The three boys strolled down the street, casually munching on their donuts.

"Hey Fumi, this is the bakery you told us about, right?" Kuro asked, taking a huge bite.

"Yup! Told you, their donuts are top-tier," Fumi grinned. "So? What do you think, Saito?"

Saito, the white-haired boy, was barely paying attention. His eyes were locked on nothing in particular, his expression distant.

"Hmm… I haven’t tried it yet." Absentmindedly, he tore open the package and took a bite.

Fumi squinted. "Dude, it’s Kuro’s treat. At least pretend to care."

Saito chewed mechanically. "Yeah… it’s good."

"See? Told you!" Kuro grinned, stuffing the rest of his donut into his mouth. "Man, I gotta come back and try more of their stuff. What do you think, Saito?"

But Saito wasn’t listening.

His mind was still stuck in the bakery.

What… was that?

That girl—why did it feel so weird when I saw her?

"Saito?" Fumi waved a hand in front of his face. "Yoo, bro, you good?"

Saito blinked. "Huh? What are you saying?"

Kuro raised an eyebrow. "You’ve been acting sus since we left that shop…"

Fumi smirked like he had just solved the greatest mystery of the century.

"Ohhh, I get it now."

Saito frowned. "Get what?"

Fumi threw an arm around his shoulders, grinning like a devil.

"You fell for that cute cashier, didn’t you?"

Saito almost choked on his donut. "Hah?! Are you crazy?!"

Kuro gasped dramatically. "Wait a second… now that you mention it—" He rubbed his chin like a detective. "That cashier was really cute." His eyes narrowed suspiciously at Saito. "Don’t tell me… love at first sight?"

Saito groaned in frustration. "What?! No! I wasn’t even thinking about her!"

Fumi and Kuro exchanged the universal ‘Yeah, right’ look.

"Naaaaah," Fumi smirked. "You totally fell in love at first sight."

"One hundred percent," Kuro nodded sagely.

Saito sighed, rubbing his temples. "Guys, today’s submission day. Hurry up—we have to get back to work again."

Fumi snickered. "Ah, classic deflection."

Kuro smirked. "He’s running from his feelings."

"I swear to god—" Saito started, but his two friends burst out laughing.

He sighed again, choosing silent suffering as his only defense.