The classroom buzzed with a familiar energy as the teacher stood at the front, smiling knowingly. "Alright, everyone," she began, "time to pair up for your next group project. You know the drill please pick your partners." A wave of movement and chatter rippled across the room. Mitsunari turned slightly in his seat, instinctively scanning for Mizuha, remembering how well they'd worked together during the last assignment.
Mizuha's heart skipped when the teacher made the announcement. She'd been hoping for a chance to work with Mitsunari again, the boy who had slowly but surely taken up more space in her thoughts lately. Just as she was about to walk over to him, Misaki grabbed her arm. "Hey, wanna pair up?" Misaki asked brightly. Mizuha hesitated, caught off-guard. She glanced at Mitsunari, who was still deciding, but then looked back at her friend. Misaki's hopeful expression made her swallow her disappointment. "Sure," she replied with a small smile.
Mitsunari was still looking around when Yeji tapped him on the shoulder. "No one's taken you yet?" she asked casually. "Let's pair up, then." Mitsunari blinked, then nodded. "Alright." He didn't mind working with Yeji as she was smart and easy to get along with but a small part of him had wondered if he and Mizuha would get another chance to team up.
Throughout the day, Mizuha kept sneaking glances at Mitsunari and Yeji. They looked comfortable, laughing at something as they discussed the project. A small ache formed in her chest, one she tried to ignore, but every time someone commented on how well the two looked together, it grew.
Some classmates were not subtle. "Mitsunari and Yeji totally have chemistry," someone whispered near Mizuha's desk. "Do you think they'll end up dating?" another giggled. Mizuha clenched her pen tighter, forcing herself to smile at Misaki's jokes while trying not to glance at the duo again. However, she couldn't help it. Every laugh, every shared smile, felt like a pinprick.
By the end of the day, Mizuha felt drained. As the final bell rang, she stuffed her books into her bag and walked out of class without saying a word to Mitsunari. He noticed, standing by the door, confused as he watched her rush past. "Mizuha?" he called after her, but she didn't turn back.
The walk home was a blur for her. She didn't cry and she didn't even know what exactly she was feeling. It wasn't Mitsunari's fault, not really, but the way everyone talked, the way she'd seen him laugh with Yeji as it hurt more than she expected. Once home, she shut herself in her room and tried to distract herself, but her mind kept drifting.
Meanwhile, Mitsunari was surrounded by curious classmates asking about him and Yeji. "You two looked cute today," someone teased. "Are you two a thing now?" another chimed in. Mitsunari's brow furrowed. "No, we're just working on a project," he replied, but the comments didn't stop. The more he heard, the more his thoughts returned to Mizuha and how she hadn't said a single word to him before leaving.
Something didn't sit right. He hadn't done anything wrong, had he? But if Mizuha was upset, he didn't want to leave things the way they were. Without thinking it through, Mitsunari grabbed his jacket and headed out. He didn't care that the sky was darkening or that the wind was picking up and he just needed to make things right.
By the time he reached Mizuha's house, the sky had opened up. Rain poured down, soaking him to the skin. He stood outside, heart pounding, and shouted, "I'm sorry, Mizuha! I didn't know people were saying that stuff! I didn't mean for it to be weird!" His voice was loud over the rain, desperate and sincere.
Inside, Mizuha jumped at the sound. She peeked through her bedroom window and saw Mitsunari standing there, drenched from head to toe, his hair plastered to his forehead. Her heart twisted painfully at the sight. He looked miserable. Guilty. And suddenly, she felt guilty too for being upset over something he hadn't caused.
However, she still couldn't bring herself to open the window or say anything. Her emotions were too tangled. She stayed frozen, eyes locked on him as he stood there for a moment longer. Then, with a sigh, Mitsunari called out, "I'll text you when I get home, okay?" His voice was softer now. He turned and started walking back into the rain.
Mizuha watched him go as her hand rests on the windowpane. She bit her lip, wanting to call him back, but the words caught in her throat. All she could do was watch until he disappeared down the street.
Later that night her phone buzzed with a message. It was from Mitsunari. "Made it home. Hope you're staying dry. Let's talk tomorrow… if that's okay." Mizuha stared at the screen for a long moment before finally typing out a simple reply: "Okay. I'm sorry too."