"Shouko, we're here. You can let go now."
"Akira, I think I left Nanase-sensei's homework at school. Can you take me back to get it?"
He turned to look at her in silence, his expression saying everything.
From school to home, he had gotten somewhat used to the sensation—no longer holding his breath like earlier, afraid that if he moved even a little, the warmth pressed against his back would shift too.
Of course, there had been no sudden stops or sharp turns; that would've been dangerous. Akira always prioritized safety, especially now, during rush hour when students and office workers filled the streets.
"Alright, alright, I'll get off."
In the end, Shouko gave in. She took off her helmet, rubbed her face against his back playfully, and reluctantly stepped down—using the excuse that her face "itched."
She thought there would be many more chances like this in the future anyway. After all, her Akira wasn't going anywhere.
After saying goodbye and promising to visit again that evening, Shouko headed home. It was around 5:30 PM, and she still wanted to help her grandmother prepare dinner.
"Click—"
"I'm home."
"How does it feel?"
Akira changed his shoes and entered the living room, confused by his mother's question. "How does what feel?"
Miyamura Shizuka, who had been watching a drama, paused the TV, turned toward him, and raised an eyebrow with a teasing smile.
"..."
He instantly understood what she meant. How did it feel carrying Shouko for the first time?
Ignoring his mother's mischievous grin, Akira kept a calm face and walked straight out of the living room.
Seeing that, Shizuka chuckled, then turned back to her drama. That boy would never say anything—no matter how much she asked.
Still, judging by his flustered face earlier, something had clearly happened. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but she knew Shouko too well.
If not for their age and parental restrictions, Shizuka sometimes suspected that Shouko would've devoured Akira whole by now.
Of course, it was impressive that Akira had managed to restrain himself so far. His father certainly hadn't been that disciplined at his age…
Putting aside those thoughts, Shizuka got up, paused the TV, and went to the kitchen.
The next day.
"Akira, can you put your backpack in front?" Shouko frowned, pouting as she sat behind him. The sight of his bulging backpack on his back annoyed her to no end.
"No, it's harder to control the bike that way," Akira said calmly, pretending not to notice her expression.
In truth, he was doing it on purpose. If he didn't keep some space between them every morning, things would get dangerous fast.
After all, Shouko was still young—a minor—and no matter how much she'd grown, his conscience wouldn't let him cross that line.
"Fine…"
With no choice, Shouko lightly punched his arm and obediently climbed on, hugging his book-filled backpack as she pouted.
She knew it. He was definitely doing it on purpose. Usually, his backpack was practically empty, but now it was stuffed full of books, bulging like a shield between them.
When the final bell rang that afternoon, Nanase-sensei dismissed the class, and everyone began packing up for their club activities.
"After school, I'll wait for you by the gate," Akira said, waving at Shouko before heading toward the stairwell.
Whatever had happened at the gate yesterday had caused no stir at all—it was just a small moment, soon forgotten.
Shouko and Ayumi walked together toward the Art Club room.
An hour later, Ayumi had drawn who-knows-how-many circles before the club president clapped her hands.
"Alright, everyone take a break! Sitting too long isn't good for your body. Go stretch or move around!"
She was the first to leave, and several others followed her out. The remaining students began stretching or chatting quietly.
"Ayumi, can we ask you something?"
Just as Ayumi was about to head to the restroom, two upperclassmen approached her. She wasn't annoyed—just curious.
The others glanced over briefly, then went back to their work. Even Shouko, who was discussing illustrations with Miyagi Yuki nearby, got distracted, only for Yuki to tug her back to focus.
"What is it, senpai?" Ayumi asked.
"Could we talk somewhere private?"
She nodded and followed them into the corridor, giving Shouko a small reassuring smile before stepping out.
Leaning against the railing, she waited for them to speak.
"It's just that…" One of the boys fidgeted, the question stuck on the tip of his tongue, far harder to say aloud than he'd imagined.
"If there's nothing, I'll be going—"
"N-No, wait!" The other boy blurted out, "Tanaka wants to ask if Nishimiya-san has a boyfriend."
"..."
Ayumi blinked, looking between them in disbelief. "Senpai… do you like Shouko-chan? Are you asking me to get information for you?"
"No, no, I just wanted to ask—privately!" Tanaka stammered, waving his hands frantically.
"Right…" Ayumi sighed. His reaction told her everything she needed to know.
"Well, then I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Shouko-chan already has a boyfriend—and they've been together for over ten years."
"...What?"
Both boys froze, dumbfounded. Together for ten years? Were they dating since kindergarten?
Seeing their skeptical looks, Ayumi shrugged and walked away. She still needed to use the restroom. Whether they believed her or not didn't matter—if they tried confessing, they'd just end up humiliated anyway.
After all, plenty of boys had written love letters to Shouko back in junior high. None had ever succeeded.
"Tanaka, what do you think?" the other boy asked, watching Ayumi's retreating figure.
"It sounds made up… probably a bluff," Tanaka muttered.
"So… about our bet?"
"Do you even need to ask? You're paying, obviously."
"...Figures."
He sighed in defeat, though deep down, he couldn't help agreeing. Ayumi's answer had sounded too exaggerated to believe.
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