Meiyu looked up—her face was swollen where Reikou had hit her. She stared at Reikou for a few seconds. Then—
"REIKOU!" she whispered in her mind while looking at him.
"You foolish."
"Just say something!" Meiyu thought.
Reikou just stood there, listening to Kaoru. His gaze was fixed on the ground, as if he wanted to react but couldn't process it—Kaoru's words weren't just affecting him; they were cutting straight into his heart.
"Stop chasing her, you failure," Kaoru whispered again.
The moment Kaoru said those words, something inside Reikou collapsed. The entire classroom was watching him. A few quiet chuckles started, then—
"Just look at him—Reikou is chasing her."
A ripple of laughter spread through the room.
"Just stop it!" Yueko said loudly, her voice filled with anger.
"You're crossing the line now," Kiyoshi whispered, pointing a finger at Kaoru.
The classroom felt like a battlefield—one where only Kaoru was dominating.
"Is he right?"
"Am I chasing Meiyu?"
"If I am... then for what reason? What goal am I chasing her for?" Reikou thought, his mind clouded with doubt.
On the other side, Meiyu was still looking at Reikou.
"Why… why am I feeling bad for him?" she wondered.
Before she could think any further, Mr. Yinglan appeared at the classroom door. His voice was low but firm.
"Reikou!"
"I got a complaint… that you hit Meiyu."
The room fell silent. Everyone turned their eyes to Reikou, expecting him to deny it, to make excuses—to defend himself.
But they were wrong.
Reikou whispered, "Yeah, I hit her."
Then, after a pause, he added—
"Sorry."
"WHAT?!" Yueko, Sayomi, Kiyoshi—even Meiyu—were shocked that Reikou accepted hitting her. But in reality, it had just been a mistake.
"Hey, Reikou!"
"What are you saying?"
"That was just an accident!" Kiyoshi whispered, trying to defend him.
But Reikou only whispered back—
"Yeah… it was a mistake."
"But my punch still hit her."
"That's the truth… Sorry, once again."
Reikou was filled with regret. He looked up at Meiyu—only to realize she was already looking at him.
His eyes silently said I'm sorry.
Meiyu stood up.
For the first time, her expression changed—a slight shift in her eyes, a hint of sadness… and something else.
Care.
Mr. Yinglan adjusted his glasses and whispered—
"'Sorry' isn't enough."
"You're getting a notice—"
"A two-day suspension from school."
Mr. Yinglan took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Reikou.
It was an official suspension notice from Velmont High School—the school Reikou attended.
Kiyoshi and Yueko tried to defend Reikou, but Mr. Yinglan simply shook his head.
"I don't know the full reality."
"If Meiyu tells the truth to the principal, then maybe something can be done," he whispered—like he wanted to help but couldn't.
Reikou took the notice, let out a small smile, then grabbed his bag.
Before leaving, he lowered his head in front of Meiyu—respectfully.
Then, he walked away.
Meiyu watched him go, unable to believe her eyes.
She thought—
"Why… why?"
"My heart is telling me to stop him."
"Meiyu, stop him—Meiyu, stop him!"
She didn't understand why she kept repeating those words in her heart.
Kiyoshi, unable to hold back his anger, grabbed Kaoru by the collar.
"See?! Because of you, this happened!" he whispered furiously.
But Kaoru, completely emotionless, only whispered back—
"So what?"
"Why did he try to punch me in the first place?"
Before Kiyoshi could respond, Mr. Yinglan interrupted.
"Stop!"
"Kiyoshi, do you also want a suspension notice?"
"Enough is enough."
With that, Mr. Yinglan sighed and left the classroom.
Everything seemed to return to normal, as if nothing had happened. The chatter resumed, students went back to their own conversations, and the tension in the air began to fade.
But—Meiyu still stood there.
Her heart was screaming at her—telling her to stop him.
But her body wouldn't move.
Her mouth wouldn't open.
It felt like she had lost control of herself.
Kiyoshi dropped into his seat aggressively, his frustration evident as he whispered—
"Hnn-ghh!"
"I hate Kaoru."
"Why… why did I stop Reikou?"
"I should've let him beat Kaoru."
His anger toward Kaoru was boiling inside him.
Yueko walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering—
"Kiyoshi, calm down."
Meanwhile, Meiyu felt frustrated in a way she couldn't explain.
"Why… why didn't I stop him?"
She couldn't even process her own thoughts properly.
And then—
Kaoru casually walked past her from behind, leaned in slightly, and whispered in her ear—
"Just watch."
And with that, he walked away.
Meanwhile—
Shiori was still searching for Ryuuto, but she couldn't find him anywhere.
"Oh God…"
"Where did he go?" she whispered to herself.
She kept looking, but the break time was almost over.
Still, no sign of Ryuuto.
"Maybe he went back to class," she thought and started heading toward the classroom.
But as she passed by the library, her gaze shifted inside.
Someone was sitting there—alone—reading a book.
She squinted, trying to see who it was.
And then—she realized.
Ryuuto.
He was sitting inside the library, quietly flipping through the pages of a book.
Shiori walked over to him, curious.
But when she got closer—she noticed something.
Ryuuto was reading a romance novel.
Shiori blinked.
And then she asked—
"Why are you reading a romance novel?"
Ryuuto was too deep into reading the romance novel to notice Shiori at first.
She watched him for a moment, then placed a hand on his shoulder.
That's when Ryuuto finally realized someone was there.
He looked back and whispered, "Hehh?"
Then, recognizing her, he said, "Oh, it's you."
Shiori sat down beside him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Ryuuto smiled softly, holding up the book.
"See? I'm reading a romance novel."
His fingers tapped the cover lightly.
"The title is Silence Between Our Hearts."
Then, in a soft and elegant voice, he added,
"I love reading romance novels. Not just reading—I love watching romance anime too."
His smile was warm, almost… beautiful.
Shiori blinked.
For some reason, something felt different about Ryuuto at that moment.
They had known each other since childhood.
They lived in the same neighborhood—right across from each other.
They played together, grew up together, and even studied in the same school.
Their bond was strong.
Yet—
Shiori had never felt this before.
"Why do you love reading romance novels?" Shiori asked.
Ryuuto whispered, "Hmm…"
He thought for a moment before replying,
"Because they hold emotions I've never felt in real life… They let me experience love, heartbreak, and longing in a way reality never could. Sometimes, it's not just a story—it's an escape. A world where feelings are deeper, and love is more than just a fleeting dream."
As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting toward Shiori.
That's when he noticed—
She was already looking at him.
Their eyes met.
Ryuuto hesitated, then whispered,
"Shiori… Can someone ever feel love for me? Or… can I feel love for someone?"
His gaze was gentle—like a quiet confession, unspoken yet undeniably present.
At that moment, as their eyes locked, the world around them faded into nothingness.
It wasn't just a gaze—It was gravity. A silent force pulling them into a depth they never knew existed.
Shiori looked into his eyes and saw everything she was too afraid to dream of—
A kind of love that didn't need to be spoken to be understood. Then, she whispered, "One day, someone will really love you."
"Oh? Who?" Ryuuto asked, tilting his head.
Shiori rested her cheek against her hand, fingers lightly tapping the table as she smiled softly.
"Someone who thinks your smile is the most beautiful thing they've ever seen…
Someone who memorizes the way your eyes light up when you talk about the things you love…
Someone who can't help but look at you, even when they know they shouldn't."
For a moment, Ryuuto couldn't grasp the weight of her words. His brows furrowed slightly.
"What… are you trying to say?" he whispered.
Shiori sighed, shaking her head with a smirk.
"You duffer, you really don't get it."
Before he could question further, she grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
"Come on! Class has already started!" she said, dragging him toward the door. Behind them, That romance novel kept open there. In that novel, one paragraph, one line was written—
"SHE NEVER TOLD HIM, BUT IN THE SILENCE BETWEEN HER WORDS, IN THE WAY HER GAZE LINGERED A LITTLE TOO LONG - HER LOVE WAS THERE, WAITING TO BE SEEN."
Meanwhile—
Reikou walking slowly, slowly, both hands in pocket, head down.
The sky hung heavy with clouds, drifting like forgotten promises, while the wind wove through the trees, whispering names lost to time. Leaves trembled, reaching for something that was no longer there, and the air carried the quiet ache of absence—cool, empty, and endlessly waiting.
Reikou smiled a little and whispered—
"Hmph!"
"I am really chasing Meiyu."
"Maybe, ya! They are right."
"I am foolish."
AT THAT NIGHT—
Reikou sat by the window, staring at the moon in the quiet night. For some time, he just looked at it, lost in thought. After a while, he smiled softly and whispered—
"MEIYU... She was the quiet night, I was the foolish moon chasing her."