Don't Talk. Just Pat My Head.

The war has begun.

You can feel it in the camp—everyone's training harder.

The air is heavier.

Renji hasn't shown up again.

Not that he ever visits often.

"Reach the level of your instructors first. Then I'll consider it," he once said.

Hayato, Takumi, Arata, Naoki, and Kazuma—Renji picked them as instructors.

Kana and I were already training with Hayato.

After our deal with Renji, Hayato started coming daily for duels.

That is… until Takumi arrived at the camp.

After just one sparring session with him, Kana's body was covered in bruises and swelling.

When Renji came for the duel that day, he didn't say a word.

He just turned and walked away.

The next morning, he surprised us.

He showed up early.

And what he said was even more surprising:

"From now on, I'll be the one training you."

Hayato was always quiet. Distant. He rarely spoke.

But when he saw Kana like that… something shifted.

He tried to sound mature when he said those words.

But there was a faint hesitation in his voice. A softness that slipped through.

That day, I saw a side of Hayato no one else had seen.

And that face… that moment…

It was genuinely sweet.

I didn't know what to feel when I saw Takumi all bruised up the next day.

But that's when it started—

That's when I realized I had feelings for Hayato.

Even during the ambush, I couldn't get it out of my mind.

I kept asking myself:

"Does Kana feel the same way about him?"

She grabbed his arm.

She said, "Don't ever do that again."

Kana never touches anyone—except me.

Her voice was filled with something intense.

Not anger. Not panic.

Something else.

If she has feelings for Hayato…

Why hasn't she told me?

I heard Hayato's voice from afar.

He was training with Watari.

These days, Watari was always by his side.

"You rushed your shots. Too many, too fast. You need to slow down.

Control the blood in your veins—don't let it control you.

If you do, it'll cloud your mind. It'll give you headaches."

He speaks so kindly.

Even when teaching, he's gentle.

Behind that strict mask of a mentor is someone… warm.

Someone good.

Eventually, he noticed I was watching.

I gestured—send Watari away.

He got the message.

After a few words with Watari, he came over to me.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Yes. Very seriously wrong," I said.

He tensed, immediately worried.

I don't understand how he still falls for these tricks.

"Our sensei is missing," I added.

I couldn't hold back my laughter at the shift in his face.

Shock. Confusion. Then exhaustion.

"Yui… is that why you made me send Watari away?" he asked, rubbing his temple.

He sounded so tired.

"No," I said.

"I just wanted some attention. After my performance in the ambush, I thought I at least deserved a 'well done.' Is that too much to ask?"

"Well done," he muttered, reluctantly.

I gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

He tried not to react, but I could tell he liked it.

I didn't want the moment to end.

The big sakura tree above us… it felt like our place.

Just ours.

I don't even know why I did it, but when he laughed… I hugged him.

His body was both cold and warm at once.

Just like Hayato.

"'Well done' isn't enough," I whispered. "Pat my head."

Please… just pat my head.

And I waited.