Hiding From Yumi

The morning was chaotic, but Riku had one clear objective—survive the school day without crossing paths with Yumi. After the events of the past few days, he wasn't ready for another round of her relentless teasing.

If he could just stay out of her sight, he'd be fine.

His plan was simple: avoid the hallways she usually took, sit at the back of the classroom, and leave school immediately when the bell rang. Foolproof.

Or so he thought.

The hallway buzzed with the usual morning chatter. Riku kept his head down, blending into the crowd. Everything was going smoothly until—

"Riku!"

His heart jumped at the sound of that unmistakable voice. He glanced back, spotting Yumi waving energetically from the other side of the hall. Her friends, Hana and Miku, trailed behind her.

Panic gripped him. Without thinking, Riku ducked behind a row of lockers.

"Nope. Not today," he muttered, pressing himself against the cold metal.

Yumi's voice drew closer as she chatted with her friends.

Riku held his breath, silently pleading for them to pass by without noticing him.

To his relief, they walked right past, their laughter fading into the distance.

He exhaled, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Close call."

But his troubles were just beginning.

During break time, Riku decided he should be outside, hoping the open space would provide some refuge. He found a shady spot under a tree, far from the bustling crowd of students.

Peace at last.

Or so he thought. Until he spotted Yumi and her friends.

In a desperate attempt to avoid them, Riku did the only thing he could think of—he crouched behind the bush next to him, pretending to inspect the grass.

What are you doing?" a passing student asked, giving him a puzzled look.

"Inspecting the bushes," Riku said stiffly, not daring to lift his head.

The student gave him a weird look and walked off.

Riku crouched lower, hoping the bush's sparse leaves would somehow render him invisible. His heart pounded with the intensity of a drum solo. "Come on, fate, just this once... let them walk past," he silently begged.

Footsteps drew closer. He heard Yumi's familiar laugh—light and carefree, as if she had no idea her target was right there, trying to fuse with the earth itself.

"I'm telling you, Miku, he was acting so weird yesterday," Yumi said.

"Riku's always weird," Hana chimed in with a mischievous tone.

Miku hummed thoughtfully. "He's more... socially anxious than weird."

Riku winced. Was that supposed to make him feel better?

He felt a sneeze creeping up. His eyes widened in panic. No, no, no—not now!

He pinched his nose, trying to suppress it.

"Is that... Riku hiding behind a bush?" Hana suddenly pointed.

The sneeze exploded out of him as he stood up, defeated. "I was just... looking for something," he said, his voice nasal from the aftermath.

Yumi's eyes sparkled with amusement. "What? Your dignity?"

Riku sighed and thought to himself 'I think I lost that when I sneezed on myself.'

"I just remembered, i have something to take care of" he said before walking off quickly.

---

At lunchtime, Riku sought refuge in a storage room near the gym. He sat on an overturned bucket, bento box balanced on his knees.

Finally, some peace.

He took a bite of rice, savoring the quiet.

Riku shifted uncomfortably on the overturned bucket, glancing around the dimly lit storage room. The faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air, mingling with dust.

"This is my life now," he muttered. "Hiding in a closet like some kind of... socially inept ninja."

He took another bite of rice, chewing thoughtfully. Maybe he was overreacting. Yumi probably wasn't even looking for him anymore—

CLANG!

The mop he'd accidentally leaned against the wall toppled over, smacking the floor with a deafening crash.

Riku froze, chopsticks halfway to his mouth. "No... please, no."

The door creaked open.

"Riku?" Yumi's familiar voice sliced through the tense silence.

He debated diving behind a stack of cardboard boxes but realized it was too late. Slowly, he turned, rice sticking to the corner of his mouth.

Yumi leaned against the doorframe, one eyebrow raised. "What are you doing in here? Secret janitor training?"

"Uh... inventory check?"

She laughed, the sound warm and teasing. "Right. And I'm the school principal."

Before she could tease him further, the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of the break.

"Saved by the bell," Riku muttered as he hurried past her.

The rest of the day was a blur of near-misses and awkward encounters. Riku thought he'd made it through unscathed until he spotted Yumi waiting outside the classroom after the final bell.

He tried to casually slip into the janitor's closet, but Yumi was faster.

"Seriously?" she said, blocking the door with her arm. "Are you... hiding from me?"

"What? No! I was just, uh... inspecting this very important door handle."

Yumi crossed her arms, a smirk forming. "You've been dodging me all day, Mr. Sneaky Tomato. What's up with that?"

"I—it's not like that..."

She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Are you scared of me or something?"

"Ye—No! I mean, why would I be scared?" he muttered under his breath.

Yumi's grin widened. "You can't escape me, Riku. Might as well accept your fate."

With that, she slung an arm around his shoulders, steering him down the hallway.

Riku's face turned red from her being so close, his heart racing from her sudden proximity. Why does she have to smell so nice?

"Where are we going?" he asked warily, desperately trying to calm his racing heart.

"To find Hana and Miku. They won't believe this story," she said, laughing.

Riku groaned. "Why do I feel like my life's getting more complicated?"

Yumi's laughter echoed through the hall, a sound Riku was starting to get used to—whether he liked to or not.