beneath the smile

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Title: He Doesn’t Know I Know He Knows I Like Him

Episode 5: “Beneath the Smile”

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Kaito Riku always smiled.

That was the problem.

He smiled when he was late. He smiled when teachers scolded him. He smiled when the vending machine ate his coins and when Minami fell face-first into her locker last week.

He was always smiling.

And now Minami was beginning to wonder what he was hiding behind it.

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🏫 Morning Madness

Friday started like any other day—except Minami had only slept for three hours, her under-eye concealer was failing, and she was internally screaming every time Kaito looked in her direction.

“Rough night?” he asked casually, watching her yawn into her sleeve.

“Didn’t sleep well,” she muttered.

“Bad dreams?”

“No. Just... weird ones.”

Like hiding in a storage closet with a conspiracy-theory classmate named Ren, or receiving anonymous texts from people who may or may not be watching her from the vents.

“Dreams are just the brain’s way of sorting lies,” Kaito said.

Minami blinked. “What?”

He grinned. “I read it on a fortune cookie.”

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📝 Dare Week Challenge: Day Two

At lunch, the Dare Week board was updated with today’s task:

> “Today’s Challenge: Feed your partner one bite of lunch. Publicly.”

(Couples who skip the challenge lose points!)

Minami read the board. Then reread it. Then died inside.

She turned to Kaito. “We are not doing that.”

“Oh, we absolutely are,” he said, opening his bento box.

“Kaito—!”

He picked up a piece of tamagoyaki with his chopsticks. “Say ah~”

“No.”

“Come on. Just one bite. For the dare.”

“We’re faking it!”

“Exactly! So fake it with passion.”

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🍱 The Public Feeding Disaster

They were surrounded by students, all watching. Phones were out. The entire cafeteria was buzzing with excitement.

Minami’s hands trembled as she opened her own lunchbox. “Fine. One bite. But we do it at the same time.”

“Deal.”

She picked up a piece of chicken karaage. He held out the egg.

Their chopsticks met halfway.

Minami fed him. Kaito fed her.

Their eyes locked.

> For one second, the world paused.

He looked stunned.

“You actually did it,” he said softly.

Minami swallowed. “You dared me.”

He smiled—but this time, it was… different. Smaller. Sadder?

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📚 Library Encounter

After school, Minami went to the library alone. Yuka had club duties, and she needed space to think.

She wandered the aisles until someone spoke behind her.

“You did the dare.”

Minami spun around.

Ren.

He stood there, holding a dusty book like it was a weapon.

“You're falling for him,” he said flatly.

Minami bristled. “That’s none of your business.”

“It is if he’s dangerous.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

Ren stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Kaito Riku doesn’t belong in this school. He’s not who you think he is.”

“That’s vague and weird.”

Ren slipped a file out of his bag.

> A photo of Kaito. Younger. Standing in a school uniform Minami didn’t recognize. A name tag with a different last name.

> Kaito Shinji.

“He transferred here last year,” Ren said. “No records before that. No family listed. And he’s been watching you since week one.”

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🕯️ The Question That Lingers

Back home, Minami stared at the photo. Was it real? Was this even the same person?

Why had Kaito changed his name? Why her?

Her phone buzzed.

Kaito Riku:

> Wanna walk home together tomorrow? I’ll bring real dessert.

She stared at the screen, unsure if she was smiling or scared.

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