Chapter 8.3

Lunch.

After Kaori invited me to lunch, my brain completely short-circuited. Like, full-on blue screen of death. If someone had knocked on my forehead right then, I swear they would've heard an error message.

I followed her out of the classroom in a daze, my feet moving on autopilot while my thoughts scrambled beyond repair. Was this real life? Was this some kind of fever dream? Or had I accidentally stepped into an alternate timeline where the rules of the universe no longer applied?

Because there was no way—no logical way—that Kaori, the ever-so-perfect, impossibly popular, Student Council President, was voluntarily dragging me to the school cafeteria. In broad daylight. In front of literally everyone.

Just this morning, I was Public Enemy Number One. The human equivalent of an unsolved mystery people whispered about in hushed tones. The guy who, for some absurd reason, had the audacity to breathe the same air as the untouchable Sugiyama Kaori.

And yet, here we were, walking side by side like it was the most normal thing in the world.

She was supposed to keep her distance. That was our unspoken rule.

But nope—Kaori completely tossed that rule out the window, into a shredder, and then set it on fire for good measure.

The second we stepped into the cafeteria, the usual chaos engulfed us. Trays clattered, voices overlapped into an indistinct buzz, and the ever-present scent of fried food hung in the air like an unavoidable curse. Groups of students huddled together, laughing, eating, gossiping. A perfectly normal scene—except for the part where I was now the subject of half those whispers.

I could feel them. The stares, the curiosity, the absolute disbelief.

And honestly? Same.

Because my mind was still stuck in class, replaying every moment on an endless loop. The teasing. The way she casually threw me under the bus in front of everyone. The smug little smirk on her lips.

And just as I was beginning to wrap my head around everything—

Then—

"Ka-o-ri~!"

A voice called out from behind us.

And I knew, without even turning around, that trouble had just arrived.

Kaori and I both turned our heads.

Standing there, exuding effortless confidence like she owned the place, was none other than Kaoru Hina—the former Student Council President.

Another famous girl.

Another untouchable figure.

Another person completely out of my league.

Oh man, come on.

"Girl, haven't seen you in a while," Hina said casually, stepping closer with the kind of easy-going presence that naturally commanded attention. Her every move was smooth, practiced, as if she were walking in slow motion just for cinematic effect.

Kaori raised an eyebrow but smirked slightly. "Oh, Hina."

"Don't just 'Oh, Hina' me," Hina pouted, crossing her arms. "I've been so busy lately. You know how it is—meetings, projects,life." She waved a hand dramatically, as if she carried the burdens of an entire nation. Then, mid-performance, her gaze flickered toward me.

And just like that—

I felt like I had been put under a microscope.

Her eyes, sharp with amusement, studied me with mild curiosity. She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to decipher some ancient script.

"And who is this?" Hina mused, her lips curving into a playful smirk. "Your boyfriend?"

EH?!

The cafeteria wasn't exactly quiet to begin with, but I swear the moment she said that, it got a little quieter.

Heat immediately rushed to my face. My soul was seconds away from ascending. This was bad. Really bad. If one rumor had nearly killed me, two would absolutely bury me.

Kaori, please. For the love of all that is good in this world, just deny it.

"Not yet," Kaori said smoothly, "but maybe something like that."

"!?"

What.

WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?!

The cafeteria, already too invested in my suffering, reached a whole new level of interest. I could feel the invisible spotlights turning toward me, the heat of speculation spreading like wildfire.

"Not yet, huh?" Hina mused, clearly entertained. "Interesting~"

I, on the other hand, was experiencing a full-blown existential crisis.

What are you talking about, Sugiyama Kaori?!

My brain was running at full capacity, desperately trying to process her words. But before I could even begin to mount a defense, Hina grinned.

"Well, we can talk about that later. Let's eat together."

"Sure," Kaori replied, completely unfazed—meanwhile, I was in the middle of a mental breakdown.

...

Lunch Time.

Sitting at a table with two famous girls felt like sitting under a spotlight. I could physically feel the weight of countless eyes flickering in our direction. The hushed whispers, the curious glances—it was all happening again.

I did not sign up for this.

Hina, however, was completely at ease. She sipped her juice like she was enjoying a peaceful afternoon, instead of actively making my life worse.

"So," she started casually, setting her drink down with a clink, "when's the wedding?"

I choked on my food.

Kaori blinked, looking mildly annoyed. "What?"

Hina smirked. "I mean, you did say 'not yet.' Sounds like there's an eventual yes in there somewhere."

"I was just messing with him," Kaori said smoothly, flicking a glance at me.

Messing with me?!

Woman, do you have any idea what kind of damage you're causing?!

I was still recovering from nearly dying when Hina suddenly turned her full attention to me.

Oh no.

Oh no no no.

Here it comes.

"So, Yuto-kun," she said with a knowing smile, "how did you manage to get this close to Kaori? I swear, she usually keeps guys at least a ten-foot radius away from her."

I—uh—what?

My brain hit another error screen. Please restart the system and try again later.

"I—uh—well—" Words. Come on, words. You can do this. "It's, um, a long story."

A terrible answer. Completely unconvincing. But at this point, it was the best I could manage.

Kaori chuckled, completely unbothered as she took a small bite of her food. "Hina, don't scare him."

"Scare him? Please, he looks like he's already on the verge of passing out."

She's not wrong.

I could feel my life expectancy dropping.

Hina just laughed before leaning back, the picture of effortless confidence. "But seriously, you're interesting, Yuto-kun. Kaori isn't the type to casually invite people to lunch. There must be something special about you~"

"There really isn't," I mumbled, trying not to combust from all the attention.

Hina smirked but didn't push further. Instead, she shrugged. "Well, whatever the case, welcome to the club, I guess."

"The club?" I asked, blinking in confusion.

"The 'Kaori Actually Talks to You in Public' club," Hina said matter-of-factly. "Membership is very exclusive."

Kaori sighed, as if she had heard this a million times before. "You're being dramatic again."

"Of course," Hina grinned. "That's why you love me."

I could only sit there awkwardly as they continued their banter, completely ignoring the fact that my social reputation was actively crumbling in real-time.

...

Chi's POV – Watching From Afar

Across the bustling school cafeteria, I tapped my pen against the edge of my tray, my expression unreadable. The rhythmic click, click, click barely registered in my mind—I was too busy watching.

From a distance, I observed the three of them.

Kaori. Hina. Yuto.

They sat together, completely at ease, as if this was normal. As if this was something they'd done a hundred times before.

It was odd.

Kaori never entertained random guys. Not like this.

And Yuto—

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

Something about him still felt too familiar.

The more I looked at him, the stronger the feeling grew, like a whisper at the edge of my memory—just out of reach.

High school?

Had I… known him in high school?

I clenched my jaw slightly, frustration creeping in. The pieces were there, scattered, but they refused to fit together.

That posture. That awkward way he tried to shrink into himself, as if he wasn't used to attention.

Why did it feel like I'd seen that before?

Where had I—

Click.

I pressed my pen sharply against my tray.

Tsk. Annoying.

I hated not remembering things.

But I wouldn't let it bother me.

If it was important, it would come back to me eventually.

Still—

My gaze flickered toward Yuto one last time, lingering on the way he fumbled through the conversation, barely keeping up with Kaori and Hina.

That strange sense of familiarity wouldn't go away.

And that bothered me.

...

Back to Yuto's POV.

Lunch passed in a blur of teasing, awkward questions, and my soul gradually withering away.

By the time we were done eating, I felt completely drained—physically, mentally, spiritually.

Hina stretched her arms above her head, looking way too satisfied with herself. "Alright, I should get going. I've got some meetings to attend."

Kaori nodded. "See you later, then."

Before leaving, Hina turned back and winked at me. "Take care of our dear Kaori, Yuto-kun~"

What does that even mean?!

I sighed heavily the moment she was gone, slumping against the table.

Kaori smirked, clearly amused. "Tired already?"

"You have no idea," I muttered, massaging my temples.

She just chuckled. "Well, you survived. Barely."

I groaned. "I don't know if I should be relieved… or scared for my life."

Kaori rested her chin on her hand, watching me with an unreadable expression. For a moment, I thought she was about to say something important.

Then—

"You'll be fine."

A beat.

"Probably."

"...That's not reassuring."

She simply smiled, like she was enjoying some secret joke at my expense.

And just like that, lunch ended—leaving me more confused than ever.

What exactly is Kaori planning?