Waguri’s face so close to his.

Her head on his shoulder in the train.

And the soft kiss on his cheek.Hiro sat up slowly and touched his cheek without thinking. A strange feeling spread in his chest. It wasn’t bad… but it made him restless.He got ready for school in silence. Even while brushing his teeth and putting on his uniform, his mind kept going back to her.When he arrived at school, the hallways were already full of students. As usual, he walked quietly toward his classroom. Then he saw her.Waguri was standing near the entrance with two of her friends. She was smiling politely at something one of them said. The same perfect smile she always showed to everyone else.Hiro looked away and continued walking. He didn’t want to stare.But just as he passed by, their eyes met for a short moment.Waguri’s smile froze slightly. A faint red color appeared on her cheeks before she quickly looked away and continued talking to her friends.Hiro’s heart skipped a beat. He walked faster toward the classroom, pretending nothing had happened.During the first classes, he couldn’t concentrate properly. He kept remembering the feeling of her lips on his cheek. Every time he did, a warm sensation spread through his chest.At lunchtime, while he was sitting alone near the window, his phone vibrated.Waguri: Are you free after school?Hiro stared at the message for a few seconds. His fingers hesitated before he replied.Hiro: Yes.A moment later, another message arrived.Waguri: Meet me at the usual place.

Don’t be late this time.Hiro could almost hear her slightly annoyed tone through the message. A small smile appeared on his face.— Okay, he whispered to himself.The rest of the day felt longer than usual. When the final bell rang, Hiro quickly packed his bag and left the classroom.When he arrived at their usual meeting spot behind the school, Waguri was already there. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, looking to the side.As soon as she noticed him, she pushed herself off the wall.— You’re late again, she said.— Only a little, Hiro answered.Waguri looked at him for a second, then turned her face away. The afternoon light made her dark hair shine softly.— …About yesterday, she said quietly.Hiro’s heart started beating faster.— Yesterday?Waguri’s fingers tightened slightly on the strap of her bag. Her ears were turning red.— Forget what happened. It didn’t mean anything.Even though she said that, her voice was softer than usual, and she refused to look at him directly.Hiro watched her in silence. The wind moved her hair gently. For some reason, he didn’t completely believe her words.Something really had changed.And this time, he wasn’t sure they could go back to how things were before.

Thank you for reading Chapter 12!If you’re enjoying the story, please consider adding a like and subscribing so you don’t miss the next chapters.It really helps me a lot.See you in the next chapter~