Chapter 3: A Spark of Enchanted Feelings

Gabu's Diary Entry:

I'm beginning to think that Rei's entire purpose in life is to see how much chaos she can cause in my heart. I woke up this morning determined to avoid her as much as possible—no more teasing, no more stolen glances, and definitely no more of her mischievous smirks. I thought if I could just keep my distance, I'd survive the day with my sanity intact.

But, of course, nothing ever goes the way I want when she's involved.

It started during gym class. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to hide. Everyone's too busy with whatever activity the teacher assigns, and Rei usually hangs out on the sidelines, pretending not to care about sports. But today? Oh no. Today, she decided to join in.

We were playing volleyball, and I was doing my best to blend into the background, hoping no one would notice me. But then, out of nowhere, Rei stepped onto the court, her gaze locking onto mine like she had some kind of radar for my panic.

"Hey, Gabu," she called out, her voice laced with that familiar teasing tone. "Think you can handle a match against me?"

Handle? Handle?! I could barely stand upright when she looked at me like that. My mind immediately started racing. What did she mean by "a match"? Was she just being playful, or was this some kind of challenge?

"U-Um, I don't think—" I started to stammer, but she was already walking toward me, her smile growing wider with each step.

"Oh, come on," she interrupted, tilting her head in that way that made her look annoyingly adorable. "It'll be fun. Or are you scared I'll beat you?"

Scared? Of course, I was scared. But not of losing. No, I was scared of what she'd do if I actually tried to play against her. She has this way of making everything feel like a game—a game that she's always in control of, while I'm just scrambling to keep up.

Before I could come up with an excuse, the teacher noticed our little exchange and decided to pair us up for a one-on-one drill. Just my luck.

Rei stepped onto the court, her expression a mix of excitement and mischief. "Ready?" she asked, spinning the volleyball in her hands.

No. I was definitely not ready. But somehow, I nodded anyway.

The game started, and it was… intense. Rei was surprisingly good, her movements quick and precise, like she'd been secretly practicing all along. Meanwhile, I was struggling just to keep up. Every time I managed to hit the ball back, she'd send it flying to some impossible angle, forcing me to chase after it like a fool.

And the worst part? She was laughing the entire time. Not in a mean way, though. It was more like she was genuinely enjoying herself, which somehow made it even more infuriating.

"You're not bad, Gabu," she said after one particularly embarrassing miss on my part. "But you've got to loosen up a bit. You're so stiff!"

Stiff? Of course, I was stiff! How was I supposed to stay calm when she was standing there, looking effortlessly perfect, and making my heart race like crazy?

By the end of the drill, I was a sweaty, exhausted mess, while Rei looked like she'd barely broken a sweat. She walked over to me, handing me a water bottle with a grin.

"You survived," she teased, her voice light and playful. "I'm impressed."

I took the bottle, trying not to let her see how flustered I was. "Th-Thanks," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

Rei tilted her head, studying me for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, she reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

"You're cute when you're all flustered, you know that?" she said softly, her fingers lingering just long enough to make my heart skip a beat.

I froze. My brain completely short-circuited. Did she just…? No, she couldn't have meant that. She was probably just teasing me again, right?

But the look in her eyes—warm and gentle, almost like she was seeing a side of me that even I didn't know existed—made me wonder.

Before I could say anything, the teacher called us back to the group, breaking the moment. Rei gave me one last smile before turning and walking away, leaving me standing there with my heart in my throat.

Gabu's Diary Entry:

I don't know what's happening anymore. Every time Rei teases me, it feels like she's pulling me deeper into her world—a world where nothing makes sense, and my feelings are completely out of control.

Was she serious when she called me cute? Or was she just messing with me again? I can't tell. I can never tell with her.

But one thing's for sure: every time she looks at me, every time she smiles or touches my hand, it feels like a spark—a spark that's slowly setting my entire world on fire.

And the scariest part?

I don't think I want it stop.