Louis’s almost confession at the café.

Her dizziness and collapsing.

Yuki’s arms catching her firmly.

His worried gaze hovering over her as she drifted in and out of fevered sleep.

The quiet moment when he stayed by her side, his hand brushing her forehead softly.

Her chest tightened.

"Why… why did he stay…"

She sat up quickly, brushing off the strange warmth in her chest. "No. Don’t think about him."

She dressed meticulously as always, tying her hair with her navy ribbon, spraying light gardenia perfume behind her ears, and slipping into her polished shoes.

As she left her room, she saw Yuki stepping out from his, hair still damp from his shower, blue uniform coat hanging loosely off his shoulders. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment.

She quickly looked away, walking past him wordlessly.

“Hey—” he called softly, but she pretended not to hear, grabbing her bag and leaving the house first.

--------

Yui walked down the hall of Tenjou Academy with her usual regal composure, but inside her stomach churned. Every time she sensed Yuki nearby, her heart skipped, and she took a detour to avoid crossing his path.

“Yui!" 

Her friend Karin caught up to her, looking puzzled. “Are you okay today? You’re acting like you’re avoiding someone.”

Yui forced a light smile. “It’s just… my head still hurts from yesterday. You know I had a fever right?”

Karin tilted her head, unconvinced, but before she could press further, a familiar voice cut through the hallway noise.

“Found you, princess.”

Yui froze as Louis appeared behind her. Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist lightly and pulled her into the small side hallway between lockers, away from prying eyes—but not before a few girls saw them disappear together.

“Let go, Kisaragi-kun,” she snapped softly, glancing around.

He didn’t. Instead, he leaned closer, their faces mere inches apart.

“Did you take the medicine I told you about yesterday?” he asked, voice low and intimate.

“Medicine…?”

He sighed dramatically and handed her a small paper bag. Inside were fever tablets and honey cough drops.

“I noticed you were dizzy yesterday. Take these.”

Her eyes widened. “Why are you—”

He smiled faintly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a gentle touch that sent unwanted chills down her spine.

“Because…” His eyes softened. “Because seeing you like that… hurts me too.”

She stared at him with blank expressions and quickly pulled back, snatching the bag from him.

“Don’t say things like that and thank you very much for your concern.” she whispered sharply, gritting her teeth.

He chuckled softly. “Sure my lady!" 

She glared at him, but his words, ambiguous and teasing, had already echoed down the hallway, reaching eager ears of passing girls peeking around the corner.

----------

Later at the PE period, the field was blazing under noon sun. Yui ran with her classmates, her body trembling with weakness, heat rising to her face as dizziness blurred her vision.

“Yukimura-san, are you okay?” a classmate asked.

“I’m fine…” she whispered, wiping sweat from her brow.

Suddenly, a cool shadow fell over her. She looked up to see Yuki, his sports jersey darkened with sweat, strands of his hair sticking to his forehead. His eyes were filled with something between irritation and worry.

“What’s wrong with you? You do realize that you had a high fever just until yesterday night right?” he demanded, his tone harsh but his eyes scanning her face urgently. “You look like you’re about to faint.”

She stiffened under his intense gaze, sensing burning stares of girls from nearby.

“I’m fine,” she repeated, turning away quickly, clutching her chest. “Leave me alone.”

“Yukimura—”

She didn’t hear the rest. She walked off towards the washroom and cooled herself down splashing cold water on her face.

Later, Yui entered class to find it buzzing with an unnatural, electric energy. She felt their stares burn holes into her uniform. Whispers spread like wildfire.

“Did you see the post that just updated…?”

“The school newspaper club's social media… oh my god…”

“She’s seriously two-timing them both… Yuki-sama and Louis-sama…”

Her blood ran cold. She fumbled for her phone, opening the newspaper club's social media page.

There it was.

Attached were blurry photos: Louis handing her the paper bag with his hand brushing her cheek; Yuki catching her on the PE field with his hand gripping her wrist firmly.

Her vision blurred.

"Whaaaaatttt in the world is going on!?" She screamed in her head.

Yuki scrolled through his phone silently in his seat, his jaw tightening with every line he read. His classmates whispered around him, but his eyes were locked on her slumped figure at her desk.

"Why am I feeling this way...."  He clenched his fists under the desk, heart pounding with anger he couldn’t explain.