The next morning arrived, marking Yuto's second day at his new school.
On the bus ride, he couldn't stop thinking about Reina—her presence, her mysterious smile, and the strange encounter from the day before.
Why had she stepped in? Did she actually want to help, or was there something more to it?
Lost in thought, Yuto wasn't paying attention to where he was walking.
Before he could react—
BUMP.
He collided with someone, sending books and papers tumbling to the ground.
Both Yuto and the girl immediately panicked, scrambling to pick up the fallen items.
"I'm so sorry!" Yuto blurted out, flustered.
The girl, petite and timid, quickly shook her head. "N-no, it's my fault! I wasn't looking either."
As Yuto handed back a book, he noticed she was wearing the same school uniform.
Hesitantly, he asked, "You go to the same school?"
The girl nodded slightly, keeping her gaze low. "Y-yes."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Feeling relieved to meet another student, Yuto offered a small smile. "I'm Yuto, second year."
The girl hesitated before mumbling, "I'm Mei… second year."
Yuto blinked in surprise. "We're in the same class."
They began walking toward school together, but the silence was thick with awkwardness.
Mei was shy—perhaps even more than Yuto—and neither of them seemed to know how to continue the conversation.
Finally, gathering his courage, Yuto tried to break the silence. "Uh… so, do you like this school?"
Mei hesitated, her voice barely audible. "I-I guess so…"
Before the awkwardness could settle in again—
"Yuto!"
A loud, energetic voice rang out, and before Yuto could react, Kaido appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Yuto by the shoulders with an amused grin.
"Man, I thought you were just an innocent, shy boy… but turns out you're a playboy after all! A girlfriend in just one day?"
Both Yuto and Mei turned bright red.
Mei, clearly flustered, quickly rushed inside the school without a word.
Yuto, left standing there, felt the embarrassment wash over him. "She's not my girlfriend!" he shouted.
Kaido only laughed harder. "Relax, bro. I'm just messing with you."
Yuto sighed in defeat, realizing Kaido enjoyed teasing him way too much.