It had been almost three months since the summer festival.
Since that night.
Since Rina Tachibana said something that stuck in my head far longer than I'd admit.
I didn't expect to run into Rina that day. Not like this.
It was just a normal afternoon—Haruki and I heading to the vending machine behind the gym to grab his favorite drink.
We rounded the corner—
—and there she was.
Tachibana.
Leaning against the vending machine like it had personally wronged her. Arms crossed. Eyes flicking over the drink choices like she was judging them all equally.
She noticed us right away. Her posture stiffened for half a second, then relaxed—kind of. She turned her gaze away, pretending she didn't see me.
I should've kept walking. Pretended I had no business here.
But apparently, my legs were running on auto-pilot.
"…Hey," I said, trying to sound casual and failing instantly.
She didn't answer. Just pressed a button.
A can dropped, hit the tray, and rolled off the edge.
I caught it midair. Smooth reflexes, zero composure.
I held it out to her. "Careful."
Her fingers brushed mine when she took it. "Didn't ask for help."
"Didn't ask for thanks either."
Her lips twitched. Almost a smile. Almost.
The silence that followed was heavy with all the things I couldn't say without sounding stupid.
I leaned against the vending machine to look cool, but my shoulder hit it with a clang.
Haruki snorted behind me. Traitor.
Rina cracked open her drink with a hiss. "You know, they're already planning the culture festival."
"Oh yeah?" I managed, trying not to stare at how the afternoon light hit her hair.
"Yeah." She took a sip. "You gonna help your class this time? Or mysteriously vanish again?"
"That was one time," I said. "And I had food poisoning."
She raised an eyebrow. "Sure. The kind of food poisoning that lasts until the cleanup shift."
I scratched the back of my neck. "…Okay, maybe mild social anxiety counts as food poisoning now."
That earned a quiet laugh. Genuine. Warm.
It felt like a rare achievement unlocked.
"I'll help this year," I said. "You'll see. Probably the best paper decorations this school's ever seen."
"I'll hold you to that." She turned slightly, then glanced back with a faint smirk.
"Surprise me again, Takahashi."
My breath caught.
She walked a few steps away before adding, softer, "Like you did at the festival."
And just like that, she was gone.
For a while, I just stood there—heart doing gymnastics, trying to look like I wasn't dying internally.
Haruki sighed dramatically. "Man, I blinked and you went from breathing fine to emotionally concussed."
I shot him a look. "Shut up."
He grinned, slapping my shoulder. "Nah, seriously. You're done for, bro. That girl's holding your nervous system hostage."
"...You think she noticed?"
"Oh, definitely. And she's charging rent."
I groaned. "Great."
He laughed all the way back to class.
But me? I couldn't stop thinking about her last words.
The culture festival, huh?
Something told me she wasn't just talking about decorations.