Chapter 8: Awkward Encounters

The tension between Mizuki and Saki lingered in the air like a heavy cloud. I was never great at reading between the lines, but even I could feel something was up. Yuki, always the optimist, didn't seem to notice at all as she happily chomped on the last of the snacks she'd brought with her. For a moment, I wished I could be more like her—oblivious to any weird vibes.

"Well, isn't this a cozy group," Saki said, her smile never faltering.

I could tell she wasn't just here to chat. Something about the way she sat down, too perfect, too precise, made me think this wasn't a casual stop by. Mizuki, on the other hand, looked like she had already seen through whatever plan Saki was concocting. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and I braced myself for what might come next.

Yuki finally caught on to the strange atmosphere, glancing between Saki and Mizuki with a puzzled expression. "So… what are we all talking about?" she asked, clearly trying to diffuse the situation with her usual bubbly charm

"Oh, nothing much," Saki said smoothly. "Just curious about this new dynamic. It's surprising to see someone like Kazuki hanging out with two girls all of a sudden. You know, considering… well, his reputation."

There it was—the dig I had been waiting for. I felt my stomach drop as I braced for Mizuki's response, expecting her to lash out. But, to my surprise, she didn't take the bait. Instead, she let out a small, unimpressed sigh.

"Yeah, shocking," Mizuki said dryly, crossing her arms. "A loner boy being kind to people. Truly, the stuff of legends."

Saki blinked, clearly thrown off by Mizuki's sarcastic tone. Yuki, meanwhile, started giggling, which only seemed to confuse Saki even more.

I decided to intervene before things got worse. "I'm not trying to start anything," I said, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. "We're just… friends. That's all."

Yuki piped up, grinning from ear to ear. "Exactly! We're all just here to hang out and eat snacks! Nothing wrong with that, right?"

Saki's eyes flicked towards Yuki, her smile still present but less genuine now. "Of course, Yuki. You're always so… positive."

Yuki laughed, completely missing the hint of shade. "Thanks! I try my best!"

Mizuki rolled her eyes, clearly done with this conversation. "If this is going to turn into some weird interrogation, I'm leaving. I've got better things to do."

She stood up abruptly, dusting off her skirt. Saki looked mildly offended, but didn't say anything, probably not expecting Mizuki to just walk away. I panicked a little, not wanting to be left alone with Saki in the middle of this strange passive-aggressive conversation.

"Wait, Mizuki!" I called out, standing up as well. "Uh, maybe we could all just—"

But Mizuki was already halfway across the courtyard. Yuki looked between us and then shrugged, popping the last bit of a snack into her mouth.

"Well, that was… something," she said cheerfully, as if nothing weird had happened at all. "Guess it's just the three of us now!"

Saki's smile twitched ever so slightly as she watched Mizuki leave. "Well, Kazuki, you certainly seem to be surrounded by some… interesting characters."

"I could say the same about you," I muttered under my breath. Unfortunately, I said it just loud enough for Saki to hear.

She turned her gaze on me, eyebrow raised. "Excuse me?"

Yuki quickly came to my rescue, laughing a little too loudly. "Haha! Oh, Kazuki, always the jokester! Right? Right?"

I gave her a look of pure desperation, silently begging her to stop. I wasn't a jokester at all, and now Saki was staring at me like I'd personally insulted her entire family. I needed to get out of this conversation before I dug myself into an even deeper hole.

"Actually, I should probably get going too," I said, grabbing my bag and pretending to check the time on my phone. "I've got, uh, stuff. To do. At home."

"Stuff?" Yuki tilted her head, clearly puzzled. "What stuff?"

"Homework," I blurted out. "Yeah, lots of homework."

Yuki blinked. "But it's the weekend."

"Extra homework," I said, backing away slowly.

Saki's eyes were still on me, and I could tell she wasn't buying any of it. "How studious of you," she said in that sweet-but-slightly-condescending voice of hers. "I didn't think you were the type to care about academics."

I forced a laugh, feeling the sweat starting to form on my forehead. "Yeah, well, gotta surprise people sometimes, right?"

Yuki giggled, apparently finding this whole situation amusing. "Kazuki, extra homework on a weekend? Who are you, and what have you done with my friend?"

I shot her a desperate look, but she just kept grinning, completely oblivious to my suffering. Saki, on the other hand, gave me one last long look before standing up.

"Well, Kazuki, I'll leave you to your 'homework,'" she said, her voice laced with amusement. "We'll see if that extra effort pays off."

She walked away, her graceful exit leaving an air of superiority behind her. I let out a huge sigh of relief the moment she was out of sight, slumping back onto the bench.

"That was way too intense," I muttered to myself.

Yuki, still munching on snacks, tilted her head in confusion. "I don't get it. Why does Saki always act like that? I mean, she's nice, but also kinda… scary?"

I sighed. "Because she's popular, and people like her. She probably doesn't even see us on the same level."

Yuki's face scrunched up as she thought about it, and then, with a surprisingly serious expression, she said, "Well, I think you're cooler than her."

I stared at her, completely caught off guard. "What?"

Yuki grinned, her usual cheerful self back in full force. "Yeah! You're way cooler than you think you are, Kazuki. Saki just doesn't get it."

I blinked, not sure how to respond to that. Was she… complimenting me? I wasn't used to getting compliments, especially not from someone as genuinely kind as Yuki.

"Uh, thanks," I said awkwardly. "But I'm not really that cool."

Yuki pouted, crossing her arms. "You totally are! You just don't see it."

I chuckled softly. "You're way too nice."

"Hey, someone has to be!" she said, puffing out her chest proudly. "And besides, you've got two awesome friends now! So don't worry about Saki or anyone else at school. We've got your back."

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. As chaotic as things were, Yuki always managed to make me feel a little better.

The next day, I decided to visit the park again, hoping to clear my mind. I hadn't seen Mizuki since she stormed off, and I wondered if she was still mad. Knowing her, she probably wasn't, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had somehow made things more awkward between us.

As I reached the park, I was greeted by a familiar sight—Mizuki was sitting on a bench, staring at the sky. She didn't seem to notice me at first, lost in her own thoughts. I debated whether or not I should approach her, but before I could make up my mind, she spoke.

"You're terrible at lying, you know that?"

I froze. "What?"

She glanced over at me, raising an eyebrow. "Your excuse yesterday. 'Homework'? Really?"

I winced, feeling the embarrassment wash over me all over again. "Yeah, that was pretty bad, huh?"

Mizuki smirked. "Terrible. But at least you're consistent."

I sat down beside her, unsure of what to say. Mizuki was hard to read, and I never knew if she was being sarcastic or serious. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again.

"I wasn't mad, you know," she said quietly. "Yesterday. I just don't like dealing with people like Saki."

I nodded, understanding what she meant. "Yeah, she's… something."

Mizuki sighed, leaning back against the bench. "I'm not here to play those stupid popularity games. I've got more important things to deal with."

Her words were laced with a seriousness I didn't fully understand, but I nodded anyway. "I get it. You don't owe anyone anything."

She looked at me for a moment, as if considering something, and then her expression softened slightly. "You're not as clueless as you look."

"Thanks… I think?" I said, unsure if that was supposed to be a compliment or not.

She smirked again, the tension from before easing slightly. "You'll figure it out eventually."

By the time I returned home that evening, I felt a strange sense of relief. Mizuki was as guarded as ever, but I could tell we were slowly starting to understand each other. And with Yuki's unending positivity backing me up, things didn't seem as overwhelming as they once did. Sure, Saki might have had her mysterious reasons for hanging around, but for the first time in a while, I felt like I had people who genuinely cared.

As I lay in bed that night, I couldn't help but chuckle at how ridiculous the whole situation had become. A few weeks ago, I was invisible to everyone at school, and now, somehow, I had found myself caught between a shy girl who would rather walk away than argue, a cheerful one who could out-snack anyone, and a popular girl who seemed to enjoy stirring up trouble. Life sure had a funny way of surprising you.

"Maybe I'm not as hopeless as I thought," I muttered, staring up at the ceiling.

I could still hear Yuki's words echoing in my head, "You're way cooler than you think you are, Kazuki."

Maybe, just maybe, there was some truth to that.

End of Chapter 8.....