped in the middle, his personal space completely erased. During the lesson, Kazumi leaned closer, her shoulder brushing lightly against his as she pretended to read.
"H-Hey… back off a little…"
On his other side, Itsuki reached over, gently holding one of his fingers and using it to point at a random kanji.
"What does this mean?" she asked innocently.
"There's absolutely no reason to hold my hand for this…"
"Takuya-kun…"
"Kaze-kun…"
The overlapping voices shattered his focus completely.
Unable to endure it any longer, Kaze muttered an excuse about the restroom and fled the classroom.
(My life is falling apart. This is not how a normal school day is supposed to work.)
As he walked through the hallway of the second-year wing, trying to calm his thoughts, he noticed a smaller girl struggling ahead of him. Her arms were stacked with books — too many for her to carry comfortably. They wobbled dangerously with every step.
Without thinking, Kaze approached.
"Hey," he said, steadying the top of the stack. "Do you need some help?"
"Oh — !" The girl looked up, surprised, before nodding with relief. "Yes, please… they're heavier than I expected."
He took most of the books from her arms, and together they walked toward the staff office.
"By the way, Senpai," she said cheerfully along the way, "my name is Urara Izuha!"
(Positive. Bright. Definitely not someone who overthinks everything, but still likely a zombie.)
"I'm Takuya Kaze," he replied simply.
"Can I call you by your first name then?"
(Geez… why does everyone keep asking that?)
"No."
She sighed dramatically. "Okay… then we'll take it slow."
(We're not in a relationship...)
After delivering the books, Kaze deliberately slowed his pace on the way back, hoping the class would already be over by the time he returned. By the time he reached the classroom door, the bell rang.
Izumi-sensei was just stepping out.
"I totally understand, Takuya-kun," she said with a grin. "I expected you'd be late."
"You don't understand anything. You're still single."
"Screw you!"
Kaze slipped past her and into the classroom, smirking as she fumed helplessly.
…
For the rest of the day, both girls somehow "forgot" to bring every single textbook.
"…"
End of Chapter