Back To School (Koemi POV)

As the rays of the sunlight filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow across my room. I scratch, feeling tired from working hard during the weekend. Waking up, realizing today is a Monday begins to settle in, and with it. I have to go to school. It is normal to feel excitement when having to go to school, but today felt different. This weekend gave me a different perspective. 

I went through my usual morning routine— brushing my teeth, washing my face, and slipping into my school uniform. I begin thinking about how different this school day is; this is my first day back after a very eventful weekend that changed so much. With Kazuki moving in yesterday and having both of us running the restaurant together is the first challenge, but now I have to balance this with school. 

As I walk down the stairs, I can already smell the breakfast greeting me. I see that Kazuki is already eating, munching on toast while reading manga on his phone. Next to him, Tetsu is happily chewing on a piece of bacon, his tail wagging excitedly. Kazuki looks at me and smiles as I begin to sit down.

"Morning, Koemi" he said, his tone casual but warm.

"Morning," I reply, taking a seat across from him. "Are you ready for school?"

"I guess…" he said, shrugging. "I can't stop thinking about this restaurant. There's so much to do."

"I understand," I agreed. "But we have school to do, sadly."

As he begins to take a look at me, I notice his eyes flick down to my uniform. He felt hesitate before speaking, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Koemi, your uniform… You look really nice in it," he tells me, his voice slightly nervous.

I felt my own cheeks heats up at his unexpected compliment. "Thanks," I mumble, trying to hide my embarrassment.

We chat as we ate, with Tetsu occasionally glancing up to watch us eat. Despite this mundane nature of our conversation, I feel a comforting sense of companionship. After breakfast, we grab our bags and head out the door, with Tetsu following us. 

The walk to school is relaxing. The street is just beginning to fill with people starting their day. As Kazuki and I walk side by side, the silence between us is rather awkward. I took a glance at Kazuki, his hands in his pockets, nervously walking. 

"You think anyone will notice us walking together?" he asks me, breaking his silence.

"Probably" I said, smiling. "Beside… It's not like we're doing anything wrong."

He nods as we continue walking. As we approached school, a group of girls waved at me from a distance. My friends—Ami, Yumi, and Saki—are waiting for me.

Ami, with her short, bright pink hair and sparkling blue eyes, always stood out in a crowd. Her energetic personality is infectious, as she has an ability of making everyone around her smile. She is also the fashionista of our group, always making sure we keep up with the latest trends. She is petite, she often accentuates with trendy accessories.

 Yumi, on the other hand, is a slender type with long, dark hair that is often worn in a sleek ponytail. Her calm and composed demeanor balances Ami's enthusiasm. She is the top student in our class, her intelligence made her someone who could rely on.

Saki is the tallest of the three. She has a more athletic build, shoulder-length brown hair and a perpetual twinkle in her green eyes. Because of her being athletic, she often drags us into various sports activities. She is a very confident person, enough to inspire someone. She is a loyal person in our group.

"Alright, call me when you're going home. Okay?" I said, giving him a wave before running over to my friends.

"Koemi! Over here!" Ami called me, her voice cheerful as always.

"Hey, girls!!" I greet him, slightly out of breath.

Yumi's eyes flick over to Kazuki, who is making his way inside the school. "Who's that guy you are walking with?" she asks, a teasing smile on her lips.

I felt a surge of panic. I couldn't tell them the truth— that me and Kazuki are living together because of what happened. "Ah, him?" I said, forcing a laugh. "He happens to be a next door neighbor. We happen to be walking in the same direction…" 

"Oh, really?" Saki raises an eyebrow. "It looks like you two are pretty close."

I shrug, trying to seem nonchalant. "Nah, it's nothing like that. Just a coincidence." 

"But, you have never told us you had a neighbor when you called us about the new house… Is he new?" Ami's curiosity is pique. 

I rack my brain for a plausible story. "He just moved in recently. Super quiet, hardly ever learn anything about him…" 

The girls looked at each other, clearly unconvinced but willing to let it go— for now.

"So, how's the restaurant going?" Yumi asked me, changing the subject.

"It's doing fine…" I said, my voice a bit low. "I'm managing. It's a lot, but I'm okay."

Ami placed her hand on my shoulder. "Listen, please stop hiding everything from us. Whatever's happening, we'll be there to support you." 

Saki nods in agreement. "Yeah, Koemi. We care for you. Also, if this 'neighbor' happens to be helping you out, that's what matters. You don't have to be ashamed to tell us about it."

Hearing their words made my heart swell with gratitude, I began to smile. Feeling a bit more at ease. "Aww… Thanks, guys. All of you mean a lot to me!" 

As we approached the school building, we went our separate ways. As I began to walk down the hallway to my classroom, I felt a knot of anxiety in my stomach begin to tighten, as having to keep it a secret from them isn't easy, especially if we have known each other for the longest. But, this is Kazuki that I need to protect from.

I arrived at my classroom and took a deep breath before stepping inside. The teacher, a middle-aged man named Mr. Tanaka, is standing at the front of the class. 

"Good morning, everyone," he announced, his voice firm. "I've decided to make a new charting chart starting today. Please check the board to find your new seats. I will explain more once everyone finds their seats." 

As I scan around the room finding my name until I found out that the teacher put me back in the room, close to the window. My new seat is beside a male student, who is already sitting there, glued to his phone. His face is obscured by the screen, so I couldn't tell who he is.

I begin to sit down, arranging my things on the desk. 

"Hey…" I said hesitantly, hoping I could get his attention.

As he lowers his phone, my eyes begin to widen in surprise. It is Kazuki, who is also shocked to find out that I am his seating partner. 

"Koemi?" he whispers, his eyes widened.

"Kazuki?" I reply, trying to lower my voice.

We both stare at each for a moment, trying to process the situation. This is unexpected, to say at least. 

"Wow… This is awkward…" I mutter under my breath.

Kazuki, at a loss for words, glanced back down at his phone. As I watched him, I caught a glimpse of what he's looking at. It is a waifu tapping phone game. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disgust.

"Are you being serious, Kazuki?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "A waifu game? You're such a degenerate…"

He blushed deeply, clearly embarrassed. "I… You don't understand…" He stammers. "It's not like—"

"Whatever," I said, cutting him off. "Just don't have me hearing it, deal?"

"Yeah…"

Kazuki turned off his phone and sat there silently, waiting for the teacher to say something. As I look at him, I begin to feel bad for making him embarrassed about himself. I shouldn't have questioned him after we met again.

The bell rang, with everyone sitting down. As Mr. Tanaka begins explaining what is happening, and I glance at Kazuki again. He seems emotionless, with this nervous tension on him. I don't know if this is because I am sitting next to him, but I do feel a strong urge to ease his discomfort…