Morning.
Shuu arrived at school with a clearer head.
He had stayed up late analyzing every interaction from the past three days like he was reviewing game event flags. Pros, cons, conditions met. He was determined to stabilize Sakura's route—and keep Motoko Iura from turning it into a comedy spin-off.
As he reached his desk, he was relieved to see Sakura already there, quietly reading.
He stepped up beside her.
"Morning, Sakura."
She looked up and gave him a gentle nod. "Good morning."
Her voice was still soft, but it had warmth.
Shuu smiled. "I brought something."
He reached into his bag and pulled out a small pack of homemade cookies.
Sakura blinked. "What's this?"
"A peace offering. I burned half of last night's dinner, but the cookies survived."
She hesitated, then took them carefully. "Thank you."
Shuu watched her expression as she opened the pack. Her lips curved ever so slightly.
Flag: Reinforced.
But then—
"Morning~! Cookies? Oh, I want in."
Motoko Iura leaned her head between them like a nosy cat, sniffing the pack with mock curiosity.
"You didn't make any for me, Shuu? I'm hurt."
Shuu gave her a look. "I didn't realize you were part of the targeted demographic."
"Ouch." She grinned. "Too bad. You'll never reach a true harem ending with that mindset."
"I'm not aiming for a harem ending."
"Then you're in the wrong genre."
Shuu exhaled through his nose. "This is a school romance."
"Exactly. Which means misunderstandings, love triangles, and sudden beach episodes are inevitable."
Sakura covered her mouth, giggling quietly again.
Shuu glanced at her.
Dammit.
Motoko wasn't even trying to charm her, but somehow made Sakura laugh easier than he did.
Even her presence disrupted the usual tempo. Sakura looked more animated—less cautious.
Which would've been a good thing, if Shuu weren't also aware of how these stories went.
The more you let chaos in… the harder it was to control the outcome.
Just then, the bell rang.
Motoko winked. "Later~ I'm stealing one of those cookies at lunch."
She vanished to her seat.
Sakura, still smiling faintly, unwrapped one of the cookies and took a bite.
"…It's really good," she said quietly.
Shuu looked at her, then sighed inwardly.
It was working.
His route was still intact.
But now, there were two girls in the frame.
And the camera didn't know which one to zoom in on.
---