Morning air.
Cherry blossoms.
Aisaka Taiga slamming her head into her desk.
Again.
And again.
“Stop it,” Ryuuji muttered, sipping tea from his thermos.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
“Taiga.”
“I want to disappear…”
“You’re denting the desk.”
“I want to be a shadow… a rock… a speck of cosmic dust…”
“You’re embarrassing yourself.”
She finally looked up with messy hair and the dark aura of a ghost.
“Takasu… I’m never giving a bento again.”
“You’ll try again.”
“I’d rather be eaten by wolves.”
“Then I’ll cook for the wolves too.”
“…Shut up.”
---
A Sudden Invitation
During lunch, Kitamura approached again, looking oddly serious.
“Takasu. Aisaka. Can I talk to you guys after school?”
Taiga blinked. “Me too?”
He smiled. “Yes, especially you.”
Taiga’s jaw dropped. Her heart kicked into overdrive.
Ryuuji raised an eyebrow. “Uh… sure.”
---
After School: The Confession (Sort Of?)
They met under the sakura trees near the back of the school.
Kitamura adjusted his glasses.
“So… there’s a rumor going around. Some first-year girls saw me with you, Taiga.”
Taiga tilted her head. “So?”
“They thought we were dating.”
Ryuuji nearly choked.
Taiga went beet red.
Kitamura laughed lightly. “I corrected them, don’t worry. But I thought I should tell you before the rumor spreads.”
“Oh,” Taiga whispered.
Ryuuji noticed her fingers tightening around her bag strap.
Kitamura turned to Ryuuji. “Also, I wanted to ask — is she okay?”
“…Huh?”
“She seems… down lately. Is something bothering her?”
Taiga turned away quickly, cheeks burning.
“She’s just tired,” Ryuuji lied smoothly.
“I see. Well… if she ever wants to talk, I’m here.”
He smiled again.
Then left.
Leaving Taiga in complete silence.
---
That Night: Taiga’s Breakdown
Taiga didn’t say a word during dinner.
She didn’t touch her food.
She just sat there, eyes blank, shoulders shaking.
Ryuuji placed his chopsticks down.
“Are you okay?”
She didn’t answer.
“Taiga—”
And suddenly—
“Why doesn’t he see me!?”
She stood up, fists clenched, eyes wet with fury.
“I try… I try so hard…! I cooked, I smiled, I volunteered, I… I stood next to him!! I even listened to your stupid cleaning lectures!!”
“Taiga—”
“Why doesn’t he ever look at me like that… the way you look at Minori…”
She bit her lip.
Then, quietly, she sat down.
“…I hate this.”
Ryuuji sat beside her.
He didn’t speak.
He didn’t tell her she was wrong.
He didn’t tell her to stop.
He just stayed there, silently, until her breathing calmed.
---
The Next Day: Minorin’s Meteor Mood
Kushieda Minori came into class like a comet made of pure chaos.
“GOOD MORNING, EARTHLINGS!” she shouted, sliding across the floor on her socks.
Taiga blinked.
“Yo!” Minori waved, grabbing Taiga’s hand. “We’re playing dodgeball today in PE! Get ready to wreck people!”
“I… don’t play sports…”
“Not anymore, you mean!”
She tugged Taiga off her seat.
“I’m scared,” Taiga muttered as she was dragged away.
Ryuuji smiled faintly.
---
PE: The Chaos Called Dodgeball
The ball flew across the court like a cannon shot.
Taiga dove. Minori cackled. Ryuuji dodged like a ninja.
Kitamura got hit in the face and said “Nice shot!” like a weirdo.
Everyone laughed.
Even Taiga.
For a moment, the heavy mood was gone.
And then—
Thump.
A ball hit Taiga on the back of her head.
She turned around slowly.
The boy who threw it looked terrified.
She stepped forward, cracking her knuckles.
Ryuuji dashed across the court. “NO NO NO—STOP—HE’S JUST A CHILD—”
---
That Evening: Small Progress
After school, they returned to Taiga’s apartment.
She sat on the couch, still sweaty from PE.
“…I smiled today,” she said softly.
“You did,” Ryuuji said, wiping the floor.
“It felt weird.”
“But it was real.”
She looked at him. His back was turned, scrubbing a stain like a madman.
“…Thanks,” she whispered.
Ryuuji looked over his shoulder.
Then smiled.
---
To Be Continued…
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