The classroom was already buzzing with activity when we stepped inside. A few students glanced at us, but no one paid much attention. It was just another normal lunch break—at least on the surface.
Kane walked ahead, heading straight for her desk. I went back to mine, dropping into my chair with a sigh.
Haru, who had been chatting with a couple of classmates, immediately turned his attention to me.
"Well?" he asked, leaning forward.
I frowned. "Well what?"
"You and Kane." He wiggled his eyebrows. "How'd it go?"
I shot him a look. "We ate lunch."
Haru groaned. "That's it? No confessions? No dramatic realizations?"
I exhaled, rubbing my temple. "Why do you sound like you're watching a romance drama?"
"Because you are one," he said, crossing his arms. "You just don't realize it yet."
I ignored him and pulled out my notebook.
Haru, of course, wasn't done. "Okay, but seriously. Things feel different between you two."
I hesitated.
He wasn't wrong.
Kane and I always had a certain rhythm—teasing, bantering, acting like nothing really mattered. But today had shifted something, even if neither of us had said it outright.
Still, I wasn't about to give Haru the satisfaction of knowing he was right.
"You're imagining things," I muttered.
He gave me a knowing smirk. "Sure, Yuki. Sure."
The rest of the lunch break passed without incident. Kane acted normal, I pretended not to think too hard, and Haru kept throwing me glances like he was waiting for me to slip up.
But even as the next class started, and I forced myself to focus on the lesson…
That lingering feeling from before stayed with me.
Something had changed.
And I wasn't sure if I was ready to find out what it meant.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of lectures and half-hearted note-taking. I tried to focus, but my mind kept circling back to Kane, to the way she had hesitated before speaking, to the way our usual rhythm had been slightly… off.
It wasn't bad. It wasn't uncomfortable.
It was just different.
By the time the final bell rang, I was more exhausted from thinking than from the actual schoolwork. I packed up my things slowly, trying not to look too obvious as I glanced at Kane's desk.
She was already standing, bag slung over her shoulder. She didn't leave right away, though—she lingered for a second, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag a little tighter than usual.
Then, just as she turned toward the door, our eyes met.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then, she gave a small nod.
"You coming?"
It was the same question as before, but it felt different this time.
I didn't hesitate. "Yeah."
We walked out together, the hallway buzzing with students eager to leave. Haru was waiting by the lockers again, a smug look already forming on his face.
"Ah, there you two are," he said, dramatically folding his arms. "Another day, another mysterious tension-filled walk home together."
I sighed. "Haru—"
"Don't mind him," Kane cut in, barely sparing him a glance. "He's just mad he has no one to walk home with."
Haru clutched his chest. "Wow. That was uncalled for."
"Then why are you still smiling?" I muttered.
He just grinned. "Because I love being right. Anyway, see you tomorrow, lovebirds."
Kane ignored him completely, heading for the door without looking back. I followed.
Outside, the air was crisp, the sun dipping lower in the sky. The usual path stretched before us, familiar yet somehow different.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
Then, Kane exhaled. "You're still overthinking everything, aren't you?"
I glanced at her. "You say that like you're not."
She smirked slightly. "I never said I wasn't."
That was the thing with us. We never really said anything outright, but the meaning was always there, lingering between the words.
We walked in comfortable silence, the sounds of the town filling the spaces between us. Eventually, we reached the point where we usually split ways.
Kane slowed, glancing ahead.
"You know," she said, "we never actually talked about what happens next."
I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. "Because I don't think either of us knows."
She hummed, as if considering that. Then, finally, she turned to face me.
"Well," she said, "when you do figure it out… let me know."
And with that, she gave me a small wave and walked away.
I stood there for a while, watching her go.
Let me know when you figure it out.
I wasn't sure when that would be.
But for the first time, I wanted to find out.
The walk home felt quieter than usual. Maybe it was just in my head, or maybe it was because Kane's words kept replaying in my mind.
"When you do figure it out… let me know."
What did she even mean by that? What was there to figure out?
I sighed, shoving my hands into my pockets as I kicked a loose pebble down the street. The sky had started to turn orange, casting long shadows across the pavement.
By the time I reached home, my mind still wasn't any clearer. I pushed open the door, greeted by the usual stillness of the house.
"I'm home," I called out, though no one was there to respond.
I toed off my shoes and headed to my room, dropping my bag onto the floor. Flopping onto the bed, I stared up at the ceiling.
Kane had been acting different all day. And if I was being honest with myself… so had I.
It was like something had shifted between us. Something unspoken.
And I had no idea what to do about it.
I pulled out my phone, staring at the screen for a second before opening my messages.
There was nothing from Kane.
Not that I was expecting anything.
Still…
I tapped on our chat, hovering over the keyboard.
Then, before I could overthink it, I typed:
"Did you get home okay?"
I hit send and tossed my phone onto the bed, exhaling.
A minute passed. Then two.
The screen lit up.
Kane: "Yeah. You?"
I smiled a little, despite myself.
"Yeah."
A pause. Then another message popped up.
Kane: "Don't think too hard about it, Yuki."
I blinked.
Was she reading my mind now?
Before I could reply, another message appeared.
Kane: "See you tomorrow."
I stared at the screen for a moment.
Then, finally, I typed back.
"Yeah. See you."
I placed my phone down, letting out a breath.
I still didn't have any answers.
But maybe…
Maybe I didn't need them just yet.