Chapter 35 – The Secret is Out

The following morning, Haruto accompanied Nasaki to school. The crisp wind caressed their faces, but Haruto could not rid himself of the peculiar atmosphere. Nasaki had been unusually silent.

"Is there something bothering you?" Haruto finally asked, looking at her.

Nasaki smiled gently, though her eyes revealed a touch of nervousness. "Nothing. Just… thinking about things."

Haruto didn't push the issue, but the tension remained.

Haruto and Nasaki ate lunch in their usual place by the window. Haruto had halfway consumed his bento before two people he knew well approached them.

Yuna and Saki.

"Ah, there you are~," Yuna sang with a cheeky smile.

Saki was standing beside her, arms folded and a similar look on her face.

Nasaki blinked, seeing what was going to happen. Haruto was still oblivious, though.

"So…" Yuna leaned in a little, her smile growing bigger. "How was your nap yesterday, Haruto?"

Haruto stiffened, the grain of rice he was going to eat frozen halfway to his mouth. His mind worked through what she said, and it came crashing down on him like a freight train.

They knew.

Saki snickered. "You two were so close. I mean, lap pillows? That's next-level already."

Haruto's face went rosy red, his hand shaking as he laid his chopsticks down slowly. He looked over at Nasaki, whose expression was more entertained than shocked.

"Did you tell them?" Haruto whispered, his voice hardly audible.

Nasaki shook her head. "Nope."

"Then. how—"

"Come on, Haruto," Yuna teased, taking the seat next to him. "Did you really expect us not to notice?"

Saki sat down next to Nasaki. "You two aren't very subtle.

Haruto sensed the world closing around him. His mind spun, but no excuse would do anymore. He glanced down, shyly sidestepping their amused stares.

"W-We weren't…" Haruto's sentence hung in mid-air, unable to be finished.

"Weren't what? Date?" Yuna arched an eyebrow, her smile not wavering.

Haruto's face turned fiery red, and he wished that he could just fade away. Nasaki, sensing his unease, finally intervened.

"Okay, okay," Nasaki said, her voice firm but still teasing. "You two are making him nervous."

Yuna pouted but stepped back a little. "Okay, okay. But you're actually dating, right?"

Nasaki released a tiny sigh before nodding. "Yeah… we are."

Haruto's heart skipped a beat as Nasaki's words lingered in his mind. She had said it. Out loud.

Yuna and Saki looked at each other before bursting into wide grins.

"About time!" Yuna cried, applauding.

Saki laughed. "We were waiting for you to own up."

Haruto's face was still red, but a small relief swept through him. Nasaki had deftly fielded it, shielding him from further ridicule.

"Okay, that's enough," Nasaki said sternly, eyeing her friends. "I'll explain everything later, but for now… let's not go overboard with Haruto."

Yuna held up her hands in defeat. "All right, all right. We'll be good."

Saki leaned over into Nasaki and spoke quietly, "But you owe us the whole story later."

Nasaki smiled, nodding once.

When school let out, Haruto and Nasaki walked home together again. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange and pink glow across the sky.

Haruto had remained unusually silent, trying to digest everything that had transpired. Nasaki observed and finally spoke up.

"Haruto…" she whispered.

He looked at her, his eyes still with a combination of confusion and shame.

"Are you alright?" she asked in a more somber tone this time.

Haruto breathed in deeply before responding. "Yeah… it's just… too much to absorb."

Nasaki smiled softly. "You don't need to worry about Yuna and Saki. They're just excited for us."

Haruto forced a small smile, though his blush hadn't yet dissipated.

"You're doing well, you know," Nasaki continued, her voice gentler.

Haruto regarded her, taken aback by her statement.

"Even with all this scrutiny… you're doing better than I expected," she teased softly, causing him to glance away once more.

As they approached their customary meeting place, Nasaki spoke up suddenly.

"By the way…" she said, her voice becoming playful once more.

Haruto looked at her warily. "What now?"

Nasaki's eyes sparkled wickedly. "The school festival's coming soon."

Haruto blinked. "And?"

Nasaki's smile grew wider. "I was thinking… perhaps we should do something together this time."

Haruto's eyes widened, and he stood stock still in the middle of his step.

"W-What?!"

Nasaki laughed softly, her face warm.

Just consider it," she said, waving goodbye as she walked off.

Haruto remained fixed in place, gazing after her, his brain already whirling with what the festival had in store.

For whatever reason… he wasn't as frightened by the prospect as he had assumed.