There she was. Sitting by the window, bathed in sunlight. Her attention was fixed on a tablet, the light dancing off her glossy hair as she tapped away on the screen. Chiaki felt something catch in his chest.
She's so beautiful… I can't stop staring at her, he thought, frozen in place.
He slid into his seat, but his eyes kept drifting toward her. There was something peaceful about the way she concentrated, her lips slightly parted, brows furrowed in gentle determination.
Should I go over and say hi? he wondered. The thought stirred a nervous energy in him.
Wait… when have I ever been so timid with girls? Come on, Chiaki. Man up. Just talk to her.
He stood suddenly, his legs carrying him across the room before he had a chance to second guess. With calculated casualness, he pulled out a chair and sat next to her.
She looked up at him briefly, her expression unreadable, then turned back to her game.
"Hey," Chiaki said, his voice as calm as he could manage.
"Um, hi," she replied, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
"What game are you playing?"
"Oh, this? It's a color organizing game. You organize the shades from lighter to darker."
Chiaki leaned over slightly to get a better view. "I see. Can I get a try?"
"Sure."
She handed him the tablet. The screen was filled with dozens of similar hues, all just barely distinguishable from each other.
"Wow, this really is complicated. I don't even know where to start."
She leaned closer, her shoulder brushing lightly against his. "Oh, sorry, that's the level I'm currently on. Here, let me put it on novice level one for you."
She took the tablet, her fingers brushing over the screen quickly, then handed it back.
"Here."
"Thanks," Chiaki said. He began dragging colors, his brow furrowing.
"So this goes here, right?"
"Yes," she nodded.
"And this goes here… and this dark shade of red goes at the top."
"See? You're getting the hang of it."
"Yeah… kind of." He squinted at the screen. "I can't make out these three. They look the same."
She leaned in again. "What do you mean? These shades are completely different. This one goes here, this one in between the two, and this one here. See? The perfect blend of shades."
Chiaki blinked. "I see… I guess it's true then. Men are more color blind than women."
She laughed—really laughed. Not a polite chuckle but a deep, full laugh that made her eyes crinkle.
That was so frickin' cute, Chiaki thought, the corners of his mouth pulling into a grin and a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.
"Here, try level two," she said.
"Okay."
Chiaki reached into his bag and pulled out a small paper bag. "Here, you want one? They're freshly baked."
She peeked inside. "Oh! Melon bread—my favorite. Are you sure I can take it?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Okay. Thank you. I've been starving over here."
"So why didn't you buy lunch?"
"I honestly don't know. I probably got lost in the game."
"Yeah, maybe."
They sat side by side, her munching happily on melon bread, him dragging colors across the screen.
"Man, I think I'm going blind. All of these look exactly the same."
She giggled. "Oh come on, these ones are so easy."
"Easy for you at least."
She chuckled again, brushing a few crumbs from her skirt.
"We should do this another time. It was fun," Chiaki said.
"Yes, it was."
"So then… can we exchange numbers?"
She smiled. "Sure, why not."
They traded phones and tapped in their contact info. Her name popped up on his screen with a heart emoji—Kayo💓. It felt unreal.
"See you later. I've got to go to my next class," she said, grabbing her bag.
"Yeah. See you."
She walked off, and Chiaki returned to his seat, dazed and elated. The rest of the day passed in a blur. When the final bell rang, he walked home under a sky streaked with sunset.
I'm on cloud nine. I got to talk with Kayo for half an hour straight. She's so cute. I can't wait to go to school tomorrow so I can see her again, he thought, his heart still racing.
He pushed open the door to his home.
"I'm home!"
"Uncle Chiaki, welcome back!" Chidori yelled, rushing toward him. She wrapped her small arms around his waist tightly.
He smiled and patted her head. "How was school today?"
"It was good! I had a lot of fun today."
"I see. That's great."
From the kitchen, his sister's voice rang out. "Welcome home, bro! I'm almost done with dinner, just give me a moment."
"Sure thing."
A few minutes later, they all sat at the dinner table. The warmth of the food and the hum of conversation filled the room.
"Alright everyone, dig in," Chizuru said.
"Thanks for the meal," they chorused.
Chopsticks clinked against bowls as they began to eat.
"So how was school today?" Chizuru asked, looking up from her rice.
Chiaki hesitated. His mind flashed to Kayo—her smile, her laugh, her soft voice.
"Honestly? Today was the best day of my life."
Chizuru raised an eyebrow. "I see. That's great. Why is that, though?"
He paused, his chopsticks hovering midair.
Wait—I can't tell her that, he thought.
"I… scored the highest on a class activity our teacher gave."
Chizuru clapped. "Well done, big bro! You're truly a genius."
"Jeez, come on Chizuru, we're practically the same age. There's no need to call me big brother."
She smirked. "Still, it's true. You're amazing. So… do you plan on going to school tomorrow?"
"Of course. And every day after that as well."
She smiled. "I see. I'm glad that you're taking school seriously now."
She stood up and began clearing dishes. "You can go ahead and get some rest. I'll clean the dishes."
"Alright. Thanks."
She watched him disappear down the hallway, her expression softening.
I'm so happy for him, she thought, smiling to herself.
Chiaki collapsed onto his bed, still in uniform, the scent of the day clinging faintly to his sleeves. He pulled out his phone and opened his contacts.
Kayo💓 glowed on the screen.
I can't wait for school tomorrow, he thought, closing his eyes with a smile.