Friends like These

Kazuki barely made it to his seat before Reo dropped into the chair beside him, grinning like a maniac.

"Soo…" Reo dragged the word out, his tone way too suspicious. "You and Miyuki, huh?"

Kazuki blinked. "Huh?"

"Don't play dumb," Naoto chimed in, leaning forward with a smirk. "You think we didn't see you just now? The vending machine, the casual chat, the whole 'I have good taste' line—"

"That was just—"

"Bro even recommended a drink like it was a love potion," Reo cut in, dramatically clutching his chest. "He was like, 'Trust me, this one's the best.'"

Naoto gasped. "And she actually listened."

"That's gotta mean something," Kyouya added, resting his chin on his hand, looking way too amused.

Daiki, who had been quiet so far, finally spoke. "Also, you literally went to the movies with her."

That shut Kazuki up for a second.

Reo grinned. "A movie date?"

"It wasn't a date," Kazuki muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Naoto scoffed. "Right. You just happened to watch a movie together. Just the two of you."

Kazuki sighed. "I just asked because she mentioned it. That's all."

"That's all?" Reo echoed, wiggling his eyebrows. "And let me guess—you just happened to sit close, just happened to brush hands, and just happened to stare at her like she was the main event instead of the movie?"

Kazuki didn't answer, but the way he shifted in his seat gave them all the confirmation they needed.

"Oh my god, he totally did," Naoto cackled.

"I knew it," Reo said, slapping the desk. "Dude's fallen hard."

Kazuki groaned. "Why are you guys like this?"

"Because it's hilarious," Reo shot back. "And because you're the only one who doesn't see how obvious it is."

Daiki finally spoke again, his voice more relaxed than the others. "So… what are you gonna do about it?"

Kazuki hesitated. "What do you mean?"

Kyouya, who had been watching quietly, sighed. "You like her."

Kazuki didn't reply. He didn't need to.

Daiki leaned back, folding his arms. "So? You just gonna keep waiting, or are you gonna do something?"

Kazuki exhaled, looking away. "…I don't know."

For the first time, the teasing quieted down.

Kyouya spoke up, his tone casual but firm. "Just don't overthink it too much. If you keep waiting for the perfect moment, you might miss it."

Daiki nodded. "Yeah. You don't have to rush, but… don't hold back forever either."

Kazuki didn't say anything, but their words stuck with him.

Reo, never one to let things get too serious, clapped a hand on Kazuki's shoulder. "And if you need a wingman, you know we got you."

"Absolutely not," Kazuki deadpanned.

The group burst into laughter, the conversation shifting to something else, but the thoughts lingered in Kazuki's mind.

Maybe they were right.

Maybe he really did need to do something about it.

The teasing continued for a while, mostly consisting of exaggerated ideas about how he should confess. ("Write her name in the sky!" "No, just stare dramatically into her eyes!" "Bro, serenade her with a love song.")

Eventually, the conversation shifted as Daiki stretched lazily. "Alright, enough of that. We hitting the football field?"

"Yeah, let's go," Kyouya said, standing up.

Kazuki thought they had moved on from the Miyuki topic.

He was wrong.

The afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the field as they jogged onto the grass. Other students were already playing, but they managed to claim a goalpost for a casual 5v5.

Kazuki was usually focused when it came to football. It was a sport he genuinely enjoyed, one of the few things that helped him clear his mind.

But today?

Today, his mind was a mess.

"She might be watching," Reo teased as they warmed up.

Kazuki sighed. "She's literally not even here."

"Yeah, but what if she was?"

"Then I'd just play normally."

Reo grinned. "Would you, though?"

Kazuki didn't dignify that with an answer.

The match started, and for the first few minutes, Kazuki actually managed to shake off his thoughts and focus. His team, consisting of Daiki, Naoto, and two other classmates, played aggressively.

He found himself in a 1v1 moment against Kyouya, the two locking eyes briefly before Kyouya smirked.

"Think fast."

Kyouya lunged, aiming to steal the ball, but Kazuki reacted just in time, skillfully maneuvering past him.

"Damn," Kyouya muttered as Kazuki took off toward the goal.

"Too slow," Kazuki taunted.

He passed the ball to Daiki, who faked a shot before kicking it back—right into Kazuki's path.

One precise strike later, the ball hit the back of the net.

"Let's go!" Daiki fist-bumped him.

But before Kazuki could enjoy the moment, Reo had to ruin it.

"If only Miyuki saw that," he sighed dramatically. "She'd fall for you on the spot."

Kazuki groaned. "Can you not?"

Kyouya chuckled. "Reo's got a point, though. If you wanna impress her, sports aren't a bad way to do it."

Kazuki rolled his eyes. "That's assuming she even cares about football."

"Hey, some girls like athletes," Naoto shrugged. "Or maybe she's into smart guys."

Reo smirked. "Lucky for Kazuki, he's both."

Kazuki shook his head. "You guys are the worst."

The game continued, but even as they played, Kazuki couldn't ignore the fact that—annoying as they were—his friends weren't wrong.

He did want to impress Miyuki.

He did want her to notice him.

And maybe… it was time to do something about it.